Discussion
So I've just bought this new (to me) B6 A4 estate.
In the back seat, behind passenger, fitted between the seat cushion and backrest are two square plastic holes. The guy who sold it to me reckoned that these are isofix fittings.
Now, as we are due to have a new baby (first one) would any old ISOfix compatible 'travel system' fit into these? We're not keen on spending ~600 on something that will only be used for a short while, so something more reasonable would be favourite. Also, something that could click into a buggy.
What I've discerned so far is that isofix is more of a standard than a buggy make, and that different manufacturers conform to this standard - you just pay what you want for a brand. Would that be correct?
Any recommendations that would include a car seat, buggy and something for the baby to lie flat in?
Cheers!
In the back seat, behind passenger, fitted between the seat cushion and backrest are two square plastic holes. The guy who sold it to me reckoned that these are isofix fittings.
Now, as we are due to have a new baby (first one) would any old ISOfix compatible 'travel system' fit into these? We're not keen on spending ~600 on something that will only be used for a short while, so something more reasonable would be favourite. Also, something that could click into a buggy.
What I've discerned so far is that isofix is more of a standard than a buggy make, and that different manufacturers conform to this standard - you just pay what you want for a brand. Would that be correct?
Any recommendations that would include a car seat, buggy and something for the baby to lie flat in?
Cheers!
ISOfix is the attachment system, instead of the old wrapping a seatbelt around the seat. You get a base which attaches to the car and a seat that clicks into the base. Some buggy systems have adapters for different seats so you can use the car seat with the buggy. This is fine for short periods of time, but generally the advice is babies and toddlers shouldn't be in the car seat for more than a few hours as they restrict movement.
As an example we have a BeSafe izi go seat system with an iCandy peach buggy system. We can use the BeSafe seat in the buggy frame, but when our nipper was 0-3ish months we used to just use the buggy with its cot attachment. Unless you're only spending a few hours nipping it the shops you'll probably want to transfer them from the car seat to the cot anyway.
You'd be amazed how small a large car like an A6 can feel once you're karting around all the baby stuff too
As an example we have a BeSafe izi go seat system with an iCandy peach buggy system. We can use the BeSafe seat in the buggy frame, but when our nipper was 0-3ish months we used to just use the buggy with its cot attachment. Unless you're only spending a few hours nipping it the shops you'll probably want to transfer them from the car seat to the cot anyway.
You'd be amazed how small a large car like an A6 can feel once you're karting around all the baby stuff too
Congrats on the new comer to the family.
Expensive seats can seem like poor value initially but spread over a few years and perhaps even your next child it's not that much. Certainly a fraction of what the average person might spend on a plane ticket for example.
Whilst your newborn will be rear facing for the first 15 months you should consider this a guide, and a rather liberal one at that. Do some research around rear facing and the move toward extended rear facing (up to 6 years old) that has been the norm in some parts of Europe for a while now.
Also, read up on the new iSize regulations as these are currently being phased in so worth getting a seat that adheres to these more rigorous standards.
http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/
Expensive seats can seem like poor value initially but spread over a few years and perhaps even your next child it's not that much. Certainly a fraction of what the average person might spend on a plane ticket for example.
Whilst your newborn will be rear facing for the first 15 months you should consider this a guide, and a rather liberal one at that. Do some research around rear facing and the move toward extended rear facing (up to 6 years old) that has been the norm in some parts of Europe for a while now.
Also, read up on the new iSize regulations as these are currently being phased in so worth getting a seat that adheres to these more rigorous standards.
http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/
DoubleSix said:
Expensive seats can seem like poor value initially but spread over a few years and perhaps even your next child it's not that much.
This 100%. For our first child we splashed out on an iCandy Apple travel system with a Maxi-Cosi Isofix seat. They lasted well and we subsequently sold them for decent money. We've recently bought our daughter a Recaro Monza Nova 2 Seatfix chair which feels far inferior to the Maxi Cosi RodiFix the boy has. Price difference was about £60 but I know the Maxi-Cosi will last. It just feels far more robust. It definitely seems like an area where spending more (within reason) is sensible.andrewparker said:
DoubleSix said:
Expensive seats can seem like poor value initially but spread over a few years and perhaps even your next child it's not that much.
