Child Seat Advice

[boobles]

Christiaan said:

Hi Boobles,

Just starting to think about Group 1 seats for my son.

He is currently in a Maxi Cosi Cabriofix on the family-fix base, and we've been very pleased with it, but what next.
Most of his traveling will be done in the back of a Volvo XC60.

I started toying with the idea of the Maxi-cosi Pearl as this will fit on the existing Family-fix base (although baby number 2 is already in production so the cabriofix/familyfix base will be needed again in 6 months time, so not the greatest option).

My thoughts then pointed towards Britax.

The Britax Trifix certainly ticks the reassuringly expensive box, but is it nearly £200 better than the Britax Duo Plus Isofix?


Second query....

On occasions he may have to travel in the passenger seat of a 2008 TT convertible (with Isofix fitted)
What would be the best option here?

Maxi-cosi's fit-finder says no to isofix despite me having already tried the family-fix base in the car successfully.

Britax fit finder suggests the Safefix plus, but this has been around for a while now an doens't seem to rate all that highly in some reviews.

Over to you
Thanking you in advance.

Hi,

Is there an option to buy a second family fix base? If you are happy with this product, I would buy a second base for your future baby. The only problem I see is the fact that Maxi Cosi are telling you that you can't use the isofix base in the TT & this could be down to the fact that they have not approved this seat in the TT. Although the TT has isofix brackets it doesn't mean that you can use any isofix product in there as it must be approved & all isofix products come with a "vehicle list" & this will tell you whether or not certain vehicles have been approved to use their product.

If you are happy to switch brands & move over to Britax, then that would be a great brand to change to as they go way beyond the minimum R44-04 legal requirement & they make some fantastic seats.
The trifix is one of them & although expensive, I can see why these have a higher price tag compared to "older" products. If you are wanting to save some cash (nothing wrong with that as we all do) then it really is just a case of searching fit finder sites to see what out there & what ones will fit. As you are wanting one seat to fit two very different cars, you may have to comprimise a little bit on firstly what you want & secondly what will fit both cars.

[boobles]

Christiaan said:

Thanks Boobles.

Just to clarify, I will be planning on buying 2 group 1 seats as I have no intention of swapping them from car to car (as I appreciate a one seat option will compromise the purchase).
I'm after the best solution you can recommend for the XC60 and another solution for the TT.

I'm more than happy to stick with Maxi cosi for the XC60 and buy another family fix base but wondered if there were better options out there (in your opinion).

In reality I'm not going to scrimp on this purchase. The safest/best is the only option.

Goodmorning,

If you are happy with the Maxi Cosi for the XC60 then I would stick with them because there isn't many other options that will fit into this vehicle & the Maxi Cosi is probably the best/safest solution for this car. As for the TT, if you are happy to switch brands then my money would be going on something like these first two. All worthy having a look at though & all perfectly safe. I would try them all & see which one fits the best & which one is the easiest to use/install.

http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/king-p...
http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/evolva...
http://www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/gb-en/products/car-seat...
http://www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/gb-en/products/car-seat...

[boobles]

gabbo said:

Just bought a Concord XT brilliant!

Not so sure it will fit into the TT though.....

If it does, another great recommendation.

[boobles]

Adrian E said:

Hi Boobles

Any suggestions on options for a 98th %ile 2.5 year old who is already at 17kg and likely to hit the 18kg limit for his current Priorifix seat by the time he's 3?!

Rang Dorrel and their suggestion was to buy a convertible seat sold by another company in their group and continue using the integrated harness, but I'm assuming these aren't suitable/tested above 18kg?

Not sure the booster with back option is ideal for a 3 year old but seems there's a big gap in the market

Cars are 2002 and 2004 Audi with isofix but no top tether

Hi,


Age is just a guide where as weight is the most important thing. If your child is already at 17kg then you have to base it on that & not his/her age. High back boosters are perfectly safe for children above 15kg & something like this would be perfectly fine. I see what you are saying regarding there being a gap in the market but please don't forget that the age isn't the most important thing, it's the weight of the child & size.

http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/kidfix...
http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/advent...

[boobles]

TA14 said:

I have one of these in each of my everyday cars for my two year old and they are fine.

