Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Car seats

Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here. For Mumsnetter-approved essentials, sign up for Mumsnet Swears By emails here.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Extended rear facing car seats...HELP

38 replies

sugarplumfairy01 · 27/12/2015 22:36

Hi Everyone,

Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas!!

I am looking at my next stage of car sear for my LO aged 14 months. Ideally I would like an extended rear facing due to safety and I am looking at Recaro Polaric.

For those who have extended rear facing seats is it easy to get the child in and out of the car seat?! I've not see any in cars so not sure how high the sides go up and the space you have, I am going to look at some in the next few days but wanted to know other peoples experiences.

My other half is concerned that it may cause problems with my back lifting my LO into the car seat until he is 4. Whereas if it was a forward facing car seat my LO would be able to get in the seat a bit more easily without as much lifting.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Hufflepuffin · 28/12/2015 00:18

2way pearl!

Original poster

sugarplumfairy01 · 28/12/2015 00:32

we looked at the twowaypearl before but didnt think the side impacts looked great. we had no child in the seat and we were just looking...

what are your thoughts on it?

OP posts:

Salene · 28/12/2015 05:00

It's the 2 wat pearl I have and I find it hard to get my 15 month son in it, I'd say avoid it and get the axissfix because it swivels

JellyTipisthebest · 28/12/2015 05:30

Isofix is only upto 18kg some go upto 19kg. Look in your childs red book to see when that might be. Might be only about 3 or 4 years. If you get a belted most go up to 25kg which will def be 5 years may even be 6 years.
I found that if you lift the child up to the car seat they can with a bit of help climb in. It some ways a lot easier than they would in a ff car seat as they but one hand on thier seat and one on the car seat it self and they can;'y fall in the gap between the front and the back seats. My own kids were in ff seats (they are now big kids) the child I look after is in a britax maxway it much easier to get her in than it was to get my own kids in theirs

polkadotdelight · 28/12/2015 07:57

The above post is why I went for seatbelted, we had the maxicosi axissfix but its now gone into mums car as he will have to forward face in it sooner than I wanted (height restricted) and although I wanted a swivel the isofix based are only up to 18kg (19 for nuna rebl I think). Our belted seat will keep him rear facing until 25kg and has loads of leg room.

OpheliaMoo · 28/12/2015 08:21

A timely thread! We need another car seat for DD 10m old, and I want an extended RF one - it's like a minefield out there! I'll check out some of these suggestions

eurochick · 28/12/2015 08:48

We have the two way pearl. It meets the I size requirements which includes side impact protection. What made you think it wasn't great in that respect?We've been using it a couple of weeks for our 17 month old and have no trouble getting her in. My back isn't great and it's fine.

Original poster

sugarplumfairy01 · 28/12/2015 09:40

Just when we looked at it, the side impact didn't look as much as some others. It was a while back and I have looked at some many it may have been another maxicosi one.

Interteresting to know that I size requirements include side impact too.

I'll have another look today!

OP posts:

AliceMum09 · 28/12/2015 13:24

sugarplumfairy01 I found this about a Joie recall, as far as I know no failures of the harness tensioner were reported it was just one of those things that could potentially happen.

www.which.co.uk/news/2013/09/safety-alert-joie-stages-child-car-seat-recall-334179/

The only Joie seat I have is the Stages (well I've bought two actually, one for my mum and dad's car and one as a spare for our car. Day-to-day my 3 1/2 year old has a Britax Multi Tech II rear facing seat). I really like it, it fits very securely in the car rear facing (had never had it forward). If you install it and then grab the bottom of the seat and try to move it side to side it doesn't move an inch, and you can see it's in well as the seatbelt is tight enough to pull the seat down and squash the car's seats a little (if you see what I mean).

I've read all the issues about children's heads falling forward in the Joie I-Anchor, but it's not a problem that's exclusive to that seat. I'm not sure if I can attach a picture of my Britax seat, but that is very upright (it has no recline function at all, you just fit it in one position). My DD2 went into it as a very petite 11 month old but her head has never fallen forward when she has been asleep. I think babies just need to get used to resting their head to the side when they feel sleepy, the I-Anchor looks like it has a decent headrest that they could do this with.

MindfulBear · 28/12/2015 13:35

DS is in a Britax Multitech II and he is now 3 1/2yo (18kgs) and the seat is in a 4x4. He now climbs in and out himself and has done for ages so don't worry about getting a 4yo in and out - you probably won't need to do anything except strap LO in!! DS cannot do the harness up himself but he can undo it (he waits for permission)

I also have a bad back and have been really really happy with our choice of ERF car seat. It has always been easy to get DS in and out. He can now position the mirror himself to see me, so I can see him!!!

We love it so much when we moved overseas we bought a 2nd one to leave in the UK for trips back.

Best of luck with your decision.

eurochick · 28/12/2015 19:37

This explains the new isize standard: www.i-size.org.uk

AliceMum09 · 28/12/2015 21:35

Just to make it clear, when I said 'I really like it' and described the fitting I was taking about the Joie Stages (I do really like my Multi Tech II too though!)

bimandbam · 28/12/2015 21:43

I have a joie stages for now 2 yo ds. It can be a bit awkward getting him in without bashing his head atm. The seatbelt is quite high across the side you put him in iyswim. So you have to lift him over it and then drop him in.

But it fits in most cars and that was important to us as it's the only seat we have. So far it's gone in a ford focus, an astra estate and now in a mitsubishi warrior. I do have to tighten the screw up though on the tightening strap. Was that what they were recalled for?

Flip

1 2