Tall child, but not 15kg, when to move to Group 2?

[BikeRunSki]

DS is 2.10 and 91st centile height, always has been. Has also always been slim, but not worryingly so.

He is in a Group 1 car seat at the moment, a Britax Eclipse, but the top of his head is just begining to stick up over the top of the seat, which would make me think he needs to go up a car seat group.

We have been looking at Group 2 car seats this afternoon, but he only weighs 13kg, and all the Group 2 seats are for 15kg and up. I assume that this is to do with being heavy enough to activate the car seat belt.

I also don't trust him not to undo the seat belt buckle (I know you can get covers for these, but these invalidate my insurance, which is company car insurance, so not anything I can change).

So, when do I move him up to a Group 2 seat? When he is tall enough (now) or heavy enough (in 2 kg time, which could be a year away the way he puts on weight)?

[SecretNorbertFix]

He's outgrown his current seat when his eye line is level with the top of the seat, so you are good for a little while yet.

If he isn't 15kg minimum, then the seatbelt won't activate if you have an accident- it won't keep him safe.

[BertieBotts]

It has to be by weight, you're right about the seatbelt thing.

You could look for a group 1-2-3 seat which will have more head space but allow him to use the harness until at least 15kg (preferably 18kg, but if he's skinny that might not be for years).

The only thing you have to be careful of if he's tall and skinny is that in some group 1-2-3 seats the top of the harness is no higher than it would be in a group 1 seat, if their shoulders come up higher than where the harness comes out of the seat, that isn't recommended as it's unsafe. His head meeting the top doesn't matter, but if the top of the seat is level with his eyes/the tops of his ears, that's the other top measurement for height.

One option could be one of the extended rearfacing seats which keeps them harnessed either RF or FF until 25kg, or you could look at a seat like the Cybex Pallas or the Kiddy seats which don't have a harness but use an impact shield, which doesn't directly restrain the shoulders so height isn't an issue.

[BikeRunSki]

Thank you for your help - super quick too! We looked at 1-2-3 seats too Bertie, but as you say, the harness is only the same height as a normal Group 1.

We had a lift with a friend in a RF seat. He hated it. He was desperate enough to get out of his Group 0!

[BertieBotts]

You can use most of the RF ones FF as well - though possibly defeats the point of the price tag!

Definitely try the Kiddy or Cybex ones. They have them in Mamas & Papas and John Lewis if you want to try one out.

[TruthSweet]

DD1 had a Britax TWE ffing after she got too cramped rfing with 3 across in our car. She rode ffing in it until she was 5, 19kg & 116cm and she still had room to grow (we needed it for DD2 though so DD1 got a Sunshine Kids Monterey).

It's very easy to install ffing and has a tall seat back (top slots are about 20" IIRC) so would probably do for your son for quite a while.