[boobles]

KrisSingapore said:

Hi Boobles,

First, what great advice you are giving, you are a top man.

I got a girl, 3,5 years just over 15 Kg and a 6 month boy. I am in the process of changing car to a Convertible BMW 6 serial from 2007 as our second car. I have check Fit-Finder and Car seat fitter on Maxi-Cosi, but the result a very different. Could you be so kind and give my your advice, what would fit for the 2 kids.

If any other reader has tried to have 2 kids in a Convertible BMW 6 serial, please share your experiences.

Big Thanks!!!!

Hi & thank you for the kind words....


Have you also had a look here?

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=b...

Here is a number of Britax seats that will fit into your car & these cover from birth up to 11 years of age. If you take a look & & find something you like, then I can give my honest opinion.

[boobles]

KrisSingapore said:

Hi Boobles,

I did check the Fit-Finder and have a few questions, first when you are ask to select the year, the model number for the BMW 6 Series Convertible given as option is E60, and as we all know the BMW 6 Convertible is a E64, but based on the E60 which is a BMW 5 Series, now I just want to avoid that the seats recommended are for the wrong car??

Second the seat that comes up are for the little one, SAFEFIX Plus, DUO Plus and KING Plus. Which of those do you think have the smallest base, as there is little space on the back seat of the car??

For the Group 2 and 3 Kid I have, the recommendation is KIDFIX, KID Plus SICT, KID Plus and ADVENTURE, again, give the little space in the back seat of the car, which of the seat would you believe has the smallest base??
Kristian

Hi,

I have asked the question regarding the E46/E60 & they tell me that there isn't any issue & these seats listed will fit. (I will ofcourse look into it bit deeper for you).

The Duo out of them 3 has the slightly smallest base for the group 1 & for group 2 it's the Adventure.
You really shouldn't have anu issues fitting both these seats into your car But as said earlier, I will look into it some more for you.

[boobles]

marky1 said:

Boobles, could you help me please.
Mercedes 2012 C Class Coupe. For a 15kg to 36kg child seat for the rear.
My Owners manual says use a Britax Romer KIDFIX. Two model numbers, one with recognition for airbag 970 18 00 the other without 970 19 00.

However the Britax website fit finder shows no seats for this car (C204 Coupe 2011 - )

So two questions:

1. Is that the right seat.
2. Can I actually use the ISOFIX on the rear seats (in theory you can use seat belt or ISOFIX to secure)

And then a final general question. If you have a 4 or 5 year old in a car seat in the front passenger seat is it safer with the air bag on or off? If off, up until what age is that the case? Depending on your answer am I better to go for the Automatic child seat recognition model or not?

Sorry for the long question, but appreciate your help.
Thanks

Hi,

I am also confused why the KidFix is mentioned in the owners manual yet no mention on the fitfinder site. I can give you the direct phone number if this helps where you can ask this very question. 01264 386034. Perhaps they can give you a reason as to why it's not listed. Sorry I couldn't give you the answer you require on this one.

Airbag switched off is always recommended up until the child is out of the child seat which is approx 11yrs old. Airbags & child seats are not a good combination as they were designed for adults & not children in child seats.

[boobles]

tvr wife said:

Hi Bobbles

I would also be grateful for some advice when you have a moment please.

I recently bought a 2001 Ford Puma. We have a six year old who is currently using a booster seat on the odd occasion that she goes in the rear of the car (she normally travels in the front of the car which has ford racing puma seats in the front and uses a Recaro Start which seems to be a better fit than the booster on the rear seat).

Looking at the ford handbook they mention a 'supplemental cusion' being avaibable to level out the back seats and make the fit of the child seat better. Do you have any experience of these? Ford themselves don't seem to be able to supply such a thing. Alternatively what seat could you recommend for the puma?

From a safety point of view is jnr better placed in the front or rear of the car?

Any advice you can offer would be great

Thanks in hope

Kt

Hi,

I have heard of these supplemental cusions but am not aware of any stockists I am affraid & unless the child seat manufacturer states that such devices can be used with their products, I would stay well clear of them just incase they have not been approved with the particular child seat you have.


