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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect to be able to find an infant car seat that fits a Peugeot 306 estate?

32 replies

ZippysMum · 14/08/2009 16:26

We've spent the whole afternoon at a massive car seat showroom trying to find a seat that fits without 'buckle crunch'. 'Buckle crunch' is when part of the buckle rests on the infant car seat and makes it unsafe. (I hadn't heard of it before today!).

Called Halfords and Peugeout and they both said it was very hard to find a seat to fit without 'buckle crunch' and suggested the Ricaro - but the buckle still touches the car seat, even with that one (though may be the least bad fit...)

We tried the Britax First Class, which, though Britax have approved it or the car, has the buckle firmly wedged against the body of the car seat. We tried 3 makes of infant carriers, and they all had the same problem - all due to the seatbelt tethers which allow the buckle bit to touch the seat (modern cars have the buckles 'flush' to the seats'.

Anyone else had this problem? Anyone got any wise advice??

Thanks in advance...

OP posts:
GoldenSnitch · 14/08/2009 16:28

Do you have ISOFix points? Those car seats are much safer than the belted ones...

Original poster
ZippysMum · 14/08/2009 16:31

No - no isofix in the car.

Also, we have to buy 2 of everything (having twins) and are a bit strapped for cash - trying to avoid 2 x bases and 2 x infant carriers that will then have to be replaced with 2 more when they reach 9kg. (Though of course we will if this is the only solution to keep them safe...)

The car is a Y reg - 2001.

OP posts:
GoldenSnitch · 14/08/2009 16:37

Pity, my ISOFix Maxi Cosi was fantstic and so easy to clip in and out. Couldn't recommend it enough!

I know they do a belted version too but that's no help if you want to keep costs down - sorry

GoldenSnitch · 14/08/2009 16:37

Congratulations on the twins by the way

Original poster
ZippysMum · 14/08/2009 16:42

Thanks! .

Just having trouble believing it is THIS tricky to get a safe car seat for such a common car!

Makes me a bit actually - apparently this 'buckle crunch' is the reason so many car seats are fitted incorrectly - but it is nigh on impossible to avoid it if the seatbelt design means all the car seats you try have the same problem!

I had planned to buy the car seats online - but if I had, I wouldn't have known they weren't safe .

OP posts:
chegirl · 14/08/2009 16:57

I have an old car. There was only ONE seat in the whole of the universe that would fit. The new type of car seat need loads of seatbelt and the older cars just do not have it.

I had my eye on something lime green or pink and had to buy a horrible grey thing.

I was going to buy online too Zippy I had no idea that things had changed so much between DCs.

Original poster
ZippysMum · 14/08/2009 17:04

Hi chegirl,

Which one fit your car? I always think of our car as quite 'new' .

We need a Group 0 seat to start with (since the Britax First Class didn't fit).

Someone suggested twisting the buckle 'stalk' a few times - what do you think??

OP posts:
mrswells · 14/08/2009 17:07

you could try the kiddy infinity pro - it was the only belted seatbelt to make a Which? best buy. They're a bit difficult to track down - it's only stocked by independant baby shops - so you won't find it in mothercare/argos! but here is the web link - it has a list of uk stockist on there.

www.kiddy.de/gb/infinity-pro

It does't have a five point harness like others but a fancy "thing" ( i can't remember what they call it!) They also fit differently to other car seats!

mrswells · 14/08/2009 17:08

also beware of the recario's - losts of them got rated don't buy by which?

actually i realise you wanted an infant carrier - they have them too on the kiddy website!

chegirl · 14/08/2009 17:09

I cant remember the name of it. I chucked it as soon as I could. It was one of the cheapest.

