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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to buy a cheap carseat?

98 replies

bollywoodfan · 11/01/2013 19:01

My DH is of the opinion that more expensive =better, esp when it comes to buying carseats. In DH's car we have got very expensive isofix seats. I need one for my car now and I would probably only be doing local driving.I have seen some carseats for about £30 which are suitable for 9months - 11 years. That just seems so cheap! Is it U to buy this or would I be compromising on safety?

OP posts:

ProtegeMoi · 13/01/2013 14:15

Rooney
These can advise on what ERF will fit your car and where to buy from, they are very helpful and have a phone advice line also.

www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/

ProtegeMoi · 13/01/2013 14:15

Whoops, clicky link here.

www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/

BertieBotts · 13/01/2013 14:17

Don't be ridiculous. You still need a car seat if you ever get a lift, and sometimes that's necessary. Public transport doesn't run everywhere at all times and not everywhere is walkable. Sometimes a cheap car seat is fine. (I do agree that some cheap car seats have horrible side impact protection, but they're getting better in the main)

Mondayschild78 · 13/01/2013 14:18

Rooney
I would second the Britax Elite two way car seat. Best £220 we've spent IMO.

GoldPlatedNineDoors · 13/01/2013 14:19

Sometimes. Not all the time.

ProtegeMoi · 13/01/2013 14:22

BertieBotts

Go on youtube and watch the carsh test for a BabyWeavers car seat VS that o a Britax and then come back and tell me they are the same.

Some are so bad I can't believe they are legal!

Of course some are great, and it's not always about how much you pay but these £35 one's sold by Asda etc. are terrible in a crash and I think people need to know that.

Information is power, if you know the stats about ERF and still decide you don't see it as a priority and buy a cheap FF seat then fine, your decision to live with.

It's the people who don't know, have not been informed but wish they had. The parents of the boy who snapped his neck had never heard of ERF, they wish they had and would have bought one.

BertieBotts · 13/01/2013 14:27

I never said they were the same at all! I already said they are very different. I agree that some car seats shouldn't be sold at all.

BertieBotts · 13/01/2013 14:28

Please could you link me to the video though as I have been looking for one like that for ages and have never found one.

VinegarDrinker · 13/01/2013 14:39

Is Britax meant to be the expensive one in your comparison ProtegeMoi? Our "cheap" seat is a Britax Prince, under 50 quid.

IneedAsockamnesty · 13/01/2013 14:53

Of course not using one would not be ok, but it is often the case the rf seats are even harder to fit correctly than a ff and unless your lucky it would be harder to find a random mum/ dad to help in the street if needed a car seat that is fitted incorrectly s much the same as not having one- useless.

As far as I'm aware most other country's have rf till between 2-5 as the law and the uk has on several occasions talked about also having it but so far it hasn't. But until it does I'm not going to knock a person who rarely travels in a car and never on high speed roads for using a legal correctly fitted ff one.

You may as well have just said is your child not worth £220, that's emotive and crappy.

As I also said I wouldn't let my children travel in a ff ever nor would I drive a car with a child in a ff but I do a lot f driving. Perhaps if it becomes a legal requirement the cost of the seats will come down as they will be the norm.

That would be good.

BertieBotts · 13/01/2013 14:55

The Britax Prince is a great seat if you're on a budget. I do worry about some of these nania/babystart etc ones.

RooneyMara · 13/01/2013 15:01

Thankyou guys, it looks like no one near here (SE) stocks them but they do look good.

Is the Izi any use? You can buy that online I think?

RooneyMara · 13/01/2013 15:03

Oh I get it now - you can buy these online too yes? The appointments thing at the top of the page confused me!

maddening · 13/01/2013 15:29

I got the izi combi besafe isofix seat - it has isofix for rf and is fab - it did v well in which testing - I drive on all roads inc motorways and feel better for it.

We got a v good ff seat for df's car as we don't go in that car so often.

maddening · 13/01/2013 15:29

Ps I got it on line

maddening · 13/01/2013 15:30

Ps get a mirror to put on the headrest of the passenger seat - you can see your dc in your rv mirror then :)

maddening · 13/01/2013 15:32

Pps the izi combi was the only one that didn't require tethering to the front seat but that was over a year ago. It is bulky but not so bad to get in and out - and isofix means it's easier to get right.

expatinscotland · 13/01/2013 15:38

Go by safety reviews but no, I'd never scrimp on the safety of my children if I could in any way help it.

And the idea that you can use a cheap seat because you're just driving 'locally' is daft - accidents don't chose to only happen on longer journeys. Go with safety ratings.

My children are large enough to be in Group 2/3 seats, but we upgraded DD2's one to best-rated, which did happen to be on the expensive side, as she'd been using her sister's that was rather old (and bought the same one for DS, now 4 and quite large for his age in height and weight). DD2 is 7, but with a very slender build and low weight for her age.

AnnieLobeseder · 13/01/2013 15:44

You need to find the best compromise between price and safety. Obviously any seat is better than no seat, but safer is always better. I tend to go on the Which? site (they perform their own rigorous independent tests) and buy the most affordable of their Best Buys.

IneedAsockamnesty · 13/01/2013 18:21

Given that one of the seats that which have on there don't buy list as it scored so low in there tests is a £200 one and a few appear on there best buy list that are in the low cost end of car seats its rather silly to equate cost with safety.

ProtegeMoi · 14/01/2013 01:33

Vinegar - The Britax one in the test is the 2 way elite an ERF seat.

Bertie - On phone at min but will put link up for you.

Agree sock that price is not all, paying £200 does not guarantee it is safe which is why I urge people to check the crash tests.

By the way just for some information. A child local to me was very sadly ran down in the road and killed. It was a 20 mph road he should have been safe but he was hit at over 50 mph by an idiot teen joyrider. Just because you are only driving 20/30/40 mph does not mean that everyone else is!

ProtegeMoi · 14/01/2013 02:06

The Narnia seats should be banned, they have been known to snap in half on impact!

justforinfo · 14/01/2013 07:18

Just a warning to people who are buying seats on ebay shop sites, they are quite possibly fraudulent.

Here is a link to the info: www.goodeggcarsafety.com/ukincar/incar/news

I would advise you to be very weary of buying online unless from the companies website.

I will just state again that I am an accredited and trained child seat fitter and advisor, I will give unbaised advice based on your individual needs. If you are unsure of your seating arrangements or would like any advice, please message me - I am more than happy to help

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