If I was looking at possibly replacing my current seat, then the best thing to do is go to your local Halfords or Mothercare as nothing is coming up on our system for this car & for this particular age group & ask them to try some in before you commit to buying. (they are normally pretty good as we train them) but failing that, if you are happy with the current seat then I would stick with it in the front of the car (airbag switch off). Really sorry I can't be of more use at this time.

Edited by boobles on Thursday 13th December 13:59

[boobles]

marky1 said:

[boobles]

LocoBlade said:

Hi Boobles

My eldest was 3 in July, she's now exactly 15kgs so we have the option to go up from her current Priorifix (in a 2007 Seat Altea) to the next stage of seat. The Priorifix however is rated up to 18kgs so I'm wondering what criteria I should use to determine when it's best to move her up, should she stay in the Priorifix until 18kgs or is it better to get into the bigger seat as soon as possible, as I assume other things such as height etc come into play at some point even though they don't seem to be official criteria when fitting, its all based on weight?

cheers

Hi,

If she still fits into this seat then there is no need to get the stage just yet.
Weight is the most important thing here but obviously if she is very tall for her age then this has to be a factor aswell. One way to tell if she is to big for this seat is to look at where the "chest pads" sit relevant to the top of her shoulders. If the harness is at it's maximum height yet appears to be lower than the top of her shulders, then she is to big for this seat. The other thing to look for is where her head sits. If her head is way above the top of the seat then this could also indicate that she has "outgrown" it.

[boobles]

LocoBlade said:

Cheers for that, she's fairly tall and skinny for her age so next time I put her in I'll check properly. From what I recall the top of the belt perhaps angles down from the horizontal a little with winter clothes on, but presumably that angle is relative to the angle of the seat (which is is naturally reclined) and the angle of the belts across the chest, i.e. the belt should be bending through less than 90 degrees from her chest to the shoulder so it isn't pushing her shoulders down when tightened, rather than back?

Presumably if the back of the head still comes into contact with the front face of the backrest then it's OK if the top of the head is above the line of the seat top?

Sorry for such a late reply....

Everything you have said here is correct & it seems that she still has some use from this product.

[boobles]

LocoBlade said:

Hi Boobles, having had a look at our daughter in her Priorifix, i think shes going to be needing a new one sooner rather than later due to height.

Having had quick look around at Group 2/3 seats for 15kg up, there seems to be two distinct types, those that sit freely in the car only secured along with the child once the seatbelt is fastened, the second are what I'm more used to with her current seat with an Isofix base holding the seat in place all the time, and the belt only used to actually harness the child. Is there actually any safety benefit in going with an Isofix base rather than one that's just held in by the belt once the child is strapped in? It seems a lot of seats in this category are the latter and retail for maybe £50, whereas the Isofix versions are getting on for £150 so a fair difference in cost. Im more than happy to spend the money if there's a benefit but I'm wondering if its engineering for engineering's sake in this size of seat?

Hi,

In terms of safety it's really difficult to say that isofix is any safer than using just the car seat belt (unless the seat has been installed wrong using just the belts) but Isofix does almost certainly elliminate incorrect installation & can be useful because you can leave the base in the car most of the time & then just re-instal the seat to the base etc. If you want it for ease of use etc then isofix is great but if you are confident in using just the car seat belt & using a high back booster, then this is where my money would be going.
Isofix is just another way of attaching the seat to the vehicle for convenience

[boobles]

imy85 said:

Hi Boobles,

Great thread and great job helping everyone out!

I have a quick question. I have an E53 BMW X5 and i am using a maxi cosi axiss. Iv noticed that the seat can sway side to side and is not very "fixed". Backwards and forwards it is absoluely fine and doesnt budge but my concern is obviously getting hit on the side and the seat just goes off to one side.

It was previously fitted to an alfa romeo and didnt budge an inch and iv fitted it exactly in the same manner.

Thanks!

Hi,

The only thing that springs to mind here is the fact that the X5 has completely different shaped seats compared to the Alfa & this could be the reason for not appearing to be installed as well. According to the Maxi Cosi website the Axiss does fit into the X5 but if there is any real concern, I would contact them to see if this is normal.

