Car seat help!

[gigi556]

We live in the UK and do not own a car. We have an urban kanga for short taxi journeys/travel. We have a Britax that's much bigger that was given to us by a friend which we've been using for longer car journeys or when we hire a car etc. I've just realized it's expired

I guess we don't technically need this second car seat as we have the urban kanga but DP and I feel better about using a sturdier rear facing seat for longer journeys. Son is 12kg and 22 months.

We are going to the USA next month for 2 weeks. Urban Kanga not legal there.

So basically we are thinking we should get a new seat. Maybe buy one in the states?

It's frustrating that they are so expensive and we rarely drive. I've seen ones online that are multistage so good to 12 years, but am I right in thinking they'd expire before my son turned 12 anyway?

I guess I'm just looking for tips advice on what kind of seat would be good for us. I feel kind of clueless.

[AnotherEmma]

There is an excellent Facebook group called "Car Seat Advice UK" where you will find lots of great info, advice and discussions.

Do you know what centile your son is for height and weight? Off the top of my head I would guess that 12kg is a higher weight than average for a 22 month old... so if you want him to rear face until at least age 4 (which is recommended) you will need a 25kg ERF seat.

"We'd like something ideally with isofix that is extended rear facing."
You won't get a 25kg ERF seat with isofix, because isofix is not strong enough for the combined weight of the seat and the child. A belted seat is just as safe as isofix as long as it's fitted correctly.

[gigi556]

@BertieBotts I suppose we don't really need isofix but I really prefer it for easy installation. We used maxi cosi pebble in first year with seatbelt installation and now have the urban kanga which also uses seatbelt and they seem to take a few goes to get in properly and I'm not always 100% sure they've been put in correctly...

The car seat we have that we need to replace has isofix and it takes two seconds to install and it seems kind of dummy proof.

[Friedeggsandcustard]

Just to second the Joie Tilt. Its easy to fit in any car and as it comes in one piece its ideal for travel ( flying) most (all?) the isofix extended rearfacing seats have a separate base which are heavy, cumbersome and one more thing for the airline to loose!

My 3.6 year old DS is still fairly comfortable in it - although he is on the small side.

[BertieBotts]

Just because it's cheap but decent, rear facing to 18kg and fits in a lot of cars. If you're a non driver yourself, I would have thought seatbelt fitted wold be more practical? Isofix also tends to add ~£100 to the price of any seat, which might be OK if you're using it daily but to me doesn't seem worth it for occasional use.

If you go for a seat with long lifespan like the Stages, it's unlikely you'll be able to use it for two children as your eldest will still be in it when the younger one needs it.

[gigi556]

@BertieBotts Thanks for the reply!

We've decided to borrow a car seat from a friend in the USA and buy a new one here.

It's so difficult to navigate the world of car seats! Is there any particular reason you recommend the Joie Tilt? We'd like something ideally with isofix that is extended rear facing. I really like the look of Joie Stages isofix but £300 is a lot of money for us and we don't use it everyday. We would most likely pass the car seat to a second child but we don't have one now or one planned yet.

[BertieBotts]

European seats mostly don't expire, a few newer ones do, but this is usually a recommendation for the US market. If you do have an older seat its age alone wouldn't make it unsafe to use, but it might have wear and tear which would render it unsafe, so it's a good idea to check the seat carefully for things like damage to the polystyrene, any fraying or twisting or stretching in the harness, stress marks on the plastic, missing components (e.g. chest pads, seat cover clips, etc). This explains well: www.goodeggcarsafety.com/blog/do-child-car-seats-expire.html

I would buy something like the Joie Tilt for now or yes the Joie Every Stage/Diono Radian 5 would do you, but I think the difference in price between the tilt and every stage is injustified in your situation, since you can buy a basic, probably more lightweight high back booster for far less than the difference in price. Or a travel seat such as bubble bum which would take up less room. The reason to buy the every stage instead would be if you are hoping to use the seat harnessed and/or rear facing for as long as possible, because of the height of the headrest you can generally use this right up to the 18kg weight limit, whereas with the Tilt and other 0-18kg seats, the harness is limited to expand to around the size of an average 3.5 year old child and no further. (The Diono can also harness to 25kg, if preferred, and the Diono high back boosters are generously sized.)

Joie say if you are using their multi stage car seats for one child, it is valid for the lifespan of the seat's use for that child, but if handing down from one child to another, they suggest a time limit.

I'm not clued up on US seats but I believe most convertible ones are more expensive than the Joie Tilt. Plus American seats are designed to work with US locking seatbelts which European cars do not have. So in terms of seatbelt fitted seats, you're better going EU to North America than the other way around. It's also generally best to get a seat certified in the territory you're mostly going to be using it in.