While we researched car seat alarms and devices to prevent parents from leaving their children in the car, the Ride N Remind Back Seat Reminder System stood out as the most reliable solution. Though it’s pricey, it doesn’t need maintenance or hassle. It just works.
In 2020, 24 children died of heatstroke from being left in a hot car.¹ So using a device that can remind you when your kiddo is in the backseat is a good backup when your mind is frazzled. These are our top picks for all budgets and needs.
Compare devices to prevent leaving kids in the car
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Best for
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Product
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Price
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Alarm
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Lights
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Easy installation
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Learn more
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| Best all-around |
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$149.99 |
 Yes |
Yes |
 No |
View on amazon | Read review |
| Best with lights |
 |
$39.99 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
View on Amazon | Read review |
| Best camera option |
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$39.99 |
No |
No |
Yes |
View on Amazon | Read review |
| Best low-tech solution |
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$20.09 |
No |
No |
Yes |
View on Amazon | Read review |
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
1. Ride N Remind Back Seat Reminder System: Best all-around
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
Ride N Remind Back Seat Reminder System is the most expensive system we found, and it requires pro installation. Real talk—those two things would normally turn us off, but the Ride N Remind more than makes up for its cons. It works for multiple kids, can double for pet-watch, and doesn’t require an app or batteries.
No batteries No app needed Multiple/escalating alarms No-fuss functionality Kid- and pet-friendly
Professional installation ExpensiveAre you intrigued yet?
We really liked the simple concept too. The Ride N Remind sounds a chime to remind you to bring your child or pet.
For those lost in a cloud of stress, sleeplessness, or an extreme case of the Mondays, a chime may not be enough of a warning. Not to worry; the alerts escalate quickly. Here’s how the whole process works:
- Door detection: The Ride N Remind detects when you open a back door before starting the engine.
- Initial chime: Then, when you get out of the car, it sounds a chime to remind you that you put something (or someone) in the backseat.
- Stop the chime: To stop the chime, you open the back door and press a button.
- Voice alert: If you don’t press the button after the first chime, a voice alert will sound, instructing you to press the button.
- Car horn: After 40 seconds, the device will trigger the car’s horn to honk in an SOS pattern. That will get your attention.
Here’s why Ride n Remind tops our list. First, it doesn’t need an app, which means you don’t need to worry about the device losing connection due to Bluetooth issues. Second, there aren’t any pieces to lose or for your kid or fur baby to grab and toss around the car while you’re driving. Third, the chime isn’t loud enough to wake up a sleeping baby.
2. Steel Mate Baby Car Seat Reminder: Best with lights
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
Not only is the Steel Mate Baby Car Seat Reminder easy on the budget, it’s also easy on your life. There’s no app to fool with or Bluetooth or Wi-fi connection needed. You just place a pad under the car seat or child safety seat, clip a small device to your seatbelt, and then plug another small device into your car’s cigarette lighter.
Inexpensive DIY-friendly Alarm and lights
Needs cigarette lighter Works for only one child Doesn’t work for petsThe pad under the car seat detects if there is a baby or child in the car. When you unbuckle your seatbelt or turn off the AC, the device plugged into the cigarette lighter will flash its red and green lights and make an annoying beeping noise to remind you someone is in the rear seat.
This product is pretty cool, but it doesn’t work for every family. Most importantly, it doesn’t work with more than one baby seat or child seat, and it won’t work if your car doesn’t have a cigarette lighter. Plus, it won’t work if your baby is the furry kind.
3. Itomoro Baby Car Mirror: Best camera option
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
The Itomoro Baby Car Mirror helps prevent you from leaving your kid in the car. Plus, it’s a useful device for any trip. Its video screen lets you easily see your child in the backseat so you can see what they're up to at all times. It’s extra useful if you have a wildly toddler that likes to escape their car seat.
Multi-use DIY-friendly Simple installation
Needs cigarette lighter No alarmThe plug-and-play installation is fast with no fuss. You strap a small camera to the backseat headrest, pointed at your bundle of joy. Then you place the screen beside the camera so the live footage is easily seen when you look in the rearview mirror. Then, you just plug the monitor into your car’s lighter adapter.