This 100%. For our first child we splashed out on an iCandy Apple travel system with a Maxi-Cosi Isofix seat. They lasted well and we subsequently sold them for decent money. We've recently bought our daughter a Recaro Monza Nova 2 Seatfix chair which feels far inferior to the Maxi Cosi RodiFix the boy has. Price difference was about £60 but I know the Maxi-Cosi will last. It just feels far more robust. It definitely seems like an area where spending more (within reason) is sensible.I've found BeSafe (Norwegian company) stuff to be of excellent quality. Feels properly engineered and constructed compared to the plasticy offerings from some others.
http://tonykealys.co.uk/car-seats/extended-rear-fa...
At nearly £400 this seat might seem expensive but over the lifetime of it's use it around £100 quid a year so I don't consider that expensive to keep my child safe.
Make sure there is proper isofix points installed into the car before buying a seat.
The isofix wasn't standard in the B6, it was however a tickable box at factory or afterfit.
I've just installed the brackets myself into my b6, the holes are there ready threaded.
Keep an eye out for these seats which state they use a boot teather system. The b6 doesn't have it and no one will say weather you have to use it or not. Our toddler is tall for his age and made out of dark matter it seems so we have to buy a seat to fit his weight and the only option I can find has this boot teather thing as well as using the seat belt AND isofix all at once!
The isofix wasn't standard in the B6, it was however a tickable box at factory or afterfit.
I've just installed the brackets myself into my b6, the holes are there ready threaded.
Keep an eye out for these seats which state they use a boot teather system. The b6 doesn't have it and no one will say weather you have to use it or not. Our toddler is tall for his age and made out of dark matter it seems so we have to buy a seat to fit his weight and the only option I can find has this boot teather thing as well as using the seat belt AND isofix all at once!
We have the maxi cosi pebble with the family fix base which is very good for new borns however you need to buy a new seat when they reach a certain size/age. We are looking at having another child in the near future & with this in mind we've just purchased one of these http://www.pramcentre.co.uk/car-seats-and-carriers... as they were on offer (this colour only), are suitable from birth up to 4 years & are forward or rearward facing - more info here http://www.joiebaby.com/anchor-
andrewparker said:
DoubleSix said:
Expensive seats can seem like poor value initially but spread over a few years and perhaps even your next child it's not that much.
This 100%. For our first child we splashed out on an iCandy Apple travel system with a Maxi-Cosi Isofix seat. They lasted well and we subsequently sold them for decent money. We've recently bought our daughter a Recaro Monza Nova 2 Seatfix chair which feels far inferior to the Maxi Cosi RodiFix the boy has. Price difference was about £60 but I know the Maxi-Cosi will last. It just feels far more robust. It definitely seems like an area where spending more (within reason) is sensible.Ditto with buggies. We went Bugaboo and double Maxi-Cosi Isofix. Outlay was well over £1200, but we sold the rear-facing maxi-cosi with and the bugaboo for well over 50% of their purchase price. Now just selling the Toddler Maxi Cosi and will get over 50% of the purchase price.
So many friend went cheap on buddies, then ended up buying three of four over the life of their toddle spending as much, if not more in total. Our little one only had a bugaboo from birth right up until she no longer used a buggy at c4yrs old.
DoubleSix said:
Indeed.
I've found BeSafe (Norwegian company) stuff to be of excellent quality. Feels properly engineered and constructed compared to the plasticy offerings from some others.
http://tonykealys.co.uk/car-seats/extended-rear-fa...
At nearly £400 this seat might seem expensive but over the lifetime of it's use it around £100 quid a year so I don't consider that expensive to keep my child safe.
