Screens in rear seats - AIBU?

[GinDaddyRedux]

My DW and I are looking at two examples of the same car. One has rear screens built into the headrests, the other doesn't ( but has some extra speakers and functionality that I'd love ).

DW makes a fair point that because we regularly do journeys of 5 hours + each way, with two young DCs it would be nice to have screens.

I think we don't need them at all. We don't currently have them, and for me it just introduces yet another place in our lives where a screen will be clamoured for because it's literally staring them in the face.

AIBU here to gently object? My DW tends to win most arguments as she is the most rational and the centre of our house but I thought I'd throw it out to the forum.

FYI would be the first time we've had screens of any sort in the car.

Yeah even I wouldn't pay 2.5k for that.

You can get really decent tablets and holders for that.

We regularly do long (6hrs +) journeys, and sometimes with only one solo adult but multiple children. Screens are a life saver.

But we've got the portable ones you slot over the headrest. It's a bit of a faff with the wires but does the same job and we can remove when we don't want them.

I'd probably get the car without screens and if you think you want some buy the portable ones from Argos for £80.

£2.5k difference in price makes this a no brainer. Get the car without the screens and buy a couple of iPads and holders as others have suggested. For less money you’ll get something that does the same thing and has other uses.

Some of the seat back holders for iPads have built in drop-down tables, drinks holders, pockets for snacks and toys. Get a couple of those (the good ones are about £25 on Amazon) and a couple of iPads and you’ll still have change from £1k, saving yourself £1.5k and ending up with a set up that is better.

I've always wondered if it is actually safer to have the screens built in, rather than have add on holders, or having the kids holding their own devices. In an accident loose iPads or holders might let potential heavy items be thrown around the car. I never let DD have her MacBook in her knee in the car as it is fairly heavy.

You can usually disable them.

I would get some cheap tablets and a holder to attach them to the headrest and use those for long journeys. I think that if they are in the car all the time, the kids will be nagging to use them on shorter journeys.

Don't do this. Any screen or glass of any kind built into a car has to pass the Head Impact Test. You don't know if your screens would pass.

Audi, i think, do their own tablets which connect to the car's system.

We have tablets in holders for the kids for journeys over 30 minutes. Take into account that everything loose in the car will be a missile in an accident, so drawing, toys, books etc are a big no. I prefer tablets over winging and fighting.

I don’t like screens either. Kids should be looking out of windows and talking to or singing wih their family / siblings on long trips!

@CallarMorvern

I've always wondered if it is actually safer to have the screens built in, rather than have add on holders, or having the kids holding their own devices. In an accident loose iPads or holders might let potential heavy items be thrown around the car. I never let DD have her MacBook in her knee in the car as it is fairly heavy.

The only injury (admittedly minor) I had, other than seatbelt bruising, from the crash I was in was from being smacked in the face by my handbag.

I'm super strict in the car now. In my car the screens are built in. We also have screen holders fitted in DH's car that were fitted at the garage rather than just velcro or plastic.

We also have a toy/book bag that is seatbelted in one of the seats in the back. It zips up so there's only one book or toy per child loose. If I'm alone I seatbelt my handback to the passenger seat rather than have it in the footwell now. If I'm not then it goes in the boot.

I was amazed, and a bit mortified, by the amount of shite I had flying around my car. The paramedic that cleaned up my head said it's fairly common for people to get minor injuries from stuff floating around.

We had them in our Galaxy when my DC were young. Nearly 15 years later they still talk fondly about that car. I suppose it was a slightly different time back then, pre smart phones etc, it meant I could map read for their father, rather than constantly refereeing disputes between them in the back or having them fight over the one Nintendo DS they shared between them. They were never able to read in the car so it was a good alternative, ours was proper old school connected to a video player, but we managed to rig their games console up to it as well which whiled away a long trip. It's one of the few big purchases Ex and I made that we never regretted.

singing wih their family

I'd rather jump out the car at 110km lol

DD has her tablet in car. Easier to update the tech when we need. We looked into screens in the back car shopping last year, too limiting with built in

There are so many reasons not to go for the built in option but I would consider it just for safety alone.

Is it a Galaxy?

I'd have a trial run with screens if you can. We found out the hard way that screens make my nephew vomit. A lot. At 70mph on the motorway with no good place to stop.

Not my favourite experience 😂😂😂

"singing with the family" .... are you the Von Trapps?

The price difference for something that is not mobile and versatile would be deal breaker for me.

Kids can have their own tablets if your DW deems it necessary, for much less than that.

I'm surprised how few mentions there have been of car sickness from staring at screens in the car!

No

The nexbase ones are crash tested and have fittings that go on the headrest in front, so you can simply pop them on and off. Ours are slightly different, but function the same, we simply leave the mounts in place.

Get a master / master so they can watch different.

Nope, no screens in the car. As you say OP, there are plenty of other occasions where screens seem to be the focal point of children lives. The car needn't be another one!

I would always have hand held screens rather than built in ones

If they break (which they will) the built in ones are crazy expensive to fix

Both screens can only show the same DVD, so then you get the argument about what is going to be played

You have to buy DVD s to play, so you have to store them somewhere, they get scratched, they are more expensive, there are fewer and fewer educational options these days versus downloadable options

The most important point IMHO is that if the system is built in, it uses the car speakers. So you have to listen to it. If they have their own devices, you can deploy headphones for the dc and listen to your own music/have the driving directions going etc

Also the price is crazy. You can buy two handheld screens, headphones, and a whole load of content for 1000. Let alone 2500

I think you should separate the debate into its two parts.

First do you want tech in the car for the dc. Yes or no?

Second is 2500 the appropriate price to pay for two built in screens ?

We have them. They were in the car I wanted. My kids haven't been allowed screens in the car before. They arenonly allowed them on long journeys typically where we have been before (as I like them to pay attention to where we are going). Dvds are dirt cheap in the charity shop. I wouldn't use it as a reason to buy a car though.

Singing in the car is not a good option- nothing that drowns out noise from the outside is. I lost a friend because she didn’t hear an ambulance because of music in the car...

We did once have them in a car we bought.
The car was older 08 plate i think so its very possible technology has moved on however you could only play the one dvd at a time-cue argument about which film was put on!
The amount of time it took for the things to load and put on was painful......such a faff. Agree they should only be used for longer journeys.
I wouldn't pay extra for them alone but that obviously wont be the only upgrade on the car.
Ive not had much luck with cars and now I am a firm believer of the less gadgets on them the less there is to go wrong.

@QuestionableMouse

Not a Galaxy although I really rate them!

It's a Land Rover Discovery 4 - one's a "Graphite" trim, and one's a "Landmark" trim with the DVD screens in the headrest.

We have screens and a DVD player. They're shot and keep breaking. I wouldn't bother!

I have a new discovery. Didn't bother with the built in screens as the car has charging points to every seat so really simple for just bringing tablets into the car should we chose. For a 2.5k difference I probably wouldn't.