Rear facing vs Isofix - Stage 1

[CarSeatQuestion]

Hello! My son is 9 months old, very big for his age and I am looking now for the next stage car seat. I went to Mothercare the other day, after reading all the articles here about rear facing seats being safer, I was going to get one, but after trying it in the car it was clear that it is not very stable, and still moves around. The technician advised me that it will be much safer to continue using Isofix car seat (I got a Maxi Cosi right now). She says that the stability of isofix forward-facing seat outweighs the benefits of rare facing. Do you agree? To be honest I prefer isofix myself now, also by the looks of it, it is much easier to get the child in/out of the seat when it is forward facing. Any thoughts?

[StealthPolarBear]

no idea but getting on this thread

[CarSeatQuestion]

The lady in the shop was so convinced that it is better to avoid the rear facing seat in my car (nissan micra, newer model), she even mentioned on the form that she explained to me that it might be a hazard and made me sign it.

[nicm]

hi, i wasn't aware that mothercare sold group 1 rear facing seats?

an isofix seat is no safer than a belted one if fitted correctly.

a rear facing seat is 5 times safer than a ff one, isofix or not.

you can buy group 1 isofix seats, i have one as it was the most narrow available, the KISS. it is easy to fit but it actually moves around more than my other one the britax two way elite. i find it easier to get the kids in and out of the rf seats as the door is open at the widest point where you have to stand iykwim.

i would contact the essex road safety officers www.rearfacing.co.uk/safetyofficers.php or the in car safety centre www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/contact.html as they were both really helpful over the phone for advice or if you can get to them even better.

[TheHeathenOfSuburbia]

You can have an Isofix seat that is rear-facing, our Recaro Polaric is.
Mind you, not sure it'd fit in a Micra...

[castleonthehill]

be safe do an isofix rear facing their is a lady with a very tiny car that has one(2 door car

[thisisyesterday]

no i don't agree AT ALL

a forward facing car seat is less safe, regardless of whether or not it is isofix

there are isofix rear-facing seats

[thisisyesterday]

i wonder if it was something like the bebe confort iseos? or the britax first class?

[raindroprhyme]

is it just me or does it seem people are very willing to take the word of a sales person when it comes to their childs safety?

yes they are trained but the incentive for them is still to make a sale.

I just find it strange

If i was worried about the fit of a car seat or if i should move my child into the next stage seat i would contact my local police station and ask to speak to the road safety officer. he or she being an impartial expert in road safety.

[onadietcokebreak]

I expect the lady in the shop was only trying to sell you want they had.

I suspect it was something like the Britax first class rear facing which can be unstable when use in some cars rear facing yet fine when forward facing.

OP you need to decide if you want rear or forward based on the facts. If you decide rear I would recommend you look at the link for the essex safety centre as a safety point.

Also is your son really too big for his car seat? Its the head height that matters not the legs I believe. I know two people who have put 6mths old in FF because of legs..its ridiculous.

[CarSeatQuestion]

Yes, it was a Britax seat. I am not moving him YET, I just want to take my time and decide on a seat now, as by the looks of it I'll have to move him in the next few months. PS Sorry, but I think calling police while deciding on a seat is a step too far...

[CarSeatQuestion]

I think I'll go for the BeSafe one. Does anybody knows how much does it weigh? And also, will it leave a sort of indentation mark on the passenger seat after a few years of use due to its weihgt? Thanks!

[onadietcokebreak]

Its good to be thinking about it as you can keep an eye out for special deals. Halfords (whom I wouldnt actually recommend for fitting BTW because of some shocking incidents) normally do deals.

Whilst it may seem extreme to contact the police they may actually have a road safety officer who can advise you. I contacted our local council road safety unit on behalf of my best friend the other day. She needs fitting advice on a seat she brought off the internet. Its is dubious as to whether it is a safe fit due to her bucket seats. They are running roadshows where you can take seat in your car and they will tell you if its unsafe- they are not however able to tell you if its safe.

[thisisyesterday]

carseatq, the police is only to get details of the road safety officer who will be able to give you more info!! i spoke to ours at our local emergency services open day and she was very nice!

the besafe is pretty heavy IMO. it is heavier than my previous forward facing seat, but then it has more components to it
there are indentations on our seat from it, but it has never been out of the car long enough to see if these eventually fill out again

if you want something lighter then go for the 2 way elite

[thisisyesterday]

oh and our forward facing seat left indentations too...

[CarSeatQuestion]

Thank you for your advice!Really helpful. Hmmm, will check out the 2 way elite one too...