Graco High Chair

Toxins in Car Seats: Research Group Ranks the Best and Worst

After a new baby arrives, one of the first products a parent uses is the car seat to take them home from the hospital.

But while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides information on how car seats perform in crashes, one consumer research group is aiming to provide parents information about the chemicals that may be contained in the seat material.

Healthystuff.org, a project of the Michigan-based Ecology Center, looked at more than 150 new car seats and analyzed them for the presence of chemicals including bromine, chlorine, lead and other chemicals that have been linked to learning disabilities or other developmental problems. Researchers used X-ray fluorescence to determine the chemicals in each car seat.

Because it's unknown whether the chemical levels in car seats are high enough to cause harm, the researchers cautioned that the value of this study is secondary to the car seat's primary purpose.

"Car seats are a safety device," said Jeff Gearhart, research director for healthystuff.org. "Parents should use a car seat regardless of what our tests show. None of the results of our findings mean you shouldn't have a car seat, even if that car seat is the poorest one we tested."

Parents may want to use the ratings when purchasing a new seat when their child grows, Gearhart said.

The best and the worst

The top ranked chair was the Graco Turbo Booster in Anders, which was the only seat tested that did not contain any chlorine, bromine or the nine metals looked for in tests, the study said. With only trace amounts, the next-best ranked were the infant seats the Graco SnugRide 35 in Laguna Bay, the Chicco Keyfit 30 in Limonata and the Combi Shuttle 33 in Cranberry Noche. The lowest ranked car seats were the Recaro Pro Booster in Blue Opal, because of high bromine and chlorine levels in the seat, and the Britax Marathon 70 in Jet Set, because of high bromine levels in the seat and clip, the study said.

Gearhart said his project was started to look at potentially hazardous chemicals in consumer products, but due to demand the project has focused largely on children's products. The experience of testing a multitude of products, he said, has led him to observe that many of the chemicals of concern are found in a number of products. [ Related: Top 5 Ways to Reduce Toxins in Homes ]

"The important things for folks to understand, in terms of exposure, is we have this wide range of consumer products that are going to have these chemicals in them," he said.

Graco Mealtime Highchair | Highchairs.com

The Graco Meal Time is everything you need in a stripped down, bare bones high chair. It has all the most essential features, minus the looks and versatility of a more expensive high chair like the Peg Perego Prima Pappa. All the fundamentals are in place, missing only a few bells and whistles. Since the Meal Time and its cushion are composed entirely of synthetic materials, you won’t get the extended lifespan you would from a wooden or convertible high chair.

The Graco Meal Time is everything you need in a stripped down, bare bones high chair. It has all the most essential features, minus the looks and versatility of a more expensive high chair like the Peg Perego Prima Pappa. All the fundamentals are in place, missing only a few bells and whistles. Since the Meal Time and its cushion are composed entirely of synthetic materials, you won’t get the extended lifespan you would from a wooden or convertible high chair.

We just bought the Graco Mealtime in the Meridian pattern and we loved the ease it went together. I love that the tray is compact, has a top insert which can come off and go in the dishwasher, and under the big tray is a smaller snack tray. The chair has a 5 pt harness. We didn’t need all the bells and whistles of the Graco Harmony or Fisher Price Healthy Care so this chair is perfect for us. Also, we needed a chair with a higher age/weight limit on it, which this model has. The seat cover is treated with a vinyl coating so spills and crumbs wipe off easily. We bought this one to replace the flimsy Evenflo Envision we had. Graco Mealtime is a sturdy, well built chair. I’d highly recommend this high chair to anyone!

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