to think there are no safe rear facing car seats for children aged over 4 available in the U.K.

[BunloafAndCrumpets]

I am pretty convinced by the evidence that says children should be rear facing for as long as possible - ideally up to age 7, if they will tolerate it. However after some fairly extensive searching I have only found one car seat that would suit an average size 4+ year old, and that has just been recalled..

Is anyone in the U.K. successfully using a rf seat for an older child and if so, what is it?! It's driving me potty.

Statistically, rear facing are 5 times safer for children in either a head on or rear crash. Their body proportions mean most children fatalities are because the weight of their head going forward in a crash (rear ending too) breaks their neck. Adults have much stronger muscles. In a rear facing seat, the forces on their necks in the event of a crash are much much less as they're not being thrown forward and so safer. It's not law - uk law just gives a legally minimum age at which children can forward face, but when you research and read parents' stories of how their children would have possibly survived had they been in rear facing, it's pretty compelling.
It's also about balance too, most kids will naturally cross their legs while sitting so don't find it uncomfortable, but if your child hates it and you're doing battle with a screaming child while driving and being distracted , then it's probably safer forward facing. Every parent does what they thinks best for their children.

Besafe car seats all the way.

We use the Britax Maxway for our 3 year old. I drive a Hyundai i10, which is super small, and she has plenty of room. She looks comfortable and doesn't complain.

My 6 year old son has sat in it and he doesn't look very comfortable, but he does fit.

I don't know anyone else in real life who uses a rear facing car seat past 12 months.

Britax two way elite, RF to 25kgs. My daughter is approx 21kgs, and she is 6. She turned around about a year aho, it FF to 25kg too with a harness.

They're about 200, buy online from the In Car Safety Centre in Milton Keynes.

I see it has been voted for a few times already!

I have a five year old in an Axkid Mini. His older sister was in it until the end of reception year.

There are some, as has been said the ones that go to 25kg and have bigger shell. We are just about to but axkid minikid for our 7 mth old who has just about outgrown his britax first stage seat.

My five yr old would fit in an axkid so we are hoping it will last ds5 until he can just go on a high back booster.

Thank you all. This is so helpful, I really appreciate it.