Group 1 Car Seats - Outgrown at 2 1/2!

[WiganJane]

Hi

About 2 years ago (when our son was 7 months old) we invested in a Britax Duo, Isofix. Now don't get me wrong I like the seat and I love Isofix, however, at 2 1/2 he has all but outgrown it! The guidance says approx 9 months - 4 years. I wouldn't mind if he'd got to 3 1/2 - but 2 1/2! I feel a little short changed!

I've spoken to my retailer, who points out that all Group 1 car seats are about the same size, and that he hasn't heard of this before.

I've checked the weight and height in the "red book" and an average 4 year old would weigh 16.5kg (within the 18kg limit) and be 102cm tall. Oliver weighs 14.4 kg and is 91cm, tall - well within range!

Has anybody else found this problem or am I alone in this?

Would love to know I'm not going mad!

Thanks

[feedthegoat]

How come he's actually outgrown it now though? Group 1 goes up to 18 kg which he is a good way off a 14.4kg and my ds was over 100 cm tall and still ok in his.

[feedthegoat]

I've just checked red book and my ds was 14.3 kg and 96 cm at 2 1/2 and he out grew his at 3.7 weighing 18 kg so you may well be ok for another year.

[WiganJane]

The problem is it has an internal head support which is about 1cm off his shoulders at the present time - I don't know if this head rest is unique to Britax or not? Not all car seats have it?

[BikeRunSki]

Oh no. We bought out Group 1 car seat for tall DS (91st centile) about 6 months ago and I remeber thinking at the time "That's never going to last him three years..."

[feedthegoat]

I don't know about that as we had a maxi cosi priori xp which was fine. I've just googled yours though and to be honest the one I saw looked similar to the maxi cosi so I maybe wasn't looking at the same one (it didn't look at though it had a specific head rest)

[differentID]

how has he outgrown it? Are the shoulder straps at their highest position? It's supposed to be outgrown at 18kg weight or when his eyeline is in line with the top of the seat.
Have you asked the retailer to see your little boy in his seat to check if he has outgrown it?

[CarGirl]

He doesn't sound like he's outgrown it yet tbh.

I ended up doing lots of height measuring when buying a car seat because dd was/is on the 98th centile for height!

[WiganJane]

Thanks - I'll send the photos I took to the retailer - it's just I think he'll grow more than 5cm (2.5 each way) in te next 18 months - but I'll see - thanks for you reassurance.

..x..

[Squirrelz]

Our son at 2y 4mth is 95cm but only 13kg, however his shoulders have reached the headrest and he now complains every time he goes in the seat.
I'm not sure that we have any option other than going to a group 2 seat, there's absolutely no way he'd last another 20 months
He is very tall and thin (like me ) and has bigger feet than his 4yo cousin, lol!

[SleighGirl]

squirrelz this is an expensive option but you could either get the BMW/prosche stage 1 & 2 car seat which you use with an impact cushion until they weigh 18kg (height of seaat designed to last until age 7). Impact cushions are actually safer in an accident than 5 point harness. I think recaro do something similar.

Or there is the 2 way elite, again designed up to age 7 and you can use the 5 point harness on it until 23 kgs I think.

I've had both of them and they are both brill car seats IMO

[Squirrelz]

Thanks for the suggestions, will consider them.