Joie Stages Car seat question or other ERF that will fit most cars

[ladymia]

Hi

I hope someone that has this car seat can answer a question for me ....

We do not own a car but we need a car seat (very, very) occasionally. We live in London so it's rare that we need it.

I need to buy one now and would prefer to get a ERF car seat, however, since I do not have a car and this seat will just be used when we hire a car or visit family with a car etc. It's obviously impossible to get a car seat that will fit whatever car I am having.

After reading reviews, I believe the Joie does not fit some cars as the seatbelts are too short. So my question: Does that mean it will not fit those cars at all or will it just not fit as RF but will still fit FF?

I have also read the Maxi Cosi Priori fits 95% of cars so although I would prefer a ERF seat, should I not just go for that one to ensure it fits the hired cars/family cars?

I basically just need a car seat that will fit most cars and will be ERF but I am starting to think that's not going to happen.

Any ideas would be most helpful!

Have you looked at the britax first class plus? The britax should list which cars it fits in but as far as I know it will fit in pretty much anything.

I have a Britax 2way Elite. It has fit in my ford focus and my very old nissan micra. Its a good seat

Yes, if the Joie Stages wouldn't fit rear facing you would be able to fit it forward facing.

The Britax First Class is a good seat, but the rear facing limit is 13kgs. You can use it forward facing after that up to 18kgs. The Joie Stages can be used RF right up to 18kgs.

The Joie Stages can also be used as a high backed booster after 18kgs up to a certain weight (I'm not sure what that weight is, you'd have to check on the Joie website) so it's very good value for money.

the britax first class should fit most cars ff as it has 2 routing routes

Britax two-way elite has done nicely for us in a similar situation to yours. It has fitted RF into every car we have tried bar one where it would only go FF (and then fitted fine).

Britax TWE is from 9kg / stage 1 btw. We had the Britax babysafe before that.

Klippan kiss 2 is ERF birth to 18kg. Can be fitted with a seat belt or ISO fix. The infant carrier can be fitted with the belt without the base unit. It has no tethers so very quick to fit. It's fine in my golf. I'm sure the woman in the shop said it takes up the same space front to back as a maxi cosi cabriofix on an isofix base.

I've looked at the britax seats but ruled them all out for one reason on another (the first class only RF to 13kg, the elite is out of my budget as I will use this seat once or twice a year and mostly for a trip to and from the station or airport) the klippan looks way too big to transport and also out my budget.

AliceMum09thank you that's very helpful, I've gone to have a look at it and it does look like it should fit FF even if it doesn't fit RF.

We have short belts, short enough for it to be impossible for the infant carrier to be belted in with a baby in it, it was permanently belted in as it was such a faff. I haven't tried the stages but we have a tilt (at one stage we had two together) and now have no trouble with the belt length. The shell is smallish though so most children will outgrow it rear facing somewhere between three and four, possibly sooner if they are very tall. You can turn it forward facing at that point until the child becomes too tall for that.