To ask you to help me understand car seats?

[GreasyHairDoNotCare]

There's too many to choose from. I'm confused.

So DS is coming up to 8 months and started to look rather cramped and uncomfortable in his car seat, it's the one he's had since he was born.

I'm looking for a more upright one that is rear facing. I also want it to last for as long as possible so I'm not having to replace it every 2 years.

He hasn't been weighed for a while but I estimate he's about 20lbs.

Can I please have some recommendations. I've seen the joie 360 spin but I really do not understand all this isofix business.

Google the in car safety centre. They really know their stuff. I believe they can advise you over the phone if you're not local to any of their outlets.
Different seats fit different cars too.

We went to the car safety centre and they recommended this one. It's great! www.simplybaby.co.uk/gb-vaya-i-size-car-seat-capri-blue.html

I have the joie spin but it's isofix only - you have to have the fittings in your car. Most now have them and anything post 2007 should. What car do you have?

Looking uncomfortable isn’t a reason to make your child less safe in a vehicle.

It’s a very rare child that outgrows an infant carrier before they are 1.

Make sure you’re looking into extended rear facing seats.

We've got one of these
cybex-online.com/gb/carseats/sironaqisize.html

What's unsafe about getting him a new car seat that is appropriate for his weight?

My car isn't isofix, DP's is.

Not sure where you live but we are fortunate to have a great car seat/ pushchair shop about 20/30 minutes from where we live and they have a great range and offer great advice. If you have something similar nearby I'd go and buy something from them (despite them being around £10 more expensive!)
We had big children who were struggling in first seats from 9/10 months, although the advice was that they are safer in a more snug seat that lolling about in one that's too big. It would be worth considering that if they are big now, that although some extended rear facing seats take up to 18kgs ours reached that around 3 years and had to move onto bigger forward facing seats around that age. I think there is a wider range now legislation has changed on extended rest facing but it would be worth looking at extended rear facing that supports children beyond 18kgs.

Joie every stage or stages. Or if you want a very long term rear facing go for the Two Way Elite. Make sure the seat fits properly behind the tallest driver whichever you choose. DO NOT take advice from Halfords, Mothercare or any other normal highstreet retailer. Go to the In Car safety centre if you can! Make a day of it.

I cant speak highly enough of the Britax 2 way elite. Rear facing from 9mo to 25kg (around 5yo). Can also forward face (new model to 18kg). Ours rear faced til 4yo then stayed in the seats til they outgrew them and eventually moved to a hbb.

And if it helps we had besafe seats but the models have changed since we bought ours as have been updated. (We had Izi combi for 9m-3years/ up to 18kgs and izi up for 18kgs+) both iso fix.

I've recently got the joie stages one.

To the PP can I ask why you recommend not mothercare as they have fitted my car seat and am now worried!

As mentioned above, you may feel like you’re wedging him in but he’s not too big for it until he’s actually over the weight or height limit so make sure you check this. Always keep your child in the ‘youngest’ seat that fits.

We have a Britax 2-way elite. It’s not a Which best buy due to the risk of fitting it incorrectly but we’re happy with it. I would definitely recommend the In Car Safety Centre.

Check that there's no removable inserts that are still in place. I'd spent ££ on a new seat for DD3 before I discovered that her carrier seat had a newborn wedge that could have been removed and made it useable for much longer.

Are you looking for a seat that you can switch between cars or one for each car?

What kind of car do you have? Britax and Maxi Cosi both have fit finder on their websites that helps you tell which of their seats fit in your car. It's more important than anything else that the seat fits the car properly and is fitted properly (something like two thirds of car seats aren't fitted properly).

Just went through this as my DD turned 8 months and looks uncomfortably big for her maxi cosi now.
First thing I decided between was a base or seat belt fix- went for a seat belt as she is ferried in three separate cars and won’t bother moving a base and wouldn’t buy three bases.
Then I discovered that the guidelines state a baby legally needs to be rear facing for c.9months (in weight) but guidelines propose for as long as possible. I too only wanted to buy one seat and not change again in two years. Ended up with a Joie every stage (covers newborn-12yrs old)- it’s the only belted car seat that could allow your child to sit rear facing until (they say) 4years old- truely doubt that in reality but definitely longer than the others. £220 but got it for £180 from Mothercare, think places like Argos have it for about the same (assuming you are in the UK).

"Less safe" isn't the same as "unsafe".

Even if the maxi cosi website says that your car is compatible it might not be. We have a Landrover which is supposed to be compatible, but due to the leather seats in the back (that are more upright than others) the 2nd size seat from them didn’t actually fit. You definitely need to have it professionally fitted.

We got Joie Tilt belted car seat, it can be both rear and front facing. DS is nearly 3 and still sits comfortably in rear facing position.
There is no point buying a car seat that says will last until age 12 or so because car seats expire. The average lifespan of a carseat is 6 years, depending on make&model.

We have the Diono radian 5, which rearfaces until 25kg. Other 25kg options are the previously mentioned Britax two way elite and the Axxkid Minikid

Take a little time and Google ADAC safety testing. The EU standard tests only test at 30mph. This one is done by a German team at 80mph. You'll be surprised just how many of the usual names fail this more comprehensive safety testing.

We were more than happy to buy plenty of bits for DD second hand or on a budget. Car seats however, no compromise. Safety is one thing you should never buy budget..