Child Seat Advice

[boobles]

callyman said:

redchina said:

We got an old hand me down,
Didnt look at safety stats
Didnt look at new ones
Wont either
Happy.

Best of luck.

What an odd way of caring about how safe the chils is or NOT.

[boobles]

So sorry to anyone who has directly asked me a question recently on here. I am more than happy to answer questions via PM because of work reasons but there are also other people on here who have contributed & who also work within the industry who I am sure will be happy to help.

[boobles]

petemurphy said:

"Sorry - the recipient doesn't permit emails."...

He does now!

[boobles]

I can honestly say that in the approx 500 crash tests that I have done on that product, I have not seen any buckle failures. That buckle is used on all Britax products without any issues.

[boobles]

havoc said:

We're looking for a cheap-but-safe Group-1 seat as a backup seat - short-haul holidays, grandparents visiting etc.

Have been trying to find a good 2nd-hand seat for a couple of months but with no success, so considering new but at the budget end - what could you guys recommend for <£80. Open to 'unknown' brands if they've got good test results.

(On that subject, who make Fisher Price's new range - "Safe Voyage" seems to be their Gp-1. Ditto Mothercare's car seats)

Thanks,

Martin.

Think it's ok for mt to step in on this one....

First of all, what make/model of car is the seat intended for as this info is vital?
Secondly, never buy second hand child seats unless you are buying it from a family member or friend who can vouch that it has never been involved in a car accident. Once you have told us the make/model of car it's going in, sure others on here will be able to help.

Edited by boobles on Thursday 28th August 07:16

[boobles]

havoc said:

2nd hand - fair point.

What car - varied - currently grandparents have an i40 tourer, an 07 Mazda 3 and a 62 plate Scirocco. Plus immediate requirement is to take to Spain in a month - hire cars are always pot luck. So a belted fit is probably safest...is there much fitment risk with belt-fit car seats?

Thanks again.

Because there are so many different cars for one child seat to fit into, it's best to go on to these "fit finder" sites & type in all the different cars to see if any will fit all these cars. I will be surprised if you find one seat to fit in so many difderent cars though.

[boobles]

zURG said:

Rearward or forward, what's the difference safety wise?

Once the child is over 21 lbs in weight & if the child seats are fitted correctly, both perfectly safe. Me personally I would keep them rear facing for as long as possible whilst using the correct seat etc.

[boobles]

Lord said:

Sorry to derail the thread but this seems like the perfect place to ask my question.


Is it legal to fit a child seat in a car using only a lap-belt?

Only if the child seat has been approved using just the lap belt, Otherwise a massive no no.

[boobles]

Adrian E said:

Does anyone still make a lap belt only approved seat? I recall Britax used to make one (Elite possibly, although memory isn't what it was?) but long since ceased production.

To know if it's approved look at the installation label on the seat itself - it must provide pictograms of each approved installation method, so you'll find Isofix and 3 point belt on the vast majority. I suspect since it became a requirement for all rear belts to be 3 point some years ago now you're unlikely to find new car seats coming onto the market for a dwindling market sector?

There is the Britax Prince & Britax Eclipse that does have 2 or 3pt approved installation. Both seats are still in production.

[boobles]

Hi guys,

Really sorry that I no longer reply to questions on here but I am more than happy to reply via PM. This way it remains private without being on a public forum. (my work don't like me replying on here)

I can assure you though that the likes of Lena & Adrian are more than capable of answering most of your questions along with obviously people who have experience with certain child restraints.

[boobles]

Welshbeef said:

One key thing never buy second hand baby seats - they are like helmets if they have a bump they need to be disposed as their effectiveness is diminished. A second hand one might look in perfect condition but not the case under the skin.


Simply not worth risking your baby

I haven't contributed to this thread for some time now due to personal reasons, but I will just add that this statement is absolutely correct & that people should never buy a second hand child seat, regardless!

[boobles]

Craikeybaby said:

What about the bases?

Non of it should be second hand unless it's from a family member who you can trust.

[boobles]

callyman said:

Britax Multitech will go to 6 years
http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/multi-tech-ii/

Non Isofix though.

[boobles]

https://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&am...

[boobles]

Polynesian said:

Boobles- hoping for a quick bit of advice. We have an averagely sized 7 year old who has used and enjoyed his recaro young sport (group1-3) seat for a long time now. Recently we've noticed that his shoulders don't sit under the head impact bit of the seat, and it can't go any higher- it has 3 point adjustment and is in the highest position. What do we do? This seat supposedly goes to age 12??? Many thanks!

