Child Seats
Child Seats
Author
Discussion

thegreengoblet

Original Poster:

1,040 posts

245 months

Wednesday 26th April 2006
quotequote all
There seems to be a lot of you using your Cerbs as family cars.
I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old - what car seats/boosters can you recomend?

TVRwhoa

349 posts

289 months

Wednesday 26th April 2006
quotequote all
Recaro Start - My little one (he's been in it since about 14 months) won't get in anything else and cries every time I pick him up in mummy's car as he's so dissapointed - every journey pop pop bang bang.

I got mine for about 199 online delivered.

touchingcloth

11,706 posts

268 months

Wednesday 26th April 2006
quotequote all
6 month old is going to have to be in a back to front job and therefore on the front passenger seat only, no rear facings will fit in the back as far as I am aware. Recaro Start for the back as has been said seems to the default choice, you can use one of these from about 9 months but they usually recommend the additional lap cushion at this age, it's about another £40 quid.

shortarse

34 posts

280 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
I have a 5 year old and one at 15 months ( and the cerbie for 4 years)the oldest spent his time in a Britax freeway until last year when he has been fine with no child seat in the back - the younger one is in the freeway now but I couldn't find a backward facing job which fitted in the back and the wife wouldn't wear sitting in the back so you might have to wait until your's reached 20lbs

The good thing about the freeway is that you don't need the bar as with TVRs own, as its fairly short in the seat base you don't need to push the front seat all the way forward either (although expect to be kicked in the ear from time to time when child is around 3 years)- oh and its about the cheapest on the market available from halfords

thegreengoblet

Original Poster:

1,040 posts

245 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies.

Sounds like I'll have to wait until the baby is 9 months or so as the misses won't go in the back! It does sound like there is at least a choice for the 2 1/2 year old - I didn't think anything would fit other than a TVR child seat.

Speaking of TVR child seats - can you still get them for the Cerb from a dealer, or do you have to hunt through the classifieds?

morebeanz

3,283 posts

265 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
My kids are six and two and a half, and both fit nicely in the seats without a proper child one. Mind you, my youngest is a bit of a monster!

Tam Lin

694 posts

282 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
morebeanz said:
My kids are six and two and a half, and both fit nicely in the seats without a proper child one. Mind you, my youngest is a bit of a monster!


Remember that from September, a booster cushion or other support device will be mandatory for sprogs up to 9 in the UK. Worth planning for..

SGirl

7,924 posts

290 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
thegreengoblet said:

Speaking of TVR child seats - can you still get them for the Cerb from a dealer, or do you have to hunt through the classifieds?


The TVR child seats aren't sold by dealers any more (if you're talking about the seats I think you're talking about). You'll have to look through the classifieds. We bought a magnolia one because we couldn't get a grey one initially, but a grey one turned up on eBay in the end - about 8 months later, IIRC. The magnolia ones seem to be more common.

morebeanz

3,283 posts

265 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
Tam Lin said:
morebeanz said:
My kids are six and two and a half, and both fit nicely in the seats without a proper child one. Mind you, my youngest is a bit of a monster!


Remember that from September, a booster cushion or other support device will be mandatory for sprogs up to 9 in the UK. Worth planning for..


Surely they can't mandate that for seats that are too small? I can imagine that my two/three year old could use on, but my six year old is way too big to use a booster in the Cerb seats. He does use one in our Audi though.

Eidted to say - just looked at the new laws, and it looks like there's no mercy! I guess someone had better go in to production on booster seats that actually fit the rear seats!

>> Edited by morebeanz on Thursday 27th April 11:57

gazzab

21,637 posts

311 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
I raised this a couple of weeks ago.
My take is to modify existing boosters such that they fit (ie hacksaw them) and sit them on those. Otherwise no kid aged over 5 can sit in a cerb rear. 2+2 sales will plummet. Cheap 911 anyone?!

morebeanz

3,283 posts

265 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
Wouldn't that invalidate any "approvals"? Then presumably they don't officially count as boosters seats and you can be prosecuted anyway?

