As parents, we all want to ensure that our children are safe and comfortable at all times, especially when traveling. Part of that means keeping them cool while they’re in the car seat. This can be a tricky task because until they reach a certain age, they cant tell us what they want or need.
During the summer months, however, its important that we take the initiative in keeping our little ones safe from the summer heat. Vehicles sitting in the sun can get breathtakingly hot in a matter of minutes so its vital that we learn how to keep our children cool.
So how exactly are you supposed to keep your baby cool while they’re in the car seat?
There are a number of different measures you can take to prevent your child from overheating in the car. We’re going to share with 9 different tips you can use this summer when keeping your child safe from the heat is a top priority!
#1 – Block out the Sun
A lot of newer cars come stock with factory window tint. This is great for keeping the sun off of your baby while he’s in the car seat. However, if your vehicle doesn’t have any tint, consider buying some sunshades for your rear windows. This set of rear window sunshades by Enovoe is available on Amazon and is super budget friendly. They’re soft and flexible so they’re easy to store and if they happen to fall off they won’t hurt the baby. Never get the ones that roll up as they have hard components that can hurt the baby if they fall which does happen sometimes.
Tinted windows also keeps a car cooler and can be a good idea albeit a bit pricey. You would have to be careful with how darkly you tint your windows since each state has different regulations for how dark tinted windows can be. However, if it’s within your budget you should consider it since it also helps reduce the production of glass shards in the event of a car crash due to the lamination.
#2 – Keep the Air Moving
It’s important to keep cold air blowing through the whole car because if your car is cool then your baby is cool. Air conditioning units can take a few minutes to cool down so to help with this, its best if you leave your windows open for the first few minutes of driving to help let any hot air escape.
Another option is to have the AC running for a while before you put your baby in the car so it’s already cool. Use remote start if you have it. If not, just go out and start your car manually and let it sit for a few minutes prior to putting your baby inside.
You may be tempted to get fans that attach to the window via suction cups or that clip onto the back of the front seat but these can be dangerous. If you were to get into an accident, these fans could possibly fall and injure your baby. Its never a good idea to mount these fans where they could become dislodged and hurt your baby. These fans are great for increasing airflow, just be mindful of where you install them.
With newer model vehicles, increasing airflow to the backseat isn’t typically a big deal. However, if you have an older vehicle, and the AC just doesn’t cool the backseat like you prefer, you might consider checking out The Noggle. The Noggle is a device that attaches to the vents in the front of your car and transports the cold air to the backseat. This device is perfect for kids because it comes in a lot of fun colors and patterns that they love. You can mount The Noggle in a lot of different ways so finding a suitable installation point isn’t difficult.
The Noggle is available on Amazon and is definitely worth looking into if you need a way to increase airflow to the backseat.
#3 – Keep Your Baby Hydrated
It’s important to stay hydrated every day but it is especially important during the summer when you’re sweating all the time and losing water at a much faster rate. Be sure that there’s water nearby for your baby to drink to help them sweat and stay cool sleeping in the car.
Because sweating cools you off as the water evaporates from your skin, you can imitate that effect by using a spray bottle with a fan or by using an evaporative cooling towel. Both of these products will help keep your child cool by emulating the effects that sweating has on our temperatures.
#4 – Dress Appropriately
Babies are adorable! We all like to dress our kids in the cutest clothes we can find but some of them can be pretty uncomfortable and heat insulating. Slick materials like satin or polyester don’t breath at all while trapping heat against the body which can make it feel much hotter than it actually is. Fabrics made out of lighter, more breathable materials like cotton are better for the summer and if you want to help your baby stay cool that should definitely be your go-to.
Looser-fitting clothing such as shorts or t-shirts can help too. Our feet and our heads are two major heat-regulating regions of our bodies so if you can, you should make sure your baby’s head is uncovered. You should also consider letting them go shoe-less while in the car.
#5 – Choose Your Car Seat Wisely
The car seat is where the baby is spending their time during the drive and it might very well be the most important piece to keeping your baby cool. Car seats with smooth materials such as faux leather can make a drive really uncomfortable for a baby since it just doesn’t breath at all and even captures heat; they can be a big reason why your baby screams in their car seat. Those with softer fabrics are a better choice when it comes to picking out a car seat but nothing that’s fleece-like, as that will actually insulate the seat and capture heat thus heating up the baby.
Car seats often have many layers of padding to keep the baby safe, some of which can be removed which can help keep the baby cool. However, much of this padding is meant for support and is there to help keep the baby comfortable. Be sure to always read all warnings and instructions that come with your car seat. Also ensure your baby is in a car seat for no longer than 2 hours at a time. Understanding all the ins and out of your the car seat itself will help you make educated decisions on how to make your baby’s car seat more comfortable.
