Back Seat Organizer Car Kick Mat 

Seat Belt Pillow 

Cling Sun Shade 

Giraffe Set Review

I want to start off with the most important part of this review. The adorable Gerry Giraffe Seat Belt Pillow and Organizing Car Kick Mat are NOT SAFE. 

I would NOT purchase these products if I intend to use them in the car. 


Gerry the Giraffe Seat Belt Pillow

Many companies sell aftermarket products for use in the car. Because companies sell them parents assume they are tested for safety and allowed to be used. That is NOT TRUE. Check your car manual! Here is what my 2012 Honda Pilot has to say about aftermarket products and the seat belt. 

 I have also been told by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians that insurance companies may also deny injury claims if aftermarket products are found to be used in a car involved in a crash. This pillow is not worth your child's life.

If your child can't sleep sitting up in the proper position then they still belong in a 5 point harness. "Cute" products like this are geared towards an age group that should likely still be rear facing or in a harnessed forward facing seat. You most definitely can't use this product with a harness so why even gear it towards younger children?  

*These charts were developed from information based on Clinical Growth Charts for Length-for-age and Weight-for-age by the CDC.

My oldest is 4 years and 6.5 months old
 44 inches tall
and 40 pounds.
He JUST turned around forward facing in his Diono Pacifica harnessed seat yesterday (1/19/2016). There is no reason to rush your child's development and then have to use products like these to keep their head comfortable when sleeping while sacrificing their safety.

For bigger kids that need something to lean their head on, keep them in high back boosters with headwings.

If your child can't pass the 5 Step Test they should still 

be in a child's carseat or proper fitting booster.  
Booster Seats are for VERY Big Kids.

Which brings me to my next point... There is NO WAY to get a good seat belt fit with adorable Gerry on the shoulder. 

 To get a proper fit the shoulder belt should be firmly in the middle of the shoulder with shoulder belt guide just above the shoulder and shoulder belt flush against the body. A shoulder belt that doesn’t touch the person can’t properly restrain him.

  This picture was taken from the company's photos on Amazon. Another reviewer submitted it with her positive review. This child is too young for a backless booster. The belt is not flush against the body because of the pillow AND the lap belt falls at his hips and abdomen instead of where it is supposed to along his thighs. This shows that when companies market these products to younger children it reinforces improper car seat safety decisions. 

I believe this child's backless booster is a Graco. 
Page 8 of the Graco owner's manual says:

By modifying the car's seat belt the owner is modifying how the booster seat was tested for safety therefore voiding the safety of the booster seat. 

In order to use this seat the child pictured above must meet the following requirements:

For children 4-10 years old, from 40-100 lbs and 40” to 57” tall.
As recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, children 4 feet 9 inches tall or under should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat.
(The mother states in her review that her child is only three years old.) 

 

The company claims their product is safe and even goes so far as to say it is a "safety device".

  

After market shoulder strap pads or covers add bulk to the seat belt, often interfering with tightening the seat belt and proper shoulder strap placement.  They may change the distance and speed the head and chest travel in a crash, resulting in serious injury or death. 

It may seem like 'just a pillow' but is it worth your child's life?

Back Seat Organizer and Kick Mat

Is this product functional? yes
Is Gerry the Giraffe adorable? yes
Is this product safe? NO

"The organizers can hit a front-facing child and cause injury. The stuff that’s jammed into them can become a projectile as well. It’s not just the weight of the thing itself; it’s the weight times the acceleration of the vehicle and the force that creates that hits the baby. An empty soda can could crush a human skull at the right velocity." 

“It’s hard to keep your car clean with kids in it. I know that! But it’s really important,” says Johnson. “In general, you should have the least amount of crap in your car as possible, and whatever isn’t attached to the car needs to be secured: purses, toys, seat belts not in use need to be buckled, even if there is a car seat in that seating position.”
~ Jennifer Johnson, BNS, RN, and CPST

Window Cling Shades

 

The window clings have metal inside of the outter edge making them not safe as well. Do NOT use these products. The sun can be annoying when you're a child stuck in the car and it is in your eyes. Cling shades are the CPST recommended form of window shade, not shades with suction cups or plastic bars along the bottom because they can become projectiles in the event of an accident. Window clings are the safer option, safest being window tinting. 

Want to know why projectiles are so dangerous? Check out this personal account if you take child safety seriously. 

I received these products for free in exchange for an honest review.

Links for reference: 
Non Regulated Products from Car Seats for The Littles

Dangers of Fluff In the Car Seat from The Car Seat Lady

Proper Booster Fit

Boosters are for (VERY) Big Kids
Are Care Seat Accessories Safe? 
Keeping Car Seats Cool 
Gerry Giraffe amazon listing