Car seat for a five year old

[CruCru]

Hello

We have some friends from New Zealand coming to stay for a month. They are borrowing my car and I'm wondering what to do about car seats.

They have a five year old and a three year old. We can borrow a seat for the three year old but thought we'd buy one for the five year old as we have a DS (20 months, 13.5 kilos) who could use it in a couple of years time. What should we get?

Thanks!

[5madthings]

For a five year old i would get a high backed booster seat but ideally you need to know how much the five yr old weighs.

[5madthings]

My five yr old is in one if these
m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnlewis.com/maxi-cosi-rodi-air-protect-car-seat-black-reflection/p231326864?kpid=231326864&s_kenid=3bbeb581-c58c-8168-02d8-000062536143&s_kwcid=ppc_pla&tmad=c&tmcampid=73


But you can get cheaper versions ie graco do a high backed booster.


Some five yr olds will still fit in a catseat with a five point harness. You can get ones with a five point harness that then become a high backed booster as you rwmove the harness and use them with the normal searbelt as they get bigger.

[5madthings]

m.johnlewis.com/mt/www.johnlewis.com/britax-evolva-123-plus-car-seat-black-thunder/p231779005?un_jtt_v_pdp=yes


Here this has a five point harness and then changes into a high backed booster as they get older.

Again you can get cheaper versions of the same thing and more expensive ones as well.

Depends on your budget and how long you want it to last etc.

[CruCru]

Thanks, these look fine. I don't mind spending a bit as it will be used by DS and DC2 (due in September).

[5madthings]

You will need to check how manyyears the catseat is ok for, some have expiry dates on as the plastic can degrade/weaken over time.

I think i reas somewhere that some last six years? Others longet. Its an issue that causes much debate!

We had a carseat we used for ds1 and ds2 and then gor new for ds3 and ds4. They change and models are upgraded etc over time as well.

Just worth bearing the expiry thing in mind, it may have the date on it or look up the make/model online ans check what the manufacturers say :)

[lljkk]

Crikey, those are expensive. £110 for a visitor's carseat?

I just bought a spare high back booster on Ebay for 99p. yes it is 2nd hand, but sometimes you have to have faith in people. Structural integrity not as essential as the stage 0 plastic seats, either.

[CruCru]

Well, it would be used for my own children as well.

[5madthings]

My opinion is that taking our children in cars is probably one of the riskiest things we do with our children and we have to do it, but I will make it as safe as I possibly can given my budget etc. So no I can't afford or fit a extended rear facing seat in our car for our two yr old, but I made sure got a car seat for her that does well in the which reports and fits in our car well etc. Ditto with the older boys they all have a car seat appropriate to their weight etc. I just know I couldn't live with the 'what its' if I bought a second ha s car seat ( unless from a very good friend) and tho they seem expensive if you divide the cost over the time its used, its not that expensive really.

£110,divided by 365 days in a year works out as 30p a day, you will probably use it for more than a year so it will work out even cheaper esp if used for two children.


I pay more than that a day for my phone line/TV/broadband package.


Anyway I am going on a bit, but car safety is important, I am always amazed by parents that won't let. 9/10yr olds play out on their own etc, as they worry about abduction... Yet so many people use jut a basic booster cushion is no back for children age 3/4 and up! A car accident is a real risk, being abducted.... Tiny tiny chance.

Risk perception seems very squewed sometimes!

[5madthings]

Sorry cru as I said you can get cheaper or more expensive versions of either of those car seats, what's important is the car seat is suitable for the weight of your child and that it fits safely in your car. The which reports are very good to look at and give good safety ratings on lots of car seats.

Yes all car seats pass the same,e BASIC safety checks but they are basic so if you can get one that does better than that I think its worth it.

[lynniep]

I have recaro car seats in the back of both my cars. (one is a young sport and one a monza which is isofix) Both of them have been excellent - good safety reports, very comfortable, and marvellous fabric which repells, um, liquids of all kinds. Also adjustable for age and decent sized seats. The young sport has a removable 5 point harness for younger children.

