Car seat expiration, by brand (2026)
Car seats expire — typically 6–10 years after the date of manufacture (a few models up to 12), depending on brand and model. Every seat's label shows its Date of Manufacture, and most newer seats print the expiration itself. Here is each brand's published policy, with sources.
Where to find the date
Look for the white label on the bottom, side or back of the seat shell (infant seats: also on the base). It always carries the Date of Manufacture; if no explicit expiration is printed, add your model's published useful life from the table below — or call the manufacturer with your model number.
Published useful life, brand by brand
| Brand | Published useful life | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Graco | 6–10 years by model | ↓ policy + source |
| Chicco | 6–10 years by type | ↓ policy + source |
| Britax | 6–10 years by model | ↓ policy + source |
| Evenflo | 10 years (seats made from Jan 2025); 6–8 years before | ↓ policy + source |
| Nuna | 7 years (PIPA infant) / 10 years (RAVA convertible) | ↓ policy + source |
| Clek | 9 years (all seats) | ↓ policy + source |
| Diono | 10 years convertibles / 8 years boosters — from purchase | ↓ policy + source |
| Maxi-Cosi | 8–12 years by model | ↓ policy + source |
| Cybex | 6–10 years by type | ↓ policy + source |
| UPPAbaby | 7 years (Mesa series) | ↓ policy + source |
| Cosco | 6–10 years by model | ↓ policy + source |
| Safety 1st | 6–10 years by model | ↓ policy + source |
| Doona | 6 years | ↓ policy + source |
| Peg Perego | 7 years infant / 10 years convertible / 12 years booster — from purchase | ↓ policy + source |
| WAYB | 7 years | ↓ policy + source |
| mifold | 7 years | ↓ policy + source |
The clock starts at manufacture — with two exceptions
For 14 of the 16 brands below, the useful life runs from the date of manufacture, not the day you bought it. A seat that sat six months in a warehouse arrives with six months already gone. Diono and Peg Perego are the exceptions: both publish their lifespans from the date of original purchase (falling back to the manufacture date if the purchase date is unknown). So two seats both advertising "10 years" can differ by however long one sat on a shelf — check which clock your brand uses before you buy a floor model or a deep-discount older stock.
Graco car seat expiration
Graco defines useful life as 10 years for belt-positioning boosters and steel-reinforced belt-path car seats, and 7 years for plastic-reinforced belt-path seats; expirations range roughly 6–10 years from the date of manufacture depending on model.
Source: Graco — car seat expiration page (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Chicco car seat expiration
Chicco infant car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture; most other Chicco seats last between 6 and 10 years depending on type. The expiration is printed on a label on the underside of the seat or base.
Source: Chicco — why do car seats expire? (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Britax car seat expiration
Britax expirations are generally 6 to 10 years from the Date of Manufacture depending on the model; the DOM is on the serial label, and models made after 2018 also print the expiration date there.
Source: Britax — car seat expiration and date of manufacture (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Evenflo car seat expiration
Evenflo car seats and boosters manufactured from January 2025 carry a 10-year expiration from the date of manufacture. Seats made before then generally expire at 6 years, except the Symphony, Transitions and Evolve lines at 8 years.
Source: Evenflo — when do car seats expire? (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Nuna car seat expiration
Nuna prints both the manufacture date and the expiration date on the seat/base label. PIPA-series infant seats are published at 7 years and the RAVA convertible at 10 years — confirm on your label. (Published by Nuna's authorized retailers; the label is authoritative.)
Source: Strolleria (Nuna authorized retailer) — Nuna PIPA expiration (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Clek car seat expiration
All Clek car seats have an expiration of nine years from their date of manufacture — consistent across Foonf, Fllo, Liing and Oobr.
Source: Clek Support — when does my seat expire? (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Diono car seat expiration
Diono convertibles have a 10-year and boosters an 8-year lifespan measured from the date of purchase (date of manufacture if purchase date is unknown) — unusual: most brands count from manufacture. Multi-mode Rainier/Pacifica/Olympia: 8 years in harness mode, up to 10 in booster mode.
Source: Diono Support — is my car seat expired? (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Maxi-Cosi car seat expiration
Maxi-Cosi expirations range from 8 to 12 years depending on the product — e.g. Mico-series infant seats 8 years, Pria 3-in-1 seats 10 years, Magellan 12 years. The manufacture-date sticker is on the back of the seat; the manual lists the lifespan.
