Car Seats

anotheruser

So the time has come for us to look for a new car seat for our 12 month old.

Can't seem to find something that we both like though. We like isofix but the Joie Every Stages FX doesn't come with isofix when rear  (or front) facing.

We looked at another one but that doesn't seem to "grow" as much with the baby but is isofix both ways and is a 360° one.

The problem is that when said child is 9/10 - 12 years old, I can't imagine him wanting to be in what is effectively a baby car seat. I know the legal requirements but a simple blastic box type of booster seat counts doesn't it? Not that I'd use something like that but something a lot simpler than a large car seat contraption will be the likely dish of the day.

But still doesn't help us now.

Any advice?

teaandcakeordeath

My advice would be keep your little one rear facing for as long as possible. It's the absolute safest way to travel in a car. Extended rear facing seats go up to 25kg and are almost always only belted in as isofix is only tested up to 18kg. What height and centile is your 12mo tracking? I have my 4 year old (she's about 95cm and 16kg) rear facing in a britax two way elite. Her older sister was in it until she was 6 and realistically would still be in it but she wanted a booster and I always said that I was aiming to get them to 6 rear facing. The 4 year old was in a Joie 360. It's a good seat but if your little one is high in centiles then it will not last until they're 4/ 18kg. I only stopped using it because I couldn't fit three across in my car with it being isofix. My 1 year old is in an axkid minikid. It's a really good seat and I managed to get an ex-display for half price. 

Seat wise I wouldn't bother with anything that's going to last until they're 12. Plastics degrade and the seat life will almost certainly be shorter than 11 years. Pay as much as you can for a seat that's as good as possible (look at rear facing children on FB for info, in car safety centre and winstanleys for excellent choice of ERF seats- both of those companies offer interest free payment options if budget is a consideration). Boosters don't have to cost the earth. Once your little one has grown out of their RF seat you can pick up excellent boosters for as little as £35. 

rach_k

We went from infant seats to rear facing seats (until around 5 years old), then into high back boosters. 

I don't think your child would really notice if you kept them in a multi-stage seat.  We kept ours rear facing for much longer than average in the UK and then in good high back boosters from 5 and they never complained, even though most of their friends were forward facing from a year old and then onto backless boosters.  We just treat it matter of factly - "this is the safest place for you to be so that's where you'll go!"  They are comfortable, too.  For our Group 1 seats, we had a BeSafe one and a Klippan one, then for high back boosters we have Cybex. Aside from the direction of travel, adults can see the difference between a toddler seat and a high back booster but I doubt a child would really notice or care, as the booster is still surrounding them pretty well.

However, our high back boosters are MUCH lighter than a car seat, so it is definitely an advantage to the parents to move to a HBB when the child is big enough.  We sometimes switch the HBBs between cars and it is much less hassle than switching a toddler seat.  If ours were still in toddler seats and regularly using two cars, I would buy two sets of seats, whereas moving the boosters doesn't bother me.  

So what I'm trying to say is that I would prefer a (rear facing) Group 1 seat for a toddler, then at 4 or 5 years old-ish, you switch again to a high back booster (Group 2/3).

Savvy_Sue

I guess one advantage you have is that 'proper' car seats  may be the norm as the grows, so I'd worry less about their feelings at that stage than you seem to be ...

However, I think too it would be worth concentrating on what works for you now / the next couple of years, and worry about what you need next when you need it. By then, you may have changed your car, they may have vomited over it so many times you can't get the smell out of the covers, the harness may be damaged or 101 other things.

I know they are expensive, but the theory that one seat will last and work for what, 10 years? seems optimistic.

But I'm not up to date on current legislation - ours went from rear facing baby to front facing toddler and then on to the boosters you describe! Which is an improvement from strapping the carrycot into the car - or not! - from my own childhood ...

HampshireH

My friend has just bought one of these

https://baby-travel.uk.com/products/all-stages-every-stage-360-rotating-baby-car-seat-car-seat-group-0-1-2-3-cs-008

We will be considering this one too but I haven't had a chance to read about it yet I just got the link sent to me.

But it's isofix, 360 rotation and rear and forward facing.

They love it.

CreditCardJunkie

We have the Joie spin for both our cars and love it. DD is 18months and rear facing. A lot of my friends with kids around the same age are front facing, I personally don't think it's worth the risk.

ZaSa1418

definitely rear face for as long as you can. 
There are some great deals on the incarsafetycentre at the moment who promote extended rear facing. My 6 yr old has only just outgrown her britax 2way elite and is now in a high back booster which will last her until she no longer needs a car seat. 

justworriedabit

Keep baby rear facing as long as possible and within the safe use criteria of the seat.
Ensure the belts used correctly.
Seats you may be interested in, most have online videos showing you have to safely attach to car seats and use belts etc.
Halfords and other sites have user feedback and I always views item related feedbacks before I buy almost anything.

scrimpandsave

teaandcakeordeath said:

My advice would be keep your little one rear facing for as long as possible. It's the absolute safest way to travel in a car. Extended rear facing seats go up to 25kg and are almost always only belted in as isofix is only tested up to 18kg. What height and centile is your 12mo tracking? I have my 4 year old (she's about 95cm and 16kg) rear facing in a britax two way elite. Her older sister was in it until she was 6 and realistically would still be in it but she wanted a booster and I always said that I was aiming to get them to 6 rear facing. The 4 year old was in a Joie 360. It's a good seat but if your little one is high in centiles then it will not last until they're 4/ 18kg. I only stopped using it because I couldn't fit three across in my car with it being isofix. My 1 year old is in an axkid minikid. It's a really good seat and I managed to get an ex-display for half price. 

Seat wise I wouldn't bother with anything that's going to last until they're 12. Plastics degrade and the seat life will almost certainly be shorter than 11 years. Pay as much as you can for a seat that's as good as possible (look at rear facing children on FB for info, in car safety centre and winstanleys for excellent choice of ERF seats- both of those companies offer interest free payment options if budget is a consideration). Boosters don't have to cost the earth. Once your little one has grown out of their RF seat you can pick up excellent boosters for as little as £35. 

Whilst not the op I find this really useful. I have the 360 and my husband has the tilt. The tilt has been a nightmare since LO got bigger. My 360 is going to be fine until she gets bigger, she is 2.5 but his tilt is already a bit useless so looking at axkid move and then depending how things go that will likely move between cars once 360 is too small. Do you like axkid and are their straps fiddly? Also any tips on getting more leg room on the 360. Sorry for the barrage of questions, purely asking from an experience view point 😊

twiglet98

I have transported my grandson in a Joie 360 Spin since he was a year old and I love it - and so does he, it's clearly very comfortable, it tilts back and he sleeps easily in it.  It's so much better than the MaxiCosi seats his parents had, particularly being able to swivel it to face the door.  I find it really hurt my back to lift a heavy toddler in and out of a fixed seat that doesn't spin.  My only criticism of it is that the crotch strap gets stuck under him as he gets into the seat.  He is now 4 1/4 and almost 18kg and still rear-faces when in my car, although his parents couldn't wait to get him forward facing from about 15 months.  The arguments we've had, and all the statistics, wouldn't change their minds, but at least I feel I've done all I can to keep him safe when I'm transporting him.  I'm researching his next seat as he has almost outgrown this one, and hope to find one I'm equally happy with.