Can anyone recommend a good car seat for my 16 month old?

[teaandchocolate1]

Just that really 🙂

It should be rear facing, comfy and most importantly, secure.

It would be a major plus if it doesn't cost more than 200 pounds and if he can use the car seat as long as possible in his toddler years :)

Thanks for any advice xx

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MNHQ

How tall and what weight are they?

@Shmithecat2

How tall and what weight are they?

I'm not sure. He never keeps still when we want to measure and weigh him. 😂

He's long, but quite slim xx

You can choose between get a RF until 4y seat (or 105cm/18kg - so you might get longer/shorter out of it depending on whether he's bigger or smaller for his age) or there are now a few seats out there that RF until 6 but you have to have top tether in the car I think for these ones.

DD is 4.5 and about to grow out of her GB Vaya (sister brand to Cybex). It's been the perfect seat for her but cost over your budget.

Cheap but still safe rating RF until 4 seat is the Joie Stages, which then FF until 6 but the FF doesn't get as good safety ratings as many high back boosters (the seats they use from 4 onwards if FF). You can pick these up for around £100. They're not isofix though which I find a bit of a pain. If you can possibly up your budget, it makes a massive difference to your back being able to rotate a seat so that you're not twisting awkwardly.

Trouble with seats that straddle 2/3 groups is that they don't tend to perform top of the league for safety in all the groups.

Have a look at previous posts on here but essentially rear facing is safer until at least 4. If you have a taller/heavier than average child then they will outgrow a standard RF 18kg by 4, therefor look at a 25kg seat. Popular options are axkid minikid, axkid move and britax max way plus. I have 2 max ways (one older and one plus) and they are great seats. Tall 4 year old still comfortable and I got them for less than £200 in sales. Try winstanleys pramworld or in car safety centre. You also need to check your car is compatible, most manufacturers should have install lists on their website.

We have two of the same Axkid that my tall four year old is still very comfortable in. She’s never complained about rear-facing. She will likely fit in it until 6/7.
You could look at the WOB but it is narrower so you won’t get as many years out of it. On the other hand in group 3 safe seats are much cheaper.

If they're around or under 50th centile for weight, an 18kg seat will be fine to get them to at least 4yo rear facing. Although preferably 5yo - their spines aren't quite mature enough to deal with the impact of an accident forward facing before them. But £200 for an 18kg seat is plenty. Depending on your car, the Joie Stages does well rear facing to 18kg, then can be used as a high back booster until 25kg.

Ive recently brought the 'Babyauto Revolva Plus 360 Swivel Isofix Group 0-1-2-3 Car Seat' from smyths toy store for £160, my 13 month old looks so comftable in it!
I spent a good hour talking to the 'baby eqipment expert' about all the diffrent car seats and saftey of them.
The car seat ticked all the boxes for me, isofix, to the highest and newest saftey standards, allows extended rear facing up to 4 years old, 360 to save my back, can be used up to 4 years, has diffrent reclines, easy to install/uninstall and my little boy looks comftable in it.
Id 100% reccomend it and im even concidering buying a seccond for my baby on its way as its suitable from birth!

@INeedNewShoes

You can choose between get a RF until 4y seat (or 105cm/18kg - so you might get longer/shorter out of it depending on whether he's bigger or smaller for his age) or there are now a few seats out there that RF until 6 but you have to have top tether in the car I think for these ones.

DD is 4.5 and about to grow out of her GB Vaya (sister brand to Cybex). It's been the perfect seat for her but cost over your budget.

Cheap but still safe rating RF until 4 seat is the Joie Stages, which then FF until 6 but the FF doesn't get as good safety ratings as many high back boosters (the seats they use from 4 onwards if FF). You can pick these up for around £100. They're not isofix though which I find a bit of a pain. If you can possibly up your budget, it makes a massive difference to your back being able to rotate a seat so that you're not twisting awkwardly.

Trouble with seats that straddle 2/3 groups is that they don't tend to perform top of the league for safety in all the groups.

Rear facing to 25kg seats don't need top tethers, only lower tethers - which can be seat rails etc. They're mostly universal, but there are none under £200 other than the Britax TWE, or if you're lucky in a sale, the Britax Maxway (not Plus) or the Axkid Move. For seats that harness to 25kg forward facing, top tether is required for all but one - the Maxi Cosi Beryl. That is £300, and a very short shell and likely grown out of by height far before weight.

@Mummmaa

Ive recently brought the 'Babyauto Revolva Plus 360 Swivel Isofix Group 0-1-2-3 Car Seat' from smyths toy store for £160, my 13 month old looks so comftable in it! I spent a good hour talking to the 'baby eqipment expert' about all the diffrent car seats and saftey of them. The car seat ticked all the boxes for me, isofix, to the highest and newest saftey standards, allows extended rear facing up to 4 years old, 360 to save my back, can be used up to 4 years, has diffrent reclines, easy to install/uninstall and my little boy looks comftable in it. Id 100% reccomend it and im even concidering buying a seccond for my baby on its way as its suitable from birth!

It only rearfaces or forward faces with the harness to 18kg, regardless of age, so if you have a child on the higher centiles, they may be too heavy for the harness before they're physically ready to use it as a HBB. Just something to keep an eye out for.

The Babyauto Revolva appears to be rearfacing only until 13kg so probably isn't what the OP is looking for as she'd be better off with a RF to 18kg which would last until the DC is 4 years old.

We have an Axkid Move, which we bought for DC2 when he was 15 months. It’s a slim fitting rear seat and the tethers attach to the seat rails under the front seat. It can be done in such a way that you can still move the front seat. DC2 seems happy enough in it. I think they’re normally about £225 but sometimes drop to £185 in sales. It should take you through to 25kg.

Someone above recommended the Joie Stages. Just to point out, it’s a great seat for what it does at the price but a) it is BIG, b) it is RF to 18kg only (I think), and c) it can’t be used in every position in every car and needs a long seat belt. We just couldn’t stretch our belt (Seat Ibiza) to fasten it in. It works fine in my DPs’ Mondeo though.

@INeedNewShoes

The Babyauto Revolva appears to be rearfacing only until 13kg so probably isn't what the OP is looking for as she'd be better off with a RF to 18kg which would last until the DC is 4 years old.

The Revolva PLUS harnesses to 18kg.

Oops. Thanks for correcting me. The 'plus' escaped me.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We will be going to a store this weekend to get professional advice and I'll definitely be on the lookout for some of the models you suggested xx

The Joie 360 spin is currently £180 in John Lewis. Most of my friend have it and they strongly recommend. You can then use a HB booster from age 4 and you can get a decent one for around £80. I have the Britax Dulafix which spins, I think it’s really good quality, particularly the head rest and straps, however it is expensive.

Axkid! Often in sales from independent retailers. Absolutely brilliant car seat and gives me massive peace of mind