Why Choosing a Chemical Flame Retardant-Free Car Seat is Crucial for Your Child’s Health
As parents, we do everything we can to keep our children safe. From choosing the best foods to ensuring their environment is healthy, we want the best for them. When it comes to car safety, one aspect that often gets overlooked is the chemicals used in car seats—particularly chemical flame retardants. While these chemicals are intended to make the car seat more fire-resistant, they can pose significant health risks, especially for infants and young children. In this post, you'll learn why it’s crucial to choose a chemical flame-retardant-free car seat, dive into studies on the dangers of flame retardants, and recommend the best non-toxic car seat options available today.
What Are Chemical Flame Retardants?
Chemical flame retardants are substances that are added to materials to prevent or slow down the spread of fire. They are commonly found in furniture, electronics, and car seats. Car seats, in particular, are often treated with these chemicals to meet fire safety standards.
However, the problem with many chemical flame retardants is that they are not only ineffective over time but also pose serious health risks. Common types include:
PBDEs (Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers): A group of chemicals used in foam padding.
TDCPP (Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate): Often used in flame retardants but has been linked to cancer.
Deca-BDE: A type of PBDE that is highly persistent in the environment and has been banned in many countries.
The Dangers of Chemical Flame Retardants
Numerous studies have highlighted the potential risks of chemical flame retardants, particularly to children. Some of the most concerning health effects include:
Hormonal Disruption: Many flame retardants, especially PBDEs, have been shown to interfere with thyroid function, which is crucial for development and metabolism.
Neurodevelopmental Delays: Research has linked flame retardants to developmental issues in children, such as delays in motor skills, memory, and IQ.
Cancer Risks: Certain flame retardants, like TDCPP, have been classified as possible human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Increased Risk of Respiratory Issues: Long-term exposure to certain chemicals can result in respiratory issues, particularly in young children with developing lungs.
A 2017 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives showed that children exposed to flame retardants through car seats had significantly higher levels of these chemicals in their blood, raising
concerns about their overall safety and potential long-term effects.
You might be asking why they are being used. Because old laws still require them! Just this past year, Consumer Reports, the Green Science Policy Institute, and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) delivered a petition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calling on the agency to update its outdated flammability standard for car interiors and child car seats. They cited the knowledge we now have of how harmful these chemicals are to children's health and urged them to reform the law.
One thing I think that we especially need to think about is how many times these chemicals off-gas when heated. For most of us, car seats are constantly in heat as we drive/park outside and they are more prone to off-gas than other products that contain flame retardants.
Non-Toxic Alternatives: Chemical Flame Retardant-Free Car Seats
As parents become more aware of the risks of chemical flame retardants, many are seeking safer, non-toxic alternatives for their children’s car seats. Fortunately, several reputable brands offer chemical flame retardant-free options that provide both safety and peace of mind. 8 years ago when I first started shopping, the options were really limited and I'm happy to see more brands coming out with better options and at better price points. The frustrating part about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration not updating the laws means that companies are upcharging for the safer option. Minorities and lower-income families are already more vulnerable as they are more regularly exposed to chemicals and this is perpetuated without new laws to require all car seats to be made without harmful chemicals.
Best Non-Toxic Car Seat Brands and Models
For the 2025 models, Nuna and UppaBaby are the only brands that carry only chemical flame-retardant-free car seats. All other brands have specific models to look for, which I include below.
UppaBaby and Nuna car seats are also certified by GreenGuard Gold. I look for this certification when I'm buying furniture, paint, and certain items like car seats. This certification means that the product tested has been proven to be low in chemical emissions, decreasing indoor pollution levels. This program sets the most stringent guidelines for total VOC emissions. Greenguard Gold Certified products emit minimal gases. They maintain healthy indoor air quality, by reducing our chemical exposure.
If you are buying models made before 2025, car seat model names change a lot. So you will just want to make sure that the one you are getting is chemical flame-retardant-free. If they aren't advertised as FRF, you can probably assume they are not.
Infant Car Seats
Convertible Car Seats
Booster Seats
All-In-One Convertible
Brands to Avoid
For me, this is a top item to prioritize to make sure it's non-toxic. If you don't see a brand listed here, they use chemical flame retardants and I'd avoid it. A few popular brands that as of right now don't have any safer options are Graco, Doona, and Baby Trend. Graco, Baby Trends, and Evenflo also all tested high for PFAS, a serious chemical we want to avoid.
What would I buy if I had to do it all over again?
For the absolute best non-toxic quality, I would go with Nuna. To save money, I would consider their All-In-One although the rotating Revv looks pretty tempting. Rotating car seats were not an option when we had our first son. If budget is the #1 priority, then the Chicco ClearTex models are a great option!
We had Uppa Baby for our infant car seat. We have Nuna for a convertible car seat and a booster seat. We also have a Chicco ClearTex booster and I just ordered their MyFit ClearTex which is a convertible/booster combo.
Non-Toxic Baby and Kids Lists
Want the best quality items for your baby? I have a Non-Toxic Baby Registry!
I also have Amazon Lists with many great recommendations for non-toxic items for all your baby/kids product needs: Mealtime, Natural Medicine Cabinet, Non-Toxic Kids Bathroom, and more!
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