You can also mount the screen on your dash for better viewing, which would make more sense if you're afraid of leaving your baby in the car. Having your baby right in front of you as you drive and get out of the car is an excellent way to remember them.
4. Shynerk Baby Car Mirror: Best low-tech option
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
We know some new parents don’t want to mess with apps, charging devices, or making sure clips are in place, so we looked for a low-tech solution that could help. What we came up with is the Shynerk Baby Car Mirror.
Simple Highly rated
No alarmThis mirror straps to the headrest above your child. When you glance in the rearview mirror, you’ll be able to see the occupants in the backseat. This simple visual reminder may be just what you need to prevent a child-left-behind situation.
This mirror is so beloved by parents that it has a 4.8-star rating on Amazon from more than 24,000 reviewers. What makes it different from the dozens of baby car mirrors out there? It doesn’t just sit in one position. You can adjust it to get optimal viewing of your precious one. Plus, the mirror doesn’t vibrate as you drive, so looking at your tike won’t give you a headache.
More brands we considered
There are a few brands that we researched that just didn’t make the cut. While they’re not our top picks, they may work well for particular situations.
Elepho eClip Baby Reminder
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
We liked the Elepho eClip Baby Reminder because it seemed to be the full package:
- Has no small parts for baby to choke on
- Alerts you if the baby is left in the car
- Alerts you if the car is too hot or cold, even if you are in the car
- Notifies you when the battery is low
- Works with Apple and Android phones
It just clips onto the car seat, diaper bag, or car seat belt. Once it’s clipped on, Elepho eClip sends alerts to its app. It’s so simple but makes so much sense. The price is affordable too.
The only drawback—and this is a big one—is that you must open the app every time you get into the car to ensure that the device will work properly. If you forget, you may not get an alert if your child is still in the car. That’s worrying and the sole reason that we can’t recommend the Elepho.
Car Seat CoPilot Automatic Alert System
*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
The Car Seat CoPilot Automatic Alert System had great promise, so we were excited to research this car seat alarm. It comes with a latch that you attach to your child’s car seat and a key fob that sounds an alarm when you walk more than 10 feet away from the car seat. It’s a simple, elegant design that’s hard not to love.
Unfortunately, the Car Seat CoPilot Automatic Alert System doesn’t seem to perform well out in the real world. Users report that the alarm doesn’t always sound and that the keyfob breaks easily. The car seat clip is also bulky and would be hard to use with a newborn, in our opinion. With this in mind, we just couldn’t recommend this backseat baby reminder.
Final word
While the Ride N Remind Back Seat Reminder System needs professional installation and costs quite a bit more than its competitors, we think it’s the most reliable choice for keeping your children from being left inside of the car.
We also like that you can use it for fur babies and, well, anything you may forget in the backseat. So, even after your children become too loud to forget, the device is still useful for years to come.
- Ride N Remind: Best pick for multiple children, pets, and babies
- Steel Mate Baby Car Seat Reminder: The best option for visual and sound notifications
- Itomoro Baby Car Mirror: The best option for watching your kiddo
- Shynerk Baby Car Mirror: An easy, low-tech solution for frazzled parents
To create this list, we first took inventory of all the products on the market to help prevent hot car deaths. While there are often news stories about people creating new car seat alarms and devices to prevent leaving kids in cars, we found that very few make it to market or stay in business very long. This gave us a very narrow selection.
Once we knew what was out there, we:
- Noted the products’ ratings on various websites
- Read instructional diagrams
- Watched product videos
- Read hundreds of customer reviews.
We also drew from our own experience as parents to pick the most useful products.
Some points we considered include price, installation, usability, and features.
You can read more about our process on our methodology page.
FAQ...
Related articles on SafeWise
Sources
- National Safety Council, Injury Facts, “Hot Car Deaths.” Accessed April 19, 2021.
- American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children.org, “Prevent Child Deaths in Hot Cars.” Accessed April 21, 2021.
*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. SafeWise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
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