Hi, my 13month old DD is still in her Maxi Cosi cabriofix but her head is nearly at the top so she will be needing a new seat soon. She doesn't weigh 9kg yet and going by the chart in the red book, will be 15-16months before she's 9kg. So I'm having a dilemma as to which seat to buy!
We've been to the In car safety centre in MK and initially narrowed it down to the Britax two-way elite or Besafe Izi combi isofix as the ones which fit our car (thought we'd be getting the hi-way or Kiss but they didn't fit well!). The TWE gave the most leg room for the front passenger, is cheaper and would be easier to move between our 2 cars. But, the weight range for the TWE is 9-25kg so our DD isn't heavy enough to go in it yet and we were slightly put off by the side impact protection and preferred the Besafe seat. The Besafe seat fitted but gave less legroom for the front passenger and is much heavier to move, but our DD could go in it now.
Would you put a 13month in a TWE if they weren't yet 9kg or should I wait? Been thinking of buying a Britax first class plus as an interim but my DH isn't keen and thinks we should just buy one of the ERF seats. The first class plus seat looks nice but it sounds like the seat belt gets in the way when it's rear-facing.
Does anyone have any advice please? Thanks!
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Car seats
Rear-facing seat for 13month old
TJBear · 17/08/2011 21:05
We have a Besafe Izi Combi, DD has been in it since 7mo. At 15 months, she's still not 9kg either. She's so high up in the Besafe though - she likes waving to the other cars (and their occupants) when we're in traffic 
I live without the legroom (DH's car doesn't have isofix but my punto does) on the passenger side, we just don't do long journeys in my car anymore. I don't know what we'll do when DH's car needs a new car seat - no isofix and it's a 3 door... not looking good for another ERF!
Any rear facing one will be fine for her. We had the first class for ds1. It was over 5 yr ago and I can't really remember if the seat belt was in the way 
. I'm thinking it might have stretched over the seat but you'll get used to the way you put her in.
With ds2 we had a different one. I can't remember the make but I'm pretty sure the seat belt went around the seat rather than across it. I'll try to remember which it is but if not it's now in my parents' car so i'll find out if you want to know :o
She's taller than average, on the 75th percentile but only the 25th for weight. I do like the Besafe seat but it's expensive , heavy (we have 2 cars so would need to move it) and gives less legroom in the front. One minute I think we should stick with the maxi cosi a bit longer, and then I start worrying she's getting too near the top! She's also in a maxi cosi at the childminder's so not sure what she'll use there either 
.
Hasn't the Besafe got the extending loop thing so you can have it closer to or further from the seat of the car o increase/decrease leg room? Or am I getting it mixed up? If it is that one, then have you considered how much room it'll take up when you move it back to make more leg room for the child?
lagrandissima I'm really confused where the 20lbs/1 year thing has come from. I know they have to be at least 20lbs (9kg) and 9 months but never heard about a year. Obviously you always want them to stay rear facing as long as possible though.
OP it sounds as though you'd rather be talked into getting the TWE so here goes... yes the BeSafe is safer on crash tests, but then again you know your DD is much safer being in a TWE than she would be in a FF seat so it's not as though chosing that option is a bad idea IYSWIM. Maybe you could look in your red book and track her centiles to try and work out how long it'll be before she's 9kg or grows another X cm before being too tall for her maxi cosi seat. Then if it's likely to be soon she's too tall but a while before she's 9kg then get a first class. If there's only a very short time between her being too tall for her maxi cosi and reaching 9kg then maybe you could get a more basic birth-18kg seat if the expense is an issue. Something like this as it has lots more head room and can still be rear facing until she's 9kg and can go in the TWE. 
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ohhh i see what you mean!
the TWE will touch the seat of the car if it's in the reclined position. it has to
when you have it in the upright position there is a gap, and thus more legroom
Ooh, we're thinking of getting an A4 Estate next for DH, so I'm glad it fits. Slightly off topic, but does anyone know what year they started putting isofix in them? Trying to get the oldest cheapest best value we can.
I get it now yesterday. I've been looking at some of these car seats with a face on. Because the Besafe pivots to recline, I've never thought about how other seats would do it.
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