Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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.

Original poster

Turning round our 2WE - or should we get a Maxi Cosi

12 replies

TheHouseofMirth · 24/01/2012 18:50

DS2 is almost 3 and currently RF in his 2WE. He is really not keen on being rear facing any longer. He is aware his 6 yo brother gets to travel front facing and due to the design of our car, his view from side and rear windows is quite restricted.

I will keep him Rf for as long as I can but I feel the time is coming when we'll have to consider moving him.

A friend is jsut about to give away her Maxi Cosi Tobi and I am wondering which is safer; just turning round our 2WE or taking here Maxi Cosi which is specifically designed to be forward facing?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
justforinfo · 24/01/2012 20:19

Good Question, I believe the side impact protection on the TWE is a bit shoddy? The MC has better side impact.... However! The TWE can harness front facing until 25kg whereas the tobi is only to 18kg. The tobi also has a seatbelt tensioner to ensure a secure fit.

Obviously it's better to keep him ERF as long as poss, but if DS is really unhappy and making the journey distracting for the driver then the tobi might be better FF than the Elite, but keep the Elite then when he's outgrown the tobi put him FF extended harnessed in the TWE.

thisisyesterday · 24/01/2012 21:05

my 4 year old is not keen on rear-facing at the moment either,. for the exact same reason!
but i've told him tough luck! he is allowed to turn round when his head is higher than the back of the seat and that's the rule!
should buy me a little more time Grin

Original poster
TheHouseofMirth · 24/01/2012 21:20

It was the side impact I was concerned about. The Maxi Cosi appears to be better but I don't know that to be a fact. Good point about the harness on the TWE.

Thisisyesterday I just feel so mean when I shout "Oh look! There's a digger" and the poor boy can't see it.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 24/01/2012 21:42

yeah we had that for a while, but i have got used to waiting until I think he can see it and then shouting lol, or trying to point out stuff I know he can see.

Carseatcrazy · 24/01/2012 21:46

What about getting one of those big mirrors? I've got one and my son tells me whats in front of us as it's approachging :) (He sometimes spots diggers and tractors before I do ;)!!!!!!

notfarmingatthemo · 25/01/2012 08:20

Having had a tobi although it should be until 4. He may be nearly to tall as it doesn't have a very good height range. On the tobi once their shoulder go over the top of the slots they are to tall. I had to buy a new seat when my dd was 2.5 (britax duo) which she was then able to stay in until 18kg which was when she was almost. I would keep in rear facing as long as you can and then put it ff the exception to this would be if it doesn't fit well ff. I wish I had know about the twe my dd would only now be just out of it Sad

JuneMummy · 26/01/2012 08:17

Im currently having a nightmare with my son in his TWE! he is only just over 2.5 years so i dont want to switch him and im not going to just yet but i cant see us rfing until age 4 at this rate.

We do an hour commute 3 days a week each morning for my work and DS nursery then an hour home. He has been getting car sick, (making me late for work and making DS quite distressed as he hates sick, he crys and shouts and stiffens his back because he refuses to get in the seat (im pregnant and have severe back ache so its not easy getting him in) then once he is finally in he just complains the whole journey. He has a mirror so can see me and the front of the car, he has books etc.... but its so distracting. I feel at the end of my tether. But i dont see i have any choice but to get on with it as dont want to turn the seat.

Like you, i would worry about using the TWE forward facing because of the side impact protection but its a fab seat to use when older for the extended harnessing. If you really need to switvh him round i would get a dedicated forward facing seat then when he outgrows that switch back to the TWE to keep him harnessed for as long as possible.

Original poster
TheHouseofMirth · 26/01/2012 09:17

I have to say JuneMummy that we turned DS1 round at the earliest opportunity as he was very car sick when rf and I felt that the distraction of him groaning, screaming and then throwing up as I was driving outweighed other considerations.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 26/01/2012 09:29

junemummy maybe ditch the books? that can make car sickness worse IIRC
you could try story cd or something instead?

what I might be tempted to do though is turn him round and see if it helps? if it makes no difference, and it may well not, plenty of chldren are car sick FF, then you can turn him back safe in the knowledge that it's nothing to do with the direction of the seat.

I know truthsweet has been going through a similar thing and has turned her DD round, but she is a lot older than your son :(

it's a difficult decision to make

Original poster
TheHouseofMirth · 26/01/2012 13:43

Gosh yes missed the reference to books. Definitely a big no-no for a car sick person. I can't even check my text messages on a bus!

OP posts:
JuneMummy · 26/01/2012 20:52

The books he has taken to throwing now anyway during his tantrum but he only ever looked at them for a few minutes which was fine on short journeys. Im going to get him some new soft toys to keep in the car as he is probably bored with his current ones.

Im so torn with what to do. I dont want him to forward face. I really dont. I have done so much research into why reafacing is safer that i just cant do it.

JuneMummy · 26/01/2012 20:53

I will try the story CD . Thank you

New posts on this thread. Refresh page