All items · Baby & children
Car seats and booster seats
Also covers: child car seat, booster cushion, infant carrier, isofix
Can you donate car seats and booster seats to a UK charity shop? Usually not.
The short answer
Almost all say no
Of the 153 UK charities we track, 91 say no and 4 may accept in some cases. 2 of those are category-wide rules rather than a direct mention.
Evidence last verified
Why shops may refuse it
There's no way to prove a used seat hasn't been in a crash, so reselling one could put a child at risk.
What to do instead
Some councils and retailers recycle them — remove the cover and cut the straps first so the seat can't be reused.
Charity by charity
95 mentions-
Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats or booster seats, cot mattresses and cot bumpers”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats and booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Moses baskets; cots; cribs; car seats”
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Can't accept
Second-hand seats often lack complete fitting instructions.
Their wording
“Children's car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats and booster seats”
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Can't accept
Listed together with high chairs.
Their wording
“Children's car seats and high chairs”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s equipment including prams, buggys, high chairs, walkers, strollers, car seats, bikes,”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Used baby equipment including car seats and prams/pushchairs”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats & booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“children's car seats, prams, highchairs and cots”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Baby carries, car seats , buggies and prams”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety equipment: car seats, crash / cycle helmets or riding hats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car Seats”
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Can't accept
Also separately listed among items ellenor's free furniture collection service will not collect ("Children’s car seats").
Their wording
“Children’s car seats and booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety equipment i.e. car seats, bike helmets”
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Can't accept
Not allowed to sell for safety reasons.
Their wording
“We cannot accept large, non-flat screen television sets, computer hard drives, white goods (e.g. fridges, cookers, freezers), any safety equipment (child car seats, cycling helmets, for example) mattresses and electric blankets.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Child car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats and high chairs”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats and booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's items (car seats, pushchairs/prams, cots, mattresses, high chairs)”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Baby car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“used child car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Safety equipment like child car seats and cycle helmets”
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Can't accept
Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland category-wide rule
Applies to all baby & children items
Their wording
“Baby furniture and equipment”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Listed as unsuitable for onward sale under Trading Standards regulations.
Their wording
“Child car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Baby car seats, prams & pushchairs”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Infant car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Prams, Pushchairs, Buggies, Car Seats and Booster Seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats for children”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats”
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Can't accept
Phyllis Tuckwell category-wide rule
No baby-related equipment accepted
Their wording
“Highchairs, pushchairs or baby-related equipment”
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Can't accept
Also covers children's bike seats
Their wording
“Children's car and bike seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats or booster seats (safety reasons). Second-hand seats often have no or incomplete fitting instructions. Seats that are not installed correctly or are damaged may not be able to protect a child in an accident.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats or booster seats, cot mattresses and cot bumpers”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“prams or baby car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Unfortunately, we are not able to accept donations of commodes, crash or bicycle helmets, baby or child car seats.”
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Can't accept
Includes detachable car seats.
Their wording
“Car seats (including detachable car seats)”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats”
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Can't accept
Shown when searching 'Car Seat' in the Donation Hub tool.
Their wording
“Thank you for thinking of us. Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept this item because of children’s safety concerns. We have to meet strict safety standards, so we can’t take items if there’s any chance they might be damaged, faulty, or not meet current regulations.”
-
Can't accept
Specifically car seats with integral seat belts.
Their wording
“Car seats with integral seat belts”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s items: Car seats, soft toys without a CE label, mattresses, and prams or pushchairs that haven’t undergone safety checks.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
- Can't accept
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Child safety seats, prams, pushchairs, cots and carry cots, cot mattresses and bumpers, baby slings”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s safety equipment or car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Car seats listed under items the charity cannot take.
Their wording
“Inflatable toys, soft toys without the CE label or toy guns, prams, pushchairs or buggies (unless brand new), cots, cot mattresses, carry cots or playpens, high chairs or car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Prams or baby car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“❌ Baby car or toddler booster seats/chairs”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats, prams and buggies”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats and booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats, booster seats”
- Can't accept
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats or booster cushions”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Cots, prams/strollers, carriers, car or booster seats”
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Can't accept
From: "there are a few things that we can't sell - damaged or broken toys, children's car seats or booster seats, child cot and pram mattresses."
Their wording
“children's car seats or booster seats”
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Can't accept
Also covers seat belts and child seats for bicycles.
Their wording
“car seats, booster seats and seat belts”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children's car seats.”
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Can't accept
Listed under 'Children's equipment' items the shops cannot accept.
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Child car seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s pushchairs and car seats”
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Can't accept
Includes booster seats and child seats for cycles
Their wording
“Car seats and booster seats”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats / booster seats”
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Can't accept
Listed under unaccepted safety equipment
Their wording
“Safety Equipment eg helmets, car seat”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Children’s car seats”
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Can't accept
Listed under 'Safety Equipment'.
Their wording
“Hard hats, safety pads and protective gear as well as children's car seats cannot be accepted even when unused.”
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Can't accept
Their wording
“Large nursery items, pushchairs, cots, travel cots and car seats”
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Check first
Baby/nursery equipment can only be accepted at a selected number of stores due to required safety checks; contact Customer Service Centre (0300 330 3322).
Their wording
“Due to the safety checks required for the resale of baby and nursery equipment, we can only accept these in a selected number of stores”
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Check first
Not accepted unless brand new and in original packaging.
Their wording
“Car seats and Isofixes (unless brand new in packaging)”
- Check first
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Check first
Only accepted if new and in original packaging (at Large/Small Drop-offs). The Furniture store refuses used safety items outright with no stated exception.
Their wording
“Safety Items: please note we are unable to accept safety items such as helmets and car seats unless they are new in original packaging.”
Not mentioned in 58 charities' guidance
Absence from a charity's list doesn't mean they accept it — it just isn't singled out. Ask your local shop.
- Age UK
- Ardgowan Hospice
- Ayrshire Hospice
- Barnsley Hospice
- Bolton Hospice
- Claire House Children's Hospice
- Crisis
- Derian House Children's Hospice
- Douglas Macmillan Hospice
- East Lancashire Hospice
- Garden House Hospice Care
- Great Oaks Hospice
- Helen & Douglas House
- Hope House & Ty Gobaith Children's Hospices
- Hospice in the Weald
- Hospice Isle of Man
- Katharine House Hospice (Stafford)
- Katharine House Hospice, Banbury
- Keech Hospice Care
- Martin House Children's Hospice
- Moya Cole Hospice
- Nightingale House Hospice
- North Devon Hospice
- North London Hospice
- Nottinghamshire Hospice
- Oxfam
- PDSA
- Pilgrims Hospices
- Primrose Hospice
- Prospect Hospice
- Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care
- Rotherham Hospice
- Save the Children
- Scope
- Sense Scotland
- Severn Hospice
- Shelter
- St Andrew's Hospice (Lanarkshire)
- St Barnabas Hospice (Lincolnshire)
- St Catherine's Hospice (Lancashire)
- St Columba's Hospice
- St Luke's Cheshire Hospice
- St Margaret's Hospice Care (Somerset)
- St Mary's Hospice
- St Raphael's Hospice
- St Richard's Hospice
- The Kirkwood
- The Myton Hospices
- The Prince of Wales Hospice
- The Shakespeare Hospice
- Traid
- Treetops Hospice Trust
- Weldmar Hospicecare
- Willow Burn Hospice
- Willow Wood Hospice
- Wirral Hospice St John's
- Woodgreen Pets Charity
- YMCA (England & Wales)