Child Seat Advice

[fatvik]

Hello,

I am afraid I did not get the lady's name. The reason for asking you was what the lady said about stuff not being a part of the new model and the fact that the website had not updated - it did not add up.

I was considering calling again, in the hope that the phone is answered by someone else who may give a different response.

Cheers for the reply, I'll let you know how I get on.

-FatVik

[fatvik]

Hi JR,

I thought the SHR was only for inserting/removing the seat from the pram thing as opposed to helping with the insert/removal from the ISOFIX base in the car?

-FV

[JR]

fatvik said:

Hi JR,

I thought the SHR was only for inserting/removing the seat from the pram thing as opposed to helping with the insert/removal from the ISOFIX base in the car?

-FV

Hi, I've just had a look at their website http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/car-seats/baby-s... and it appears that I was mistaken and you are correct. So I'm not missing out on a convenient feature after all and I feel a lot better, thanks, J :-)

[boobles]

I think JR is referring to the "quick release handle"

Let us know how you get on please if you call Britax again.

I don't think their advice was wrong, just missleading perhaps.

Edited by boobles on Monday 19th September 15:09

[badgerade]

Hi Boobles - really good to see someone putting their knowledge to good use.

I'm nearly at the stage where my 3 year old will outgrowing their car seat which fits perfectly into the seat on my VX220. (MaxiCosi Tobi).

Having tried a test fit of a 'normal' booster seat that uses the cars seat belt it's not something that looks at all safe, and I've read that the seating position can lead to children 'submarining' under the belts if an impact should occur.

Do you know of any seats that have their own belts that can cater for older kids? There appear to be some available in the US, but I'm not sure on the regulations around importing/using one of those seats in this country.

[boobles]

badgerade said:

Hi Boobles - really good to see someone putting their knowledge to good use.

I'm nearly at the stage where my 3 year old will outgrowing their car seat which fits perfectly into the seat on my VX220. (MaxiCosi Tobi).

Having tried a test fit of a 'normal' booster seat that uses the cars seat belt it's not something that looks at all safe, and I've read that the seating position can lead to children 'submarining' under the belts if an impact should occur.

Do you know of any seats that have their own belts that can cater for older kids? There appear to be some available in the US, but I'm not sure on the regulations around importing/using one of those seats in this country.

Hi,

The only thing we found for that age group that fitted into an Elise (not a VX220 but has the same seats) was a Britax Evolva 123.
You would have to remove the harness & use it as a "high back booster" which means you would use the car seat belt in the same way as just a booster seat, but it does fit. The seat itself would last until the child was approx 12 years old.



http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&am...

[badgerade]

Ah interesting, thanks. I think that's what we've got in the E36 Bmw - the only seat that would fit in the car properly when I went to Mothercare.

So would this be classified as a safe option then?

[boobles]

badgerade said:

Ah interesting, thanks. I think that's what we've got in the E36 Bmw - the only seat that would fit in the car properly when I went to Mothercare.

So would this be classified as a safe option then?

So long as it's fittet correctly, yes. Still always worth popping along to Mothercar or Halfords & making 100% sure that they & you are happy with how it feels/looks.

[PomBstard]

Hi Boobles

Another load of thanks for you putting your knowledge forward for us all - cheers!

I've got a 4 yr old, 17kg, girl that I'd like to sit in the back of a Porsche 944. It needs to be the back, cos this I'm in Australia, and if your car has rear seats, then children aren't allowed in the front until they're 7. I'm sure you're aware but note also that ISOFIX is not accepted here either.

We have a large range of Britax seats available here, under the name Safe n Sound, and we currently have a few of them in various cars for our kids. Her current seat looks like it'll fit the 944, but I'm concerned about the buckle crunch you've mentioned a few times. I'm not concerned that I need to use one I've already got, just that I can get one that'll work.

Cheers

[boobles]

PomBstard said:

Hi Boobles

Another load of thanks for you putting your knowledge forward for us all - cheers!

