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Car seats

Seat bases for 0 / New Born......

9 replies

LDN1 · 18/04/2020 17:28

I had arrive; the Maxi Cosi 2way fix base / same as the 3way fix - the base is very large in that, the leg that goes down to the car floor protrudes by a large margin, toward the back of the front car seats... so much so, the front car seat has to be quite far forward.

So, I'm considering returning them (bought two) - and getting another base; do any of the New Born seat bases seem more compact?

Of course; under normal circumstances; I'd go out and look at them all but I can't. And so, left looking online. The industry is poor at making clear; sizes and compatibility in a general sense... it's left to detective work!

The base we have is on the left, or seen here:
www.kids-room.com/WebRoot/KidsroomDE/Shops/Kidsroom/52FC/8FEE/B1F9/874D/DBCD/4DEB/AE1C/F26A/BILD3_79100080/IC_IMAGE/en-maxi-cosi-2way-fix-base-2019.jpg

And the one I'm thinking of is on the right, or here:
images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hjyrdFz%2BL.AC_SX466.jpg?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Seat bases for 0 / New Born......
Seat bases for 0 / New Born......
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yestonodressyet · 18/04/2020 18:32

I think the family fix base is 55cm according to John Lewis spec details so maybe give that a measure against the one you have. We had a pebble not pebble plus so had the family fix base, double check your car seat as I think the pebble plus doesn't fit with a familyfix base.
Our car is pretty long so can't offer much advice on how far they jut out as it didn't crop up for us

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BertieBotts · 18/04/2020 18:47

You can't just get any old base, it has to be the right one for your car seat. Do you already have the seat? Infant car seats on bases do take up quite a lot of space. You can save a bit of room (and money!) by fitting the car seat directly with the seatbelt and skipping the base.

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LDN1 · 18/04/2020 19:54

Thanks everyone. This is all new to me. I realise now that the base is less an issue; than the Pebble Plus seat - that we plug into the base. In both of our cars; when setting this all up in the back of the car; the front passenger seat becomes almost unusable! Is this normal????

We have a Land Rover Discovery 4 and a Range Rover and in both; with the seat setup behind the front passenger seat; the front passenger seat has to go so far forward, that it makes it almost a no go area! We are both tall but even so...

I have spoken to a couple of friends and they both said; 'yep, the front seats have to go forward, by quite some distance...' - so maybe this is just a shock to me - but it's actually normal and accepted?

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yestonodressyet · 18/04/2020 21:43

Seems strange to me, we didn't really have to move the passenger seat forward as I remember. Is the back of the base pretty much against the back of the car seat? My brother has a Range Rover and don't remember it being an issue for them
Maybe look into the size difference between a pebble and a plus and see if that would free up any space if your returned the seat too

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BertieBotts · 18/04/2020 22:29

Yes, generally this is the case with any rear facing seat although as they get older, the seats are more upright (if you choose to stay rear facing, which is a good idea!) so they take up less space.

It was going to be my next comment that the car seat itself protrudes much further forward than the base does.

Do any of the bases fit with seatbelt? You could try, if approved (check car manual, and car seat fitting list) fitting the base in the middle back seat. As the top of the shell is curved, you may get some leeway there, where it can protrude between the front two seats, rather than into the back of the seats. Also, try having the front seat more upright.

You get more space in an Estate car, which perhaps is why they are thought of as family cars. We have a Suzuki Swift and my knees are pretty much rammed into the dashboard while we had the infant seat in there! It's better with our current seat, Joie 360 Spin, although still tight. But I can get a couple of clicks back. When DH gives a taller colleague a lift (not now obviously) he has to move the seat to the side to let him in there!

Are you on Facebook? There is a good page called Car Seat Advice UK, you can use the search box to look for people with your car, and see whether they have had the same problem and what they can recommend. There are also a few retailers on there who have fitted so many car seats they can often tell you off the top of their heads which are shorter front to back.

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BertieBotts · 18/04/2020 22:33

Another option is to put the baby seat in the front passenger seat (you MUST disable the airbag, as it is life threatening if it goes off) and the adult passenger can sit in the back. You will need to fit with seatbelt if there are no isofix points in the front seat.

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yestonodressyet · 18/04/2020 22:36

Ours is an estate like you say @BertieBotts so maybe that's why we didn't have this issue

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BertieBotts · 18/04/2020 22:44

Should add, if your infant base is 55cm it's worth noting how far forward the front seat needs to be to fit this in, as 55cm is the minimum depth you need once the child is in a forward facing seat, to ensure in the event of an accident they won't hit their head off the front seat. It's not always explicitly stated in car seat manuals, but it's part of the legal standard testing. 50cm for i-size seats. Rear facing seats at any age group though are all larger than this, about a minimum of 70cm.

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LDN1 · 18/04/2020 22:54

Wow!! Thanks so much everyone for the answers. Lots of food for thought and all noted! I have some decisions to make!

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