Which car seat would you recommend for toddlers?

[TinaMumsnet]

We're making plans to test and review car seats for toddlers and we'd love to know which ones you recommend.

Tell us the make and model of the car seat you rate, and why you'd recommend it to others. Your comments will help us to create a shortlist of toddler car seats to test and recommend to new parents.

As well as listening to your recommendations, we'll be speaking to independent experts and studying a variety of crash safety test results before putting together a shortlist of 15 car seats to test with a real family.

This shortlist of car seats will represent the highest performing and best value products on the market. All the car seats we test will meet (or exceed) government safety guidelines, by having one family test all the seats we’ll get a clearer idea of with the differences between each car seat and how they fit into family life.

Help us find the best products to test by sharing your car seat recommendations below

Thanks!

I've used Kiddy seats for the last 8 years, had 6 of them in total so far for my 3 children,
lie flat infant carrier,
toddler seat with bumper bar - no 5 point harness to cause neck injuries in a crash,
and high backed booster for when they are older
Love them, would be very reluctant to change brand now
Someone crashed into the back of my car a few years ago, and the police and paramedics said how fantastic it was to see children in such safe seats 👍

Axkid minikid or move
Britax max way

Joie 360 spin
Super easy to get child in and out of the car, especially when also carrying bags and coats etc

@littledinaco I've seen the video, an impact shield is by far the best option for us. A lot of research went into our decision with this seat. It's far safer than a toddler hanging out of her seat by her waist and a distracted parent trying to encourage her to stay in her harness/put her arms back in. We tried EVERYTHING before making the change and are all 100% happy with it. They're a really good option for some children.

Does anyone have a full list or a link to a full list of car seats for sale in the uk which have passed the Swedish plus test?
Thanks

Your review should have also info about the height the car seat is suitable for. 'Up to 4 years' means nothing if this is 110 cm for one seat and 125 for other. And it's an important factor if you have a taller than average child.

What teaandbisscuitsforme said

Please pleas please give parents the info on why rear facing is safer.

Toddler seats to 18kg often do not last until 4, buying a seat at 1-1.5 years it’s along way off but changing to a hhb with adult belt at 3 just isn’t safe.

What a great opportunity to educate parents en masse!

Rear facing is safest. Its not a "fad", its physics.

A correctly installed belted seat is just as safe as an isofix one.

Harnesses need to be tightened properly.

Parents need to know their child's centiles/weight/height before they buy.

Paramedics/police/midwives most likely have no clue about how safe your seat is, unless they happen to have a personal interest.

Parents need to take responsibility for their child's safety and wellbeing. I'm a hcp working in nicu. We spend thousands upon thousands of pounds keeping very prem/sick babies alive and on day of discharge get handed a generic £30 seat from Argos thats completely unsuitable for the baby. Its like putting the baby in a cardboard box and waving them off...
I know that not everybody has lots of money to spend on seats, but I feel that there isn't enough education out there for parents to even know the difference

Rearfacing is the way forward!

Totally agree with tea biscuits, when are people going to realise that forward facing is not as safe as rear facing. Why parents would choose comfort over safety is beyond my comprehension. Please push this mumsnet. It's time the uk realised!

The problem with belt installed baby seats is that newborn sleep deprivation decreases the likelihood of correct installation. The toddler seats are more likely to stay in the car so only need to be installed once when you are vaguely awake rather than every time.

Axkid minikid for safety. Joie stages for a budget erf.

The problem with belt installed baby seats is that newborn sleep deprivation decreases the likelihood of correct installation

I can honestly say that I have never felt so sleep deprived that I couldn't install a seat correctly. Most newborn seats are ridiculously easy to install, it seems to be that the seats aren't belted tightly enough. According to the road safety authority.

My experience with newborn seats is that getting the bloody belt tight enough is not easy and much swearing is involved. At least 3 cars worth of seat belts too! Plus second guessing if it's tight enough rather than green visible, fine, move on!

CONCORD REVERSO PLUS. I don’t know why more people don’t rave about this seat.

It is simple to use, large enough for a 4 year old. Good weight limit and it has passed the Swedish Plus Test. It’s the best seat I’ve ever had but only bought it for DC4 so we’ve been through a few.

The reverso plus has a max height of 105cm. My just turned 4yr old is taller than that (not sure what centile). The minikid is cheaper, also plus tested and has a height limit of 125cm.

I wasn’t disputing that other seats aren’t good, it just never gets mentioned so I thought I would add it here

It’s great for a small car too if anyone is struggling with that.

The problem with the Reverso is that the height and weight limits don't match so although it's a great seat, it's often not a good choice for people who want to rear face for longer or for people who's DC would outgrow an 18kg/105cm before 4. It's a great seat for children who are average/below average height as it should last to 4 (providing their height is mainly in their legs rather than their torso). However, for children who will outgrow it before 4, or who want to rear face beyond 4, it's not normally a good option. The Minikid and Two Way Elite will always be more frequently recommended because they're more universally fitting and they are much longer lasting, whatever centile your child follows.