Car seats for big babies ?

[Mandwah]

My 7mth son is 13kg and 75cm and as his legs were dangling over the edge of his baby seat and head not protected at the top I've just got to get a stage 2 car seat. I've borrowed what I think is a Britax freeway but the cover keeps slipping off and you have to remove the straps to get the cover off.
Safety is paramount but I'd like an easy cover removal and something that spaniel hairs won't stick to ! I'm looking at maxi-cosi Priori XP and also Britax Evolva 123 geneva. Can any other mums recommend these or others ? With a heavy baby I don't want anything that's hard to get him into as he's a big child and although not fat he's well padded as not crawling as yet ! Tried out the Priori in Halfords but spotted the Brita Evolva (Boots £104) came 2nd in a Mums survey and it looks quite good and will last until he goes into the booster seat type but not actually seen one. Any thoughts ?!!

Is he forward-facing now?

Can you get him the Britax First Class Si because it will go rear-facing till he's old enough to face forward?

He really shouldn't be facing forward just yet - his neck muscles aren't developed enough.

I had a nightmare with DS and car seats. I had to get him the one that Hunkermunker linked as he wasn't old/heavy/neck muscles developed enough to go forward facing and nothing else fitted in my car. The whole putting him into a fixed rear facing seat was a hassle but as you said, safety is paramount so I had to stick it out until I was completely confident that he could go front facing.

I'd agree. I had the same problem with my ds and we got a first Class that faced backwards until he was about 11 months I think.

The Evolva I don't think reclines, if I'm thinking of the right one which is even less suitable for a baby of that age.

Have you tried going into a mothercare or somewhere that does car seat fittings to check what actually fits your car?

Thanks for your thoughts - I'm always reading these forums but wondered if anyone would answer my call out! Ds just grew so quickly I can hardly keep up !! Actually he is forward facing in this Freeway as he is twice the size of all same age chums and also had a strong neck since birth but I obviously want to make sure everything is still supported without squashing him in. It's just that my ecision making skills have gone !! Ds was getting sweaty in the baby seat where he was starting to be squeezed in on all sides, particularly for his shoulders , poor thing ! Our local Halfords have more seats in this Friday so will pop down and try them out... I'll have him sitting in a selection !!
Thanks!

I went to mothercare to buy a spare seat and they were really helpful. Sat DS in it to see which was right for him

Sorry but if safety is paramount you need to have him rearward facing for a while yet. He needs to be a minimum of 20kg before goign into a 2nd stage forward facing seat. Think Bebeconfort do a reversible one like the Britax First Class. Most seats with harnesses are a faff to remove the covers but you do get used to doing it.

Sorry just reread I meant minimum 20lbs/9kg ! Do you mean he is 13 kg (?) or lbs. (My almost 5yr old is only 13kg!).

hi i had the same problem with my ds and put him into a forward facing one at 8mths old but i know that they are now recommending 1 year old instead of 6 months. I know that this is a while away but your son is going to be too big for the stage 2 car seats that go up to 18kgs well before he is too old for them as mine is 18kgs and is only just 2 and a couple of months - you need to look at getting a car seat that goes up to 25kgs with the harness when you buy a forward facing seat - the britax elite aparently does this. There are very few other chairs that still use a 5 point saftey harness past 18kgs - all te group 123 ones need to have the harness removed at 18kgs and the adult seat belt used instead, if like me that fills you with horror at the thought of your 2 year old using an adult seatbelt then i think that it would be wise to buy te elite. or the britax junior travellor which also doe up to 25kgs. sorry this is a bit long winded - does anyone else use either the elite or junior travellor that knows what their like.
cheryl

agree with Lizs, don't put him forward facing just yet. We had a Britax club class which goes backwards too, think the first class that hunker suggests is the current version.
Car seat safety is about weight, not length. DS2 was in his rockatot until he was about 14 mo.

Having a 10 month old who weighs 2 stone and is not much shorter than his 4yr old sister I give another vote for the britax 1st class SI.

having just looked at the user guides etc and this website (although it's seems to be american ) i think your's best with the britax first class si too, like me you'll just have to buy yet another car seat when he hits 18kgs at about 21/2 years old if you want to keep the harness. Good luck

sorrry for some reason my link didnt work

heretry now

They can face forwards from 9kgs.

Nah I am lucky he will be able to use the one we have dd in now and I will buy her a hihglin booster seat when the time comes. The beaty of having an older one is that you already have most of the equipment.

Ohh dear need to sleep if i wnat to post much more as spelling is going out the window.

We put DS1 & DS2 in a forward facing seat (Maxi Cosi when they were about 6 months old. Similar situation (big babies...)
We moved DS1 into a booster seat (with back) when he was 2.5yo as I couldn't put the straps on the MaxiCosi anymore...
We choose the Maxi osi because the cafety test seems to be the best, I did look at the ones dne by Which? here and by a similar organisation in France. Very sismilar results with both with the MaxiCosi and the Brotax arriving first.