The Complete Guide to Car Seats Without Flame-Retardant Chemicals

🌱 2022 List of Chemical FR-Free Carseats

During the last several years, we have witnessed a definite trend in car seat textiles and production. More and more manufacturers are investing in innovative fabrics and manufacturing processes that can pass NHTSA’s antiquated “flammability standard” without using flame-retardant chemicals. To be clear, having a car seat that doesn’t ignite easily is definitely a positive but the standard is more than 50 years old and it doesn’t even address how a car seat would actually burn if any part of the vehicle interior was on fire.

UPPAbaby was the first car seat manufacturer to introduce a truly FR-free car seat cover in the spring of 2017 when they launched their Merino wool “Henry” fashion on the MESA infant car seat. Wool, as you probably already know, is naturally flame-retardant so it can meet the standard without adding chemicals. Soon after the UPPAbaby “Henry” debut, several other car seat manufacturers launched their own FR-free car seats and the list has grown every year.

Unfortunately, it’s still common practice to add flame-retardant chemicals to car seats in order to meet the flammability standard in FMVSS 302. While the standard does not specifically require the use of FR chemicals, they have been a cost-effective way for manufacturers to comply during the last 40 years. And although the current trend is mostly an option on premium and ultra-premium car seat models, there are a few mid-range options on the list and we hope to see this trend extend to more moderately-priced car seats in the near future.

Currently, there are 8 car seat manufacturers who are offering car seats with covers that they claim to be free of chemical flame-retardants. At the moment, Nuna is the only manufacturer that has committed to making every car seat model in their lineup FR-free. However, Britax, Chicco & Maxi-Cosi also deserve kudos for making a big commitment to innovative new textiles that don’t require chemical treatments to pass the flammability standard.

We’ve compiled a thorough list of current car seat models that are marketed as being “FR-free” and have grouped these products by type of car seat (infant, convertible, etc.) to make it easier to find something in the category you are interested in.

Below the lists are additional details from each manufacturer regarding their FR-free claims.

Infant Car Seats

Convertible/All-in-One Car Seats

These seats can be installed rear-facing or forward-facing. Most can be used from birth but often they are the next step after the infant car seat is outgrown.

Combination/Harnessed Booster Seats

These are forward-facing-only car seats with a 5-point harness that convert to a booster seat once the harness it outgrown. They are most appropriate for preschool and school-age children.

Booster Seats

Designed for school-age children who have outgrown a car seat with a 5-point harness. Booster seats do not have an integrated harness, they utilize the vehicle’s seatbelt to secure the child.

Additional details from each manufacturer listed here:

Britax:

All “SafeWash” designated fashions are made with a tightly woven fabric that is inherently flame-retardant, eliminating the need to add FR chemicals.

Chicco:

ClearTex® products use fabrics, foams and labels that comply with federal car safety flammability standards without any added chemical treatments. ClearTex® utilizes an
innovative construction of polyester fibers to produce fabrics that are inherently fire-resistant, no additional chemical fire retardants necessary.

Clek:

FR-free claims vary based on fabrics.

Clek’s premium eco-friendly fabric is their “Mammoth Collection“. This fabric is a Merino wool blend that is naturally flame-retardant.

Maxi-Cosi:

The development of PureCosi™ has been achieved through changes in our fabric choices, as well as company policies and practices that we require all third party manufacturing partners to adhere to. Maxi-Cosi car seats with PureCosi™ designation meet flammability standards through fabric and design choices; not with added chemicals.

Nuna:

Since late 2020, every single Nuna car seat model is made with FR-free materials, from fabric to foam and beyond. Nuna uses materials that meet the performance standard without adding any fire retardant chemicals.

Orbit Baby:

The Orbit Infant & Toddler Seats are made with fabrics certified by Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, ensuring they are healthier for your baby and better for the environment.

Being Okeo-Tex® Standard 100 Certified means that the textiles in our products that come in contact with you and your child, like our upholstery, memory foam, Sun Canopy, and Cargo Basket, have been tested for harmful substances, including pesticides, toxic chemicals, and dyes.

Merino wool cover: 65% Merino Wool, 35% Polyester textile blended for durability. Because of its high ignition and melting points, Merino Wool is a naturally flame-resistant material.

Peg Perego:

Peg currently offers a FR-free Marino wool cover option for the Primo Viaggio 4-35 Nido Infant Seat & the Primo Viaggio Convertible Kinetic.

UPPAbaby:

All fashions on the MESA V2 car seat are free of fire-retardant chemicals. Gregory and Greyson fashions feature a Merino wool which is naturally fire-retardant, while the V2 Jake, Stella and Alice fashions are not treated with any fire-retardant chemicals. All fashions comply with the federal car safety flammability standards (FMVSS 302).

Original MESA Infant Car Seat fashions Henry & Jordan have Merino wool blend covers that are naturally flame retardant.

The Jordan KNOX fashion passes federal fire safety testing (FMVSS302) without the application of chemical flame retardants and without brominated and chlorinated chemicals. High-grade Merino wool blend bonded to foam makes the Jordan KNOX a naturally fire-resistant convertible car seat solution.

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