[boobles]

Beefmeister said:

Have to say, having just bought a BeSafe iZi Sleep Isofix base to go with our Stokke car seat, (my first Isofix car) I'm really surprised by how rubbish the Isofix mounting is.

I'm ashamed to say that even though I'm an automotive engineer having worked at most major OEMs in the UK, I'd never actually looked at what Isofix is, I just assumed it'd be great.

I really thought there would be a mounting point under the front of the seat, not just the silly spindly leg thing that drops down.

When you drop the Stokke in it doesn't seem overly secure to me. It's all installed properly and clipped in as it should be, it just seems to me that there's far too much 'wobble' inherent in the design.

For the amount of money it cost I'm quite irked tbh. But the chap in Mothercare assured me it's all fitted correctly so I'm sure it'll be very safe, but I think we'll be securing the belt around it too just for the extra security...

Never install the seat other than what is stated with in the user guide! If it doesn't state it can be installed this way, don't do it.

[boobles]

Beefmeister said:

Of course, the Mothercare guy said there's no issue using the belt as well as it would stabilise it side to side a bit more.

It also mentions it in the instruction manual.

Were you surprised by the 'wobbliness' of Isofix mountings?

Not really suprised as you want some flex within the system to absorb some of the energy away from the child. I can't recall the last product I saw with isofix/car seat belt installation in conjunction with each other. Doesn't mean they don't exist I suppose.

[boobles]

pacey205 said:

Boobles, been reading this thread with interest as our first is due in February.

Weve been looking at seats to fit my wife's 2004 Peugeot 206 (with isofix) and my 2004 Ford Mondeo (no isofix although the web seems to suggest they may be there under the seat covers bizarrely).

We've been and had a look in Mothercare at seats and are really looking between Maxi-cosi (pebble) and Britax (BabySafe/ Babysafe Plus - not sure if the baby safe plus fits our buggy (bugaboo cameleon) at the moment). Sister in law has had Maxi-cosi previously and been happy with them but what would you recommend between the two manufacturers?

Edited by pacey205 on Sunday 6th January 09:05

We've just noticed also that we can't buy the babysafe plus in store from Mothercare (we've got vouchers to spend so would rather buy from here if possible) but they did have the Babysafe in store. We would like to try the seats in the cars so is there much of a difference between the two Babysafe seats in terms of fitment do you know?

Edited by pacey205 on Sunday 6th January 18:39

To be honest, if you you have the choice between the two, I would go for the one you want & the one which suits your needs the most. Both fantastic products but I don't think the Babysafe will fit on to the Cameleon buggy so the answer may be there already. In terms of the Babysafe & the Babysafe + the only difference is a few features with the + having the better options but in terms of fitting, they are both the same.

[boobles]

robwilk said:

Hi Boobles, first let me thank you for this advice.
My Daughter is looking to move our granddaughter up to a stage two seatand if possible would like it to fit well in both of our cars, both are audi A6 avants, hers being a 2001 and mine a 2005.
Im thinking that ISOFIX maybe the way forward but whats your advice, we may end up with two seats!.

cheers in advance
Rob

Hi,

Some highback boosters do come witht isofix as an option but you do pay alot ore money for these. Isofix is just another way of installing the product to the vehicle & basically eliminates incorrect installation. You would also have to use the car seat belt to secure the child to the child seat so unless you feal that isofix is essential, I would just be buying a decent highback booster with isofix. Heres two examples.

http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/kidfix...


http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/advent...

[boobles]

Sorry guys but you may have to choose a different car.

[boobles]

aberdeeneuan said:

So, our youngest is almost at the point we need a new car seat and while we looked at the Duo plus before, I've a plan brewing.

We have a 3 1/2 year old as well in an existing Duo plus. in the not too distant future he'll move to the next range up, so is there an option for a 1/2/3 chair that will see us through rather than buying another group 1 chair and then again with the next stage? Needs to be Isofix, and compatible with a 2007 C-Max and a 2012 onwards BMW 3 series touring.

Will this work? Is it sensible? I can't be the only one who has this issue!

Not sure if this is the kind of thing you are after?

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=g...