We went for the X1 from BeSafe, it slightly nudged out the equivalent Maxi Cosi in the tests I read for them and goes up to about 12-18 months depending on the size of your nipper. The built in sun-shade is great and it's a bit easier to move around the the Maxi Cosi friends of ours went for. Definitely getting one of their toddler seats in the coming months.I've found BeSafe (Norwegian company) stuff to be of excellent quality. Feels properly engineered and constructed compared to the plasticy offerings from some others.
http://tonykealys.co.uk/car-seats/extended-rear-fa...
At nearly £400 this seat might seem expensive but over the lifetime of it's use it around £100 quid a year so I don't consider that expensive to keep my child safe.
As others have said, the Isofix mounts themselves are completely standard. Obviously the seat shape isn't though, so you will find differences in how far forward the passenger seat needs to be to fit the baby behind it.
I'm dubious of car seats that attach to buggies. You're not meant to leave a baby in a car seat for more than about 90 minutes in one go anyway because the posture, which is great for safety, isn't very good for their spine. Yes, it's useful to be able to take the baby out with the seat if they're asleep and you only want to go a short distance, but in practice we found that to be exceptionally rare.
I'd buy a good (isofix) baby seat for the car, either new or used depending on how paranoid you're feeling, and a good second-hand stroller type thing. We got a Maxi Cosi Mura for about 50 quid and aside from some cosmetic issues, it's been pretty as good as new. We also got a cheap stroller which folds up much smaller for travelling with; the Mura takes up most of the boot, even of an Octavia. For the car, we have a Maxi Cosi Cabriofix with an isofix base and it does the job. In theory it could bolt onto the stroller but we never actually have.
I'm dubious of car seats that attach to buggies. You're not meant to leave a baby in a car seat for more than about 90 minutes in one go anyway because the posture, which is great for safety, isn't very good for their spine. Yes, it's useful to be able to take the baby out with the seat if they're asleep and you only want to go a short distance, but in practice we found that to be exceptionally rare.
I'd buy a good (isofix) baby seat for the car, either new or used depending on how paranoid you're feeling, and a good second-hand stroller type thing. We got a Maxi Cosi Mura for about 50 quid and aside from some cosmetic issues, it's been pretty as good as new. We also got a cheap stroller which folds up much smaller for travelling with; the Mura takes up most of the boot, even of an Octavia. For the car, we have a Maxi Cosi Cabriofix with an isofix base and it does the job. In theory it could bolt onto the stroller but we never actually have.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 7th July 17:08
kambites said:
I'm dubious of car seats that attach to buggies. You're not meant to leave a baby in a car seat for more than about 90 minutes in one go anyway because the posture, which is great for safety, isn't very good for their spine. Yes, it's useful to be able to take the baby out with the seat if they're asleep and you only want to go a short distance, but in practice we found that to be exceptionally rare.
Very good point!Edited by kambites on Tuesday 7th July 17:08
We never used the baby in seat in that way either for the same reason. Far better to have them out of the seat and into a proper pram they can lie flat in, or a baby carrier if needs be.
Thanks for all the replies so far. I think the baby seat clicking into the buggy idea was me not fully grasping things. So, having looked at the maxi cosy mura plus 3 stuff (for example), the set of 3 - cot, car seat and buggy seems to be a good plan, as well as they last up until 3 1/2 -> 4 as suggested. That isize is an interesting point too.
Looking at things on ebay as well, I wasn't aware of the sheer amount of second hand items available.
Thanks for helping me get a handle on it. There is a lot of choice on the market!
Looking at things on ebay as well, I wasn't aware of the sheer amount of second hand items available.
Thanks for helping me get a handle on it. There is a lot of choice on the market!
Tonsko said:
Thanks for all the replies so far. I think the baby seat clicking into the buggy idea was me not fully grasping things. So, having looked at the maxi cosy mura plus 3 stuff (for example), the set of 3 - cot, car seat and buggy seems to be a good plan, as well as they last up until 3 1/2 -> 4 as suggested.
Looking at things on ebay as well, I wasn't aware of the sheer amount of second hand items available.
