ERF, tall child & low car!

[polkadotdelight]

We currently have the maxi cosi axissfix for 11 month old DS. He came out of his stage 0 seat early as he looked like he was wedged in it and was getting upset. When we bought the axissfix I was under the impression that he could rear face until 4, my own fault because I was too preoccupied with the swivel function. I now realise that he will need to be turned forward when he reaches 87cm and if he continues to follow his centile chart that will be ay about 16 months! My parents want to buy a seat for their car as they will be looking after him a lot when I go back to work so we have decided to put the axissfix in their car - they won't be taking him in the car often and it will only be short journeys.

Im so stuck on choosing a new seat though. I looked at the britax dualfix and nuna rebl because they swivel, our car is pretty low and Im worried about getting DS in without banging his head! Also, he weighs 24lb already. Again though, he is probably going to reach 105cm before he is 4 and is likely to hit 18kg by 3-3.5 years. It just seems like we will be haemorrhaging money! We live too far away from the big centres to try seats out.

Can anyone advise? Is seatbelted really as safe as isofix? How hard is it to get a heavy, back arching (on those days!) toddler into a rear facing seat if we dont buy a swivel seat.

Im not keen on the seats with impact shields by the way which is why I havent considered the cybex sirona.

[AliceMum09]

Yes, seat belted is just as safe as isofix, especially when it's a rear facing seat. There are plenty of seatbelted rear facing seats that have passed the Swedish Plus Test, the strictest test for car seats that there is.

I find it very simple to get a child into a rear facing seat, because the way the car door opens means it's not in your way (you are standing by the big gap, not by where the door is attached to the car). But then I have a big car (Peugeot 5008), a low-down seat (Britax Multi Tech II) and a tiny 3 1/2 year old (she weighs 27lbs and is 91 cm tall).

I think you definitely need a seatbelted seat, for the 25kgs weight limit and the taller seat shell. My Britax Multi Tech II sits really low down in the car, so that might be one to look at if your car has a low roofline. I think the Axkid seats are quite 'low down' too, the BeSafe ones look a lot higher up. I recently bought a Joie Stages seat online from //www.rearfacingtoddlers.com She sells the Axkid seats. Also I've heard that //www.securatot.co.uk are very helpful on the phone and by email. I'm sure they sell online too. My Joie Stages from the rear facing toddlers lady was £150 just the same as any other shop, there was no charge for postage.

[polkadotdelight]

Thank you!

[HappyAsASandboy]

If he's big, don't get the BeSafe ERF, even now they do one that goes to 25kg. It is exactly the same shape as the older mod BeSafe that I have, and it is a big seat for small people! We've loved it, but my DS is on the 2nd centile!

The Britax Two Way Elite is a seatbelt fitted ERF that goes to 25kg. It is good for tall children, and is still going strong for DD, who is nearly 5 and weighs 20kg. She is 112cm and still fits fine.

The height things is a bit difficult to judge, because it is actually the height if their torso that's going to mean they outgrow it, not the length of their legs. So a tall child with long legs might be fine in a seat, but a shorter child that is mostly body might not fit. You really do need to see the child in the seat of at all possible.

I have the TWE and a BeSafe. If you're in Bedfordshire or Cambridgeshire you're welcome to come and see them!

[HappyAsASandboy]

Forgot to say, we bought our seats from the In Car Safety Centre in Milton Keynes. They're very helpful on the phone too.

[TeaPleaseBob]

I found securatot very helpful. Belted seat just as safe you just need to know how to install it properly (but then same goes for isofix really). Rear facing seats are much easier than forward facing seats to get a children into because you are standing where door opens at its widest point.

I'm looking at Axkid minikid for when my daughter outgrows her current ERF. It's got a tall seat back and 25kg weight limit (should last until approx 6 years)

[polkadotdelight]

Thats brilliant, loads to think about!