I've got a 4 yr old, 17kg, girl that I'd like to sit in the back of a Porsche 944. It needs to be the back, cos this I'm in Australia, and if your car has rear seats, then children aren't allowed in the front until they're 7. I'm sure you're aware but note also that ISOFIX is not accepted here either.

We have a large range of Britax seats available here, under the name Safe n Sound, and we currently have a few of them in various cars for our kids. Her current seat looks like it'll fit the 944, but I'm concerned about the buckle crunch you've mentioned a few times. I'm not concerned that I need to use one I've already got, just that I can get one that'll work.

Cheers

Hi,

& thank you to everyone for the kind words.

Because of the shape of the car seats, I would suggest the same seat I suggested for the VX220 which is the Evolva 123. Because of the belt routing, it could eliminate "buckle crunch" although I am not 100% certain about that. If you were to use it in "booster mode" with just the 3pt car seat belt, you may have an issue with the buckle supporting the child seat rather than the webbing itself. Do you have the same policy over there as we do here, "try before you buy" this will establish what will/won't fit....

[badgerade]

boobles said:

So long as it's fittet correctly, yes. Still always worth popping along to Mothercar or Halfords & making 100% sure that they & you are happy with how it feels/looks.

Great, thanks.

Do you have a view on any regulations around using a non-uk sourced seat? Not sure if I'm actually 'allowed' to use one here without the necessary UK (or is European?) tests/certifications.

From seeing the flimsy excuse for a seat that we were given with the hire car in the US recently, I'm not sure that their testing is up to the same standards as in UK/Europe!

[Luke.]

Hi Boobles,

What a font of knowledge and great youre being so helpful.

Just about to buy a 147 GTA and I was just wondering what seat you would recommend for a 6 month old in the back? There's no ISFOX fittings as far as I'm aware.

I know it's going to be a really tight fit but any pointers would be hugely appreciated. Also, if it's Bugaboo compatible even better.

Cheers.

[boobles]

badgerade said:

boobles said:

So long as it's fittet correctly, yes. Still always worth popping along to Mothercar or Halfords & making 100% sure that they & you are happy with how it feels/looks.

Great, thanks.

Do you have a view on any regulations around using a non-uk sourced seat? Not sure if I'm actually 'allowed' to use one here without the necessary UK (or is European?) tests/certifications.

From seeing the flimsy excuse for a seat that we were given with the hire car in the US recently, I'm not sure that their testing is up to the same standards as in UK/Europe!

You can use any seat so long as it's been approved to use in that specific country, & ofcourse, so long as it fits your car.

[fatvik]

Hi Boobles,

The "marketing" pack arrived yesterday from Britax. It was simply the user manual for the baby safe plus ii and the baby safe SHR plus ii

I have managed to find the SHR on Halfords web site so I have selected it for reservation along with the isofix base. (I have around £200 of Halfords vouchers hence the need to purchase from them.)

I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers
-FV

[boobles]

fatvik said:

Hi Boobles,

The "marketing" pack arrived yesterday from Britax. It was simply the user manual for the baby safe plus ii and the baby safe SHR plus ii

I have managed to find the SHR on Halfords web site so I have selected it for reservation along with the isofix base. (I have around £200 of Halfords vouchers hence the need to purchase from them.)

I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers
-FV

Excellent... I was going to ask why you didn't buy the the one you wanted because I knew that Halfords etc stock them.
Goodluck with it all & keep us informed. You can always PM if you have any future questions, but always happy to answer on here if possible.

[PomBstard]

boobles said:

Hi,

& thank you to everyone for the kind words.

Because of the shape of the car seats, I would suggest the same seat I suggested for the VX220 which is the Evolva 123. Because of the belt routing, it could eliminate "buckle crunch" although I am not 100% certain about that. If you were to use it in "booster mode" with just the 3pt car seat belt, you may have an issue with the buckle supporting the child seat rather than the webbing itself. Do you have the same policy over there as we do here, "try before you buy" this will establish what will/won't fit....