Otherwise just get a nice very firm piece of shaped foam, have wifey stitch a cover and your away!

thegreengoblet

Original Poster:

1,040 posts

245 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
So obviously the booster seat is to get the seatbelt to sit around the shoulder instead of the neck....

Graham at Fernhurst was telling me about a jacket type of thing that you strap on or put in front of the child and it has different height loops or holes to put the belt through to get it at the height you require?

Does anybody have any more info?

gazzab

21,637 posts

311 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
morebeanz said:
Wouldn't that invalidate any "approvals"? Then presumably they don't officially count as boosters seats and you can be prosecuted anyway?

Otherwise just get a nice very firm piece of shaped foam, have wifey stitch a cover and your away!

How would a home stitched bit of foam be any better? I dont see any evidence that the law says you cant modify the seat.

gazzab

21,637 posts

311 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
thegreengoblet said:
So obviously the booster seat is to get the seatbelt to sit around the shoulder instead of the neck....

Graham at Fernhurst was telling me about a jacket type of thing that you strap on or put in front of the child and it has different height loops or holes to put the belt through to get it at the height you require?

Does anybody have any more info?


I have a trangle of material with stud poppers on it that holds the belt in teh right place.
Got from Halfwits a few yrs back.

purpleheadedcerb

1,143 posts

251 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
The police will use discretion on this (IMO)_. If the seat-belt fits correctly and safely then raising the height of the child could make it dangerous. It's designed to catch out the people who lob 3 year old kids into a normal car, put the seat-belt on and think that they have done their bit. The fact the belt is cutting across the kids ear doesn't bother them.

My 6 year old looks like the seat and belt were made to measure. The 4 year old gets a booster seat as its a bit borderline for him.


gazzab

21,637 posts

311 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
I hope you are right purple.

Mrs BlueCerbera

2,208 posts

269 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
gazzab said:
thegreengoblet said:
So obviously the booster seat is to get the seatbelt to sit around the shoulder instead of the neck....

Graham at Fernhurst was telling me about a jacket type of thing that you strap on or put in front of the child and it has different height loops or holes to put the belt through to get it at the height you require?

Does anybody have any more info?


I have a trangle of material with stud poppers on it that holds the belt in teh right place.
Got from Halfwits a few yrs back.


We got a couple of these from Tescos.

www.safety1st.com/product.asp?productID=218

Our five year old and nearly-four year old both use these. Used to have Recaro Start for the three year old but there's no room for his legs now.

>> Edited by Mrs BlueCerbera on Thursday 27th April 17:36

morebeanz

3,283 posts

265 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
gazzab said:
morebeanz said:
Wouldn't that invalidate any "approvals"? Then presumably they don't officially count as boosters seats and you can be prosecuted anyway?

Otherwise just get a nice very firm piece of shaped foam, have wifey stitch a cover and your away!

How would a home stitched bit of foam be any better? I dont see any evidence that the law says you cant modify the seat.


gazzab

I didn't mean that foam would be better than a modified seat, just a cheaper option if you need to have seats in multiple cars!

I have one of the belt clips too, for my youngest, and it works a treat.

One of the things about using a booster instead, though, is the marginal improvement in view for the sprogs.

robscim

840 posts

285 months

Thursday 27th April 2006
quotequote all
I've got one of those triangular belt holder thingies for my 4 year old and it works a treat. I much prefer him to be low down in the car and safe than up in the air on a booster cushion.

I'll take my chances if ever I am stopped - in the firm belief that a sensible decision should be the best option if I ever have the conversation with the BiB (here's hoping!!).

I think its a very safe car to have your children in with no booster - they both have boosters for the Audi which also makes sense.

Rob

thegreengoblet

Original Poster:

1,040 posts

245 months

Friday 28th April 2006
quotequote all
Thanks for all the info

Looks like I'm gonna have to get yet another car seat - at least for the youngest (I already have 3! but none are suitable for the Cerb ).

And Penny, that looks just the ticket for when my eldest gets a little older (although I may get one to see if it's suitable now - maybe in conjuction with a bolster) - I don't really want to have to purchase 2 seats although ultimately the safety of my kids is paramount.