Confused. Any car seat experts to offer some advice?!

[hethajf]

Evening everyone, I'm stuck. I've looked at so many different car seats they're now all merging into one and I'm going to end up ordering any old thing!

My daughter (10 months, 9kg) is currently in a Jane Matrix Light 2, in the sat upright position. I loved the seat whilst she was laid down in it but now she's sat up it's just awkward getting her in and out and the straps keep twisting making them hard to tighten so she keeps wriggling her houdini arms out. Therefore, I'm going to pack the Matrix away in waiting for another tiny baby and let DD have a new one.

I'd like the following (in order of most prefered);
Ability to spin the seat towards the door so that it's easier to get her in
Ability to tilt the seat backwards if she's asleep
Rear facing (rear/front would be even better)
Isofix (for safety rather than ease of getting the seat in and out, the seat tends to stay in the car these days)

Any recommendations greatly recieved!

I'm not bothered about it lasting a decade, I can't imagine not changing it in that time, but a couple of years would be good!

Thankyou in advance

Cybex sirona. Fab, lasts 0-4/5 years. Rear facing, spins

Cybex Sirona if she is 50th centile or less.

Our sirona was fine with ds2 at 90th percentile and around 105cm when we moved over. Mainly because we were using the next seat all summer for travel so he stayed in it the September we returned, but he still fitted fine height and weight wise

Weight wise the sirona and many seats go up to 18kg. As an idea, my son is tall for age and nearly 6, he weighs 19.5kg now. So should def last most until at least 4 years

We've got the Britax dualfix because the sirona wouldn't fit in our car and we love it! I find it so easy to use and change both the recline and from rear to front facing. I've had the covers off and in the wash too which was really easy to do. Highly recommend this seat, am thinking of getting another one for when July 17 baby arrives I love it that much.

Dualfix.

Thankyou everyone, she's just below the 75th percentile but she's long and thin really, never been a roley poley baby. Is the cybex sirona front facing too? I'm just thinking about her long legs when she's a bit older!

The sirona does face forward if you want, but we didn't and plenty of leg room at 4years still

10 months and 9kg is far too small to be forward facing. Why can't they stay in a group 0+?

Not sure where you are in the country but we went to the In Car Safety centre in Milton Keynes (I think they have a few others in different parts of the country and an online shop).

They help you find a seat that does what you want and that fits inside your car. Someone helps you try different seats in your car before purchasing and also installs and shows you the checks for installation.

We

Thanks, my dad lives near MK so maybe I could take him on a little shopping trip ;-) I think we will go and try a few anyway but I just wanted a rough idea of what we want to look at before we go. It's information overload when you start looking at all the different options isn't it?!

FruitCider thanks for your concern, i don't want her forward facing yet, I just thought it would would be nice to have the option in a couple of years if she gets too gangly (quite a possibility with her parents!) although reading the reviews it looks like she'd be fine backward facing for quite some time anyway.

x

We also had the Matrix Light 2 and then moved on to the Dualfix-absolutely love it. She was rear facing until she was about 3 and now ff at 3.5. It is expensive but I feel I've got my money's worth from it. The fact it spins round is total genius for getting them in and out, especially if you're in a tight space.

Legislation has recently changed again regarding baby/child seats on it might be worth checking that out before you go shopping.

Yes any new seats have to be isize compliant meaning your child cannot forward face until they are 15 months anyway.

If your baby is tall for her age I would ignore I-Size because she is likely to outgrow these seats by height before she can safely use a high backed booster. You don't have to buy an I-size seat, there are seatbelt-fitted rear facing seats that have passed the strictest car seat test there is (the Swedish Plus test), likewise you don't really need isofix - it doesn't make a seat safer, only easier to fit (allegedly - I've never had any problems fitting our rear facing Multi Tech II with a seatbelt, I'm not sure isofix would be any easier) and that doesn't really matter if the seat is staying in the car.

The Britax Dualfix and Cybex Sirona won't last a 75th centile child until they are 4. I wouldn't restrict yourself to swivel seats, it's really easy to get a baby or child into a rear facing seat, especially if you go for one with low sides like the Axkid Minikid or Britax Multi Tech II. Our DD2 has been in the Multi Tech II since she was 11 months old and is rear facing in it now at 4 years 9 months old.

Please don't worry about children with long legs not being comfortable rear facing. It's a lot better for them to be rear facing with their legs supported by the seat than to have their legs dangling in mid-air off the front of a forward facing seat. When we do long journeys it's our 7 year old in her high backed booster who complains of aching legs/thighs but we never hear a thing from our rear facing 4 year old. The bigger rear facing seats have legroom anyway, they don't butt right up to the car's backrest like an infant carrier does.

For a tall baby you need a tall seat - Axkid Minikid, Britax Max Way, Britax Multi Tech II or Britax Two Way Elite.