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Car seats

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Original poster

Car seats for 4 and 2 year old - can you make this easier?

20 replies

Liveinthepresent · 01/09/2015 22:04

We currently have a Britax two way elite for DC1 ( 4) and DC2 (2) is still in a maxi cosi pebble.
It is time to move on to the next step - both of them seem to get uncomfortable on long journeys and DC2 hasn't quite grown out of it but has started to try to climb out / wriggles out of shoulder straps.
We had thought that we would get the eldest a high backed booster and move DC2 to the TWE - but I believe the advice is to keep using a 5 point harness seat as long as possible?
We can't get another TWE as I don't think the drivers legroom would work with the way these are tethered with the 'support pole' ( proper word escapes me!)
Anyone got similar ages and a logical solution so I dont have to waste hours of my life deliberating!
TIA for any help.

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mabythesea · 01/09/2015 22:08

How much does your 4 year old weigh?

heymammy · 01/09/2015 22:14

We have this for dc3 3.5yrs

www.kiddicare.com/p/Kiddicare_I_Seat_Gro_Isofix_Group_1_2_3_Black_Stars.htm?kc_fitting_type=Isofix

really comfy seat according to ds, he loves the arm rests and can use the harness up to 18kg. Suitable for both your dc.

AliceMum09 · 01/09/2015 23:34

I'm not sure, I thought that over 4 and over 18kgs if they have to forward facing using the seatbelt is better than using a 5-point harness. In my head the seatbelt will put less strain on the child's neck because it allows the body to move forward too, if the child is pinned back by the harness then the forces on their neck are greater. Does that make sense?

My DD2 is very petite and will be rear facing until she is at least 6, but after than I will get her a decent high backed booster even though she'll probably not be much over 18kgs and isn't tall either so she could probably get at least a couple of years out of something like the Britax Advansafix with a harness to 25kgs.

I think that Britax are bringing out a new generation of their KidFix high backed booster soon that will have some sort of 'catch' for the lap part of the seatbelt that will prevent the child from 'submarining' out under the seatbelt in a crash. I'd go looking for a website to link to, but I've noticed if I leave this page on the iPad and then come back everything that I've typed is gone!

I'd do what you initially though, or you could look at a different rear facing seat for your youngest - there are loads on the market now so there might be a compact one that works. Then you could keep using the TWE for your oldest.

TeamBacon · 01/09/2015 23:36

How on earth is you'd 2yo still in a pebble?

Try Britax first class plus.

Original poster

Liveinthepresent · 01/09/2015 23:43

Good point about weight - I think last time we checked she was just under 25kg.

heymammy
Does that seat go rear facing ? Sorry I didn't make that clear - do we have to turn DC1 round now regardless ? That's fine but of course then the littler one will want to face same direction while we would prefer ERF in TWE as long as possible.

OP posts:

TeamBacon · 01/09/2015 23:44

First class is RF as well, btw

Original poster

Liveinthepresent · 02/09/2015 00:18

Ok am a bit stressed and now doubting my facts!
Will check D D weight as I think she was close to the safe limit for a high back booster a couple of months ago.
dS head is still a few inches below the top of his pebble seat but will double check I am referring to the right model. They are both sort of small 9th centile types. dD used until just before DS was due so also about 2.

Thanks for ideas

OP posts:

mabythesea · 02/09/2015 07:38

She won't be anywhere near 25kg if she is small, my smallish 5 year old is only about 17kg.

Something like the Britax first class is fairly compact and will stay rearfacing til 13kg so your 2 year old may get a bit more time in that before moving into the TWE.

Or have you looked at seats with impact cushions for your older one? The Kiddy ones are forward facing and you can use the impact cushion til 18kg and then just the seat belt.

mabythesea · 02/09/2015 07:39

The Kiddy ones can be used with the adult seatbelt until 36kg/when they grow out of a seat too.

poocatcherchampion · 02/09/2015 07:42

What is the car and how much do both children weigh?

Depending on the above I would probably get another TWE or if you dont think it will fit well behind the drivers seat (no support leg on a twe - it rests against the seat in front) how about a britax maxway/hiway - which does have that.

