September 26–27 event supports Car Seat Safety Awareness Month with trade-in savings, expert guidance, and car seat installation services

PARAMUS, N.J., Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bambi Baby is excited to announce the return of our 7th Annual Car Seat Trade-In Event, taking place September 26 and September 27, 2026, at Bambi Baby showrooms throughout New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

For the past seven years, Bambi Baby has been honored to bring this experience to local families. This year’s event will be held in partnership with 2026 sponsor CYBEX and in recognition of Car Seat Safety Awareness Month.

The Bambi Baby Car Seat Trade-In Event gives parents a convenient way to responsibly retire and trade-in an expired or outgrown car seat while receiving exclusive savings of up to $160 per family toward a new car seat. New parents will have the opportunity to trade in their infant car seat for savings toward a toddler car seat as their child grows.

Car Seat Safety Awareness Starts with Knowing When It’s Time to Trade Up

The Trade-In Event is important because it brings both education and opportunity to families. Car seat expiration dates and child height and weight limits can easily be misunderstood or overlooked, making Car Seat Safety Awareness Month an important reminder for parents to check both the age of their current car seat and whether their child still fits within its limits.

Car seats have a manufacturer-defined usable lifespan, often approximately 7 to 10 years depending on the specific seat. Both the manufacturing date and expiration date are included on a production sticker placed on the body of the car seat. Caregivers should always check this information and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to determine when the seat expires.

It is critical that caregivers abide by the car seat’s expiration date. Over years of regular use, car seats are exposed to temperature changes, repeated installation, cleaning, spills, and general wear. Over time, the materials used within a car seat can degrade and deteriorate, potentially compromising the safety of the seat. Each car seat is built to provide protection within a specified timeframe; after that point, continuing to use the seat becomes a risk.

Evolving Federal Car Seat Safety Standards

Car seat safety technology continues to advance, along with the federal standards manufacturers are required to meet.

NHTSA has introduced new federal child restraint requirements in recent years, including FMVSS No. 213a, which established a federal side-impact performance standard for child restraints, and FMVSS No. 213b, which updates frontal-impact testing with a redesigned test bench intended to better represent today’s vehicle rear seats.

The transition to FMVSS No. 213b is especially relevant in 2026. The updated standard becomes mandatory for child restraint systems manufactured on or after December 5, 2026.

These changes do not mean an older car seat automatically becomes unsafe simply because newer technology or testing standards have been introduced. A car seat that remains within its expiration date and usage limits and is being installed and used according to manufacturer instructions can continue to be used.

However, some parents may find that their existing car seat is still within its usable lifespan but prefer to trade up to a newer model developed with the latest federal requirements and current safety technologies in mind.

Knowing When a Child Has Outgrown a Car Seat

Children can also outgrow a car seat long before it expires.

Infant car seats, convertible car seats, all-in-one car seats, rotating car seats, and booster seats all have manufacturer-established height and weight limits.

Parents should not wait for a child to reach both the maximum height and maximum weight. Once a child reaches any applicable limit or no longer meets the manufacturer’s fit requirements for that configuration, it is time to transition to the next appropriate stage.

Responsible Car Seat Trade-In and Recycling

Knowing how to dispose of an expired or outgrown car seat can also be difficult. Car seats are bulky, made from multiple materials, and may not be accepted through standard municipal recycling programs. Families searching for a car seat recycling program can turn to Bambi Baby’s Trade-In Event as a trusted alternative to standard car seat disposal and infant car seat recycling options.

Manufacturers and local disposal programs typically recommend steps such as cutting harness straps or clearly marking a discarded seat to help prevent an expired or unusable car seat from being picked up and reused. Proper car seat disposal matters for safety, which is one reason Bambi Baby’s Trade-In Event has grown into a well-known car seat recycling event for families across New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

The Bambi Baby Car Seat Trade-In Event takes that responsibility off parents’ plates. Families can bring their expired, outgrown, or unwanted car seat to a participating Bambi Baby showroom and receive an exclusive once-a-year discount toward a new car seat.

