Seats for 1 yo and almost 5 yo

[TheHouseofMirth]

Can anyone please help me with some car seat advice? Both DSs need new car seats. DS1 is currently in a Maxi Cosi Tobi. It's never been involved in an accident but it's been very well used for 4 years and there is a crack in the plastic bit containing the strap which you pull to tighten the harness.

So should we get new car seats for both of them and can anyone please direct me to info about the safest seats for each of them?

[nicm]

for the 1 yo i would look at a rear facing seat and a isofix hbb for the 5yo.

have a look on www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk for more seats.

i have the britax two way elite and a KISS(klippan isofix safety system). i have a maxi cosi rodi sps as a hbb but i didn't have isofix when i got the seat but it would be handy so you don't have to secure the seat when your ds isn't in it.

[KickArseQueen]

Hi THOM ( thats clever!)

I would like to suggest you take a look at this And don't worry theres not even the slightest hint of TWC.

Other than looking at the link just for your own info I totally agree with NICM.

My only other reccomendation is to stick with britax for forward facing seats and to keep your children in them for as long as poss.
Happy Shopping

[hellymelly]

My DD is five (and five months )and she is in a rear facing seat,a britax one that still fits her ,and my smaller one has just turned three and she is rear facing still too.Go rear facing if you can for both,the height and weight guide may mean it is still fine for your older one.

[TheHouseofMirth]

I think the weight would be fine for DS1 but he's tall. We also have the added complication of the fact he gets very car sick so actually he's been in the front of the car since he's been the the Tobi. I know that's not ideal but I had to weigh up the safety implications of that against the increased liklihood I'd have an accident being distracted by him throwing up in the back seat.

[BertieBotts]

I have got my 18mo in a Kiddy Infinity Pro and it is fab - probably not as safe as a rear facing seat, but I don't drive so needed something less bulky and which fitted in lots of cars. It is listed as a top Which? buy as well which I thought was a good sign, and I liked the impact shield. I kept DS in his rear facing infant carrier for as long as possible though - until their head reaches the top of the edge of the seat shell is the guideline.

I would go for a standalone high backed booster for your 5yo, rather than a convertible one, because by the time he will be wanting to go onto a booster cushion, your DS2 will want the high backed booster.

I wouldn't go for any combination seats with children of that age gap because you will end up spending out twice for each stage rather than once.

[TheHouseofMirth]

Thanks all.

DS2 is over 9kgs now so I'm assuming that's a reason to move him up? I'm certainly in no hurry to but assumed once he exceeds the weight guidelines his current seat is no longer the safest? DS1 is also at the weight limit.

I've emailed the In car Safety Centre and they've recomended the Two Way Elite for DS2. I see the Kiddifix and Maxi Cosi Rodi XR got top scores from Which? Isofix does sound good but there's obviously not much point if DS1 continues to travel in the front seat.

I wonder why there are no seats with harnesses designed for children over 4 years old?

[BertieBotts]

No, 9kg is the lowest weight for a stage 1 (9mth-4yrs) seat - most stage 0+ (birth-12/15mth) seats have a limit of 13kg. So he should be fine in it for ages yet

Although if you are moving him up to another rearfacing seat it's fine to do so as soon as he gets to 9kg, as it won't be any less safe than the baby one.

[nicm]

yes the twe is a great seat! have had it for over a year now. you can get harnessed seats over 18kgs but not in this country! the twe is harnessed ff to 25kgs, but thats the only one.

[TheHouseofMirth]

Bloody Health Visitor told me I had to move him up as he was 9kg. Yet another thing they no nothing about then...
Well that's good. We'll get DS1's new seat straightaway and instead of a new seat for DS2 I'm going to get a swing seat for the garden. Much more fun! It'll be absolutely ages before he's 13kgs (though his legs are looking a bit cramped - I know it's still safe but I guess we have to consider his comfort too...) so that'll give me time to rejig my budget. Fab!

Thanks so much for all the advice.

[TheHouseofMirth]

Good grief! Shocking typing. They know nothing

[BertieBotts]

Gah, my HV tells everyone that too! I am very tempted to drop her in a copy of the RoSPA leaflet TBH.

Legs are fine - children don't tend to mind having their legs bent at the knees rather than straight out. And to be crude - broken legs heal, broken necks don't.

[TheHouseofMirth]

I'm going to tell her next time I see her. She's actually quite nice and generally quite well-informed so I'm sure she'd be glad to know.

Having thought I'd decided I'm now obsessed with the fact Britax make a high back booster high for the US market with harness for children up to 85lbs..

[BertieBotts]

If you want to give her the website address (for the official RoSPA site) it's www.childcarseats.org.uk

[TheHouseofMirth]

BertieBotts thanks I'll give her that then she can check it out for herself.

Loopymumsy I wasn't thinking of buying one. Just a bit irritated that they exist, but you can't get them here!

[TheHouseofMirth]

I've been thinking of starting my own business. Maybe I should set up a safer car seat shop?!

[KickArseQueen]

Go for it, Set up one, get it going really well and then sell the franchise so we can have one in every major town

[TheHouseofMirth]

Well, I live in SW London and find it interesting that there is no dealer in London or Surrrey or Sussex. Where are you KAQ?

[KickArseQueen]

In Norfolk, and theres nothing round here either

[TheHouseofMirth]

I can't help thinking though that once they become more mainstream a small business offering this kind of service wouldn't be able to compete though I guess if the service is good enough you might not need to compete on price.

Don't you think a major problem in selling seats like these to the masses is the fact they are, for some reason, really ugly compared to ff seats?

[KickArseQueen]

No, I think the major problem is countering the mindset of a generation of mums who were brought up being wedged in the back seat with 4 other kids and no seat belts.

Most parents accept that the same isn't acceptable now for their own children and use seat belts and car safety seats, However! Its a big jump to go from little or no protection to big rear facing carseats in 1 generation.

Also they are big and expensive and because not many people use them the people who do get treated as tho they are judging those who don't, or as tho they are being overly precious......

[Adventuredad]

It's well known UK is 30 yeas behind Sweden in ar seat safety. It's because keeping kids safe in cars isn't a priority in UK and most other countries.

The Swedes started rear facing kids very early, in 1965, so they have lots of experience. I personally sat rear facing in 1967 until age 4 when my younger sister stole my seat:-)

Keeping kids safe in cars is very easy, keep them rear facing until age 4. The Swedes keep their kids RF until age 4 or longer and have almsot zero fatalities in age 0-6 years each year.

All parents might not find that meaningful or important and that's perfectly fine. We know traffic kills lots of young kids, keeping them alive and without injuries is IMHO a good idea.

Rear facing seats are not ugly, huge or expensive. Spending €75 a year to keep our kids amazingly safe can hardly be considered expensive. It's of course considered expensive for parents who make no effort in protection their kids in cars.
/Håkan
www.carseat.se

[KickArseQueen]

use 2 of these like this then just don't put in the spaces and you get this

I personally do make an effort to keep my children safe