(Which is the combo we have for our 3 and 2 yo as it happens!)

AliceMum09 · 02/09/2015 09:37

TeamBacon Tue 01-Sep-15 23:36:37
How on earth is you'd 2yo still in a pebble?

The pebble is one of the biggest infant carriers, and if you have a child on the lower centiles of the growth charts they will easily fit. We have a Britax infant carrier and DD2 (who is on the 2nd centile for height and 9th for weight) didn't outgrow it by height until she was 2 3/4. Even at almost 3 1/2 she is still just under the 13kgs weight limit.

Liveinthepresent - you will probably find that your youngest is happy to be RF when the older one is FF, they will be able to interact with each other a lot better than if they were both forward facing. They'll have a good view of each other. I have three children, the youngest is RF but in our car unfortunately 'interact' means 'annoy and generally wind up your siblings and occasionally kick whoever is sitting next to you' !

Original poster

Liveinthepresent · 02/09/2015 19:42

Thanks Alicemum - yes I can see how the interaction could be a good or a bad thing!

I was it seems mainly talking nonsense last night - DD is in a Britax multi tech I I - not the TWE as I claimed ..
We drive a VW golf. So maybe the TWE is worth a look for DS if it has no support pole?
I guess we could leave DD a little while longer as it's rare that we do long journeys as we have recently. I presume we can also turn this seat to FF to give her more keg comfort if this becomes an issue.

OP posts:

TeamBacon · 02/09/2015 20:06

Fair enough. That's what I figured... My almost 2yo is a monster, tbh :)

heymammy · 02/09/2015 20:22

Ah sorry live that kiddicare seat is forward facing only. DC3 was rf until 3yrs in a Klippan Kiss, similar to the TWE.

Original poster

Liveinthepresent · 02/09/2015 22:08

I am doing really badly on this thread - I also meant to say my eldest weighs 16.4 kg - nothing like the 25kg I had mentioned !!

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 02/09/2015 22:17

Aha okay, that makes more sense! I would say 4yo should be alright in a high back booster now, she's definitely over the minimum weight for group 2 but equally has a while to go yet in Group 1 if you wanted to keep her in one. There was something in Freakonomics which showed no difference between 5ph and HBB after three years of age, but I don't know anything about the research. The other thing is unless you have an extended 5ph seat the harnesses often run small on them which is risky - at least you know the adult belt will adjust with and to the child as they grow. But the Multi tech might harness later so I might be talking rubbish here. With rear facing the straps need to come from below the child's shoulders but when forward facing they need to come from above the shoulders.

I would not go with an impact shield seat if she is tall as they don't work so well with taller DC.

I would say with leg comfort - be aware that HBBs can sometimes be a step backwards almost especially as they get taller. We have recently done lots of long journeys with DS who is nearly 7 and in a HBB and he really complained about sore legs because they were just dangling off the edge and yet the seat isn't big enough for him to bring them up onto the seat. We ended up putting a suitcase in the car as a leg rest but it's not ideal.

BertieBotts · 02/09/2015 22:19

I would not touch that kiddicare own brand seat. They are manufactured by nania who are basically the Primark of car seats.

poocatcherchampion · 02/09/2015 22:20

I'd go for a the in that case and you can turn it around in due course. All options available!

Lots of strap length too

BertieBotts · 02/09/2015 22:21

Oh yes, new Britax seat with anti submarine does look good :) If you can get to a shop and try her out in a normal HBB though - if it sits flat across her thighs then it should not submarine anyway. It's if their legs are too skinny and it's sitting across the soft part of their abdomen that it's a problem. This can be down to the positioning of the belt guides at the hips but it can also be an issue for skinny children.

AliceMum09 · 02/09/2015 22:48

My DD2 is RF in a Britax Multi Tech II - you can turn it forward facing, but then the harness can only be used up to 18kgs, not 25.

I'd love to know how the harnesses on the Britax Advansafix and TWE are different to allow them to be used up to 25kgs - just curious, since DD2 like I said is very petite she'll be rear facing in the Multi Tech II until she's at least 6. Then I will probably get her a new HBB with the anti-submarining device since she has skinny little legs!

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