AIBU to consider a cheap car seat (forward facing) for toddler?

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I purchased an expensive britax rear facing seat for daily use and was planning to take it on trips etc, however I’ve now realised that it is way too monstrously heavy and large. AIBU to consider buying a cheap car seat to take on holidays etc? My concern is that it would be forward facing most likely, which isn’t ideal for a 19 month old but I see no other option. What do other mums do?! Lug a massive car seat around?

Joie stages is a good spare seat- I know lots of people who have got that for family or as a spare. Basically taking a car seat on holiday is crap whatever it is tbh. It is a faff and no fun at all trying to juggle all the crap you’re likely to need on holiday.

You can hire car seats. Many hire car companies lend them (though may also be ff - but if you are only using it for that, I'd probably just hire than buy my own). But there are specialist baby/children's hire companies that hire out rear facing seats in many cities. It just depends where you're going.

I've used a forward facing seat since 15 months. NHS guidelines say they can face forward from 9 months. Do whatever you feel comfortable with.

I'd probably ask the car hire company what they can provide before buying something cheap. In Europe its increasingly common they will have a rear facing seat for a 19m old.

I've tried hiring seats in Gran Canaria and Portugal so far this year and not been able to - either the (big, mainstream) car hire place didn't do them, or when we arrived the seat they tried to give us was so old and dirty it really wasn't usable. Thankfully on that occasion we were being picked up by someone with a spare.

I work on the basis that car seats are all tested and subject to strict standards, so anything new and on sale in the UK will be safe.

We have a britax two way elite for travelling. Rear faces to 25kg, belts in with tethers and is very flexible for fit with different cars. It isn't heavy as it doesn't have isofix. I bought a cheap airline BG for it from Amazon which has rucksack straps on it and I just wear it like a rucksack to walk around with it until it is checked in.

Britax twe is a relatively travel friendly rear facing option.
As you know rear facing is obviously far safer. However, the risk of crashing increases per mile travelled so if you are only driving relatively few miles on local roads when on holiday, it would be low risk to use a less safe seat. If likely to be driving a long way, especially on fast roads, I would make more of an effort to get a rear facing seat.

Our travel seat is the Joie Tilt and i have a big orange bag to carry it on my back. It's light and rear races to 4 I think (although my 2 year old is FF due to car sickness)

I work on the basis that car seats are all tested and subject to strict standards, so anything new and on sale in the UK will be safe.

Some seats are tested to much higher standards than others. All meet a basic standard. But forward facing is always much less safe for babies and young children, no matter what seat it is. It's the child's body that is the problem, as it is not strong enough to withhold the forces likely in an accident. No forward facing seat can mitigate that problem

I'd go for a Joie tilt or steadi as a spare seat if you're looking for one at a lower price point. Alternatively the Joie stages is pretty universal but a bit more expensive. All of them will allow you to rear face until 18kg.

Mine never had rear facing after his first baby car seat

Rear facing is the big thing now. But when my kids were little no babies were rear facing past a year. Mine were both forward facing from around 10 months when they out grew their first seats.

It’s your choice. If you feel happy with forward facing then get one.

The joie stages is a good travel seat, the tilt is a budget option

Unless you have an accident it's not really an issue but the facts are in the case of an accident RF is vastly more safe

Another with a Joie tilt as our spare/travel seat. Easy to fit in any car, as light as a big seat can be. Used rear facing until 2 1/2 and then forward facing as they got bigger as hire cars always smaller than our car at home.

Thanks all, some great advice!

I’d wait till you are actually going away! And see what u need then. These things are impossible to recycle or pass on!

Personally, I would just hire one abroad.

We took our car seat with us once and it came back on the luggage carousel smashed so I dread to think what they do with them and I certainly wouldn't deem them fit for purpose after having been on a plane

We travelled on a ferry with our own car and car seats the only time we went anywhere abroad when the kids were little. In the current circumstances I would wait until you are actually able to travel and worry about it then. The older and bigger they are the less of an issue it is. Once they are about 4 and in a HBB life is a lot simpler!

You have to balance the situation. Personally we do have a cheap forward facing seat for overseas holidays (remember those!) and visiting family. From 15months two way seats can be turned so it’s not like they are 9months.

Ah Mumsnet, where if you don't buy a car seat over £400 that RF until they are 12, you might as well just strap them to the roof.

@CatholicKidston

Ah Mumsnet, where if you don't buy a car seat over £400 that RF until they are 12, you might as well just strap them to the roof.

Only on mn have I heard of people rear facing children in the car after a year old, and I'm a childminder, know lots of other childminders and parents!

YABU
Joie make good value rear facing seats.
There is also the Britax Two Way Elite which is very light and compact and lasts up to 25kg, that's the seat we have for travelling. A quick Google tells me you can buy it for £159 atm.

@CatholicKidston

Ah Mumsnet, where if you don't buy a car seat over £400 that RF until they are 12, you might as well just strap them to the roof.

The Joie Tilt is about £65 and the OP would clearly rather stay RF. Not all ERF are super expensive!