DD1 17kg - which seat now?

[HedgehogHairbrush]

DD1 is in a Triofix and at 17kg is approaching the time to use a seatbelt. However, I would like DD2 to go into the Triofix to ERF in it, and will buy DD1 a new seat. I have turned DD1 FF already as her poor hearing was causing big problems ERF, so don't want to get another RF seat.

Is it Group 2 we are looking at? Any recommendations?

A bit of googling has made me think of the -

Britax XP SICT (pros - seatbelt pad looks like dd would like it, looks well made, best Which rating, cons-hard to get hold of, no reclining headrest)

Cybex Q-fix or x2 - these look v v comfy but are a lot more pricey and don't have the seat pad.

Any thoughts?

I'd go with the Britax one, it seems like a decent very safe seat. You are not going to get any Group 2-3 high backed booster with much, if any, of a recline. If you think about it, it would not be safe to sit reclined in the car in that sort of seat - if you had an accident the child might be at risk of just sliding out under the seatbelt.

Having said that, I have a KidFix HBB (it's about a year old, just the basic one) and in the instruction booklet it does tell you how to recline it. I've never used it reclined though, or my two Britax Adventure HBB that I have. My two older children sleep fine sitting upright in the boosters, they just rest their heads to the side on he lovely deep wings of the headrest.

That should be 'the lovely' not 'he'!

Thanks Alice - I only got concerned about the head recline thing when i watched the Cybex video about the head being unprotected if it lolls forward. So difficult when they all have a marketing tack to pull you in a different direction!

My DS has the Britax Kidfix and the recline on it is enough to stop his head going forward the few times he's fallen asleep. The whole seat moves forward on the isofix points so the child is in a more reclined position.

By contrast when he's fallen asleep in the Cybex Pallas I had to hold his head back to stop it failing forward - the reclining head rest was useless as the seat was so upright he didn't put his head back in it.

This is really helpful. Think I'm going to go with the Britax if I can track it down.

DS has the Britax Adventure, which doesn't recline at all but when he falls asleep his head is supported by the head rest on either side. It's never ever lolled forwards. I wouldn't worry about that, but I would look for one which has a nice roomy support. If you look at the Adventure, the head rests are sort of at an angle which means their head naturally falls there.

You can get HBB which recline. As long as the seat has nice long guides at the hip part, it should hold the seatbelt over them and the seat in place. But it's true without a crotch strap too much recline is impossible.

Ferofix reclines

Maxi Cosi Rodi XR was a great seat for my 2 (has more padding than the Adventure seat). You could recline it too but I think you had to do it in advance of fitting it in the car. I dont think they make that one any more but they will have replaced it with something else e.g. Maxi Cosi Rodi AirProtect. They have an isofix option too

depends how much you want to spend too - the Maxi cosi seat seems to be about £100

Yes the Adventure is a basic seat but I just wanted to show how it's not necessarily the recline which is the issue, but the shape of the headrests.