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Car seats

Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here. For Mumsnetter-approved essentials, sign up for Mumsnet Swears By emails here.

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Original poster

Rear facing from 9 months for small car

23 replies

donttrythisathome · 30/12/2010 21:20

I've been reading that rear facing carseats are safer. DD is 9 months and it's time to get her a new carseat.

We have an ancient Nissan Micra which is very small. Can anyone suggest a rear facing carseat that would fit our car please?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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nonanny · 30/12/2010 22:58

Rear facing usually just for new borns. By 9 months you will want to be able to interact and have your child look out of the window at things you chat about. Also kids can get car sick and then they need to face forward and have something to look at. What do you think your baby will do facing backwards? He/she will soon be growing up, not sleeping all the time. Its certainly safer to out the child in the back and not in the front seat.

thisisyesterday · 30/12/2010 23:07

have a look at the Britax 2 way elite. I don't have my manual down here atm but am sure the nissan micra was listed as compatible....

where in the country are you?

thisisyesterday · 30/12/2010 23:08

oooh you're in sussex! so am i

I have a britax 2 way elite, and a besafe izi combi you could have a play with if you want?

Original poster

donttrythisathome · 30/12/2010 23:31

Thanks thisisyesterday. That's very kind! I'm in Brighton, whereabouts are you?

nonanny oh if only she did sleep - never has! Did yours sleep all the time you lucky ducky. Rear facing for older babies is apparently the norm in other countries.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 30/12/2010 23:32

i'm in Crawley, so not that far!

Original poster

donttrythisathome · 30/12/2010 23:38

Not far at all. If you're on for it I'd love to pootle over and see how the seats fit in the car. Can I pm you?

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thisisyesterday · 30/12/2010 23:42

yes of course, go for it

thisisyesterday · 30/12/2010 23:43

I'll PM truthsweet too, she lives not a million miles away and she has a different one to me.

TruthSweet · 31/12/2010 12:07

Hi - if your are about before Monday then feel free to have a look (the seats are in DH's car and he's back to work on Tuesday). We have a Britax Two Way Elite and a Britax Nordic Secura.

HettyAmaretti · 31/12/2010 12:13

Not sure about it's fit in the micra, but we had a Besafe iZi combi in our Ford Ka which is also microscopic.

Original poster

donttrythisathome · 31/12/2010 13:56

Thanks
Will check these out.

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threefeethighandrising · 31/12/2010 14:08

"Rear facing usually just for new borns."

nonanny that's simply not true.

There is evidence to show that rear facing seats are significantly safer in a crash - which is when it counts after all. They are much more popular in Scandinavia for example, because of their safety record - but the industry here just hasn't seemed to cotton on to them yet. I'm not quite sure why. We asked Halfords why they didn't stock them and they said it would be too hard to train their staff to fit them which I'm sure isn't true anyway!

I would find some studies to link to, but I'm really meant to be doing some homework for my degree, not chatting on mumsnet But if you google it I'm sure you'll find stuff on rear-facing being safer.

threefeethighandrising · 31/12/2010 14:10

Actually, this too a second, here we go

"Government advice to turn your child forward facing at 9 months is putting their life at risk. In other European countries, children stay rear facing until they are 4 years old.

British child seat manufacturers are refusing to sell their safest products in the UK because they've decided that British parents don't want them. They export the seats to Scandinavia but will not make them available here.

Rear facing group 1 seats are 5 times safer in a frontal collision. They protect the neck and head by distributing the force along the back of the seat and are much more effective at protecting internal organs."

From this site: www.rearfacing.co.uk/ which seems to have some good advice on buying seats too.

threefeethighandrising · 31/12/2010 14:11

took a second I mean, gah!

threefeethighandrising · 31/12/2010 14:23

donttrythisathome ours is a Britax rear facing seat. I think it might be the 2 way elite (sounds familiar) but I can't remember what it's called now.

I'll ask DP when he gets home. We got it just over a year ago from these guys www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/catalog/index.php who were really good. They're based in Milton Keynes, but they really know their stuff. They posted (couriered?) it by next day delivery, and then talked us through fitting it on the phone after it arrived.

We're also just down the road from you (Eastbourne) and you would be very welcome to come have a look at it, although if it's the 2 way elite I guess there's not much point if it's the same as thisisyesterday's! I'll find out which one it is and let you know.

Original poster

donttrythisathome · 31/12/2010 16:08

Thanks a million threefeet. Yes thisisyesterday's one is a two way so hopefully I will get to see it.

Happy new year to all you lovely helpful people.

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NineLadiesDancingThroughLife · 02/01/2011 20:09

Ooh, I've been dying to tell someone this, but we've just bought a Be Safe Izi Combi for our Grande Punto. I'm so excited!

I don't know how it compares size-wise, but it's fairly dinky. I've had to pull the front passenger seat right forward and sit it really upright to fit the seat in the back, so it's not exactly luxury comfort for me. But I'd rather compromise my comfort than DD's safety.

Nonanny, she has a much better view in her new seat than in any front facer I've seen. The way the seat is configured, she sits much higher up, so she sees out the window perfectly, and she gets to look out the back window instead of looking at the back of the seat in front. Not that that's a reason to pick a seat, of course, but it's not a reason to face them forward either. In a crash that could give an adult whiplash, what would that do to a baby's neck?

EauRouge · 02/01/2011 20:27

We've got the 2 way elite too, it was the only one that would fit in our Alfa 147. We also went to the In Car Safety place in MK.

The seat is fairly upright as the passenger seat would have to be really far forwards otherwise. The downside is that you can't adjust the passenger seat as the car seat is tethered to it but we don't really need to, DH fits in there just fine.

Original poster

donttrythisathome · 02/01/2011 21:39

Thanks again.

The lovely thisisyesterday showed me her britax and be safe izi combi. The be safe wuld be too big for our little car and the van. I'm going to go to MK to check them all out now that I know that at least one of them (the britax) fits.

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GColdtimer · 06/01/2011 14:50

Thanks for this thread. DD2 is 10 months and has outgrown her car seat and I was just looking to buy the next stage. After seeing those crash test videos and showing them to DH, its really a no brainer.

I suppose my one concern would have been that she won't like facing backwards but then she will never have known any different and she will be able to interact more easily with DD1 (nearly 5).

Original poster

donttrythisathome · 10/01/2011 22:20

I know what you mean about the view. But I think that they can see out the back window from at least some of the seats (as well as out the side windows). Facing forwards they might only be able to see the back of the front seats. I know when I sit in the back I look out the side windows.

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TheHouseofMirth · 11/01/2011 14:52

donttrythisathome as you've already tried and seen some seats do you know you can order the TWE online? It's one they are happy to sell without fitting themselves. Would save you quite a long trip (unless you are desperate to go to MK!)

lenats31 · 20/01/2011 18:55

nonanny Thu 30-Dec-10 22:58:29
Rear facing usually just for new borns. By 9 months you will want to be able to interact and have your child look out of the window at things you chat about

Your concentration will be on the child and not on the road then.

nonanny,

OHHH, a reply like yours is sure to open a few cans of worms onhere (smile)

Lena

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