I have a four year old visiting me in HH...where can I rent a car seat?

Go to a garage sale or thrift store and buy a used one and then donate it back. or try a car rental place, but that will be $5/day or so.

I work at a hospital, and we let new parents borrow carseats if they don't have one yet. I'm not sure if they would have one appropriate for a four year old, but you could try.

You could probably buy one pretty cheap at a consignment shop, and then consign it back when you're done using it. I don't know about your area, but around here there are several consignment shops that specialize in children's equipment. I would be a bit wary of using a used car seat though, since you don't know it's history. A car seat that's been in a crash may look okay, but its integrity may be compromised in even a minor accident.

You probably want a booster seat, not a car seat. I can't think of any carseat that will fit a four year old. Is this child with you currently? If not, then can you get their booster seat (or make parents buy one)? I would never trust a used or rented one. The smallest hairline cracks could compromise the safety of the seat. Also, can you guarantee that it has not been recalled?

Suggest you accesss www.nhtsa.dot.gov and read their guidance for selecting child seats. It is ticky!!! Depends on the age, size and other factors, and must be compatible with the belts in REAR center seat position of your vehicle. Purchasing a seat used, at a sale, etc., is a dangerous idea. You have no way of determining whether the integrity of the seat may have been compromised. Renting a seat carries the same risk. As far as hospital loaners ... that's true. But some states have gotten out of the loaner programs ... not a perfect solution. Why not ask the parents to lend your the kid's own safety seat ... presumably he or she is using some type of crash protection. Ciao