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Slightly panicing about car seat safety

8 replies

Zipitydoda · 09/01/2011 21:37

I have been reading about carseat safety and am now in a slight panic about whether I am putting my children at risk - I feel like they are in immenent danger of being paralysed in an accident and I should be finding out how to get rear-facing seats from abroad for them at huge expense. I don't know what would be the safetest option for them, I wondered whether anyone could advise?
DS1 is 6 and in Graco high back booster using seatbelt. In grandparents car he uses booster seat cushion only.
DS2 is 3yrs and 18.5kg and is the same high back booster using the seatbelt. He has same high backed seat in grandparents cars too.

WE have a maxi cosi priori seat but DS2 is over the 18kg limit for it.

Thanks!

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PussinJimmyChoos · 09/01/2011 21:46

How heavy is DS1? If he is over 25kg, than a highback booster is fine. However, I would invest in a highback booster for the grandparents car asap as booster seat cushions are not safe at all and will cause problems in the event of a crash (God forbid)

My DS is 4.5yrs and I use this car seat for him - it is forward facing and 5 point harness up to 25kg:

www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/31/products_id/185?osCsid=6ce0bahq28as73lv65ollgld31

However, when I bought it, it didn't have the head support but I would recommend it as DS head does tilt forward when he falls asleep and I hate it. I bought him a neck cushion which helps somewhat but its not ideal. When he is in his high back booster for very short journeys in DH's car, his head is much better supported and there is more side impact protection with it but its not 5 point harnessing so its a judgement call really

Take a look at the other car seats on the website and see what you think

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hellymelly · 09/01/2011 22:01

Well we have rear facing seats (yes,bought from Sweden at huge expense)because the research is clear,rear facing seats are far safer.Very annoying as ours are Britax and the seats they make for the UK are a lot cheaper.We had also just bought new car seats when I saw the research.I am lucky in that my elder dd,who has just turned six,still fits her seat (she is very light).And my younger daughter who is three and a half has the same seat so hopefully it will last a while yet.We have the britax two way.I would honestly consider this seat for your younger child,as it can be turned into a forward facing booster when they outgrow it r.f.

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Bert2e · 09/01/2011 22:06

Go and have a look at some of the other high backed boosters and compare the feel / quality to the Graco one. Ds1 is 6.6yrs / 19.44kg and in a MaxiCosi Rodi, Ds2 is 4.3yrs / 18.04kg and in a Recaro Young Sport and we've just taken the 5 point harness out and he uses the seat belt. I don't consider booster seats safe and to me the Graco seats feel really flimsy - sorry probably not what you wanted to hear.

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Bert2e · 09/01/2011 22:07

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Zipitydoda · 09/01/2011 22:29

Thank you for your quick advice.

I agree the Graco seats do seem flimsy. It was probably more an economical decision to buy these and now I don't think it was the best decision.

My DH will take some convincing to change the seats but I will continue to investigate the best option. RF may well be safest but the cost would be prohibitive for us.

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PussinJimmyChoos · 09/01/2011 22:34

We've got a Graco with Isofix for in DH's car and it doesn't seem flimsy at all. I mean they all have to pass the same safety tests at the end of the day. The key with the highback boosters is that they have side impact protection and a guide for the belt -which the Graco does