Thanks Boobles

Couldn't find the same type of seat on the SafenSound website over here, so called the local Road Authority for their advice. After a few calls I spoke with someone in their Engineering department, who would have the final say as to whether I definitely had to use the rear seats, or I would be justified in using the passenger seat. The advice was to use the rear seats and not to worry about buckle crunch cos "its all part of the same sytem thats holding the seat in."

Now, my concern isn't as to whether or not I take notice of this advice, but to ask, what are the risks of using part of the buckle to hold the seat? And, do you know if any of the seats here would be of any use to me? Haven't tried the Try Before You Buy approach.

Cheers!

[boobles]

PomBstard said:

boobles said:

Hi,

& thank you to everyone for the kind words.

Because of the shape of the car seats, I would suggest the same seat I suggested for the VX220 which is the Evolva 123. Because of the belt routing, it could eliminate "buckle crunch" although I am not 100% certain about that. If you were to use it in "booster mode" with just the 3pt car seat belt, you may have an issue with the buckle supporting the child seat rather than the webbing itself. Do you have the same policy over there as we do here, "try before you buy" this will establish what will/won't fit....

Thanks Boobles

Couldn't find the same type of seat on the SafenSound website over here, so called the local Road Authority for their advice. After a few calls I spoke with someone in their Engineering department, who would have the final say as to whether I definitely had to use the rear seats, or I would be justified in using the passenger seat. The advice was to use the rear seats and not to worry about buckle crunch cos "its all part of the same sytem thats holding the seat in."

Now, my concern isn't as to whether or not I take notice of this advice, but to ask, what are the risks of using part of the buckle to hold the seat? And, do you know if any of the seats here would be of any use to me? Haven't tried the Try Before You Buy approach.

Cheers!

I am amazed that you were told that buckle crunch is ok.....

We strongly recommend never to have the buckle holding the child restraint in place rather than the webbing because it's the webbing that is tested in crash tests & not the buckle. The buckle has never been designed to with stand that kind of loading/impact. If the buckle is sitting across the plastic shell on the child seat, the buckle can "pop" open during an impact because of the type of loading forced on to it.


Callyman can give you some figures for the webbing tensile tests I am sure.


http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.childcars...

Edited by boobles on Thursday 22 September 12:06

[230TE]

Now that's what I call a child seat...

[fatvik]

Hello,

Got the ISOFIX base and the car seat fitted by Halfords over the weekend. Been reading through the manuals but I have not had a play with the actual seat itself. We went for the Britax babysafe plus II SHR, even though we don't need the SHR bit - it was cheaper.

The seat and base rattle when the car goes over bumps on the road at normal speeds. Is that normal? Shall I extend the "foot" bit of the ISOFIX a bit more to see if that resolves it? Silly question but it is okay to give the seat a good shove from different directions (when attached to the ISOFIX base) right? I would like to make sure that its all installed properly.

-FV

[boobles]

fatvik said:

Hello,

Got the ISOFIX base and the car seat fitted by Halfords over the weekend. Been reading through the manuals but I have not had a play with the actual seat itself. We went for the Britax babysafe plus II SHR, even though we don't need the SHR bit - it was cheaper.

The seat and base rattle when the car goes over bumps on the road at normal speeds. Is that normal? Shall I extend the "foot" bit of the ISOFIX a bit more to see if that resolves it? Silly question but it is okay to give the seat a good shove from different directions (when attached to the ISOFIX base) right? I would like to make sure that its all installed properly.

-FV

Is the "foot" touching the floor? If not, just release it some more until it does & so long as you don't start to raise the Isofix Base above the car seat squab. I have heard of some seats rattling especially in really quiet cars, & it's not unusual for the isofix base to have a slight rattle. If you are concerned, I would go back to Halfords just to be sure. If you want to check that it's installed right, put you hand where your childs shoulders would normally be within the seat & push firmly towards the direction of travel, the thing should barely move because of the isofix latches & footprop preventing it from moving. If ofcourse it ens up in the footwell of the car, I would go bak to Halfords because it's been installed wrong.