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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask about car seats?

54 replies

Caenea · 05/10/2017 08:42

Not sure if there's a board here for it!

My DD (11mo) has outgrown her current car seat and we're on the hunt for a new one. However, there's a lot of conflicting information about whether she should stay rear facing or if she's now OK to face forwards (in the back of the car, obviously).

Her current seat is rear facing, but her legs are too long now and she has to curl them up to sit, which she will inevitably kick off about if we're in the car more than an hour. We need to drive down to London in November for her 1st birthday party - family are there - and I want to be sure she has a car seat she is both comfortable and safe in.

Money is tight however, and we cannot afford to buy another rear-facing seat if she's going to need to be front facing in less than two or three months.

I've asked a few friends with children who are a little older, and they all say their 12-16 month olds are now forward facing. Is this right? When did yours go into rear facing seats, and where's the best place to get a car seat when you're on a very tight budget?

OP posts:
SnorkellingCat · 05/10/2017 11:39

My 2 year old is Forward Facing in our car (Hynudai i20) but that's purely because her consultant has said not to put her RF due to her hip condition. I'm not 100% of the laws but I think it's RF until 15 months.

Sunshinegirl82 · 05/10/2017 11:49

Rear facing is 5x safer, I would keep her rear facing as long as possible. My DS is 15 months and still absolutely fine rear facing! Have a look at the Joie Tilt, it's an extended rear facing seat but at the cheaper end of the market.

cloudjumper · 05/10/2017 11:56

If you can, go to the In Car Safety Centre. They are excellent, know everything there is about car seats and have a great selection available. They will not try to sell you something at all cost and listen to your requirements and try to find the best seat for you.
Agree with asking family to chip in - instead of buying presents for her 1st birthday, they could contribute to a new car seat.
DS was rear facing until over 5 years old, it's so much better. They can fold their legs!

FruitBadger · 05/10/2017 12:01

Another vote for the Carseat Advice for Mummies and Daddies group on Facebook, excellent advice despite the twee name. They will be able to recommend the most budget friendly option and you can post pictures of your DC in their seat for guidance about if they have outgrown their current seat, most infant carrier style seats go to 13kg, so it's whether your child's head is still inside the shell when they're pulled right down so their nappy touches the clip. This will mean legs hanging out of the end, but legs are infinitely more fixable than spinal injuries.

They also have a list of specialist retailers, try to avoid Mothercare & Halfords as they generally don't have the depth of knowledge and training to correctly fit extended rear facing seats and as retailers they don't stock many seats of that type, which may mean yoy struggle to get something suitable for your budget.

SolemnlySwear2010 · 05/10/2017 12:25

We just bought our DD the Joie Everystage FX.

I covers from babies up until 12 years of age. It can also be rear facing or forward facing and is connected with isofix.

We love it as its 5 point harness until we decide otherwise and the it can use the seat belt.

It cost around £250 from Mothercare.

Waitingonasmile · 05/10/2017 12:44

My two year old is still rear facing.

We have maxicosi pearl 2 way. It is expensive but lasts years. Possibly until 4 but I might have made that bit up.

Witsender · 05/10/2017 12:56

We went straight from the maxi Cosi cabrio to a britax two way elite. The latter rear faces to 25kgs, which my daughter hit at 7 yrs. It can go FF, and harnesses to the same weight point.

Both mine rear faced to about 4 in these seats, they were perfectly comfortable with legs crossed or propped up and are both tall. My daughter actually said it was comfier than being FF to begin with because her legs dangled when she FF'd.

We are due with #3 shortly and will do the same, I certainly wouldn't FF before 3 without a very good reason.

Witsender · 05/10/2017 12:56

Two way elite is only from in car safety centre from memory, but can order online with free delivery. They are great for advice too.

FruitBadger · 05/10/2017 13:58

Britax have changed the buckle on the two way elite very recently. The newer version still rear faces to 25kg but forward facing is only to 18kg.

Dakiara · 05/10/2017 14:08

Both of mine rear faced until they were four, though my daughter had very long legs so we had to origami her in a bit more.

Both had mirrors so that we could see them, and they us, and pads or dvd players for entertainment. They could see more out of the rear window than the front.

We went to the in car safety centre too - as far as seat safety goes they said get the best one that fits well in your car.

