Review of an Illegal Chinese Car Seat: They’re Still Around
What would you say if I told you there’s a car seat good from age 6 months to 8 years, weighs less than two pounds, and can easily fit into any backpack? Oh, and it costs a mere $31. Does that sound too good to be true?
Well, yes. Yes, it does. And when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Now and then someone will post asking about questionable foreign seats (usually sold on ebay) that don’t meet US safety standards… or any standards for that matter. The typical (and correct) response is to say that they’re dangerous and illegal and to stay away.
Although I’d never use it, I’ve always been tempted to purchase one of these seats, just because. Many years ago, a company called Grandma Knows was marketing a horribly unsafe-looking sling-like seat that I tried to buy, but by the time I called, armed federal officials had broken into their warehouse in the dark of night and had seized all their merchandise. Or at least that’s what I envision having happened. In reality Grandma Knows probably received nothing more than a harshly worded letter from NHTSA. In any case, I didn’t get one of the seats.
So the other day, when a Chinese seat that clearly doesn’t meet federal safety standards became available on Amazon—a mainstream US retailer—I knew I had to act fast. At just $30.99, how could I pass up such a bargain? Plus my Amazon Prime membership made shipping fast and free. With just one click, my illegal foreign seat was on its way!
A few days later a lightweight package arrived at my door. Inside was the seat, complete with “instruction manual.” That term is in quotes because it wasn’t a manual at all; just the one-sided cardstock product description written in broken English. But it was enough to go on.
The product name on Amazon was “Cosmos 5 Point Harness Child Booster Car Seat” (plus Free Cosmos Cable Tie!) but the item I received didn’t have the name Cosmos anywhere. This one is called YIREN Automobile Product Series -2109 Children Straps Safety Seat.” Likely it is sold/distributed under some other names as well.
The fashion I got is “Coffee Color,” though it would be more accurately described as “Microsoft Windows Brown.”
The seat is nicely padded, including the large “abdominal pad” that “can not only protect but also lets the legs move freely.”
The product description explains, “The cushion adopts nontoxic, odorless and environment-friendly materials. The design is reasonable.” Also, “The back-on Wing has strong stereo perception.” I have no idea what that means, but who cares, as long as the design is reasonable.
After thoroughly reading over the paragraph of installation instructions, it was time to take it to the car. The instructions say that “fixing onto the assistant’s seat is preferred.” Based on that and the accompanying photos, I think they mean you’re supposed to put it on the front passenger seat. Sure, why not?
It wasn’t entirely clear how I was supposed to attach the straps, but I assumed they were to go into the seat bight, then up through the metal loops, so that’s what I did.
Next, “After asking the baby to sit down according to the picture, buckle the snap ring, regulate well the elasticity of the shoulder protector and waist protector.”
So I asked my daughter to sit down, buckled, and pulled the straps tight until she was “well regulated.”
Lastly, I was instructed to put the seatbelt through the front of the seat. Now, that step is one that I hadn’t seen pictured before, and did make the the product just slightly less horrendous. I say slightly less horrendous, because it’s still awful. Remember, the lap belt sits in front of the large “abdominal pad,” which will surely compress in a crash. The shoulder belt comes nowhere near touching my child’s shoulder, meaning that in a crash, her upper body would be supported by nothing stronger than a stroller-strap… if that.
I would bet that in an actual crash, the child’s upper body would fly free of the harness, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the child flew out of the restraint entirely, right up over the lap belt.
Because the product is “rated” for use from 6 months (providing the child can sit), I had to try my 10-month-old in it. Doesn’t he look safe? (Answer: No.)
The instructions didn’t say anything about locking the seatbelt, so I didn’t. I bet if I gave him 10 minutes in there, he would have found a way to wriggle free. Maybe that’s one of the reasons it’s ideally installed in the front seat?
Now, clearly, I didn’t buy this seat with the intention of using it, nor will I. Nor should you. Nor anyone else. I bought it for a couple reasons. First, I wanted to have some photos and a good description available for any unsuspecting parents who might think this seat is an acceptable option. Second, I wanted the seat in my hands so I could report it to NHTSA and provide it to them if necessary. Third, well, I thought it would be fun to play with, plus I figured I could get my money back from Amazon.
Edited to add: Hey look – I was right! Thank you Britax and Surrey News for this awesome but horrifying crash test video which clearly highlights why you should never put a child in a “carseat” that does not meet Federal Safety Standards.
Shortly after I made the purchase, the listing was removed from Amazon. Likely some safety advocates alerted the company of the seat’s dangerous and illegal status. I also received an email from Galaxy Tech & Leisure, the company that was selling the seat on Amazon:
We are sorry to notice you about the item didn’t complete all the crash & safety test, we are here to notice you to contact Amazon customer support team to return the parcel for a full refund and DON’T use this product. We apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused to you.
So if the company didn’t know before, they are now aware that they can’t sell the seat in the United States. (Whether or not they will attempt to again remains to be seen.) Hopefully Amazon will be able to keep such things from being sold on its site again, too.
2021 UPDATE: hahaha, wishful thinking. I found this listing today.
Bottom line: Don’t buy seats that don’t meet federal safety standards. Obviously that won’t always be apparent from a product’s description, but some quick research should reveal what’s legitimate and what’s not. Be wary of products sold from foreign retailers. Safety is one area where you don’t want to risk a bootleg or a cheap alternative.
See the related Cheap Portable Carseats: Don’t Believe the Hype
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They are still selling this carseat. I just bought it for my daughter. Thinking it would be more comfortable and that it was safe. I received it today and starting researching right away to see if it was legal here in the U.S.
