under 15 months ? car seat laws have changed ....

[dragonfly007]

www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules

If this affects you, will you be purchasing a new car seat ? Even if you child is currently forward facing

I've seen this on FB. Couldn't quite decide if it's real as there's been no publicity. Doesn't affect us thankfully but they could've done some kind of build up like they did for the last change re the booster seats.

www.childcarseats.org.uk/types-of-seat/i-size-seats/ - the isize legislation will run alongside current legislation for a few years so no need to change your current car seat. The .gov website never seems to give full information about carseats. Isize also only applies to isofix seats so not applicable if you don't have isofix in your car

Well, put nicely, I won't be changing the seat. She's got a Recaro Young Expert at the minute which wasn't exactly cheap (£140) and it takes up a lot of the rear space, to the point where I've only recently swapped cars so there's room to grow in the future for her legs. From what I've seen, unless you've got the likes of a Skoda Superb, or your front passengers have no legs, the amount of room an extending rear facing seat requires is insurmountable for a lot of cars.

You don't need a big extended rear facing seat for a baby though.

It gives an alternative option for a car seat from birth but you don't need to change your current car seat. The regulations will run side by side until 2018.

Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding your post, but doesn't group 1 go up to about 4 years? In which case, once they're out of their group 0 cabriofix type setup (by 9 months in my case as she was too tall), how long is a 'smaller' rear facing seat suitable for?

Sorry JBoss but you are wrong on the amount of space needed for an extended rear facing seat. I had a maxi cosy cabriofix carrier and familyfix base in my civic. I bought a Britax dualfix when my DD was 6 months old and I was able to put my passenger seat 2 clicks further back than when I had the maxi cosi set up.

Now she is over 9kg I have put her in the more upright position I have moved 2 more clicks back so even more room for my DH, not that he had any problems before. He's 6 foot 1.

JBoss, the new regulations refer to baby car seats from birth to 15 months not stage 1 seats.

It's being phased in over 5 years. Isofix seats are first the rest will follow.

Our baby is 8 months and needs a new seat soon so do we need to get a rear-facing one or not? It will be expensive to get one for pnly 6 months if so. We can't afford the ERF ones.

Cross post. So it's only for Isofix till 2018?

This has really confused me - I'm not sure if it's real or not. Does this mean that all children under the age of 15 months now have to be rear facing by law? I know it's been the recommendation since my DS was born in 2012 but is it actually law now for all isofix seats? It seems that children already in forward facing seats are fine to stay there but it affects new purchases?

It affects me quite a lot because my second baby is due in June - I was just going to use our maxi cosi cabriofix but my first DS was out of it by 10 months because he was so tall. If this was the case with the new baby would I then have to buy an extended rear facing seat to cover the 5 months where he no longer fit in the cabriofix? Or would it be legal to put him into a forward facing seat? If he has to be rear facing by law I'm thinking it will make more sense to buy and extended rear facing seat that goes from birth and just miss out the carrier part. Although this will be a much more expensive way of doing things, DS will be out of his car seat soon so I was just going to use it again once baby 2 had outgrown the carrier - does this mean I can't of the baby is younger than 15 months?

Sorry for all the questions - I'm confused!

No it is not for every child. If you get a new isize seat it is suitable until 15 months. The other existing car seats are still available and legal to use within the weight guidelines given on them. The current legislation will run alongside the new isize legislation until 2018 at which point you would need to use the new seats until 15 months and wouldn't be able to use the old seats (don't know how that would work in cars without isofix though)

The government website really needs to have full information.

Thanks, dementedpixie.

Lots of forward facing group 1 seats also rear face though, until 13kg or sometimes 18kg. You don't need to buy an extended rear facing seat.
Like this
Britax seat
and this
Cosatto seat
I think 13 kg is around 18 months-2 years, and they forward face until 18kg, around 3.5-4 years.

There are rear facing seats already available that last until at least 15 months. Dd was in one of these until over 18 months.

That Britax one looks great! Thanks, I think we'll just get that one.

I would prefer to keep her rear-facing but hadn't found anything we could buy.

I have this one which is isofix, and my big 11+kg 12 month old is comfy in it. It can rear face or forward face until 18kg and isn't huge:
www.mothercare.com/Hauck-Varioguard-Combination-Car-Seat---Black-Red/565034,default,pd.html

Isis izzie that's one car (and a comparatively roomy one at that assuming it's the 55 plate onwards shape) and one seat. I haven't said they're incompatible with all cars, however a quick scan of even this sub forum shows people struggling to find ones that fit.

Agree with the poster that said this needs more info on the main gov site, particularly as not all 15 month olds will be the same height and weight. Some people's kids may still fit in their infant carrier until 15 months.

Hi, my lb is 14 months, he only weighed 8.74kg (last Thursday) what car seat should I use? He's quite long and really hates rear facing as his legs are squashed and very uncomfortable ?

He needs to stay in his infant seat as long as possible bekah. Are you sure his legs are uncomfortable? He is much safer in that seat, second safest would be a group 1 rear facing seat and least safe (and not legal until he is over 9kg) would be forward facing.

He's too light to go to a forward facing seat. Group 0+1 seat maybe?

DS2 is due in 5weeks. I have paid for and am awaiting delicvery of a new pram package which includes the Maxi cosi family fix base and a cabrio fix.

DS1 was out of his carrier and in a Tobi by 9 months I'm sure?

Is what I've just bought still okay? Or should I get in touch with the retailer? The whole package was a bundle deal and saved me about £200

"But Surely That Must Be Uncomfortable?

No, it isn't. Children's skeletons are still largely made of cartilage, and they are far more flexible than adults. Small children naturally sit with their legs bent, and when they are very little this is actually better for the development of their hips and spine. Even older children don't experience any discomfort when they sit like this."

Frome www.rearfacingtoddlers.com/faq.html

I remember looking it up because I thought it couldn't possibly be comfortable, and found a few websites that say the above. I worry about DD getting annoyed that she can't see us, but I'm hoping if I keep her in rear facing she just wont know any different and will be happy!

Unless your baby is likely to be huge Kato they will probably fit in an infant carrier until 15 months.