Majormanner · 05/10/2017 14:12

I had no idea about all this rear facing business - as soon as baby outgrew baby carrier - straight into front facing, although it can be either way - we have a Joie

TammySwansonTwo · 05/10/2017 14:23

Wondering if anywhere that sells them does interest free credit, since it could save you so much in the long run? Also, I know the rules are no second hand car seats because you can't know if they've been in a crash, but is there someone you know who's getting rid of one that definitely hasn't been?

manglethedangle · 05/10/2017 14:35

How about a joie tilt?

Rear facing to 18kg and only £69.99 or £59.99 if you buy it from here this weekend (online).

Rear facing is definitely safer for as long as possible. I bought a britax two way elite, it should last until he's 6 or so, I'll be keeping him rear facing until school at least.

www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/baby/car-seats-and-bases/group-0-1%7c-birth-4-years-approx-/joie-tilt-group-0-1-car-seat-black/p/148736?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-ufZjczZ1gIVpbftCh0zIwuYEAQYAiABEgJSdPD_BwE

manglethedangle · 05/10/2017 14:37

but yes, you don't actually need to buy a new one yet, as your daughter hasn't outgrown her current one.

Doublechocolatetiffin · 05/10/2017 14:51

I was just about to suggest the same one manglethedangle

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 05/10/2017 15:56

@BonnieSwanson yeah I know. DC regularly go in my car, dad's two cars, grandma's, grandad's, two aunts and nursery.

I wonder about how well the birth-12 car seats will fair over that time. I imagine they'll be revolting even with washable covers but perhaps my DC are particularly grim.

Mittens1969 · 05/10/2017 16:48

Nocake, let’s not overstate the usefulness of rear facing seats. Most adults do drive at least half the time they’re in the the car so they absolutely have to be forward facing. And I don’t think it would be good physically for an adult to be cramped in a car seat unless cars were designed with rear facing car seats.

I also think it’s impossible to remember that careful driving is the most important way to keep people safe on the roads.

Our 2 DDs are 8 and 5 and unfortunately when they were at an age to be rear facing there was nothing to suggest that rear facing was safer for so long. I definitely regret that now. (I might not have been kicked so much lol.

gingerh4ir · 05/10/2017 16:56

However, there's a lot of conflicting information about whether she should stay rear facing or if she's now OK to face forwards

conflicting information? where on earth are you reading up about it. It is recommended that children stay rear facing as long as possible well beyond 1 or even 2 year. There is solid data to back that up.

many manufacturers offer seats that allow rear facing up to 18kg. Mine were rear facing until 4.

it doesn't matter at all if a child is happier forward facing. I hear it as an argument so often and think it is beyond stupid. They whole point of a car seat is safety. And go for isofix of you can afford.

Redken24 · 06/10/2017 07:06

Op - we were offered finance on our gravity on the actual Jane site. Pretty sure you can finance from mamas and mother care in store only

eurochick · 06/10/2017 07:09

There really isn't conflicting information. Rear facing is always safer. It would be for adults too but that's impractical! My 3 year old is still rear facing. She just folds her legs up. She seems very comfortable.

sleeplessbunny · 06/10/2017 07:14

Joie tilt. Can rear or forward face, DS is still in his at 3.5y. Excellent value as he was in it from birth.

Unihorn · 06/10/2017 07:32

I put my daughter read facing in my front seat because having her rear face in the back is incredibly distracting as she screen non stop. I don't have airbags though.

Unihorn · 06/10/2017 07:33

*rear
*screams
I have no idea what happened to my autocorrect then!

Mittens1969 · 06/10/2017 07:46

It wouldn’t be safer for adults to be rear facing, the majority of us are probably driving a lot of the time (in some cases all the time!).

Doublechocolatetiffin · 06/10/2017 08:04

The body proportions of a child are very different to an adult which is why it is so much more important for a child to face rearwards than an adult.

A child's head is a much larger proportion of its body than an adult. Which means it's got the huge weight of a head on an underdeveloped spine. An adults head is much smaller relatively and the spine is fully formed. These things mean that whiplash injury in children are far more serious than in adults. The combination of large head and soft spine means that whiplash in a child will frequently cause severe damage to the spinal cord or death. This is why it's so much more important for children than adults.