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Original poster

Rear facing car seat advice

15 replies

BecauseReasons · 26/01/2020 10:29

We bought MIL a car seat for 18mo DD which rear faces, but she has recently turned it so that there's more leg room. Apparently Halfords said her legs are too long to rear face, so it'd be more dangerous to keep her in that position.

We'd rather keep her rear facing for longer, even if that means a new seat. Which seats can you recommend for extended rear facing and where can I get one from? I'm in the UK.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 26/01/2020 10:36

Halfords are wrong. It doesnt matter about leg length. As long as the head is still below the headrest then it is not outgrown

NameChange30 · 26/01/2020 10:39

Halfords are wrong and generally terrible at giving car seat advice.

This page has a section about legs
www.carseatadvice-uk.com/rear-facing-or-forward.html

Pinkflipflop85 · 26/01/2020 10:39

Halfords are giving irresponsible advice. Dc1 is 95th centile for height and rear faced until 4.

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dementedpixie · 26/01/2020 10:42

Legroom in rear-facing car seats

Older children may look squashed in extended rear-facing car seats, because it can seem there is limited space to put their legs, but children are much more flexible than adults and can sit comfortably in cross-legged positions.

The aim of the car seat is to protect the head, neck and internal organs, which are much harder to heal than broken leg bones.

Although a child’s legs may appear more vulnerable when they're facing the back of the car, the aim of the car seat is to protect their head, neck and internal organs, which are much harder to heal than broken leg bones.

Read more: www.which.co.uk/reviews/child-car-seats/article/rear-facing-child-car-seats/rear-facing-child-car-seats-the-cons - Which?

Original poster
BecauseReasons · 26/01/2020 11:01

Thank you for the advice and links. Do you think it's worth getting a car seat that can adjust to increase leg room? Our main family one does, but not MIL's.

OP posts:
Timmytoo · 26/01/2020 11:03

I have a 3 week old with a rear facing. I only take her when with partner as so worried something will happen and I can't see her. Does anyone else worry about this?

Dandelion1993 · 26/01/2020 11:06

Leg room issue is nonsense.

As for sitting in the back with a baby pp I've never done it. We've had a mirror so we can see when driving or of we turn around.

There is no need to sit with them. 3 weeks is still early and you'll become more confident. Don't worry.

Blondebear123 · 26/01/2020 11:07

Get a mirror for the seat from amazon then u can see the baby

Ruddle91 · 26/01/2020 11:07

Get a mirror? Or put the seat in the front if you can turn your airbag off using the front seat is ok. It's normal in the Nordic countries where RF to 4-6 is entirely normal - they seem to know what they're doing. It's not safe if you can't turn your airbag off though.

LemonGingerCakes · 26/01/2020 11:15

The seeing them is a non issue argument.

When rear facing, you can get a mirror that attaches to the headrest and you can see the whole head and torso (if you get a decent one),

Turn them round and forward face them (in a stationary vehicle as an experiment). In the rear view mirror, if it’s placed to see out of the rear window, you can see nothing of the small child or baby because they are too low.

The driver should not be turning their head round to see the baby or child when they are concentrating on driving.

They shouldn’t really be eating or doing anything that could cause choking. In the young baby days one of us sat in the back anyway.

LemonGingerCakes · 26/01/2020 11:16

Mine found it more comfortable to rear face and have something to rest their legs. When they initially turned round they found their legs dangled and got uncomfortable.

MsChatterbox · 26/01/2020 11:36

Can't believe halfords are giving this advice!!! I worry about many parents have trusted them. Axkid minikid tends to have more leg room. But honestly you don't need to worry. Children can cross their legs.

Original poster
BecauseReasons · 26/01/2020 11:59

Can't believe halfords are giving this advice!!! I worry about many parents have trusted them.

I know- I only found out that MIL had changed the seat orientation because DH spotted it in her car last week. She trusted Halfords so completely that she didn't think to check with us first before switching it around. I've no idea how long DD had been forward facing for before DH found out and don't want to ask! Halfords really ought to be more careful when advising people to ensure that they do it correctly.

OP posts:
penberrh · 26/01/2020 12:11

If you’re based in North Yorkshire I have one for sale that’s never been used (long story involving divorce) and goes up to age 4 to 6, depending on height of child. It’s the maxi cosi one.

Original poster
BecauseReasons · 26/01/2020 12:27

@penberrh I'm not near there, sorry, but thanks for the offer. I hope the divorce is as stress-free as possible for all involved.

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