Is isofix the way to go in this situation? Cybex pallas

[QBEE]

I have a 13.5kg for whom the Cybex Pallas is my choice.
My question is do I need to pay the extra £90 for isofix?

In an independent shop recently the assistant basically told me it was a waste of money with this type of seat as isofix only ensures the fit of carseats that do not rely on the parents getting it right like infant carriers.

I understood it that the isofix would offer the support of the carseat in a collison rather than being reliant of the belt to hold the child and seat in position. And the reasoning that in the event you do not have a child in the seat , it is still secured to the car...

So does it make a difference? Should I be buying the 'belt and braces' version or just a belter?

I have two seats to invest in. The Cybex Pallas and the Cybex Solution X (for my 19kg-er) so it works out at a massive difference.

Currently they both have the two way elite but one has broken polystyrene and so the 19kg is on a booster until I sort this out.
The younger keeps removing her arms from the five point harness.

I am happy to keep the elder in the twe and change younger to the cybex but don't feel right about isofixing one and not the other

Any help appreciated

If your child can get her arms out the straps aren't tight enough! Often a problem wearing bulkier winter clothes.

I have an isofix cybex backed booster - think it's the x-fix. I really like having them in the isofix versions because at that age they are climbing in and out of the seats and without isofix they move around and don't sit on the car seat properly.

Also when not in use if you're in a serious crash they are not going to fly out of position and potentially cause you or other passengers injury.

Can't you use the TWE with just the adult 3 point belt above a certain weight?

Actually the other type of car seat that is really great for group 1 weight is those that use an impact cushion - better neck protection in an accident and there arms are free so they are happier!

Ah thanks for that CG.

I have no idea how she does it but she gets her arms out all the time and it drives me half mad with worry. No coat in the car and two finger test, harness at right height

I only bought the twe for her middle of last year and dropped a couple of hundred on the bloody thing. Elder child had one prior to that with no issues at all but his is broken as I mentioned.

The cybex pallas fix is isofix with an impact cushion and may be more suited to her personality.

I think the woman in the shop confused me by saying that isofix wasn't an issue in boosters and I shall have to test both versions in the car and conclude that way.

The twe does fasten in with a 3 point belt afaik but the shoulder belt would not sit right as no 'gappy bit' for it to feed through for a snug shoulder fit like on purpose built three point belt boosters. Also the SIP looks greater on the pallas/solution x.

Cheers B.

It may be her narrow shoulders thst are enabling her to wiggle free?

There is always going to be some slack in a 5 point harness which will allow a determined child to wriggle free - because if they shift their body sideways it reduces the strain on the straps on one side and leaves a tiny bit of slack on the other, and there's no way to keep the straps separate without compromising the one-click rule for opening the straps.

I've got a Kiddy Infinity Pro which has an impact cushion, and the only benefit to isofix in this sort of seat that I can see is that if you had the seat in the car without the child, it will hold it in place without it needing to be strapped in. So you potentially avoid a big obstacle flying around in the event of an accident. But then, you could just strap it in anyway.

Yes it will stop forward movement of the seat but I don't think that would have much effect - the way the seat is designed is to have the belt and the impact cushion absorb most of the impact. It wouldn't matter if the seat itself moved forwards a bit - in fact surely it's designed to do that?

If you think about it, most forward facing group 1 seats have the belt (or isofix) securing the seat just at the back, the child is only held by the harness, so the seat would stay where it was but the child would move forwards and be stopped by the harness. Whereas with a booster, seat with impact shield, or rear facing seat, the seat itself is held from the front (meaning the side closest to the front of the car) so the whole thing, seat and child, will move forwards, to my mind providing more protection. It's not the flying forwards that causes injuries in a crash, it's the sudden stopping.

None of the Kiddy seats have isofix and the cybex seats are a copycat of the design, so I reckon the isofix is a gimmick designed to make people think "Oh isofix is safer, better go for that." I don't think it's worth the extra £90 in this case. In fact I'd be inclined to say it's probably safer when used with the seatbelt alone, but that's just gut feeling, I don't know enough to be certain.

Also, is there a specific reason to buy the x-solution for your older child? I think some cheaper ones get a better which rating for safety. CarGirl's point about the HBB moving around as the child climbs in is a good one. If you were going to get isofix on one I'd go for that one. With the impact shield type seats, if you're installing it tight enough it centres on the seat and won't move around anyway.

Thankyou all for the advice.
After watching even more crash test videos (is it just me that gets emotional through these? ) I have ordered the isofix although the points made by Bertie theoretically made sense the isofix version came out better in the which? tests and I am fairly confident that I will forget to fasten seats in when dc are not in them most of the time.

There was an offer on the old colour isofix solution so I got one of those and one of the isofix pallas for a total of £320. I could have got last year colour non isofix versions for £55 solution and £120 pallas. Eeek!

Cheers again for the help.