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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be stressed about choosing a car seat?

55 replies

ewille · 10/04/2011 21:44

Argh, DD is 9 months old and is in need of a new car seat. There is too much choice, too many things to take into consideration and I'm getting stressed! Stupid eh.

My DH very helpfully said "whatever you think is right" so I thought I chose one of those Kiddy car seats with the funny tray instead of a harness. I found one for £175 which I thought was a lot to cough up but if it lasted until she is 12 then its not so bad. Then my DH said "what's wrong with a £50 one" and then pointed another article that said they should be rear facing and then realised how much they cost and said "I'm sure a front facing one will be fine." ARGHHHHHHHHH.
AIBU to ask him to either help me choose based on criteria of safety, comfort and cost or just leave it to me and cough up?
AIBU to think that these articles prey on our fear of harm to our children and create paranoia? Would front facing seats really be approved if they were so unsafe? What should I do???? ARGHHHHHHHHH.
AIBU to have a gin and tonic and pick one out of a hat?

OP posts:
Alambil · 10/04/2011 21:46

my priority list was:

does it fit the car?
can I afford it?
how long will it last?

that was it - I got a Britax First Class which lasted from ds being 6m to nearly 4yrs old (it goes backwards to begin with)

Flisspaps · 10/04/2011 21:47

We thought along the same sort of lines as LewisFan and got a Britax, although our is forward facing and will last until DD is 11 (she's 1 now)

trinitybleu · 10/04/2011 21:50

My priority list is:

  1. is it the safest it can possibly be in our cars?
  2. is it highly rated by Which?

End of. I'll pay whatever is necessary to get the best.

JjandtheBeanlovesUnicorns · 10/04/2011 21:50

go to kiddicare/mothercare/halfords.

you do not choose a carseat really, its what fits your car. if theres a few then you choose.

we have 2x britax evolvas 123+ and theyre excellent and kiddicare did them at a great price compared to everywhere else.

also does your 9mo really need a new seat, ds stayed in his infant carrier until 14mnths, dd until 12mnths, 9mnths is a guide its about weight and head posistion, bent legs are not an issue

onadietcokebreak · 10/04/2011 21:51

Britax two way elite if it will fit your car- sorted!

Has your DD really outgrown her infant seat though?

BertieBotts · 10/04/2011 21:52

The Kiddy ones avoid the issues with FF car seats anyway - they are related to the 5-point harness and the fact their heads are so much bigger than their bodies.

You also avoid the problem where they can get out of the seat as they physically can't reach the seatbelt to undo it. And they have extremely good side impact protection. Also they are really quick and easy to fit - all of these in my opinion outweighed the benefits of rearfacing. I have one for DS and I think it's brilliant.

Original poster
ewille · 10/04/2011 21:53

Thanks. I will go to Kiddicare. Think my daughter is ready for a new seat as she's approaching the weight limit and is a nightmare on the longer trips we need to do to see her Grandparents.

OP posts:
JjandtheBeanlovesUnicorns · 10/04/2011 21:55

kiddicare are fantastic, they tried 10 plus carseats in our car and weve had replacements with no quibble when weve had a split seam and straps being really hard to tighten on one of the seats.

Elizadoesdolittle · 10/04/2011 22:21

I could have written your post myself a couple of months a go. I was getting so stressed about the next stage car seat. I went through the same thoughts as you and after a lot of agonising we went for the kiddy guardian pro and so pleased that we did.
Good luck, you'll get there in the end!

BertieBotts · 10/04/2011 23:18

Also the Kiddy Comfort Pro is a lot better padded for side impacts etc than most high backed boosters - TBH to buy a HBB as good as the Kiddy one you'd be paying a lot anyway. It is a very good seat for the money.

foreverondiet · 10/04/2011 23:25

Does your 9 month old really need a carseat. Rearfacing is best, use infant carrier for as long as possible. DS2 is one year, plan to use rear facing infant carrier for another 6 months. Weight limit is generally 13kg, check your seat. At 9kg they CAN go forward facing but no rush.

We have anyway a britax isofit duo in the attic from DS1 and DD so I don't even need to go and buy it!

re: until 12. My 7 year old refuses to sit in/on anything other than booster cushion.

blackeyedsusan · 10/04/2011 23:26

Which guide and will it fit in the car

mamatomany · 10/04/2011 23:27

Think my daughter is ready for a new seat as she's approaching the weight limit

Hmmm have you read about rearfacing car seats for the under 2's ?

www.reafacing.co.uk

Some nob on FB has moved her child into a FF car seat at 5 months, how I've bitten my tongue I don't know but anyway, there's a very good argument for keeping babies rear facing as long as possible.