Have you removed the harness? If not, this will be the answer. Remove it & then use as high back booster & this will allow for more adjustment in terms of headrest position. If you have already removed the harness then without actually seeing the seat, it's a strange one to answer.

[boobles]

eltax91 said:

boobles said:

Polynesian said:

Boobles- hoping for a quick bit of advice. We have an averagely sized 7 year old who has used and enjoyed his recaro young sport (group1-3) seat for a long time now. Recently we've noticed that his shoulders don't sit under the head impact bit of the seat, and it can't go any higher- it has 3 point adjustment and is in the highest position. What do we do? This seat supposedly goes to age 12??? Many thanks!

Have you removed the harness? If not, this will be the answer. Remove it & then use as high back booster & this will allow for more adjustment in terms of headrest position. If you have already removed the harness then without actually seeing the seat, it's a strange one to answer.

We have the young sport for our 4 year old. The harness has been out for a while and the headrest is up one notch.

Polynesian:- It was my understanding that, when they get to 6/7 and outgrow the headrest, you remove the head rest itself and turn it into a high back booster? It's been 3 years since I bought it and thus read the manual, so maybe my brain is playing tricks?

So the headrest it's self becomes detached ? That would become just the seat base wouldn't it without any side impact protection?

[boobles]

eltax91 said:

boobles said:

eltax91 said:

boobles said:

Polynesian said:

Boobles- hoping for a quick bit of advice. We have an averagely sized 7 year old who has used and enjoyed his recaro young sport (group1-3) seat for a long time now. Recently we've noticed that his shoulders don't sit under the head impact bit of the seat, and it can't go any higher- it has 3 point adjustment and is in the highest position. What do we do? This seat supposedly goes to age 12??? Many thanks!

Have you removed the harness? If not, this will be the answer. Remove it & then use as high back booster & this will allow for more adjustment in terms of headrest position. If you have already removed the harness then without actually seeing the seat, it's a strange one to answer.

We have the young sport for our 4 year old. The harness has been out for a while and the headrest is up one notch.

Polynesian:- It was my understanding that, when they get to 6/7 and outgrow the headrest, you remove the head rest itself and turn it into a high back booster? It's been 3 years since I bought it and thus read the manual, so maybe my brain is playing tricks?

So the headrest it's self becomes detached ? That would become just the seat base wouldn't it without any side impact protection?

Im not sure if I recall it directly and planned on googling the manual to find out when the time comes. But the headrest is a separate Part of the seat, and if I visualise it out the way, there's still a 2/3 high back booster with side bolsters....

Ok no worries. Be interesting knowing what the outcome is.

[boobles]

eltax91 said:

You are without doubt the unsurpassed expert here with all your experience. Take a look at these pictures, do you see what I mean about the head rest? Or am I way off the mark? I'd hate to take it apart and it turn out I've risked my kids life and limb.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=recaro+young+spo...

My understanding is that you remove the Harness once the child is approx 4yrs (group 1) then use as high back booster by removing the harness but keeping the headrest attached... Once the harness is removed, this should allow for the headrest to go a lot higher hence group 3 (approx 12yrs old) I will find a user manual to confirm though.

[boobles]

Always happy to help when & where possible.

I would always suggest contacting the manufacturer direct if you have any concerns about your child out growing a seat way to early.
Age though at the end of the day is just a guideline as child seat manufacturers know that children come in all different shapes & sizes & this is why the weight of the child is also very important... I would also suggest never modifying any child seat unless stated in the user guide as this could be bad news for the child in the event of an accident! This is one area that I would absolutely 100% read the user guide even if you think you know what you are doing... I still read them even after 22 years experience working in the field..

[boobles]

Fuzzarr said:

Hi guys,

I am starting to look into child seats as I have my first child on the way. My main thoughts at the moment are around Isofix vs non-Isofix. Neither of our cars have Isofix points but there is scope for changing the cars if there is a compelling case for Isofix over belt-secured seats.

The cars are a 2000(W) Seat Toledo and a 2007(07) Fiat Panda. I also need to see whether other cars in the family have Isofix or not in case that influences the decision.

It would obviously be much easier to avoid Isofix altogether. This week I am going to start checking out the various options but if anyone has any tips on the main things to consider - or if there are some stand-out seats suitable for my situation - I would really appreciate your thoughts.

The main thing to remember is - not all child seats fit into all cars so if you are hoping to fit the same child seat into multiple cars, this could be a problem. Isofix is great for convenience but again not all isofix seats will fit in multiple cars just because they have the connectors already in the vehicles.