Which car seat?

[Kelliem]

In short, DD3.3, v tall (about 105) and just over 18kg in weight - need a new car seat. Went to mothercare and apparently the stage 3 ones can only be used with the harness until
18kg, once child is over 18kg should use car seat belt. I would prefer DD to be in a harness as she is only 3 (don't know if I am being pfb here) and I am bothered about her learning to unlock the seatbelt. They said there was only one that would fit the bill - a new Britax one? But it was £220?!!(we need to buy two!) also if can only be used with isofix (I don't have this in my car) - help/suggestions would be ace.

AFAIK, with the exception of some special needs seats, nearly all harnesses are rated to 18kg. After that, it is seatbelts, as per Mothercare have mentioned.

My 5 yr old struggles to get to the seatbelt catch. The bigger the side impact cushions, the harder it will be.

I think any harness choice will be limited, and very expensive.

Yep, you have no choice but to use a high backed booster and secure your DD with the seatbelt. Unless you want the Britax Advansafix.

It makes me a bit cross that Britax won't do more to promote their rear facing seats, especially the ones that are fitted with the seatbelt and can be used with a 5-point harness up to 25kgs. If it was the 'norm' to rear face here until at least 4 years old (as it is in Sweden) we wouldn't have the problem of 3 and even 2 year olds having to sit on booster seats. Not wanting to alarm anybody, but a child's skeleton isn't really developed enough to be properly and safely restrained by a seatbelt until they are at least 4 years old, regardless of weight. (I will link to this info in a separate post, I'm using an iPad and if I leave this page now to find the info it will lose all this reply that I have just typed!)

This is the info I read about using a booster seat too soon www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.414443542032834.1073741882.282362311907625&type=3