There are car seats, however, that are made specifically to be much cooler and even have better ventilation than standard car seats. One of the best examples of this is the Britax Cool Flow available on Amazon.
This car seat has mesh fabric for better ventilation and is super easy to install. It has amazing reviews and parents everywhere swear by it. Definitely check out the Britax Cool Flow car seat if you’re looking for a great way to keep your baby cooler this summer. Also be sure to purchase a reflective sunshade to put on the car seat when its not being used. This will help keep the car seat cooler prior to putting your baby in it.
#6 – Don’t Park in Direct Sunlight
Where you park matters when it comes to keeping your car cool. You should try to park in the shade as much as you can like by a copse of trees or the lower levels of a parking structure.
If you are stopped for a while for whatever reason, it’s important that you roll down your windows or open doors to keep air moving through the car to prevent overheating. Also, it pretty much goes without saying that you should never leave a child unattended in the car even for a few minutes. A few minutes in ninety degrees or higher weather is more than enough time for the car to become uncomfortably hot and any longer than that becomes harmful or even lethal.
In any condition, the color of your car and its interior can also assist in keeping the car cooler. Lighter colors like white help repel sun rays which keeps heat away as well.
The time of day that you drive matters as well. If you can avoid it, it’s best to not drive during midday which is when the day is at its hottest. Instead, you should try to drive during the early morning or late evening when it’s much cooler.
#7 – A Word About Winter
It’s usually less of a concern during the colder months but your baby can still overheat even if it’s cool out. Keeping an eye on your heater is important because if you’re too hot, your baby is too hot.
However, you shouldn’t rely on your feelings alone since babies can get too hot much easier than we can. When in the car it may be a good idea to remove extra layers such as jackets or sweaters when the heaters are keeping the car warm. If your child has too many layers on and the heater is going that could cause them to overheat rather quickly due to the extra insulation. If their cheeks are flushed and they’re panting heavily, that means they’re probably overheating at which point you should consider stopping, taking them out of their car seat, and try to cool them down.
#8 – Have Your Passenger Sit in the Backseat
Consider having your passenger (if you have one) sit in the backseat so they can monitor your child while you drive. Having someone in the backseat with the baby makes it easier to keep an eye on them and make sure they’re not overheating.
Someone in the backseat will also have a better idea of what the temperature is like and can inform you on how to adjust the heat to better suit your child. The caretaker can also help make sure the baby stays hydrated as well.
Whoever is looking after the baby should not under any circumstance loosen the safety belts even if it appears they are causing the baby discomfort. Instead, they should advise the driver to stop so that the baby can be removed from the seat to cool down and feel less constrained. Being too warm often causes individuals to feel confined or restricted and that can be a good indicator that your baby is too hot.
#9 – Know the Signs
If you don’t know what to look for when trying to keep your baby from getting too warm then your efforts may very well become wasted. The best places to check your baby’s temperature are at the nape of their neck and forehead which can give you a reasonable idea if they are too warm. If they feel hot to the touch and also show other signs such as irritability, fast pulse, aren’t sweating at all or sweating profusely, are unresponsive, and or vomiting then they may be dealing with a heat related illness such as heat exhaustion, heat cramps, or a heatstroke.
If this is the case, do not pile on the ice packs because rapid changes in body temperature can be even more detrimental to your baby’s health. Seek medical attention immediately. While on the way to the doctor or hospital, try to cool down your baby slowly with wet towels and remove any layers you can. You can gradually add ice packs if available but don’t let them stay in contact for too long.
Dehydration is another serious situation you’ll want to know how to look out for. Lethargy, darker or fewer instances of urination, and dry mouth are all signs of dehydration and (much like with heatstroke) an extreme response to this is not a good idea. You may be tempted to get your baby to drink as much water as possible as soon as possible but this can hurt the baby. Yes, you should get your baby to drink water in the event of dehydration but it should be a gradual increase in water intake.
This may seem like a lot to remember and just worrying about the comfort of your baby is stressful enough but no one knows your baby better than you do. If you stay mindful and keep an eye on your baby you should be okay. Just remember that sweating is okay because that’s the body’s way of staying cool and your baby’s behavior is your best indicator of their comfort.
In Conclusion
Keeping your baby cool in the car seat is a task that all parents are assigned to deal with. Its just part of raising a family. Fortunately there are lots of ways and products available to help deal with this. I hope this article has been helpful. Thanks for reading!