Thanks for helping me get a handle on it. There is a lot of choice on the market!
Personally wouldn't buy car seats secondhand. Not only do they have an expiration date, due to plastic degradation I believe, you don't know if they already been subjected to impact.Looking at things on ebay as well, I wasn't aware of the sheer amount of second hand items available.
Thanks for helping me get a handle on it. There is a lot of choice on the market!
If you do go for a Mura 3 (or similar full sized buggy from another manufacturer), just bear in mind [i]quite/i] how big they are when folded. You can probably just about get a Mura3 in the boot of your mk4 Golf with the pram bit but you wont get anything else in.
We actually used the "seat" bit of the Mura 3 from birth rather than bothering with the pram attachment; it goes almost flat anyway and is lipped up enough at the sides to stop a baby rolling out.
We actually used the "seat" bit of the Mura 3 from birth rather than bothering with the pram attachment; it goes almost flat anyway and is lipped up enough at the sides to stop a baby rolling out.
We've just bought the Maxi Cosy seat that rotates. Absolute God send. Worth every penny.
Loads better than the Recaro garbage we had before.
If you have a Kiddiecare near you call in there. We found the staff super helpful when explaining isofix/buggy options to us. They'll even tell you if its cheaper on their website.
Loads better than the Recaro garbage we had before.
If you have a Kiddiecare near you call in there. We found the staff super helpful when explaining isofix/buggy options to us. They'll even tell you if its cheaper on their website.
+1 on the post above somehwere regarding 2nd hand car seats, never worth the risk. I would look at the isofix bases though.
Anything associated with isofix is more expensive but 100000% its worth it, not only for the safety but the convenience of how easy it is to slot the seat in.
We have a base for each car to save swapping it over constantly
Anything associated with isofix is more expensive but 100000% its worth it, not only for the safety but the convenience of how easy it is to slot the seat in.
We have a base for each car to save swapping it over constantly
It's worth reading the Which tests. In their tests some of the seats actually performed better using the seat belts because of the extra damping effect provided. One or two even actually had the Isofix mounts snap off the seat in their simulated crash. 
Isofix is not, and was never really meant to be, significantly safer than a properly fitted belt restrained seat. The advantage is that it's quick and easy to attach and, crucially, almost impossible to get wrong. Some belt restrained baby seats are stupidly unintuitive and/or fiddly to fit and documentation is often verging on non-existent.
Of course the advantage in a seat capable of belt attachment (many can do both) is that you can put it in pretty much any car. If you get one which can only attach with Isofix and you want to buy a car without Isofix mounts, you'll have to buy a new seat. I've used our Maxi Cosi seat with both Isofix (in the Octavia) and belts (in the Elise). We're currently in the process of picking a group 1+ seat which can do both.
Isofix is not, and was never really meant to be, significantly safer than a properly fitted belt restrained seat. The advantage is that it's quick and easy to attach and, crucially, almost impossible to get wrong. Some belt restrained baby seats are stupidly unintuitive and/or fiddly to fit and documentation is often verging on non-existent.
Of course the advantage in a seat capable of belt attachment (many can do both) is that you can put it in pretty much any car. If you get one which can only attach with Isofix and you want to buy a car without Isofix mounts, you'll have to buy a new seat. I've used our Maxi Cosi seat with both Isofix (in the Octavia) and belts (in the Elise). We're currently in the process of picking a group 1+ seat which can do both.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 7th July 19:55
Again, spot on kambites.
OP if you do go the whole maxi cosi route, get the newer Pebble Plus as it conforms to the more stringent iSize regulations.
And please, as I mentioned earlier, read up on rear facing as the seats you chose will determine how easy that is from here on - it really supersedes everything discussed so far in terms of importance.
OP if you do go the whole maxi cosi route, get the newer Pebble Plus as it conforms to the more stringent iSize regulations.
And please, as I mentioned earlier, read up on rear facing as the seats you chose will determine how easy that is from here on - it really supersedes everything discussed so far in terms of importance.
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