Well that was easy, here it is:
When choosing a child seat it is advisable to check the suitability in your car before you send for it. The best way to do this is to have it fitted in the car; and preferably by some one who has experience of children?s safety in cars. I appreciate that it can be difficult to make long journeys with small children but getting the wrong seat can be an expensive mistake.
However here are some points that you may find useful:
The space needed for rear facing seats is often considerable, so below are the measurements needed from the back of the rear seat to the back of the front seat.
More seats will be added as we receive them.
Maxi Cosi Mobi ? 96cms 37?
BeSafe iZi Kid/Combi ? 72cms 28?
Brio Zento ? 86cms 34?
All the above measurements are approximate and dependent on the length of the vehicle seat.
Britax 2-Way Elite ? 83cms 33?
Britax Nordic Secura ? 84cms 33?
The seats were measured in recline so the space needed in the upright position would be less.
Make sure when the seat belt is passed through the front of the seat no part of the buckle mechanism is pulled over the frame of the seat causing Buckle Crunch, (in an impact the Buckle could fracture releasing the seat).
Most of the rear facing seats have support legs and these should not be fitted into cars where there is under floor storage boxes as it is likely that the leg will punch through the floor in an impact. If the leg cannot reach the floor with the lid of the storage box removed a different seat should be purchased.
Some of the concerns appear to be with the uprightness of the rear facing seat when fitted to the car. This often occurs when there is a steep rake on the seat, in other words the seat that you sit on is not flat but tips back slightly (know as anti submarine), Although this in itself is not a safety issue in an accident, obviously for the comfort of the child, particularly whilst sleeping, a degree of recline is desirable. Where a baby under 1 year is concerned it is advisable that a good recline is achieved to allow their airway to remain open but no seat should be reclined at more than 45 degrees. Unfortunately this aspect is difficult to advise on without seeing the seat fitted to the car.
It is inadvisable to place anything under the seat to either improve the fit or alter the angle of the seat. These products are not crash tested to the European standard so we cannot guarantee their safety when used in conjunction with a car seat.
If you are unable to visit our centre in Essex or either the In Car Safety Centre in Milton Keynes or Paul Stride in York, it may be possible for us to try the seats in a similar vehicle to get an idea of the fit. Please be aware that there can be slight differences from car to car even within the same make and model, so at best this can only be seen as a guideline.
When fitting the child into the seat the harness must be correctly adjusted. The harness should be positioned at shoulder height or slightly below shoulder height as this will hold the child down in the seat. The harness must be tight enough so that only the flat of two fingers can be slid under at chest level.