Does anyone have the Which Do Not Buy List?

[nappyaddict]

I need to source a fairly cheap high back booster seat with head and side impact protection for my son's school transport. I know the Nania seats and the Graco Junior Maxi are considered unsafe but I want to check what else I should be avoiding before I recommend a seat to the LA.

This is the next cheapest I can find in Mothercare. Does that score well?

I don't have the list, but I have that seat and it's a nice one. The seatbelt fits nicely and the SI is good around the head too.

This is slightly cheaper, but I've not heard of the make "Lux" before.

Lux is a brand of Safety 1st which is Dorel.

That's the brand that do the Maxi Cosi isn't it?

Yep. Safety 1st as a brand look good as well on their website, they talk about testing. Although I did have a friend buy a double buggy from them which fell apart!

Lux looks like the Canadian arm.

The britax scores 42%

Pros: Acceptable side impact protection, easy to install, clear instructions, good finish quality.

Cons: Poor front crash protection, awkward to clean

Cheapest high back booster in the best buys table is britax kid plus sict which is appx £125.00. It scores 75%.

Pros: Great side crash protection, good front crash protection, easy to use, clear instructions, easy to carry, covers are easily washable

Cons: Not Isofix, wide seat will take up a lot of space

£125 is not "fairly cheap" in HBB standards, though, really.

Oh God, I think we've got the Graco one - what do which say about it?

If it's the graco Junior maxi it scores 20%.

Pros: Light and easy to use, easy to clean

Cons: Side crash protection is so poor we recommend you don't buy this seat Graco Junior Maxi

Bertie no it's not fairly cheap but it is the cheapest in the best buys table by quite a long way. Unfortunately good safety costs money. I'd personally like to see the seats with such poor test results banned. It lulls people into a false sense of security by buying a seat that has passed the safety standards therefore they believe they're doing the right thing.

But the OP was looking for one they can recommend to the Local Authority, who presumably will be using it occasionally, not a super duper safest ever seat.

I do think that the worst seats shouldn't be on the market (side eye, nania) - and the reason that Graco would have got a low mark is that it's a much older seat, I remember it being highly regarded about ten years ago, before all of the information about SIP came about. The main issue with it is that there are now much better seats on the market, it doesn't mean it's inherently unsafe, it just means if you're buying a new seat now it would be better to choose a different one.

I have two Britax Adventures and they are by far the best 'budget' HBB you can buy. My mum has the cheap Graco one for her car, but I tend to swap my seats into her car rather than let my kids use the Graco one! Just comparing the two side by side the Britax has a lot more body and head support, and is a lot more 'sturdy'. My children can sleep easily (if they need to, they will be 9 and 6 next month so this only happens occasionally if we are travelling late) in the Adventure without their head falling forward or their body slumping.

I know the Adventure doesn't get a good result for front impact crashes, but I can't see why really. The seatbelt is held low over my children's pelvis/top of their thighs and right across their shoulder and chest (not neck) so there is nothing wrong from that point of view. I can only think that perhaps the fact that the Adventure is not attached to the ISOFIX points in the car means that the weight of the seat in a collision puts extra strain on the child. But just guessing there!

www.toysrus.co.uk/Babies-R-Us/Travel-and-Pushchairs/Car-Seats-and-Boosters/Group-2-and-3/Joie-Trillo-Car-Seat-in-Midnight(0121097) - looks like it has decent head protection

Yep. That's my experience too. I suppose that the seatbelt guides for the lap part aren't as big as in some other seats, so they could come out of place.

Also, not every car has ISOFIX.

Velvet1973 What does the Lux score and pros/cons?

The same for the Joie Trillo and the Graco Logico L please.

The lux and joie trillo aren't reviewd, assume because the lux is an own brand but not sure why the joie isn't.
The grace is a don't buy and scores 20%.

Pros: Light and easy to use, easy to clean

Cons: Side crash protection is so poor this seat is a Don't Buy

joie is a new brand so probably why.

They've tested the joie stages but not trillo so not sure why unless the trillo is very new.

I thought that 20% was for the Graco Junior Maxi, not the Graco Logico L?

Both score 20%. The junior maxi says this:

Pros: Light and easy to use, easy to clean

Cons: Side crash protection is so poor we recommend you don't buy this seat Graco Junior Maxi

The graco assure 2/3 scores 55%

Pros: Easy to install, lightweight seat

Cons: Crash test results are satisfactory, but not impressive

Apparently, you can suggest seats for them to trial. My sister emailed them to find if they had ever done a test on a particular seat and they said hadn't but they would do one. Just in case anyone is organised enough to be planning seats way before they need it so they can get WHICH to do the test!

We have the Britax Adventure and have been happy with it although I've never had to test its safety capabilities thankfully.

The head rest is height adjustable and has decent support in this area, it also has wings in the body to provide side impact protection and the belt guides are sturdy and well placed.

May not be the highest rated but budget wise its very reasonable and its served my 8 year old pretty well.