Car seat for 19kg/42lb very tall nearly 3yo

[Onsera3]

I need a spare seat for DS so I don't want to spend too much. It will be used by MIL to take him to nursery some mornings. Five min drive in 20mph zone. It may only be for the next few weeks or until Xmas.

DS is almost three. He is 107cm (so over 100th centile) as weighs almost 19kg/42lbs.

I guess his dimensions are more suited to a high back booster. But I worry he is too young for this. I think they are supposed to be in harnessed seat until three but he will have a few weeks of using it before his birthday.

But I also don't want to spend too much on a seat unless it can be a spare seat for years.

Does anyone know of a seat that goes to 25kg that is either cheap or will last him a while- ie is suitable for a really tall child.

I saw Britax Two Way Elite but I'm not 100% sure what the max height limit is. I read on a forum 49/50inch so that looks like it would last him to his 5th birthday (if he stays same distance above 100th centile) which is reasonable - though I'd like to spend less.

But I think you have to go and get it installed- which will be a pain and then presumably not easy to move around cars as a spare.

Any other suggestions or thoughts re the safety of harness vs seatbelt, seat vs high back booster for a 3 year old?

[AliceMum09]

It's definitely not a good idea for an under-4 to use a high backed booster, regardless of their weight [https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.414443542032834.1073741882.282362311907625&type=3 This explains why not]

There isn't an age limit for a child using a 5-point harness, it goes on weight therefore you have to stop using the 5-point harness on a Group 1 seat and the majority of Group 1-2-3 combination seats when your child weighs 18kgs. It doesn't matter how young they are.

There isn't a cheap solution for you. You can either buy a Britax Advansafix Group 1-2-3 seat (the harness on this can be used up to 25kgs) or one of the many rear facing car seats on the market that have a harness that can be used up to 25kgs. The Britax Two Way Elite is one of these, and the only one of them that can also be used forward facing with the harness up to 25kgs, but you can only buy it from the In Car Safety Centre. It has to be fitted by them because when rear facing it must brace against the passenger or driver seat and has tether straps that hold it down that you must attach safely to the floor of the car or the front seat. But I imagine it's not difficult to fit and will take only a couple of minutes, if that, once you know what you are doing. I have a rear facing (to 25kgs) Britax Multi Tech II that I can fit quickly now that I have done it a few times.

The Advasafix can only be used in your car if the car has isofix and a top tether anchorage point.

Do you drive? What seat does he have in your car currently?

[AliceMum09]

Sorry, here is the proper link to the info about not using the seatbelt for an under-4!

[AliceMum09]

Oh, and I've read that the harness on the Advansafix doesn't go up high enough to accommodate a tall child, so you'll not be able to use it up to 25kgs anyway because it's likely that he will become too tall for the harness before he reaches that weight.

[Onsera3]

Thanks for your reply.

I saw the Advansafix but read similar to what you are saying about the harness in relation to height. I don't think that would even last him a year. He grows a good cm per month and also his torso proportionately longer than the ave child his height as he is young. So I'm not sure that would last him til 4yo.

I remember trying that Britax seat at the centre in Essex when DS was 8mo old. At that young age it wasn't right- too flat and I didn't like how it had to be installed upright or reclined without being able to easily change. We got the £400 Cybex Sirona from there which sadly he outgrew at 24mo but it was perfect at the time. In hindsight the Britax would have lasted us twice as long for half the price!

Currently, I am actually using a seat I bought when overseas and had a car seat situation. It's a Diono and is from birth to 25kg with harness or converts to booster. Rear facing and with Isofix or belt and decent recline options. Also folds somewhat for air travel. I may not be supposed to be using it in Europe but I know people do get them sent from States on eBay and have seen on Amazon. Diono say they will bring out here in summer.

That is what I worried about with seatbelt. I read posts online from a UK mum who's boy was paralysed in booster (she now uses the Diono seats imported from States).

I know my son is really big but seems silly that there is no option of me going into John Lewis etc and buying something safe for him.


May have to make that trip to Essex!

[Onsera3]

It was the Two Way Elite I tried out that time in Essex I meant to say.

[AliceMum09]

Yes, I've read Dawn's story too :-(

I'm not quite sure what makes American cars and seats so different, I assume their latch system is the same as our isofix. I don't see why you can't use US car seats here (although I know they have been tested to different standards). After the Watchdog story this week about the disgraceful 'service' and bad fitting advice they discovered at several high street shops selling child seats I've read that in America at least the fitting of child seats is a bit more 'standardised' and there are a lot more trained technicians there who actually know how to fit child seats. The local fire departments check them too.

I think it's silly too that it's hard to get hold of child seats for heavier children. If more parents were pointed in the direction of rear facing seats when replacing their infant carrier, and told about the bigger 25kgs ones if their baby is heavy for their age we wouldn't end up with 2 year olds in high backed boosters (or on backless ones like my friends daughter did )

[PlayingSolitaire]

If it is just for a few weeks, would it be possible just to keep transferring your seat to her car and back? I know this is a hassle, but it seems the only options are this or spending a lot of money on a up to 25kg seat.

[Onsera3]

Yes the latch seems to be exactly the same as Isofix. I actually bought the Diono in NZ where it is readily available as it also meets all their standards. But apparently it's not sold in Australia though they have some shared standards with NZ. Seat apparently have to have an anchoring strap there. This Diono does have a tethering strap which I like using as it feels secure. The seat works perfectly with the Isofix and tethering point in our UK bought Mistubishi.

Though I have to install with seat belt now as apparently Isofix is only tested to 18kg.

Transferring won't work unfortunately because somedays MIL will drop off and DH will pick up. There's nowhere to leave a seat at nursery and MIL wouldn't manage to install either. DH likes the idea of having the spare seat for emergencies too.