5 safety apps and tools that remind parents there’s a baby in the back seat

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and when temperatures soar as high as they do during the summer, it’s necessary that we get little ones out of the backseat as soon as possible.

But parents are only human, and as much as we think we could never forget our babies in the car, it does happen. Research suggests high temperatures don’t help, as heat stress can impact our cognitive function.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 2018 and 2019 were the worst years in history for kids being left in hot cars. (2020 and 2021 both saw a reduction, but that could likely be tied to a decrease in driving due to the pandemic.) Even cloudy or mild-weather days can result in climbing temperatures inside cars that can be life-threatening for a child strapped in for too long. The NSC, other safety advocacy organizations and lawmakers are encouraging automakers to embrace technology to create backseat alert systems in new vehicles, but such systems aren’t standard yet.

Luckily, there are several innovative car seat sensor apps and car seat alarms parents can use to remind them when there’s a little one in the backseat—and you might already have one of them installed.

Car seat sensor apps that reduce the risk of leaving little ones behind

Waze

If you use Waze to help you beat traffic, you can set it up to remind you to check the backseat when you reach your destination. Simply turn on the “Child Reminder” feature in your settings > reminders to start getting the notifications. It even allows you to add a custom message, so you can write a sweet note about your baby.

Kars 4 Kids

If you’re not a Waze fan but are an Android user, you can try the Kars 4 Kids Safety App on Google Play. It connects to your car’s Bluetooth so that when you (and your phone) leave the car, an alarm goes off. You can add your child’s photo to fully customize your reminder.

Car seat sensor devices that help you monitor your kid’s safety

Cybex

Sirona S SensorSafe™ 2 Rotating Car Seat

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$549.95

Some car seat manufacturers, like Cybex, offer built-in alarm functions thanks to innovative chest clips that don’t just protect kids in the event of an accident, but also if they’re accidentally left in the vehicle.

A newer version of the original Sirona M, (one we’ve called “the smartest convertible car seat we’ve ever tried), it’s a state of the art car seat that offers total peace of mind. For their comfort and yours, it rotates a full 360 degrees to make taking them in and out a total breeze. But it’s the techy features that make it really shine. Equipped with SensorSafe 2.0 technology that communicates with your phone the chest clip alerts parents when: the car is too hot or cold, if the child has been in the car seat longer than recommended, if they’ve managed to unclip it while the car is moving, or if a child is left behind in the backseat—for example, if the car is turned off or the driver’s cell phone has left the vehicle, but the kid is still clipped in. If the driver doesn’t respond to an alert about a child left behind, emergency contacts are alerted.

Right now until 6/30/22, the seat is on sale for $100 off with no coupon code needed. Just click the shop button!

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Elepho

eClip Baby Safety Reminder for Car

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$49.99

This small device clips onto your baby or toddler’s carseat strap and connects via Bluetooth to an app on your phone. It helps you both monitor the temperature inside the vehicle and will also ping you if you step more than 15 feet away from your car.

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Steelmate

Baby Car Reminder Baby Car Seat Alarm System

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$37.99

If you’ve already got a carseat you like and aren’t keen on apps (or if your child has caregivers who aren’t) the Steelmate Baby Car Seat Reminder is a low-cost car reminder system that alerts drivers to the possibility of children in the back seat. If your kiddo rides with someone who does not use a smartphone, this innovative physical alarm is a safe bet.

SHOP

No matter which you choose, having a backup system while driving the kids around in the heat is a smart idea. And these innovative apps and products are likely just the beginning of a wave of designs dedicated to helping parents remember who is in the backseat.

According to Arizona State University associate professor of psychology Gene Brewer, “memory failures are remarkably powerful, and they happen to everyone.” He continues, “there is no difference between gender, class, personality, race or other traits. Functionally, there isn’t much of a difference between forgetting your keys and forgetting your child in the car.”

Forgetfulness happens to everyone, but as there are apps and products that can help reduce the risk, it’s worth checking out.

For Motherly’s car seat safety guide click here.

A version of this post was originally published July 6, 2018. It has been updated.