Best FF 123 seat, harness to 25kg

[Kcoffecakebubs]

Hi, looking to buy a new car seat as our current spin seat is too small for the car really and DS 21 months feet are on the back of passenger seat with legs bent as far forward as it will go.

I am under the impression that a 123 seat would give us more room in the back? I've posted hear before and have Joie bold, cozy n safe and Baby Auto Dupla as recommendations, but just wondered what other options we have? The Baby Auto Dupla says not compatible with our car on their website, and the Bold is quite a bit more expensive than the cozy n safe - are they comparable for safety?

Id just like to know I've checked every option, and have the one that will last longest as It don't want to be having to buy another soon (only had the last one around 7 months!). I read a review that there wasn't much crotch room in the bold?

Sorry for the waffle!

Thanks for any suggestions in advance.

[BertieBotts]

Does the seat fit a bit better if it's rear facing? As rear facing can weirdly sometimes fit in a more compact space. It's OK if the seat touches the front seat. You can also get rear facing seats up to 25kg which fit even more compactly as they go more upright.

There aren't a lot of seats in the UK that have a 25kg harness and convert to boosters. Those you've mentioned are the only ones, for Cozy n Safe there are two models, Excalibur and Hudson. There is also Infasafe Event FX but I don't know much about it. There's no safety info on any of them except for the Joie Bold, which only gets an average score anyway.

There are a couple which have the 25kg harness but don't convert to booster seats. Maxi Cosi Beryl (but this doesn't last very long by height) and Chicco Seat Up.

You do need top tether for all the forward facing ones apart from Maxi Cosi, so if you don't have top tether you won't be able to use any of them - you'd need one with an 18kg harness instead, or a rear facing seat.

[Kcoffecakebubs]

We have a top tether so that's ok. I didn't realise our options would be so limited! I just feel he's way too young to not be harnessed at 18kg seeing as it will probably be before he turns 2.

Rear facing the seat perhaps has a bit more room, but his feet end up nearly on the head rest. But regardless he is sick Every time he rest faces, even for 5 minute journeys, and he screams his head off. So we are FF.

Are there more 25kg harness options of we don't have a seat that converts to booster? I don't want to get a seat that is outgrown by height too quick either as he is tall too.

[BertieBotts]

How much does he weigh now? 18kg before 2 would be off the charts big, which is why there aren't a huge amount of seats accommodating it.

All the options are listed in the post above. If you need to definitely get to 25kg, then I'd stick with either Joie Bold, BabyAuto Dupla or Cozy n Safe Hudson. I'd probably trust the Joie more than the Hudson, the Hudson seems a bit flimsier to me.

The Excalibur is a bit shorter in height, the Maxi Cosi is hopelessly small, I've heard the Infasafe is small, but haven't any experience of it IRL. I am not sure about the Chicco. Don't know much about it.

Diono Radian 5 is another one (no booster) that I left out because it's being discontinued, you can still buy it in some places. But it's also not the tallest one on the market, plus it didn't get very good test resuts for forward facing.

Joie Bold is most likely your best bet I'd say.

[Kcoffecakebubs]

@BertieBotts thank you. He's just under 17kg now. He has been off the centile charts since about 4 months for height and weight. He's about the same size as 3&4 year olds we know. Looks like the Joie bold is the way to go then! Thank you so much .