where to find expiration date?

[lmh2402]

i'm getting ready to pack up my DS's infant seat.

but i'm wondering if i should bother packing up, or should i just get rid of it b/c we'll need a new one by the time we try for baby #2?

the seat we've got is a graco safe seat - purchased in dec '08 or jan '09 - i got it as a shower gift in jan '09.

we plan to start trying for #2 in summer '10

so, where can i find the expiration date to see if it's worth keeping this seat around?

many thanks

[DebbieJ]

Car seats don't print expiration dates on them. You should be able to find the date of manufacture on it, and then check with graco to see how long they say to keep the seat.

But given what you've said, I'm sure it will still have life in it. Most seats have ~5 yr life span these days.

[o_mom]

Graco seats expire in December of the year six years after the date of manufacture. The date of manufacture is on the sticker on the side. You can also turn the seat over and look on the bottom, near the foot, possibly under where the cover wraps around the bottom for a stamp that says "Do Not Use After December 21XX". It is embossed in the plastic, so it can be hard to see and I seem to remember it being very hard to spot on my SafeSeat.

Anyway, it sounds like it was made in 2008, so good until December 2014, 2013 if it happened to be a very old date of manufacture for when you purchased it, but still should be enough time for a baby born in 2011.

[lmh2402]

look on the bottom, near the foot, possibly under where the cover wraps around the bottom for a stamp that says "Do Not Use After December 21XX".

found it - thanks! Dec '14, so worth packing up

appreciate the tips, ladies