Source: Maxi-Cosi — car seat expiration (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Cybex car seat expiration
Cybex useful life ranges from 6 to 10 years depending on seat type — e.g. Cloud-series infant seats 6 years, Solution-series boosters 8 years, Eternis/Callisto convertibles 10 years. The period is on a label on the product and in the instructions.
Source: CYBEX Safety Center (FAQs) (retrieved 2026-07-16)
UPPAbaby car seat expiration
The UPPAbaby Mesa series expires 7 years from the date of manufacture; the expiration label is on the bottom of both the carrier and the base.
Source: UPPAbaby — Mesa FAQ (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Cosco car seat expiration
Cosco (Dorel) seats are stamped with expiration dates ranging from 6 to 10 years after the date of manufacture depending on model; many models made after Dec 14, 2013 carry the longer lifespans. The stamped date on the seat is authoritative.
Source: Cosco Kids Consumer Care — why do car seats expire? (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Safety 1st car seat expiration
Safety 1st (Dorel) seats carry stamped expirations ranging from 6 to 10 years from the date of manufacture depending on the model — the brand publishes a dedicated expiration lookup page.
Source: Safety 1st — car seat expiration dates (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Doona car seat expiration
Doona states the expiration for the Doona is six years after the manufacturer's date — the seat should not be used after it. The date of manufacture is on the white barcode sticker on the underside of the seat.
Source: Doona — car seat safety: myths vs facts (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Peg Perego car seat expiration
Peg Perego's expiration policy (effective January 1, 2023) runs from the date of original purchase: infant car seats 7 years, convertibles 10 years, boosters 12 years. If the purchase date is uncertain, the policy says to use the date of manufacture. Like Diono, this counts from purchase rather than manufacture — the less common convention.
Source: Peg Perego — car seat expiration policy (retrieved 2026-07-16)
WAYB car seat expiration
The WAYB Pico has a useful life of seven years from the date of manufacture; the DOM is on the sticker at the base of the seat.
Source: WAYB — does the Pico expire? (retrieved 2026-07-16)
mifold car seat expiration
mifold states the grab-and-go booster carries an expiry date of 7 years from the date of manufacture as marked on the product.
Source: mifold — FAQ (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Why manufacturers set expirations
The reasons brands publish are consistent: plastics and webbing age with heat and UV exposure inside a vehicle; safety standards and technology keep evolving; and an expiration removes older seats from circulation. Manufacturers uniformly instruct that an expired seat be taken out of use and disposed of so it can't be reused — not donated or resold.
FAQ
Do car seats really expire?
Yes — every major manufacturer assigns a useful life, typically 6–10 years from the date of manufacture (a few models up to 12). Manufacturers cite material aging from heat/UV exposure and evolving safety standards, and instruct not to use a seat past its date.
Where is the expiration date on a car seat?
On the seat's label — usually on the bottom, side or back of the shell (and on the base for infant seats). Every seat shows a Date of Manufacture (DOM); many newer seats print the expiration date itself. If only the DOM is shown, add the manufacturer's published useful life for your model.
How long are Graco car seats good for?
Graco defines useful life as 10 years for belt-positioning boosters and steel-reinforced belt-path car seats, and 7 years for plastic-reinforced belt-path seats; expirations range roughly 6–10 years from the date of manufacture depending on model.
Is it illegal to use an expired car seat?
That varies by state — child-restraint laws typically require seats to be used according to the manufacturer's instructions, and manufacturers instruct not to use expired seats. See our plain-language state law pages, and treat the label as the rule.
Does the expiration count from purchase or manufacture?
From the date of manufacture for 14 of the 16 brands here — a seat that sat months in a warehouse is already aging on that clock, so the box date is not the start date. The two exceptions are Diono and Peg Perego, which both publish lifespans measured from the date of original purchase (falling back to the manufacture date if the purchase date is unknown). Worth knowing: on the same nominal '10 years', a purchase-dated seat can outlast a manufacture-dated one by however long it sat on the shelf.
Replacing an expiring seat? Shortlist by spec: by stage · narrow for 3-across · extended rear-facing · and check your state's car seat law.