I’d first like to say that it would be great if people would stop saying this like,” if you care more about convenience than your child”….”I can’t believe moms would”….it’s not helpful. It has never crossed my mind to spend hours researching car seat- I assume with ALL the regulations and laws that they are safe. And I purchased one of these, thinking, how wonderful, my 4 year old who screams the entire time (literally) because he can’t move anywhere will love this and still be safe. Now before you say the screaming is better than a dead child- I get it, I know that’s why he is a harness but you have to realize that all moms are not the same personality, may not be able to simply ignore or put up with ext. so have some consideration and compassion for moms having a hard time-trying to find a solution rather than just making blanket statements to “toughen up”, “get over or explain how we really don’t care about our child”. I returned this item and am VERY thankful to have seen this video but will be honest that I am so dismayed to still not have a solution that doesn’t make my extremely claustrophobic child a solution so that car rides aren’t miserable for the next four years!
This product is beibg sold through the app “mama”. I saw it and thought that surely it would be just as crappy of a product as the first two items that I purchased through their app. I just had to look into it more out of sheer curiousity. I pray no one realky buys and uses this thing. If there is a way to report an item through the wpp, I intend to find it. Simply dangerous.
I purchased this carseat just a month ago. When I received it I was not at all comfortable with driving my child around in it. I live in GA so just wanted to say this seat is still being sold in the US.
It’s still available in “Microsoft Brown” … (
http://www.wish.com/c/537db56e73604625ac023b95
I can’t believe people would even think to buy these car seats to use on a child. If it was cheap enough MAYBE I would use it in my car for my child’s build a bear doll that seems to travel everywhere with us, but never ever for a child! That is crazy!
Another one…? https://bugabooskiddos.weebly.com/
looks like pretty much the same seat has resurfaced on Dealticker this morning. I have reported it to transport Canada.
http://www.dealticker.com/product.php?product_id=28051&city=National&&&
I would have to say, The kid does not look like he is going anywhere in that thing. He is in a harness, strapped to the seat and then seatbelted in. My big complaint would be how uncomfortable the kid looks. My baby has a reclining 5 point harness seat that looks like and feels like a cozy nest! LOL. I completely comply with all carseat laws but I do think we have gotten a little crazy with safety. Don’t get me wrong I’d rather be safe than sorry but in New York the law is a booster seat until kids are 8! My daughter met the height requirement for a regular seat belt way before 8. If riding in a car is so unsafe let’s maybe focus on a law to prevent minivans from possibly going 120mph. I don’t know I guess I just have a different point of view than most.
My child is 8 and still in a 5 point harness. Just because they “meet the requirement” for a regular seatbelt doesn’t mean they should be in one.
My son is 10 and still in a booster, he moved from a 5pt harness to backless booster at 5 1/2. He can’t wait to be out of it. It especially bothers him when he sees that his peers (same age and younger even) have graduated to a regular seat belt. I agree that it does seem a bit extreme as I know adults who are barely past the booster specs in terms of height and weight.
Did you watch the video? It may not “look like” the kid is unsafe (it does to me!), but the video shows what would happen in an actual crash.
I watched the video and they don’t appear to have used the actual seat belt which is the safety part of the seat. The video is misleading.
Kids should be in a booster seat until they are at least 4 ft 9 in and can pass the 5 step test to make sure they are big enough for the seat. My son, who just turned 9 and above the 90th percentile for height is only 4 ft 8 in, and still in a booster seat. Very few children are actually tall enough to move out of a booster seat at age 8. Most are not big enough until somewhere between ages 9 and 12.
It seems that the product is not being sold on ebay anymore. Here it states that “the product is no longer being sold because it is not available,” http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180918041732&afsrc=1
Does anyone know why it was removed? I like to think that forums like this one and others help put the pressure on unscrupulous vendors selling dangerous products.
@Brie – Good for you for being the “odd woman out”! How old/tall/heavy is the child? Would you be able to import something from the US or Europe?
I live in china, and sadly, people, expats included…rarely use ANY form of child restraints. I am the odd woman out, insisting on towing my carseat in and out of taxi cabs and our drivers vehicle. Any suggestions for lightweight yet safe seats that would be easily carted from multiple vehicles? The latch system doesn’t exit ( or seatbelts for that matter) in most taxis. My drivers car does have isofix.
I know this comment is a few years too late, but for anyone seeing this and needing the info, Isofix is just another name for LATCH. So, if Isofix is available in cars in China or in other countries, you can use a standard LATCH-equipped infant seat on it. Keep your babies safe!
Apparently they’ve listed it again. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180918041732
I did consider using it as a high-chair alternative, but I don’t think it would work with the contours of most eating-chairs. It really needs the entire vehicle seatback for “stability.” The straps need to originate at the bight, which just isn’t possible in a typical kitchen chair.
This may be useful…could you strap it to a chair when out to eat for a place to secure your toddler? Or would the straps go large enough for a special needs preschooler or older? I could see it working very well OUTSIDE of the car to secure a child.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. I can only shake my head in disbelief. Thanks for posting.
I’m guessing this was a third-party seller on Amazon, and not Amazon itself, but still really scary!
This is hilarious and terrifying all at the same time. Thank you for your entertaining review!
So, what are you going to do with it, now that you’ve been “noticed?”
On the description, you could use it to tie your kids down in a chair at the dinner table. 😉
LOL at the “Microsoft Windows Brown”.
Sadly, it’s still better than what they usually use in China.
Stephanie Tombrello alerted Amazon, I believe. Probably why you got that last email.
Yes, it is! Good thing, too, or else I’d have to hunt down and purchase that one, also 😉
Wow. Just… wow. It’s frightening that this thing wound up for sale on Amazon. Is this the same seat that was discussed recently on the CPSPList?