Recommendations for rear facing carseat for 10 mo DD

[MeadowHay]

DD is 10 months old and has basically outgrown her car seat, it's a Cosatto Port which is a rearfacing group 0+ car seat. Her head is basically right at the top and looks a bit uncomfortable (we don't have a car so she doesn't go in it often), so she needs a new one. After reading about safety of rear facing over forward facing we are keen to keep her rear facing for now. It looks like car seats that you can have rear facing and then change to forward facing come with a steep price premium? Does anyone have any recommendations for one that can be rear facing and then change to forward facing and last her as long as possible?! Not with an Isofix base obviously either given we don't have our own car.

[LettuceP]

Joie are really good. We have the tilt which is suitable rear or forward until 18kg (around 4yo) and that is about £80. We also have the stages which is more expensive but is rear facing until 18kg then forward until they are about 7.

[TrumpsFerret]

Another with Joie tilt. Easy to get in and out. My tall-ish 2 year old is happy rear facing in it. It doesn't feel as secure as an isofix one would but that tends to be the case with belt fixed ones. Remember the belt does the job in the event of an accident!

[meow1989]

We got the Joie 360 which is fab. More expensive but is saving my back as DS is on 98th century. Several friends (and do and inlaws) have it too and haven't had a bad word to say about it.

[meow1989]

Oh sorry I totally missed the jot isofix bit! We tried joie ones that weren't isofix and they also seemed comfortable le and robust

[Cyw2018]

Joie every stage. Only car seat you will ever need to buy.

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

What centile does she follow for height and weight? (Track it in her red book)

If she's going to be heavier than 18kg by the time she's 4, you need a 25kg seat to rear face to that age. Britax Two Way Elite is a good choice if you don't have a car. If she will not reach 18kg by 4, the Joie Stages would be your best choice.

Forward facing seats aren't necessary. Safest is to rear face to at least 4 and then move into a high back booster.

[Spam88]

Another vote for the Joie Stages. Really easy to fit and our daughter looks really comfortable in it. We managed to pick one up for about £80 just after Christmas so it's worth shopping around (and it helps if you're not fussy about colour).

[polarisation]

Are you sure she's outgrown her baby carrier? Have you removed all the removable inserts, and when you put her in make sure you pull her down so she's "nappy to buckle" as shown in the picture
Obviously if she's high centile or long in the back she could have outgrown it, but my 75th centile 18 month old still has a bit of space left in her carrier so you might get a bit longer out of it than you think.

If she's definitely outgrown it then she will probably outgrow an 18kg seat before she's 4 too, which would mean you'd need to buy another rear facing/harnessed seat until she's mature enough to sit properly in a high backed booster. So it might be worth looking at the 25kg extended rear facing seats.

The Two Way Elite mentioned above is probably your best choice since you don't have a car of your own. She might still be a bit small for the lowest harness position on that though, but I'm not sure what height it is so I'm not sure. If you're near the In Car Safety Centre then they can let you try it out, but they're the only retailer who sells them in the UK.

[MeadowHay]

I will have a fiddle later and try and put her as low down as possible to see. We made a car trip the other day and DH put her in the car seat and her head was right at the top, but on the way back I said to shuffle her bum down further and there was a bit of space then at the top, but only a tiny bit, but enough that she didn't look uncomfortable.

But tbh as we only use it every few weeks or so, I want to buy in advance anyway because I don't want one day we try and put her in it and then realise she's too big and we're a bit suck. We are in Merseyside, I was thinking of going to the Liverpool John Lewis and having a look there, hopefully be some knowledgeable staff there too.

Have not weighed her for about a month, at 9 months she was 75 centile for weight - but she's been going up the centiles veeery slowly since she was 3 months old, so if that continues she will be a higher centile in a few months time iyswim. Like, at 7 months she was only about the 55th centile for weight. Have not measured her in ages so dunno about height. Will have to weight and measure her later when DH gets home, he will love that xD

[MeadowHay]

Ah, if she stays around the 75th centile then she is likely to be just about 18kg at the age of 4. But if her previous growth is anything to go by she is continuing to go up centiles each month so there's a good chance she will reach 18kg before then if that continues.

[MeadowHay]

Incidentally, anyone else had a small ish baby that is just slowly and surely climbing up the centiles so slow that you don't really notice?! She was around the 30th for weight when she was born, how did my tiny baby get so squishy?!