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Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here.

Car seats

newborn baby car seat for Ford Focus

16 replies

Leylak16 · 23/05/2015 11:27

anybody have any recommendations for newborn baby car seat which would fit for 2001 Ford Focus car ?

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YouMakeMyHeartSmile · 23/05/2015 11:30

Has it got isofix?

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imwithspud · 23/05/2015 11:32

I think most infant carriers are pretty much universal for all cars, but you're probably best going into a shop and asking them to try out a few in your car.

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Leylak16 · 23/05/2015 11:39

No,our car doesn't have isofix.

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YouMakeMyHeartSmile · 23/05/2015 11:56

If you're strapping it in with a seatbelt I think most will fit. The best thing to do is to go somewhere like halfords and speak to an advisor, they will check the fit in your car and make sure you know how to fit it correctly.

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Fourfourtwo · 25/05/2015 19:46

We bought a maxi-cosi pebble with a plan to strap it in rather than use a base initially for our 2003 focus but the seat belts were too short so had to buy the base which we could strap in instead. I then found out that old focuses are notorious for having short seat belts. Just something to bear in mind but going somewhere where they'll fit it at time of purchase will sort this out.

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EEvans · 07/06/2015 09:02

God I'm so glad I found this tread! I've just been having a major panic about car seats!

We have a Ford Focus 2003 and after reading all that they don't have isofix and have rubbish short seat belts I read on an old link some where that I could get a Surefix base! But nowhere sells them anymore!! Queue major melt down! Argh!

Fourfourtwo - what base did you get and where did you get it?

I'm due in October with out first baby and there have been some serious tears over this car seat panic this morning! Your help would be eternally appreciated!

Thank you! xxx

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nottheOP · 07/06/2015 09:06

fitfinder.britax.co.uk/

Looks like the first class plus will fit & last a while

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westcountrywoman · 07/06/2015 09:18

I have same car as you. The rear seat belts are short and you can't turn off airbag in front, so many non-based car seats are a mare. No isofix either.
Luckily, Maxi Cosi does a non-isofix base (? Think it's called EasyBase). It works very well with the seatbelt and you use it with the Cabriofix car seat which is a very good seat).

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EEvans · 07/06/2015 09:42

I can't understand why the Focus, such a common car is such a nightmare!

I was looking at getting the maxi-cosi when I discovered I didn't have the isofix thing in the Ford. But I shall have a look at the Easybase thank you.

Ive been in such a typical pregnant hormonal panic about it thinking a million people must have an old Ford Focus - what is going on!

Stupid Ford! I also read that unless when you buy it new you pay extra for them to add a switch you can't turn off the front airbag! What crooks! Most over car makes have the isofix and he airbag things as standard!

Note to self - don't upgrade to another Ford (if we ever have any money again...lol)!

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westcountrywoman · 07/06/2015 09:43

Here you go, this is the Maxi-Cosi non-isofix base. It's dead easy to fit with a seatbelt and is really secure, even in the early style Ford Focus:

You can use with Cabriofix and Pebble infant car seats.

www.amazon.co.uk/Maxi-Cosi-EasyBase-Car-Seat-Base/dp/B002S52XK0?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

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EEvans · 07/06/2015 10:38

Thanks, I was just having a read of that exact one! It's so annoying that I can only use the Easybase that is only compatible with the two 0/0+ seats! If only the Family Fit base wasnt isofix only! In a years time I'll not only have to get a new seat but a new base as well! Grummy old car!!

Thanks for the help all. I might have a look at the Britax and see if that has anymore flexibility!

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WiIdfire · 07/06/2015 10:48

My sister used a maxi-cosi pebble in her ford focus with only the seatbelt. Yes it was short, but it did - just - go round, so it might be worth a try. Bear in mind that the new pebble plus is now available with new bases etc so not sure if they are exactly the same size. I found mothercare helpful in trying out seats in my car a few weeks ago.

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westcountrywoman · 07/06/2015 22:02

I wouldn't worry too much about 'missing out' on the Family Fix system. I thought it was very expensive and not the good buy it first seemed. Yes you only buy one base but the cost of the base plus two seats (infant and next stage) is very high. Also, I don't know your situation of course, but we knew we wanted a second DC quite soon and so would have needed two bases anyway. It's really not cost effective if you'd need the kit for a second child before the first has moved on to a booster. Another point is that seat technology is evolving quite quickly and it may work out that the base you would buy now is superseded by a newer product before you'd need to buy the next stage seat. It happened to a friend who had the original Family Fix base which doesn't fit with the newer two-way stage 1 seat, so she ended up buying a whole new base and seat.

So I'd seriously look at the Cabriofix or Pebble with the Easy Base, and then a separate stage 1 seat when you need it. We used Kiddy seats for stage 1 - a bit different but excellent Which? reviews and very easy with a seatbelt.

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BertieBotts · 13/06/2015 17:56

The first class definitely fits in the focus, we used to have one. Rear and forward facing. But I'd use an infant carrier seat at first, much more practical. The cabriofix fits in there okay. We didn't have a base.

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MyNameIsSuz · 13/06/2015 18:00

We had a maxi cosi too and no isofix. Our friends had a silver cross seat with their travel system and that didn't fit in their focus - it fit between the seats but the seat belt wasn't long enough and they had to buy a base. Would have been a problem for us in our slightly older car!

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karenselina · 26/10/2016 11:12

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