Discussion
TheAllSeeingPie said:
+1 for rear facing seats, although nearly all new seats are now rear facing for babies and toddlers, it's only when they get to 2 years+ that I think there's the option of front facing.
I think 15 months is the legal cut-off at the moment.Rear facing seats are certainly better on average, but the best forward facing ones seem to do better in tests than mediocre rear facing and rear facing group ones are impossible in small cars or two-doors (unless they can be swivelled with the child in place). We're going to go front facing with one of those padded shields instead of a belt; they come very close to all but the best rear facing seats in terms of frontal collision safety but will actually fit in both our cars.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 7th July 20:32
kambites said:
I think 15 months is the legal cut-off at the moment.
Sounds about right. Group 1 onwards then? I didn't pay too much attention as our nippers only 6 months old so we're still in a Group 0+ seat. Although he's 6 months and 1 week old and already comfortably in his 9-12 month clothes, I'm worried he'll grow out of his car seat before long!TheAllSeeingPie said:
kambites said:
I think 15 months is the legal cut-off at the moment.
Sounds about right. Group 1 onwards then? I didn't pay too much attention as our nippers only 6 months old so we're still in a Group 0+ seat. Although he's 6 months and 1 week old and already comfortably in his 9-12 month clothes, I'm worried he'll grow out of his car seat before long!I have to diverge there and say no front facing seat can compare with rear facing.
And on another thread I posted a pic of our two and a half year old rear facing in our BMW 1 series, so space isn't that much of an issue.
Think of the impact HANS devices have had on motorsport, im sure our antiquated laws will catch up soon - 15 months is joke!!
And on another thread I posted a pic of our two and a half year old rear facing in our BMW 1 series, so space isn't that much of an issue.
Think of the impact HANS devices have had on motorsport, im sure our antiquated laws will catch up soon - 15 months is joke!!
Edited by DoubleSix on Tuesday 7th July 21:01
DoubleSix said:
I have to diverge there and say no front facing seat can compare with rear facing.
You need to produce some propre emperical evidence for a statement like that. 
Certainly the best rear facing seats are better than the best front facing ones, but that's far from being the same thing. Anyway, safety isn't everything, at least for us. If it was, we'd never take the baby in a car at all.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 7th July 21:04
kambites said:
DoubleSix said:
I have to diverge there and say no front facing seat can compare with rear facing.
You need to produce some propre emperical evidence for a statement like that. Anyway this had been done to death on previous threads and i'm tired but read the following if you like...
http://www.rearfacing.co.uk/facts.php
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sssIsceKd6U
Those links say that rear facing seats are inherently safer than front facing ones (which I agree with entirely). That's not remotely the same as saying that all rear facing seats are better than all front facing seats; or even that most rear facing seats are better than all front facing ones.
Still each to their own, everyone has different priorities and beliefs.
ETA: Don't get me wrong, if anyone made a good rear facing seat that fitted in both of our cars, I'd buy it. They don't so I'd rather have a good front facing seat than a poor rear facing one. If you have a recent sized, more "standard" car capable of taking any seat it's a no-brainer to get a rear facing seat, though.
Still each to their own, everyone has different priorities and beliefs.
ETA: Don't get me wrong, if anyone made a good rear facing seat that fitted in both of our cars, I'd buy it. They don't so I'd rather have a good front facing seat than a poor rear facing one. If you have a recent sized, more "standard" car capable of taking any seat it's a no-brainer to get a rear facing seat, though.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 7th July 21:12
Lil'RedGTO said:
I wouldn't go for a rear facing seat beyond about 15 months even if it is statistically safer. You will want to talk to and engage with your child as you drive through the world together. It's fun pointing out fire engines and car transporters!
And now I'm definitely signing off for the night!! This place ain't good for a man's sanity some times.DoubleSix said:
Lil'RedGTO said:
I wouldn't go for a rear facing seat beyond about 15 months even if it is statistically safer. You will want to talk to and engage with your child as you drive through the world together. It's fun pointing out fire engines and car transporters!
And now I'm definitely signing off for the night!! This place ain't good for a man's sanity some times.My only gripe with isofix is that whilst the mounting points are the same each and every seat model has its own dedicated base so you frequently can't use the same base for seats from the same manufacturer let alone different ones.
Ours is a Jane one and allows you to load child straight into his seat and then turn it 90 degrees to travel. It also let him travel flat when tiny which was useful. Someone mentioned the issue of sitting for too long in the car or pram.
Ours is a Jane one and allows you to load child straight into his seat and then turn it 90 degrees to travel. It also let him travel flat when tiny which was useful. Someone mentioned the issue of sitting for too long in the car or pram.
Lil'RedGTO said:
DoubleSix said:
Lil'RedGTO said:
I wouldn't go for a rear facing seat beyond about 15 months even if it is statistically safer. You will want to talk to and engage with your child as you drive through the world together. It's fun pointing out fire engines and car transporters!
And now I'm definitely signing off for the night!! This place ain't good for a man's sanity some times.Our Britax (Baby Safe SHRII) can be belt or ISOFIX, also clips into our Affinity Travel System. I know they shouldn't stay in them too long but it's come in handy on a few occasions, most of our journeys are 10-20 minutes so another 10 minutes clipped into the buggy isn't going to make much difference.
The ISOFIX base manages to fit in our Citigo (and somehow the entire buggy fits in the boot), but the front seat has to be fully forward, which wouldn't leave room for a 6 footer.
Been very impressed with the Britax system as a whole, the Affinity buggy is fantastic, faultless in 9 months of daily use, off road on holiday in Wales etc, more than can be said for a few others that friends/family have that cost significantly more.
The ISOFIX base manages to fit in our Citigo (and somehow the entire buggy fits in the boot), but the front seat has to be fully forward, which wouldn't leave room for a 6 footer.
Been very impressed with the Britax system as a whole, the Affinity buggy is fantastic, faultless in 9 months of daily use, off road on holiday in Wales etc, more than can be said for a few others that friends/family have that cost significantly more.
Edited by ukaskew on Wednesday 8th July 21:21
ukaskew said:
Our Britax (Baby Safe SHRII) can be belt or ISOFIX, also clips into our Affinity Travel System. I know they shouldn't stay in them too long but it's come in handy on a few occasions, most of our journeys are 10-20 minutes so another 10 minutes clipped into the buggy isn't going to make much difference.
Yes there's lots of group 0s which can, I'm asking about group 1s. For an old Audi with 2 point isofix the Maxicosi Cabriofix or later models work really well as they have a support leg that extends into the footwell. Used it on my 2002 S8 and 2004 A6
Bugaboo make fantastic buggies that take Maxicosi infant carriers - it's useful for trips to weighing appointments or when your baby is asleep and you don't want to wake them up but depending on time of year of birth it wouldn't be the end of the world not to have the brackets.
BeSafe are very good - son is now 5 and has been in an adult belt with isofix holding his izi up fix in since he was 2 3/4. That stage is the one your child is in for longest but so many end up in £40 specials from argos that you just wouldn't trust to do the job
I size will be of little relevance unless you have a car with the correct anchorage approvals
Bugaboo make fantastic buggies that take Maxicosi infant carriers - it's useful for trips to weighing appointments or when your baby is asleep and you don't want to wake them up but depending on time of year of birth it wouldn't be the end of the world not to have the brackets.
BeSafe are very good - son is now 5 and has been in an adult belt with isofix holding his izi up fix in since he was 2 3/4. That stage is the one your child is in for longest but so many end up in £40 specials from argos that you just wouldn't trust to do the job
I size will be of little relevance unless you have a car with the correct anchorage approvals
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