Is it ok or a massive no-no for an older baby to be in a forward facing car seat in the front passenger seat?

[NoDontLookAtMeImShy]

As above.

The passenger air bags are turned off.

I understand that in the ideal world he would be in a rear facing car car seat in the back until he's 16.

But how bad is it if he was in the front in a forward facing seat, air bags off?
Is it way more dangerous than him being forward facing in the back?

This seat can RF to 18 KG and goes up to 25KG FF so its years of use for a good price...

I had my newborn baby seat in the front air bags off. I had a 3 door car then, so tricky to get in and out. But at 10 months we got the next seat up and I tried that rear facing in the front, but I couldn't see my mirror properly, even with the seat right back. So he rear faced in the back instead. It was hell him crying every drive until 15 months when I turned him forward and instantly he was fine.

Interesting. I had no idea it was illegal to have babies ff if they were younger than 15m. We ff ds when he was around 10m. And he was out of his infant carrier seat by 8 months. He was too tall to comfortable fit in the car anymore (and too heavy).

If you do keep kids rf until 4, where are their legs supposed to go? Also, what if you are tall yourself and need your seat back to drive comfortable?

Children are far more flexible than adults (just watch them squat when playing etc) and can sit very comfortably with legs crossed and so on.

Mine didn’t grow out of their infant carriers until they were about 20 months old. I cannot see any possible way a 10 month old has grown out of theirs. Just because he’s over the weight limit for the next size up doesn’t mean you have to move him.

Keep rear facing for as long as practical. Keep in the back for as long as is practical.

I knew a baby who screamed rear facing from the moment he was put in the rear facing seat and the car pulled off to the moment he was pulled out. Every. Single. Time. Several times he screamed and screamed until he stopped breathing, then his mum would end up having to pull over wherever she was. For that particular situation, turning to FF as soon as he hit the weight guide was safer. He is still very prone to car sickness and could not bear the sensation of travelling backwards. Driving while distracted and stressed about a screaming baby liable to stop themselves from breathing is pretty good circumstances for a practical test on the safety properties of the car seat. Better to keep the risk of accidents low.

The other factor that rarely gets discussed on car seat safety is regularly checking that the car seat is properly installed. It won't perform to optimum safety standards if connections are loose or twisted etc, especially if the seat has been in situ for a while.

If you can afford to run a car you can afford an appropriate car seat!
You need to sort your priorities out op

That's quite rude tbh. We saved for months to buy a car when our last one was scrapped. Finally found one we could afford, a Ford fusion. I thought no problem getting a seat to fit, it's a Ford. Wrong! Hardly any manufacturers even have the fusion on their fit lists and those that do say the seats don't fit as the back seats are small. Finally found one that would definitely fit but only rear facing to 10kg, he's just over that now at 15 and a half months so about to forward face him. What would you suggest I do?!

Ivy daughter has this summer gone front facing as she hit the weight limit on her rear facing car seat. She is five and very tall. It's just massively safer.

@PotteringAlong what? We'll mine did grow out of his at 10 months, he was 11 lbs when he was born. He wouldn't fit in the newborn insert for his first car seat either. He has continued to be on the top of the weight and height centiles. Some children are tall, but everyone is different !

It's a no. Think car crash, think front window and side window shattering and cutting baby. In the back the glass will not all end up over baby because the head restraints deflect it. If in the front it's all over them. Plus let's say you drove into the back of someone on a motorway the front of the car gets crashed and your babies legs are crushed.

I don’t know how a child can sit in a rear facing seat until the age of 2 as some have suggested. Where will the child’s legs go!!

Well, my averagely-tall daughter managed it until just before her fifth birthday, so it’s clearly possible. They just sit with their legs crossed, it’s perfectly comfortable.

If you absolutely have to, you can rearface in the front with airbag off. But no, nobody is going to tell you that forward facing at that age (particularly in the front) is ok.

@ememem84, my DD is almost 4 and rear facing in an axkid minikid. She has been 91st centile all her life so tall for her age. She usually has her knees bent up a bit, or cross legged, and has never complained.

