Parents, consider this a wake-up call. Counterfeit car seats, some originally made for dolls, are being sold online and ending up in the hands of unsuspecting families.
They look real. They feel sturdy. But they’re missing critical safety features that could cost a child their life.
These knockoffs aren’t slipping through by accident. They’re bypassing federal oversight and being sold right alongside legitimate brands on popular online marketplaces.
A quick scroll on social media reveals posts from people who thought they were getting a deal, until they learned their car seat wasn’t designed to save a life.
A close call in a Florida hospital
That reality hit home for Brandi Rutland, a NICU charge nurse at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital, when she intercepted a counterfeit car seat during a routine check.
“Once you dig a little deeper and see the stickers on the car seat, it said it was for a doll baby,” Rutland said. “If you look it up on the internet, it said it’s a doll product, not for humans.”
The seat’s label read “Hubei Dollbaby Children Products” and featured a warning in broken English: “Never left child unattended.”
Rutland says the parents were stunned.
“They were very grateful. They didn’t realize it,” she said. “They said it was a gift. It looked a little different from their first child’s car seat, but it was good quality, it looked the part.”
What it didn’t have was a chest clip, a small but crucial feature that keeps infants secure during a crash.
Counterfeits hard to spot, easy to buy
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sets federal standards for all car seats sold in the U.S. Legitimate seats must display a manufacturer’s name, model number, and expiration date. Counterfeits often skip those details, and the price tag can be the biggest red flag.
“If the price feels too good to be true, it probably is,” Rutland said.
Still, affordability is driving risky choices. A 2023 NHTSA survey found car seat use among children up to 12 months old dropped to 95.9%, down from 99.8% in 2021.
In Jacksonville, Amy Green, owner of Kid to Kid, a resale shop for baby gear, says she understands why families try to stretch every dollar.
“We all are trying to stretch the dollar a little further, especially moms who are shopping resale and wanting to save,” Green said. “But that’s really an area you don’t want to cut corners on.”
Marissa Gupta says buying a used car seat just isn’t worth the risk.
“I’ve never actually bought a used one, mainly because we don’t know if it’s been tested or been in a car accident,” Gupta said. “It’s not like a car where you pull up the Carfax and see if it’s been in an accident.”
Online traps
Online, the problem is growing. Counterfeit listings often copy trusted car seat brands, down to the logos and packaging.
Rachel Roberts, a certified child passenger safety technician and mom, says she’s seen them flood popular shopping sites.
“To the naked eye, they’re very, very similar,” Roberts said.
“When the box comes in, you realize your one-month-old is going to be too big for the seat,” Roberts said. “That does push people toward Temu or the off-brand sites that get listed on Amazon. They look realistic, but they’re actually not.”
Roberts says she’s tried to report the fake listings herself.
“Sometimes they get taken down,” she said. “Sometimes they come back under a different seller’s name. It’s hard to corral those.”
The bottom line
Experts say verifying a car seat’s authenticity is crucial because a baby’s safety starts with the seat they’re in.
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