Regular readers of my blogs know that I am a mother of a toddler, someone who travels quite a bit, and a self-professed “sucker for new products.” So when I see a new product that says it is made “especially for the traveling toddler,” I figure the manufacturer is speaking directly to me. Such is the case with the “Seat Chiller.”
The “Seat Chiller” is exactly that—a product specifically designed to “chill” your child’s car seat on a hot day. Okay, so I live in Wisconsin, where you can count on one hand the number of days that the mercury hits the century mark (save for this year when we suffered through a blistering heat wave that swept the entire country, but I digress). However, I was not going to let a little geography get in the way of a product review—so I enlisted the help of my best friend who happens to live five minutes away from my parent’s home in Hawaii. I figured I would have my mom purchase the “Seat Chiller” in anticipation of our annual trip to the Aloha State and let my friend Lisa test it on her toddler son’s car seat.
The “Seat Chiller” is a long vinyl pad filled with pockets of frozen gel, similar to those “blue ice” packs that are used in coolers to keep food items cool. The manufacturer claims that the product will “cool a hot car seat down in less than a minute.” From what I was told the product is simple to use. Prior to taking it on the road you are required to roll the pad up like a “sausage” and store it in your freezer for no less than five hours (Lisa says it takes up less space than a small turkey).
Five hours later my friend placed the unfolded pad over her son’s Britax Roundabout and set about on her errands. Even when the car was left parked in the hot Hawaiian sun for several hours (she was careful to avoid parking in the shade) the “Seat Chiller” remained frozen.
Here’s the bottom line on the Seat Chiller:
If you live in a part of the world that experiences more hot days than mild ones, your child is temperature-sensitive, and you don’t mind spending about $40 (the product retails for $39.99) then this is a great addition to your vehicle.
The product does its job. According to my friend, it kept her son’s car seat cool even after sitting in the mid-day sun for several hours. The product does not sweat or pool water as its frozen packets melt. In addition, I’m told if you position it just right it does a fantastic job of preventing your child’s metal car seat buckles from becoming dangerously hot.
The Seat Chiller is more effective on upright models of car seats. Meaning it is really not designed for an infant carrier, which latches into a base in the backseat.
Finally, if you don’t feel like spending the 40 bucks, but still want to make your child’s ride as comfortable as possible you could always go with my tried-and-true seat cover of choice—the bath towel.
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