Rear-facing seat for 13month old

[TJBear]

Hi, my 13month old DD is still in her Maxi Cosi cabriofix but her head is nearly at the top so she will be needing a new seat soon. She doesn't weigh 9kg yet and going by the chart in the red book, will be 15-16months before she's 9kg. So I'm having a dilemma as to which seat to buy!

We've been to the In car safety centre in MK and initially narrowed it down to the Britax two-way elite or Besafe Izi combi isofix as the ones which fit our car (thought we'd be getting the hi-way or Kiss but they didn't fit well!). The TWE gave the most leg room for the front passenger, is cheaper and would be easier to move between our 2 cars. But, the weight range for the TWE is 9-25kg so our DD isn't heavy enough to go in it yet and we were slightly put off by the side impact protection and preferred the Besafe seat. The Besafe seat fitted but gave less legroom for the front passenger and is much heavier to move, but our DD could go in it now.

Would you put a 13month in a TWE if they weren't yet 9kg or should I wait? Been thinking of buying a Britax first class plus as an interim but my DH isn't keen and thinks we should just buy one of the ERF seats. The first class plus seat looks nice but it sounds like the seat belt gets in the way when it's rear-facing.

Does anyone have any advice please? Thanks!

The 20lbs and 1 year thing is a guideline used in some states of America, there's no reference at all to age in the UK laws. You can legally turn a 15 week old forward facing if they are on the 99.6th centile and hit 9kg at that age (Though I would hope no car seat seller would recommend this!)

I've got the 2 way elite and love it. We bought it for my (big) DS at 10ish months, but kept him in the maxi-cosi until he completely outgrew it - just as it was easier as it clipped onto the pushchair when we were out etc.

It does have to brace on the back of the seat in front, which ideally is a 2 person job to fix it in, as 1 person holds it in position, the other person sits in the front seat and pushes it back (perhaps it could be 1 person job if you did it more frequently and found a better technique?). As long as you have a set of tethers for each car its not a long job to fix it in though. I just had to put it in a different car and including putting tethers in the new car it took 15 mins to change it over - oh and I had to spend a few minutes shaking raisins and crumbs out of it as its been around a year since it was taken out of the car!

DS loves it still and still fits comfortably rear-facing and he's now a tall 2.10yr old. :)

I am also trying to decide between the besafe and the TWE.

Does anyone have an older child in the besafe? I like the besafe because it looks protective for a younger child and reclines, but it looks very small for a 3/4 year old?

Any advice welcome

HappyAsASandBoy - I have my large 2.7 year old in the besafe and although she is still very comfortable and has plenty of room she won't be in it much longer as she's already 17kg. She's probably around the size of an average 3and s half year old I would have thought.

BertieBotts - my health visitor did recommend I move dd1 to a forward facing seat when she hit 9kg at 16weeks.

Thanks greensnail. It is so hard to pick the right one as there is kust the choice of these two for our car (landrover freelander). These seem to be the only RF that'll fit!

We have a Besafe Isofix X3 for both girls We got one for DD2 when she was she was 13months as she too tall for the maxicosi and still only 7.4kgs, it has been the best carseat move ever, she can see out, sleeps comfortably and can hold DD1's hand.

DD1 is 3 and is very happy in hers and will be in it forever if she keeps growing at the same rate she currently is!