Help! Nissan Almera 1999 (S) + baby seat

ellie3009_2

Hi all,

I have a 1999 S-reg Nissan Almera GX. It does not have Isofix points, or any way to fit them.

I am currently 5 months pregnant and looking into car seats for the baby, only to find that manufacturers only list compatibility with later Almeras (the newer shape from 2000 onwards).
I have also read that fitting a belted baby seat into an Almera can be problematic due to the rear seatbelt buckles being on a longish webbing strap, and therefore overlapping the carseat or base when attached, which is unsafe. ("buckle crunch")

Can anyone with an older Almera M reg to S-reg (1995-1999) who uses a baby seat please let me know what you have managed to fit safely?

I would ideally like a maxi-cosi pebble or cabriofix, so would be really keen to hear from anyone who has managed to fit either of these correctly in the Almera.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Ellie

dizziblonde

We have a Zafira which has similar issues with the seatbelt stalks - have two Britax seats in ours (first class plus group 0+/1 fixed in car ones) as they've got two routings for the seatbelt to go through to fit the seat so if one doesn't work the other should - it's not one that you can take out and fit onto a pushchair frame though (but those type of seats drive me crazy within a month) but is suitable from birth rear facing and turning around when you hit 13kg. If you start looking into suggested car seats for Vauxhalls you should find some possibilities since they're the notorious ones for having the same issue.

alleycat`

Mothercare, if you have one nearby, will often let you try fit a car seat in your car, if they have it in stock.

They aren't the cheapest but our first seat was bought from them purely because we had a similar "car not quoted issue" with the major manufacturers.

In the end we got a britax because, as mentioned above, it had an alternative belt run which worked out quite well.

It was hugely bulky but it wore well and is now in use by a friend with their first child.

tiny_courageous

My local authority regularly holds car seat safety clinics, might be worth getting in touch with yours to see if they do similar?

ellie3009_2

Thanks for the replies.
I am aware that Mothercare etc will fit seats, but was hoping for some ideas for what to try before going, otherwise it risks being a long process!

Britax was the option I was looking at, but I really need one I can clip on to the pushchair, and in most cases that seems like a maxi cosi.
After playing with a lot of pushchairs we want the uppababy vista but that is not compatible with any britax car seats.
Due to a complicated set of circumstances we need one with a carrycot that baby can sleep overnight in, and the uppababy is one of the few that manufacturers state is suitable. We had no idea when playing with pushchairs that it would turn out to be complicated to get a car seat!!

Can any other Almera owners help?

Kayalana99

ellie3009 wrote: »

Britax was the option I was looking at, but I really need one I can clip on to the pushchair, and in most cases that seems like a maxi cosi.


Can any other Almera owners help?

Just wanted to add that its bad for newborns to not be kept lying down flat as its bad for their back and although car seat to pushchair ones are very convenient aren't really suitable for long periods of time... & you'd manage without.

kj*daisy

We could only use Britaxes in the same car due to this issue.

ellie3009_2

Further possibility seems to be a "besafe iziGo" as that will also work with the pushchair we want. Anyone got any experience of these?

Sagaris

Which? seem to like it - http://www.which.co.uk/baby-and-child/baby-transport/reviews/child-car-seats/besafe-izi-go/review/

The Besafe Izi Go is a rearward-facing Group 0+ infant carrier which is installed using the adult seat belt. It is suitable for babies in the weight range of 0-13kg (12-15 months). Read the full review to find out how it performed in the Which? child car seat tests.
It can be purchased on its own, as tested here, or for more money, with an extra base which is secured using the adult seatbelt, allowing you to click the seat in and out of the car without disturbing the installation or the child.

Safety
The Besafe Izi Go's front-crash performance is excellent at five stars, and in side crashes, four stars is good.

Fitting and using the seat
This car seat is extremely easy to install thanks to its clear instructions, though buckling the child into the seat is more complicated than some alternative seats.
The padding is good, so the seat offers great leg and head support, and the view out of the seat for the baby is good. The seat cover is easy to remove and is machine washable.

Overall rating
The Besafe Izi Go has no major weaknesses, but just falls short of the Best Buy grade overall.