My boy is a whooper and wearing 12-18 month clothes at 9 months but he's no where near outgrown his maxi cosy infant carrier.

mamatomany · 10/04/2011 23:28

www.rearfacing.co.uk

bubbleymummy · 11/04/2011 00:41

Not sure which infant carrier you have but if it's a maxi cosi it goes up to 13kg - some other ones only go up to 9kg. My Ds2 was in his maxi cosi cabriofix until he was 17 months and it was his height (top of head reaching back of seat) that moved him out of it, not his weight.

I don't think boredom is a good reason to move a young child forward facing tbh. They are so much safer rearfacing for as long as possible due to the size of their head in comparison to their body ( think severe neck injuries in a crash or even an emergency stop) Give her some toys/books to play with or get a silly 'car only' cd to sing along to with her. IMO it is just not worth the risk - better bored than seriously injured or worse :(

onadietcokebreak · 11/04/2011 07:15

Oh mamatomany my sister and friend were the same. It was so hard to bite Tongue. With friend I did my best to suggest it wasn't necessary - with my sister she already had 4 so wasn't likely to listen

memphis83 · 11/04/2011 07:26

but on the rear facing infant carrier if the head comes over the top it isnt safe, my friends son is 6 months and he is in 18 month clothes and longer than my ds he head has been at the top of his seat for a month (his dad is nearly 7 foot!)
i also recommend kiddicare, they will try every carseat if you wanted to

onceamai · 11/04/2011 07:45

All I can say is God help you when it comes to chosing a secondary school Grin

Bananamash · 11/04/2011 07:58

Not sure where abouts in the country you are, but i used the in car safety centre in milton keynes. They were FANTASTIC. I would never buy a car seat from mothercare/halfords again.

They have a huge selection of forward and rear facing seats. The staff are really knowledgable and helpful.

I used them as i knew i wanted a rearfacing seat, so drove all the way up there. It was a weekday, granted, but the assistant spent over an hour with me choosin between just two seats, then letting me practise installing it several times under supervison to make sure i had the knack of it.

fiveisanawfullybignumber · 11/04/2011 08:10

DD2 is very tall for her age, always has been and although was well within the weight range had outgrown her infant carrier height wise at 8m.
There was no competition for me, I got the Britax First Class as she could stay rear facing in there till she was alot older. The good thing about that car seat is that it fits a lot of cars, even ones that sometimes get buckle crunch with other seats due to it's alternative routing.
Mamatomany, There is no way on this earth I'd put a 5m old in a forward facing car seat, I hope to goodness the parents aren't involved in a crash, that poor baby wouldn't survive a strong impact.Sad

onadietcokebreak · 11/04/2011 08:17

Exactly five there are alternatives to putting them FF. We had the britax first class for the buckle crunch reason. Unfortunatey it doesnt fit rearward in my car (short belts) other wise I would be using it for next DC instead of infant carrier.

There will also be a small percentage of children who do outgrow their carriers. However there are alternatives to FF so young!

Mishy1234 · 11/04/2011 08:33

It's a minefield isn't it!

I would also say that if you can keep her in the infant carrier a bit longer, then do. I accept that some children are really tall and do have to move up into a car seat at around 9 months, but generally most children can stay in them for longer than they do.

Also, investigate rear facing seats if you can. They are harder to get hold of and generally more expensive (supply and demand issue in the UK I think), but are of benefit especially under 2.

SillyHat · 11/04/2011 08:41

I got mine from kiddicare, too.

Britax Duo Plus Isofix

Followed by

Britax Kidfix

Dakiara · 11/04/2011 10:05

I got my first from Halfords after looking at safety reviews for side impacts at the time - apparently it was one of the better ones that fitted my car. I got my second one (a rear facing one lasting up to around four years - he's still in it) from a place in Milton Keynes that does rear facing seats (from one of the ones listed as suppliers on the rear facing site above). The next one will be a full backed booster seat with side head protection and extra side impact cushions, assuming it fits in the car, once he's of the correct weight.

My criteria for choosing were whichever was "safest" in tests and fitted my car, followed by how sturdy/comfy it felt, followed by cost. We ended up with Britax for the baby carrier based on info available at the time, Britax for the rear facer (again safety choice from what fitted) and coincidentally, may get the same brand for the next one. :)

PrincessScrumpy · 11/04/2011 10:19

We loved the quality of our maxi cosi so we stuck with the brand - after checking it fitted well (and it did). Have been really happy with it. DD is now 3 and when we get the next stage seat we'll get another maxi cosi. Just personal preference. I moved dd into forward facing after she was 1 but only just as she was very tall and her head was too high for the carrier.