In the summer, temperatures can reach upwards of 100 degrees in some places in the country. When the temperatures rise like this, it always leaves parents worrying about how to ensure that their children are kept cool while in their car seats.
Running the air conditioning is always a wise choice, or rolling the windows down if you have a vehicle without A/C. Yet, there are a few other things that you can do to keep the car cooler.
The interior of a car can heat up very quickly in the summertime, and the interior can reach dangerous levels in a very short amount of time. Even when the outside temperature is rather mild, the interior of the car can heat up.
When the outside temperature is 70 degrees, the interior of the car can reach 89 degrees in just ten minutes. Within 30 minutes, the temperature can hit 104 degrees. If the outside temperature is even higher, say 95 degrees, the interior of the car can be 114 degrees in ten minutes. In 30 minutes, that car can be 129 degrees. It is necessary to know how to keep a car seat cool in the summer when the interior of your car is a sweltering 129 degrees!
With unbearable temperatures like the ones we just described, you can see the necessity for cooling down your car. It is especially important when you are transporting infants or small children that may not be able to inform you that they are getting too hot. Read more about these six methods on how to keep a car seat cool in the summer so that you and your entire family can be safe and comfortable.
In order to keep your car cooler, you need to block some of the sunshine from shining into your car. There are several ways that you can achieve this, one way is to get your windows tinted. There are particular types of tints that can be added to car windows that block out UV radiation, and an added benefit of having tinted windows is that the glass won’t spray everywhere if you should get into an accident. The film that supplies the tint will hold the crumbles of glass together. There are car dash covers that act as reflective sunshades that can be put in the front windshield. These car dash covers can be purchased at rather inexpensive prices on Amazon, and they help keep temperatures inside the car lower while the car is parked. Parking in the shade as much as possible will also help shave off a few degrees, and it can really make a big difference on days when the mercury keeps creeping up.
When choosing a new car, pay attention to the color of the interior. A car with a lighter colored interior will stay cooler than a car with a darker colored interior. Cars with black interiors will get substantially hotter than a car with a white interior. However, even colors like blue, green, or red will stay cooler than a car with a black interior. The same theory applies to the actual car seat. Picking a seat made of black fabric is definitely not how to keep a car seat cool in summer. The lighter colors like tan, light gray, or white may show stains more readily than a navy or black car seat, but they will be a lot more comfortable for your little one in the summer months.
The mechanism of sweating is your body’s natural cooling system. As the sweat evaporates off of the skin, the body is cooled. While you can’t actually encourage your baby to start sweating, you can spritz him or her with some cool water. The evaporation of the water from the skin and hair will work in the same way as the natural process of sweating. This method will be more effective in dryer climates than in humid ones. You should avoid getting your baby’s clothes wet if you will be headed into an air-conditioned building at the end of the car ride because it could make them too chilly once you arrive. Older children may enjoy being given a spray bottle to spritz themselves as needed. They may especially like one of the bottles that also has a fan attached, but you want to ensure that the child is old enough to not chew on the fan or stick it in his or her hair.
For parents wondering how to keep a car seat cool in the summer, cooling towels may be just the thing! These towels are made from hyper-evaporative materials, and they retain water while also feeling dry to the touch. Before a car trip, you need only wet the towel to get over an hour’s worth of cooling time. The effect works in the same way as misting them with water, however, it won’t make their clothes wet or their skin feel clammy. They are machine washable to be reused over and over again. It is important to note that the towels should be used over the car seat harness and never underneath it.
Infant carriers can benefit from car seat covers which are sometimes called car seat sunshades. These covers act as a shield around the car seat to block the sun. If you are using these, it is important that you ensure there is still enough air circulation underneath. You don’t want the shade to actually make the child hotter in their car seat.
If you are looking for an innovative answer to the how to keep a car seat cool in the summer question, Noggle is the answer. This contraption is a piece of flexible ductwork that is covered in fabric. It hooks to your air conditioning vent in the front seat, and it blows the cool air directly on the child in the back seat. You can angle it to blow in the most comfortable position for the child.
The window covers for cars that are intended for the side window by your child’s car seat are not recommended. While they can help shade the baby from sunlight slanting in that side window, they can pop off during an accident. The hard roller of the shade can be quite dangerous flying around your car at high speeds.
The stick-on window covers for cars are less likely to be dangerous during a crash, but they can drastically limit the driver’s visibility on that side of the car. Often, those stick-on shades can keep the driver from getting a good view of their blind spot which is also a hazard.
Summertime often means a time for vacations and car trips to visit family. So, it is important that you have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep everyone cool, comfortable, and safe. Remember! Never leave your child (or animal) in a car, not even for one minute. The car can reach dangerous heat levels in just a matter of moments.
Freedom National wants you to have your best summer yet, and that means learning how to keep a car seat cool in the summer. The temperatures may keep rising, but you and your little one won’t be feeling the heat with these six cooling tips.