When it comes to car seats, parents want to make sure that their children are very well protected in the event of an accident. Many parents are turning to car seats that include safety impact foam in them.

Safety impact foam is generally placed in the head restraints and in the car seat shells to protect the infant from serious injury if an accident occurs.

How Does this Foam Work?

There are typically 2 kinds of safety impact foam that are used in car seats today. EPS (Expanded Polystyrene foam) and EPP (Expanded Polypropylene foam.) While both of these types of foams have differences, the very much act in the same way when it comes to protecting your child in a car seat.

During a crash, the impact foam is designed to absorb energy. The foam will collapse during the crash and instead of the child absorbing the energy, the foam will be crushed and absorb the energy. This will prevent the infant from getting seriously injured in many cases.

The foam is also great because it can protect the child from objects such as glass, doors, or anything else that could try to intrude onto the child. The foam will act as a barrier between those objects and the child.

How to Choose a Car Seat with Safety Foam

It is becoming more and more common to have this safety impact foam in car seats. When purchasing a car seat, make sure that it clearly states that it has EPS or EPP energy absorbing foam. If it does not clearly state that it has that foam, it probably doesn't. There may be car seats that tout other kinds of safety foam but the best foam that provides the best protection is EPS or EPP.

When Not to Use a Car Seat with Safety Foam

As previously stated, when a car seat is in an accident and it has EPS or EPP safety foam, it will be crushed. This is great for the safety of the child but the car seat will no longer be able to be used.

If the same car seat is used and another accident occurs, the child will have a much greater probability of being injured. In fact, the NHTSA recommends that a new car seat be purchased after any moderate or severe crash.

This safety impact foam can make the difference between insignificant injuries to very severe injuries. It could even mean the difference between life and death. It is important to understand what this foam does and how to choose the correct car seat. For more assistance, talk to impact foam experts such as Virfex Design.