Are Buckle Me Baby Coats compatible with car seats?

Buckle Me Baby Coats have been crash tested at an independent University crash test facility where they outperformed traditional puffy coats. They also work at the same harness setting as no coat in the car seat. The coats have been evaluated by CPSTs who give them two thumbs up! Visit our Tutorials page to see our crash test footage in action and learn what CPSTs have to say about Buckle Me Baby Coats here.

Have Buckle Me Baby Coats been evaluated by Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs)?

CPSTS love Buckle Me Baby Coats because they go on at home and stay on safely in the car seat. Read reviews from your favorite CPSTs here.

How warm is the coat - are there temperature ratings?

This question has become very popular since sleeping bags started including temperature ratings. Sleeping bag companies can rate bags because a sleeping person is inactive and (most often) in a sheltered environment, eliminating many of the variables which make ratings for coats so difficult and inaccurate. 

Temperature ratings in winter coats are a bit of a marketing gimmick – most reputable companies like Patagonia don’t provide temperature ratings either.

As a one Mama startup I make a promise that is true – this coat is crash tested and designed to be safer than traditional coats and can be used with the same harness setting as no coat at all without adjustments. I don’t want to mix promises that are true with marketing terms that are debatable.

With all that just because I don’t give exact ratings doesn’t mean we don’t make super warm jackets. There is one simple rule that determines how warm a jacket is: thickness equals warmth. Which is why our coats are stuffed with 1.5 inches of thick warm coziness.

You may notice that other coats LOOK puffier but what you don’t know is that most coats are sewn with baffles (like pockets) then the insulation is blown in giving it a puffy look but the actual coat itself isn’t very thick (that's why when you throw it in the washer it totally flattens out).

Buckle Me Baby Coats are designed with a sheet of insulation that is hand quilted in giving the coat even warm cozy coverage all over. 

We tested our coats against a sleeping bag rated for -15 degree weather. Using dry ice and a handheld heat loss device our coats retained heat BETTER than the sleeping bag at the 1 minute, 5 minute, 10 minute and 20 minute mark)

Want even more proof check out this Canadian CPST Mama’s review in sub zero weather! https://www.lifeofsix.blog/car-seat-safe-buckle-me-baby-coat-review

Why are they so expensive?

As a single mama gig with three kids I get it. Big box stores and large corporations can make products for dirt cheap because they order by the millions. Im small potatoes one mom gig with small orders so the cost to make them is high and the price is set by the cost to make them. I totally get budgets though and have lots of ways to help!

The coats have extra length in the sleeves for longer wear without sizing up and adding bulk to the back and I've added Sezzle so parents can split it up into four payments with no interest or credit check. Most parents get two years out of the coats and some even get three years which works out to about 25/year if you never trade it up or use it with another child.

Our trade up program that allows parents to get up to a $20 refund on the purchase of a new Buckle Me Baby Coat (excluding clearance and Toast coats) when they donate back a gently used Buckle Me Baby Coat.

Are the coats true to size?

The coats run a little long in the arms. Sizing up adds bulk in the back which is unsafe in the car seat. To extend the life of the coat we designed the sleeves a little longer so parents can get more use out of their coat.

I need help choosing the right size

Please use our size finder quiz to find your perfect size here

I need size 2T. Do you have a size 2T?

24M and 2T are the same size.

How do the coats work? Is there any fabric between my child and the harness?

The front panel of the coat opens at the side and shoulder seams leaving the shoulders and chest area bare allowing the harness to lie flat and snug against the chest and shoulder.

Can't I just do the same thing with a traditional coat?

Test it out at home! Buckle your child in the car seat with no coat on and adjust the harness properly then take them out – put your traditional coat on – and try to buckle them back in without readjusting. 

It can’t be done.

The puffiness of the coat makes it impossible to tighten the harness to the “no coat” setting. Buckle Me Baby Coats split along the side and shoulder seams and is thinner in the back than in the front so you can set the harness with no coat on then use your Buckle Me Baby Coat without any adjustments!

What about the back of the coat - is that puffy too?

The back of the fabric is thinner than the front leaving no excess fabric to create slack in the harness. In fact, you can adjust the harness with no coat on – put the coat back on and use the car seat with the coat without readjusting the harness again.

If the back is thinner than the front won't it be less warm?

Although the back is thinner than the front – the density of the insulation is the same keeping littlest loves warm front to back.

The coats look thinner than regular puffy coats are they warm?

Regular coats are sewn together to get that quilted look and fill is blown into pockets which is why when you wash it it deflates like a balloon. Regular coats look puffy and warm but wherever theres sewing there's no insulation so you have cold air leaky spots.

Buckle Me Baby Coats is sewn with whole sheets of insulation between the outer layer and the inner layer and because its a sheet sewn in instead of blown in it looks flatter but its warm enough for the coldest day to and from the car.

Are traditional puffy coats really dangerous? I've seen it on the news but is there proof?

There have been several reports of children wearing puffy coats thrown from their car seats during accidents. You can learn more about them here:

https://news.keepmecurrent.com/raymond-crash-puts-focus-on-safety-seats/

No Bruising From Car Seat Straps for Toddler Killed In Crash

Traditional coats can add inches of space in a crash and this extra space dramatically increases the risk of critical injuries and fatalities. Here is a research study that reviews car crash statistics with regards to injuries due to excessive forward movement:

https://www.bucklemecoats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ArbogastInjury-1.pdf

What if there is a car accident, the car is on fire, or submerged in water. Will the coat delay getting my child out?

The coat has been evaluated by first responders who found that the coat does not slow rescue efforts should the worst happen. In the event of an emergency the car seat is cut out of the car with the child still strapped in to keep them stable. However, the coat does not slow down the process – check out how long it takes to get out of the car seat with our coat on (Spoiler Alert: 10 seconds):  https://youtu.be/VQkMQVgqwKA

Will my child be too hot in this coat?

The panel can be rolled to the side to keep little ones from overheating in the car. If your child usually wears a coat or blanket in the car they will find the Buckle Me Baby Coats comfortable too.