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How do I Choose the Best Car Seat Liner?

By Mary Ellen Popolo
Updated May 17, 2024
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The main factor to consider in choosing the best car seat liner is whether you would prefer disposable or reusable liners. Both types of liner serve the same purpose. They aid in keeping a car seat dry when a baby's diaper leaks or a potty training toddler has an accident.

A car seat liner is placed on top of the car seat. Reusable liners often have openings which allow you to thread the car seat's harness straps through the liner. Other styles and disposable liners are designed so that the liner fits around the harness straps. Both liner types are safe to use and do not interfere with using the seat's harness or your child's safety.

Reusable liners are made out of a soft, waterproof material, usually terry cloth. The liner is placed on the car seat and the child sits on top of the liner. If the child has an accident while in the car, the liner absorbs the mess, while keeping the car seat's cover clean and dry. The liner is then removed to be cleaned. Reusable car seat liners are machine washable and can be dried in a clothes dryer or air dried.

There are two different lengths of reusable liner. The first is small and covers only the seat portion of the car seat. The second is longer and covers both the seat and the back of the car seat. Although there are some liners available with fun designs, most are nondescript and black.

Disposable liners come in multi-packs, usually containing a dozen liners. They may be thinner than reusable liners, but they still protect the car seat from accidents. A disposable car seat liner is placed on the car seat and the child sits on the liner. If the child has an accident while in the car, the liner is removed and thrown away, and a new liner replaces the one that became soiled. There aren't a large variety of styles or designs to choose from in disposable liners.

A car seat liner is a worthwhile investment. Anyone who has ever had to launder a car seat cover knows that it can be challenging to remove and replace the cover. Both styles of car seat liner are available in stores that sell baby items or baby car seat accessories. Disposable liners cost about half of what a reusable liner costs, but you may need to purchase them more than once if you need to change them frequently. Car seat liners can also be used in high chairs and strollers.

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Discussion Comments

By Sporkasia — On Dec 10, 2014

The car seat liners that come with the car seats when you buy them practically require a higher degree to get them out of the seat to clean. And getting them back on the seat as they are supposed to be is virtually impossible.

By Feryll — On Dec 10, 2014

Fortunately, I live close enough to my sister that I get to spend a lot of time with my little niece. I even have a child car seat that I keep in my car, so we don't have to get the one my sister uses and buckle it into my car when I take my niece somewhere. The seats can be a big headache to get installed correctly.

What I noticed early on was that my niece dropped so much cereal and other snacks onto the seat that it was like she was storing food for the winter. I bought one of the washable liners at first, but I realized early on that getting one I could simply throw away was easier, and I feel these are more sanitary because you can just discard the dirty ones and place a new one in the seat.

By Animandel — On Dec 09, 2014

I prefer disposable diapers, so I think disposable car seat liners would be more to my liking as well. However, not all of the disposable liners fit into the car seats very well. When you get a liner that does not fit snugly over and around the seat then you are going to have problems at some point.

The last thing you want is to buy a liner and then think you are covered against accidents and then discover that the liner did not do the job when it was needed.

I have a friend who uses liners and the biggest problem she had was finding liners that would fit properly around the crotch belt, so that even the biggest spills would not reach the actual toddler car seat.

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