Went to Mothercare last year and bought a Joie Gemm car seat. As the manager went to fit it to check it was safe, she said we could get a belted base for it. She brought the base out and fitted it, and said it fitted well and she was happy it was safe. We couldn't afford it though, as it was over £100. So we just got the car seat.
2 weeks after having dd I realised what a faff the car seat was, so we bought the belted base from Argos as it was only £44.95. So it wasn't actually from Mothercare, but it was the same base.
I've had doubts lately as DD seems very upright in the seat, head flops forward etc. Today, I went out in someone else's car so fitted the base in their car and the difference was quite extreme. The base actually sits on the car seat, and DD was more reclined.
The base is now back in my car, and I've been examining it this evening and I can fit my arm underneath the base; I couldn't fit even a hand underneath it in the other car!
Does this mean it's not safe? I feel silly questioning it as like I said, it was the manager of Mothercare who said this base was safe in our car, but I'm a bit of a worrier...
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Car seats
Is my DD's car seat safe?
Terriblemum2016 · 12/05/2016 21:14
It's probably just the shape and slope of your car's seats which is causing the problems.
Have you checked the fitting list on the Joie website to see if your car is on it?
I'm not sure whether the gap under the base makes it dangerous or not, with ISOFIX bases there is often a gap due to the position of the rigid ISOFIX points and the angle that they hold the base at in each individual car, I don't think it's necessarily a problem so it shouldn't be with your base either.
How old is your baby? Her head falling forward isn't a problem if she's over 6 months old and able to move it by herself, but if she's under 6 months you should probably go back to belting the seat directly into your car as you'll be able to make it flatter that way.
You could also ask to join the Facebook group Car seat advice for mummies and daddies and post some pictures for the experts on there to comment on.
You should ALWAYS question what Mothercare tell you with regards to child seats. If I hadn't I would have been driving round with my 16kgs 2 year old on a high backed booster using only the seatbelt to restrain him thinking this was the safest option for him 
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