Best toddler car seat for infrequent use?

[BobandBenway]

Hello,

Looking to get a new car seat for 18month old dd who has grown out of her Maxi Cosi Cabriofix. We used it with the easyfit isofix base, and ideally I'd like the next car seat to be similar (horrible memories of trying to fix eldest ds's car seat in with seat belts, and am convinced it was never in safely!).

Anyway, I had initially looked at the Maxi Cosi 2way Pearl - I like that it has a similar base to fix the seat, plus it's rear facing. However, it is very expensive once you add the base to the seat!

We don't go out in the car much, maybe a 15 min (local) drive here and there once or twice a week even if that, so it seems a lot of money to spend for something so infrequently used. My other kids are a lot older, so it's been a long time since I had to look at toddler car seats (don't even think they had isofix ones back then!), so I'm not really sure what's out there. I'm wondering if we even need one with a base? It would only be used in the one car, and we're already past the baby seat stage (not even sure if Maxi Cosi do a toddler seat that fits on the Easyfit base?). Are there toddler seats that are isofix without a base?

Could anyone recommend ones for me to look at please?

Thanks :)

Just got the izi besafe combi isofix x3 which is isofix rear facing. The x4 is about to come out so some places are discounting them but still almost £300. Will do to around age 4.

Thanks for the reply. I had seen that one, but it's too expensive sadly.

Have been looking at the Joie Stages. This seems ideal as it is rear facing til 18kg, then ff to 25kg, and at £130 seems great value!

I've had a look at some videos and although not isofix it seems easy enough to fit, though I'd like to try it out in person to see how secure it really is.

Another thing, it looks like it's not too heavy and I could use it when we get a taxi to my mum's etc - does anyone have this seat and is it a)easy to fit securely and b)light enough to be humphing about in & out of taxis??

One thing I really like about our current set-up (Cabriofix + isofix base) is that when it was getting used the most in our car, we knew it was secure with the isofix, but we also had the option of just taking the seat on its own into a taxi or relatives car, and it was straightforward enough to secure with just the seatbelt. Do any ERF seats come with both isofix and/or seatbelt fitting? Although, now I'm thinking about it, nowadays she's probably in a taxi or relative's car more often than ours, so maybe we don't want one with a separate isofix base?

The isofix ones I've seen all seem to be a base then the seat - do any ERF seats come all-in-one? In saying that, I don't think my sister's car has isofix, and I don't think I could be faffing about with isofix points + the seat + dd in a taxi! Actually, people who have a "spare" seat for taxis etc, what do you use?

Coming back to the Joie Stages again, or can anyone recommend anything else to look at? I'm still not really sure what we want / need!

Maybe we should just stick to the train & bus lol!

Thanks :D

The joie stages is a which best buy but this guide to car seats suggests it is actually a pretty good seat m.facebook.com/RearFacingToddlers/photos/a.282375891906267.1073741829.282362311907625/410672292409959/

We just went to a specialist car seat selling place and got a seat with a separate base - in our car it is actually much easier to fit than if it were all in one as the isofix points are really deep. They do make seats that are all in one though.