2026 Car Seat Trade-In Event Details

Event Dates: Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2026

Maximum Savings: Up to $160 per family

Saturday, September 26: CYBEX and Enelio of Bambi Baby will be at Bambi Baby Paramus, 491 Route 17 South, Paramus, NJ 07652

Sunday, September 27: CYBEX and Enelio will be at Bambi Baby Melville, 720 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, Long Island, NY 11747

Installation Services: Available throughout Trade-In Weekend at Bambi Baby Paramus and Bambi Baby Coral Gables, 1800 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134

All Bambi Baby showrooms will accept car seat trade-ins and offer exclusive Trade-In Event savings throughout September 26 and September 27.

Participating Bambi Baby Showrooms

Paramus, NJ
491 Route 17 South
Paramus, NJ 07652

Middletown, NJ
1111 NJ-35
Middletown Township, NJ 07748

Union, NJ
1603 Route 22 West
Union, NJ 07083

New York City, NY
655 6th Ave.
New York, NY 10010

Melville, Long Island, NY
720 Walt Whitman Road
Melville, NY 11747

Coral Gables, Miami, FL
1800 Ponce De Leon Blvd.
Coral Gables, FL 33134

Expert Car Seat Guidance and Installation Support

Bambi Baby showrooms feature premium car seats from brands including CYBEX, Nuna, Britax, Clek, Maxi-Cosi, and more, with options ranging from infant and convertible car seats to all-in-one, rotating, and booster seats.

Our car seat experts and Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians help parents identify the best fit for their child, vehicle, and family, while comparing installation methods, height and weight limits, everyday functionality, and available safety technology.

Bambi Baby also offers car seat installation services at our Paramus, New Jersey and Coral Gables, Florida locations. Installation support will be available at both locations throughout Trade-In Weekend.

CYBEX and Enelio, owner of Bambi Baby and a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, will be in Paramus on September 26 and Melville on September 27 to guide parents, demonstrate current car seat options, and answer families’ most important car seat safety questions.

CYBEX Sponsors the 2026 Trade-In Event

Bambi Baby is proud to partner with CYBEX as the official sponsor of our 2026 Car Seat Trade-In Event.

CYBEX is an industry leader in car seat innovation and safety technology. Across its current car seat assortment, the brand incorporates advanced layers of protection that vary by model, including reinforced steel construction, Linear Side-Impact Protection, load legs, anti-rebound protection, energy-absorbing shells, flame-retardant free materials, and SensorSafe smart technology.

Select CYBEX models also feature GREENGUARD Gold Certification, giving parents additional considerations beyond crash-protection technology.

CYBEX’s current car seat lineup demonstrates how quickly safety technology continues to advance, with newer models combining multiple layers of side-impact, rebound, structural, and installation protection.

Our CYBEX car seat assortment is available to see and test throughout Bambi Baby showrooms. We value CYBEX’s knowledge, commitment to car seat innovation, and passion for safety, and we are grateful for their partnership and willingness to support the Bambi Baby community during our 2026 Car Seat Trade-In Event.

Join Bambi Baby September 26–27

We welcome families to join us at Bambi Baby Paramus on Saturday, September 26, and Bambi Baby Melville in Long Island on Sunday, September 27, to experience the featured event and meet with CYBEX and Enelio.

Families who cannot attend either featured location are welcome to visit any Bambi Baby showroom September 26–27 to trade in an old car seat and receive an exclusive discount toward a new one.

For complete event information and updates, visit the Bambi Baby Car Seat Trade-In Event page.

For questions, contact cs@bambibaby.com.

About Bambi Baby

Bambi Baby is a family-owned baby retailer with 50 years of experience helping families and specializing in premium car seats, strollers, nursery furniture, and baby gear. With showrooms throughout New York, New Jersey, and Florida, Bambi Baby combines premium baby brands with knowledgeable, personalized service and expert guidance for growing families.

Media & Event Contact Bambi Baby brianna@bambibaby.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bambi-baby-announces-7th-annual-car-seat-trade-in-event-in-partnership-with-cybex-302879223.html

SOURCE Bambi Baby