ATTENTION PARENTS: A bulky jacket and a car seat can be a dangerous combination!

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- We got our first taste of the bitter cold this week, and as winter approaches, you'll bundle up your kids in heavy gear. But did you know a bulky jacket and a car seat can be a dangerous combination?

Generally, safety experts recommend NOT using winter coats underneath the harness of a car seat. The reason? Bulky fabrics can make the harness too loose to be effective in a crash.

Consumer Reports offers a simple way to check if your child’s coat is too big to wear under a harness.

Here are some of the tips:

If you find that the coat cannot be safely worn under the harness, here are a couple things you can do to keep your child safe and warm in his/her child seat.

CLICK HERE for more from Consumer Reports.