Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

AIBU?

to want not want to fork out 350 quid for a rear facing toddler seat

128 replies

chairmanofthebored · 05/10/2012 14:29

I have looked at the scare mongering youtube videos about the dangers of internal decapitation, resulting from car crashes where the toddler was in a standard forward facing care seat. I then did a quick bit of research into the cost of the recommended rear facing seats. IT turns out they are bulky, difficult to fit in smaller cars, and also around the 350 quid mark.
Does anyone know of one that might be a bit cheaper? I am in danger of being either an over protective parent or a skinflint and I have to decide which!

OP posts:

Report

monsterchild · 07/10/2012 20:15

OP check US Amazon and other sites, the seats are much cheaper, and see if shipping isn't too much.

Fairylea · 07/10/2012 20:16

I think the problem is that once you know it's safer you beat yourself up thinking if something happens it will be my fault I didn't buy a better one etc......

BUT - as someone said you could say that about everything... driving at all.... feeding processed foods... weaning early or late... the whole breastfeeding minefield...

Parenting is one big guilt trip really.

pigletmania · 07/10/2012 20:16

That would not be legal now, putting my child in a carseat tat meets the legal requirement is perfectly fine

IneedAsockamnesty · 07/10/2012 20:23

it wouldnt much surprise me if the legal minimum requirement changed again at some stage in the future.

given that the legal requirements for car seats are the minimum they have to be.

EasilyBored · 07/10/2012 20:25

I can only seem to find ONE that isn't Isofix either - the BeSafe Izi Combi. We don't have Isofix, so are pretty much left with the option of FF or spending £294 on a car seat.

pigletmania · 07/10/2012 20:29

That's fine for our situation as we don't use the car much, I don't drive, dh does but only if he has to which isent a lot so not worth it as likelihood of an accident is nt very much.

IneedAsockamnesty · 07/10/2012 20:31

thats fair enough piglet.

easily they have loads of none isofix ones in sweden but i cant seam to find any uk ones.

gemma4d · 07/10/2012 20:34

doodle : Legs fold, just like when you had to sit on the floor at assembly.

DoodleAlley · 07/10/2012 20:35

It's difficult buying online but we have had plenty of car seats be fitted and told they weren't right for the car. Which is far more of a safety concern that whether rf or ff. in fact reading uP on these follOwing this thread they do say they are generally harder to fit correctly so I'd exercise a note of caution for those buying online without seeing it or having it fitted properly.

MigGril · 07/10/2012 20:56

easily, the two way elite isn't isofix and is around £200. we don't have isofix in our car either.

IneedAsockamnesty · 07/10/2012 21:09

miggril where do you get it from?

maddening · 07/10/2012 22:26

Securatot is where we got ours - can't remember if there were any non isofix ones there as I was looking for isofix

NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown · 07/10/2012 23:07

Not going to get into the debate of ff vs rf. If you want a rf seat for less than £300 try the in car safety centre - we got a Britax two-way elite for around £200 (which can turn ff at 18kg or remain rf sitting upright) - the other place to try is //www.carseat.se - we got a Britax hi-way 2 for £239. This fits from birth so no need for a separate infant seat. Spread over 5 years I don't think that's a huge amount to pay for your child's safety in the car. We use both in small cars (mostly a 106) with no problem at all.

EasilyBored · 08/10/2012 07:17

Isn't the Incar Safety Centre in Milton Keynes? That's over three hours from me. Not going to happen. And buying online means you can't try the seat in your car to see if it even fits first. It's frustrating.

lljkk · 08/10/2012 07:34

If I sat with my legs folded up for 3 hours in the car I'd get serious leg cramp, probably before I went to stretch them out again. Is that not an issue for small people, too?

MigGril · 08/10/2012 08:02

yes we got ours from Milton Keynes. was an 2 hour for us but well worth it. easily the rf website has sockets on it. there maybe some where closer to you.

As for the leg room my DS at almost 2 doesn't have to fold his legs and as he gets bigger you can reduce the incline on the seat so they have more space between the seat and the back seat of the car. He's slightly taller then average so not small.

NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown · 08/10/2012 14:06

Easily bored Yes it is but if you call them and tell them what car/s you want to use it in they will talk you through your options of what fits/is easy to install. They are very knowledgeable. I ordered both car seats online as we don't drive and chatting to them about all the cars we travel in really helped us make a decision.

lljjk I guess it would be if they kept them folded up but by the time their legs are long enough for it to be an issue they can either cross them, put them up on the seat or hang them either side. Plus what migril said

MTBMummy · 08/10/2012 15:25

We were very prepared to fork out for a rf one - but couldn't find one that would fit in our car (a farily decent sized family saloon) - we also were told that you couldn't get iso-fix rf seats, so we went for the isofix ff one instead.

IneedAsockamnesty · 08/10/2012 15:28

thats weird because they claim most of them fit nearly all cars and over half of the ones ive found are isifix

Orenishii · 08/10/2012 15:40

Have I completely missed something? We don't drive so our baby/child will rarely be in a car - a handful of times a year, I expect. I got a car seat from Kiddicare that should have been £100 but was £55. It starts out rear facing and you can then turn it to front facing. From birth to 4 years. It has adjusting neck/head rests and foot rests that extend out, a strap that weaves in and out of the seat and clips into the car, and then the seat belt that comes around and through the back of it.

Have I completely missed something not spending £350?

IneedAsockamnesty · 08/10/2012 15:49

no you havent but lots of people who do drive lots prefer to get the extended rf seats (rf up to at least 4) because they are a lot safer but they are also more expensive because they are inported from scandinavia and other places

MTBMummy · 08/10/2012 16:05

@Sock are you UK based?

I only ask as we could only find 2 manufacturers that did rf seats after 9 months, and neither of those offered a isofix version (this was a few years ago - so I don't know if that changes anything) we had a Peugeot 407, and only one of the seats actually fitted, but that was with the front seat all the way forward so that it was unsafe for anyone to be in that seat (head on windscreen - and I'm not tall)

The lady that served us did say it was a common problem with RF seats - shrugs

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Zimbah · 08/10/2012 16:08

Easily what part of the country are you in? If you post in the Car Seat section on MN, and put your location, you may well find someone with a RF carseat who lives close to you who'd let you try their seat in your car.

bagofholly · 08/10/2012 17:15

Best price I found for besafe izi combi (rf, and isofix or belt) was thatcuteage.co.uk

IneedAsockamnesty · 08/10/2012 17:23

yep i am but its probally due to the few years that have passed as im looking now.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.