Original poster
ZippysMum · 14/08/2009 18:03

Shamelessly bumping in case Peugeot owners have come online

OP posts:
Chulita · 14/08/2009 18:11

"buckle crunch"? Never heard of that in my life...we have a '51 plate 406 saloon however and DD's infant seat from Mothercare - an Urban Detour - fit fine with no bit of buckle touching it. We've got a BeSafe Izi Combi now www.prams-pushchairs.co.uk/besafe-izi-combi-blackblack-alcantara-in-stock-p-591.html?currency=GBP which was very expensive but will last her til she's 4 years old so I reckon it's worth it. It doesn't lie flat though so although it says from birth it's probably not the best for tiny babies. There is a rear-facing that does lie nearly flat though but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called! There's a place in Oxford that will let you try a load of car seats to see which work, I'll try and find the link...

Chulita · 14/08/2009 18:16

www.babyworld.co.uk/showroom/how_to_find_us.asp only helpful of course if you live near Oxford sorry!

Chulita · 14/08/2009 18:17

www.rearfacing.co.uk/buyersguide.php This place has a few alternatives for rear-facing stockists, I don't have shares, I just know that a couple of these fit our car

Verity79 · 14/08/2009 18:22

If the belt stalk is too long then twisting is acceptable and don't forget that it's Group 0+ that you will be buying - that class goes from 0kg - 13kg. You don't HAVE to buy a new seat when baby reaches 9kg you will still have 4kg to go. Obviously if baby has out grown by height (usually less than 1" left of shell above head but check with whatever seat you go with) legs are not a factor in moving from rear to forward facing.

scottishmummy · 14/08/2009 18:22

BMJdid an article on car seats recently and discussed brands etc.they recommended rear facing seats

never heard of buckle crunch

bubblagirl · 14/08/2009 18:23

we had this problem britax first class seat can be fitted 2 ways the second way of fitting it was perfect our buckle was on a lead and not close wedged in seat so we went car seat safety day and britax first class is only seat that allows 2 ways to fit it and the second way was absolutely perfect

Original poster
ZippysMum · 14/08/2009 18:24

Thanks Chulita! I will have a look.

We've also been onto our local garage to see whether they can alter the buckle straps to make the 'stalks' shorter.

OP posts:
Original poster
ZippysMum · 14/08/2009 18:27

bubbla - is that 2 ways to fit it even when rear-facing? The lady in the shop only tried one way for the belt to go - but it does have to be rear facing as babies will be newborn.

OP posts:
bubblagirl · 14/08/2009 18:30

here

bubblagirl · 14/08/2009 18:33

oh you know im not entirely sure we had cheap car seat mother care i believe and this fitted only in front seat of the car and then when ds was bit bigger we had the britax i'll see if i can find out

MummyDragon · 14/08/2009 18:49

Hi OP - sorry I've only just found this thread - we had a Peugeot 306 estate (W reg) until recently. We had a Mothercare infant carrier that fitted fine - not sure which one it was, but it was part of a Mothercare 3-wheeler travel system - Urban Detour I think, or something similar (bought it 5 years ago so they probably do something a bit more modern now!). Hope this helps.

Also, when you get to the next stage, the Maxi Cosi car seats fit fine in the Peugeot - I think ours is a Priori or Priori XP.

bubblagirl · 14/08/2009 18:51

from what i can see yes you should be able to do both ways but could you do what we did we googled local car seat safety and we went along and fitted lots of seats im sure they fitted it rear facing as well but was ob=ve r4 yrs ago now and we only used it when forward facing but they were really helpful fitting all sorts of seats and was really good to go there first then you can try all seats in one day

Original poster
ZippysMum · 14/08/2009 19:40

Thank you all for your advice! I think DH and I will go back tomorrow and take both cars and see what we can do!!
Will probably end up with infant carriers to start with.
Thanks again, and any more thoughts, do let me know!

OP posts:
bookbird · 14/08/2009 20:02

Zippysmum - we have a citroen xsara and found one twist of the seatbelt stalk meant a britax first class fit without buckle crunch. Was a bit concerned about safety of twisted seatbelt stalk but DH assures me that it is still strong enough to hold an adult, so a tiny wee baby will be fine.

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