[lljkk]

It's just that you might have a different car in 3 yrs & the seat might not fit well, or a different higher safety seat might be out by then that you'd prefer to have. It's a lot to assume to fork out £110 for such a maybe.

[CruCru]

Thanks all. The child weighs 20 to 22 kilos so that gives me a starting point. I think the group 2 seats are from 18 to 36 kilos.

[5madthings]

Yes its good to know a weight, the first link of the high back booster type should be fine for that weight.

On the seats with the straps that you then take off to turn it into a high back booster you need to check the weight limit for the straps, they say to take the integral straps off and use as a high back booster with normal seatbelt once they reach a certain weight.

For most seats I think its 18kg + but you would need to check each seat, the manufacturers will specify when the straps shoukd be removed re height/weight of the child :)

[lagoonhaze]

I got a kidfix for my car and a britax hiliner/adventurer (on offer for £29 from kiddicare at the time) for my 5.5 years old.

[notfarmingatthemo]

Just a thought Carseats here in NZ are not cheap. Nearly double what they are in the UK. They are also wider. So getting three across the back of a car can be more tricky then the Uk. Our carseat law (NZ) is changing so children will have to be in a seat until they are 148cm. Your friend may want to take one back with her.
To be legal in NZ the must either be EU, USA seat of seats from Australia.
If I was travelling back with a child that aged I would bring one back
I would look at the ones that are narrow ones like the britax adventure. I love the maxi cosy air- protect.

[lljkk]

Ooh, I forgot about the weight thing. My 5yo is spilling out of his stage 0+ seat but he is barely 15 kg. 22 kg is a lot easier to work with.

Actually the risk of a car accident is still quite small, that's why so many of us had event-free childhoods scrambling around the car on thousands of journeys with no belts. Not saying anyone shouldn't have a safety restraint, but it is another risk that gets exaggerated.

[MrsExcited]

What about this,

www.mothercare.com/Graco-Junior-Maxi-Highback-Booster-Car-Seat---Scarlett/717080,default,pd.html

A very useful car seat, made by a reputable manufacture.

[lagoonhaze]

The graco has no side impact protection unfortunately.

[unlucky83]

Expiry dates are important - when I looked into this a couple of years ago Which had done a crash test on 10 yr old brittax and it was shocking -but high backed booster suitable to age 11 must have a longer expiry date..
In that that test it was the integral harness in the thin plastic shell that caused the problem ...a booster using the car seat belt must be safer....
In general
Avoid the ones that use car seat belts for the child from 9 months or so (if they are still available...partial impact crashes (which surely have got to be as common as full frontal/rear) threw younger children out of the seat...bigger children less of a problem -although all multistage seats did worse than more specific ones)
And some big names/expensive seats did really badly in their tests...
But the biggest problem are seats that don't fit the car correctly/aren't fitted correctly (with isofix less of a problem) ...buckle crunch anyone?
(I had the bit the belt clips into shortened on my old escort -before I could only find one seat (very expensive and not good reviews) that fitted that safely...)

[alienbanana]

If you want an isofix one the maxi cosi ferofix is brilliant. Expensive, but if you'll be using it then worth it I think

[CruCru]

Hi all

I think she will already have car seats in NZ - it's just I can't imagine her wanting to lug them on the plane. I'm happy to buy a nice car seat - it will get used after she has gone.

[unlucky83]

I meant to say as well - I'm sure manufacturers could make a seat without an expiry date...and find it very 'convenient' that they often 'expire' just as you would be looking to use it on the next dc... not at all environmentally friendly ...and makes me quite cross!

[MyBootsAreMuddy]

Do you have 2 cars? If so then somthing like the Britax Adventure seat (this is a realy good price here) might be an idea as it could then be used as the spare seat in whatever car your DS travels in least when he is older and you could get a new seat for the car he uses the most as by the time he is big enough to use a booster there may be technology that have made them better/safer.

We have a Britax Kidfix which is a fantastic seat. 8yr old DS is very comfy in it and has plenty of room to grow still.

[CruCru]

Hello, yes we each have a car. Thanks all for your advice.

[CruCru]

Hi all, thanks very much for your advice. Think we've decided on the Maxi Cosi Rodi. Should we get the one with isofix or the one without?