I'm an ERF convert and now have 4 rear facers in my car!!!

[saoirse86]

Well, they're not all staying. My DD is 8.5 months and 9.5kg, my niece is 8.5 months and 8.5kg-ish. So I have both their stage 0 seats, a maxi cosi mobi for my daughter as she's heavy enough now, and a something kiss for my niece as it's suitable from birth.

I live in a place where everyone seems to do what seems "normal" and I'm going to be known as that weird woman with those poor children always facing backwards! I'm so excited!

And, even better, the 2 new ERF's cost £280... for both!

[RantAboutToStart]

What car have you got out of interest? Or is it a mini bus?!

[TruthSweet]

Bargain! Where did you get them?

[saoirse86]

It's a fiat multipla. One of the seats is currently in the front middle seat.

I got them in a stock clearance place in Birmingham. We realised afterwards that one of them has a sticker that says "in car safety centre" so it must be their old stock or something.

I went with mys sister expecting to buy a base for my maxi cosi sateg 0 seat and we found all these ERF's so tried 3 in the car and bought 2. We're planning to go back with another car to see if any of the others fit. They're such a bargain we can't resist!

When I showed DP he started complaining about what happens when her legs grow. I told him to shut up, she'll bend her legs in order to be safe. He's definitely not a convert, but it doesn't matter because the girls very rarely go in his car. And it's my money anyway!

[aswellasyou]

I'm so excited about my new seats!!!
Thankyou everyone for introducing us to the concept of ERF seats, we're much happier knowing the babies are as safe as they can be. I'm Saoirse's sister by the way.

[Gracie123]

What's an ERF seat?

[aswellasyou]

It stands for extended rear facing. i.e. car seats that rear face longer past 13kg, usually 18kg or 25kg.

[Gracie123]

I'm googling, but they look quite uncomfortable...

[aswellasyou]

How do they look uncomfortable? They're pretty much the same as forward facing seats, just the other way round.

[Gracie123]

But the kids all have their legs bent up because the seat is against the back of the seat it's clamped to (does that make sense? )

[Gracie123]

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=0.tqn.com/d/babyproducts/1/0/B/D/jm-erf-2.jpg&imgrefurl=babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/ig/Extended-Rear-Facing-Car-Seat/JM-ERF-3.htm&usg=__hUoriU37dSJ1EKxC5qLOiz4WNGQ=&h=604&w=453&sz=40&hl=en&start=69&zoom=1&tbnid=y4I4UgxYkpVsHM:&tbnh=110&tbnw=76&ei=sfDnTbn0HdGDhQeiucmyCg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Derf%2Bcar%2Bseats%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1C1SKPC_enGB340GB364%26biw%3D1066%26bih%3D544%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=793&page=5&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:69&tx=33&ty=38&biw=1066&bih=544" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">For example

[RitaMorgan]

Many people feel having the child bend their legs is worth it for the increased safety.

[PotPourri]

Never heard of these before. Seem ok for short journeys. Surely it would cut the blood off to their legs if they are in there longer than about 10 minutes. I remember a guys legs had ot be amputated cos he sat in a bus for a long time with his legs up against the seat in front, fell asleep and woke up with literally dead legs.

[Gracie123]

Excuse my ignorance, I never heard of them until just now. Why are they safer?

[Gracie123]

PotPourri - that has to be urban legend, surely?

[RitaMorgan]

Children's legs don't drop off if they cross them! Otherwise school assemblies would be a nightmare.

[RitaMorgan]

Gracie - I believe they're safer because of the size of children's heads relative to the strength of their necks when they're under 4 means their spines can snap in an accident. The same reason it's safer for a child under 9 months to be rear facing basically.

[raindroprhyme]

i think having them bent or crossed has to be better than them hanging like they do in FF seats.
I remember having dead legs from my legs hanging down and the seat digging in at the back.
Better to be a bit cramped than have a broken neck.

[RantAboutToStart]

Gracie The leg space depends on the seat. The way mine is fitted there is a gap between where the RF seat ends and the where the back of the car backseat is IYSWIM. Anyway, it means that she has somewhere for her legs to go and she won't have to have her legs like the child in the photo you linked to, so they aren't all like that.

[PotPourri]

Interesting thread. I had never given this any thought before. I read some of the comments below that picture you linked to - scary stuff really. Where was it you get yours Rant?

[aswellasyou]

Children's legs don't drop off if they cross them! Otherwise school assemblies would be a nightmare
This actually made me laugh out loud and now I've had to explain the whole thread!
Children don't mind having their legs crossed-they're much more flexible than us! Different seats sit at different distances from the seat back. My Klippan Kiss has loads of room but it really doesn't matter. Especially because they're so much safer than forward facing.
Pot Pourri, see here for a list of stockists (scroll down). They're not cheap though, at least £200 new. I bought this one yesterday which passed Sweden's Plus Test-probably the most stringest test of car seats at the moment.

[aswellasyou]

And we hadn't given it any thought before because there's very little information about them and hardly anywhere stocks them.

[brachy]

PotPourri- my 20 month DS did 250 miles yesterday in his rear facing seat, he was quite happy, though he knows no difference! His 6.5yr old sister is quite comfortable when she sits in his seat, her legs dangled between the car seat and the seat. She says it is very comfy!
We got DS's seat from the incarsafety center, it arrived the next day which was fab. I have no idea how long he will rear face, DD went to FF at 2yrs old, but I feel more informed and educated on the benefits of rear facing so DS will stay RF until at least 3yrs.