As such we considered whether to move her to a high backed booster and put DD2 in her seat, however decided to keep her in it as this seat is up to 25kg so should last another year at least, and given the safety stats, we couldn’t justify not staying with the safest option.

I’m coming at this from the perspective I’ve got a 9 month old right now, the thought of him being forward facing in the front has given me the heebee jeebees

Look at some YouTube videos of what happens to the spines of forwards facing infants spines upon impact in a car accident ....

As everyone has said, rear face as long as possible, only in the front seat if it's more dangerous having them in the back due to being a distraction. There are plenty of studies highlighting why.

Any child under about 13 (or older if small for age) should be in back seat end of story. It prevents death and injury. It shouldn’t be a choice.

Based on what? I’ve been the same height and general shape since I was about 12, so where’s the logic behind that? Ideally every passenger would be in the back rear facing for their own safety but it just isn’t practical. Why does your life suddenly become less valuable at 14

www.besafe.com/en/misconceptions-rear-facing-car-seats/

See here for 'where do their legs go'. (The answer is 'anywhere they want them to')

So much false information in this thread. It is NOT illegal to forward face after 9 months unless you have one of the new isize only seats, that are only available with isofix. You can, and most people have, the standard type car seats currently. If you’ve got a weight based seat, with a group like most people do, they can forward face at 9kg or Group 1.
Op, you technically could legally put baby in the front seat, but I personally wouldn’t for safety reasons mentioned in the thread.

I have a two year old still rear facing but I’m sure it was made law at some point after his birth that they had to rear face until 15 months but I could be wrong

I have a two year old still rear facing but I’m sure it was made law at some point after his birth that they had to rear face until 15 months but I could be wrong

You’re sure... but you could be wrong??

Yep, the Joie tilt

Thank you. I've clearly got the wrong impression.

Looking into this right now.

@PleaseSirMyGoat
Finally found one that would definitely fit but only rear facing to 10kg, he's just over that now at 15 and a half months so about to forward face him. What would you suggest I do?!
Buy the Britax evolva 123 currently £135 on amazon, fits a Ford Fusion and rear faces to 18kg.

A baby's head is proportionately bigger and the neck weak than an adult's. In a rear facing seat the seat keeps the head, neck and spine aligned and safer. A forward facing seat holds the torso in place but not the neck and heat. This youtube video shows the stark difference.

The other issue is the air bags - turning them off electronically is not always 100% - it has been known for them to activate anyway in crash situations. Airbags can easily crush the skull of a young child.

I think one of the first things you need to do before you consider this is what does your car manual say about car seats in the front seat? I know some don't advise it at all whereas for example mine says you can but for forward facing seats the airbags should be on but the seat needs to be all the way back (leaves the seat behind the passenger unusuable)

I would recommend letting your baby stay in the infant carrier as long as possible, they are usually outgrown by height before weight. The height is when their head reaches the top of the seat, make sure you are pulling their nappy right down to the buckle. The weight is usually around 13kg. I know my DD stayed in hers until about 20 months and probably would of fitted in longer aswell.

I know rear facing isn't for everyone but if you do decide to go down this route is better to decide on the next seat once your child has outgrown the infant carrier. You will have a better idea of what centile he is on and what he is projected to be in the future. (In his red book)
For example, a lower percentile child can get away with an 18kg seat until age 4 when it is the lowest recommended age to use a high back booster with a seat belt. If your child is going to be 18kg before this it's worth looking at 25kg seats (if that is forward it rear facing)
As my DD is lower centile child we bought a joie stages which was £100. It's quite often on offer and I recently picked one up from mothercare for £80. It will last until she's 5 rear facing then can be used forward facing with the seat belt although we will probably give it to her brother before this point.
I know it is quite an investment but when you think how long they will be using them for it doesn't work out too bad.
Hope this gives you some more information.

Oh and I would say if you are planning to forward face him, put him in a branded seat such as joie, Britax, maxi Cosi etc. They do lots of additional inhouse testing on their seats whereas you can get lots of own brand seats - I'm talking mothercare, asda etc whos seats aren't tested past 20/30mph.