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MNHQ

UPDATED. Confused about car seats? Your questions answered

11 replies

LauraEMumsnet · 09/04/2019 12:31

Car seats and car seat safety can be a bit of a minefield, but when it comes to buying and fitting a seat for your little one, it's vital that parents get it right.

So what exactly is ISOfix? Can you buy a second-hand car seat? And what's the difference between R44 and i-Size?

In the next couple of weeks, we'll be filming an FAQ-style video with car seat expert Jan James, Chief Executive of Good Egg Safety, who will be answering your questions on all things car seats.

If you have something you would like to ask Jan, just pop your question on the thread below and we'll do our best to answer as many as possible.

Happy posting!
MNHQ

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MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 20/05/2019 10:37

Hi everyone!

We're excited to share our car seat FAQ video with you, which you'll find at the top of this thread!

Unfortunately we weren't able to answers all your questions in this video, but Jan has sent over answers to most of those not mentioned, which I'll be posting on her behalf shortly Smile

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:11

@Chocolateisfab

Can never grasp where a dc's legs would go long term rf??!

Jan's response:

An extended rear-facing seat is the safest option for your child.There are many options available now that can rear-face to 18kg or up to 25kg.

Children are more flexible than adults and find rear-facing seats very comfortable; they can put their legs wherever they choose.

The 25kg extended rear-facing seats tend to offer a lot of legroom as they are designed to fit an average-sized child to approximately 6 years old.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:17

@DippyAvocado

I have older DC but both are in high backed boosters still. I believe the law says booster seats until at least 1m35 but recommended until 1m50, is that right? Is there a height/weight limit for the high backed boosters? DD1 is the only one of her friends who still uses them but I think they're safer.

Jan's response:

The legal minimum for coming out of a booster seat in the UK is 135 cm or age 12, whichever is the soonest.

Many children reach this height from the age of 8, however their body is still developing and we believe that this is too young to stop using a booster seat if the seat belt still doesn’t fit them correctly.

You can tell if it is a good fit by checking the following five things:

  1. They can sit with their back flat against their seat
  2. Their knees bend over the edge of the seat
  3. Their feet are on the floor
  4. The lap part of the belt is on their hips NOT their abdomen
  5. The shoulder belt runs from their hip, across their chest and over their shoulder. If fitted with height adjusters, the diagonal strap should lie centrally over their shoulder and away from their neck!

If it’s not meeting these criteria, then they should continue using a high-backed booster seat until they do.

All boosters will fit a child until they are 150cm tall and several European countries have made this their legal minimum because it’s safer.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:20

@BertieBotts

I would like to know - I keep hearing a lot on car seat websites about how four (and sometimes five) year olds are not big enough to sit in a high backed booster due to skeletal development particularly of their hips. The only "source" I can find for this is various graphics posted on facebook, which doesn't constitute a source for me. Is this evidence based or is it rubbish? ie, is there an evidence based reason why a forward facing seat with 5 point harness would be safer for a non-escapee 3, 4, or 5 year old in comparison to a well fitting booster with side protection? (I know it would be safer for them to be rear facing, but that's not what I'm asking.)

Jan's response:

Even if they fit within the manufacturer's height and weight guidelines, a 3 year old is too young for a booster seat.

The iliac crest of the pelvis is not very well developed in young children. It’s the largest of the three bones that merge to form the hip bone. It is this part of the pelvis that holds the lap belt in place correctly.

A booster helps younger children by positioning the lap belt at the top of the thighs.

However, in the youngest children, the pelvis is still very small and there may be a greater risk of submarining under the lap belt in an accident. This can cause serious internal injuries.

A couple of high-back boosters now have a crotch strap to prevent this.

It is also worth noting that a child needs to be able to sit sensibly in a booster for it to provide adequate protection in an accident which is something younger children can find challenging!

The rules for booster seats changed in March 2017 and created a lot of confusion. These rules differ depending on whether products are old or new since that time.

Some booster cushions are approved for use with children weighing 15kg or more, but any new products on the market can only be used with children who weigh 22kg and are 125cm in height which is around the ages of 6-7.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:21

@RockCrushesLizard

My car currently fits my three, with the baby seat between the two high back boosters. In the future though, we won't be able to fit three high backs.

Is it safer to have the eldest (8, but short 😉) on a less protective backless booster in the middle of the back seat, or in a more protective HBB but in the front seat? (with airbags or without?)

Jan's reply:

Once your baby has outgrown the baby seat, we would advise using an extended rear-facing seat as this will make it easier to get 3 across.

By the time the baby is finally ready for a high-back booster there is a good chance that your eldest child will no longer require a seat.

If he does, then we would use a backless booster in the middle as forward-facing children are safer in the back.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:23

@RockCrushesLizard

My car currently fits my three, with the baby seat between the two high back boosters. In the future though, we won't be able to fit three high backs.

Is it safer to have the eldest (8, but short 😉) on a less protective backless booster in the middle of the back seat, or in a more protective HBB but in the front seat? (with airbags or without?)

Jan's reply:

It’s always safer to rear-face and at 3 years old, a rear-facing seat to 25kg would be the safest option for him. Once he has outgrown a 25kg seat he should be old enough to forward face in a high-back booster.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:24

@MustBeDueSomeBetterFeet

What's the best/most pragmatic approach to car seats when travelling abroad? Particularly where other countries' laws differ to ours, and situations where it's impractical to take your own car seat.

Jan's response:

Make sure you understand the law in the country you are travelling to. EU seats can be used throughout Europe, which includes the middle east, some parts of Africa, Asia and New Zealand.

They are technically illegal to use in the USA, Canada and Australia, although they may be permitted for a holiday.

If a child is under 18kg, then using a car seat on board the plane is the safest option and a few EU seats have TUV approval for use on an aircraft. Check with your airline for their guidelines first.

A car seat can often also be taken in the hold free of charge, but make sure it is well padded and boxed to avoid being damaged.

A final option would be to order a seat from a local retailer at your destination and see if it can be delivered to where you are staying/car rental place.

We don’t recommend hiring seats as they are often old, may not be suitable for your child and you do not know the history of it.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:31

@SusieSusieSoo

Interested to hear views on safety of children in car seats sitting in the front. Dc is 6 and sometimes sits in high back booster in front passenger seat with airbags on which is what the car seat & car manufacturers say is ok. Seat is as far back as it can go without compromising seatbelt. Seatbelt looks well positioned in this car. Seat has isofix for when he's in the back but obv just on seatbelt in front.

Is there a difference in how safe he is? (Ignoring the impact on me as the driver being more or less distracted by him being closer or further away from me which I can assess myself).

Thanks

No longer applies to me but it's fine to say dc's should rear face til 4 but if you have a tall dc you may take a different view of them sitting with their knees around their ears for journeys of anything more than a few minutes. (I had one of the first extended rear facing seats - cost me £350 in 2013 - and was the biggest and safest I could find at the time).

Jan's response:

ISOfix booster seats are heavy and when the ISOfix isn’t used, the weight of the seat itself can push into your child in a crash. So using a heavy ISOfix booster in the front seat restrained only by the adult belt should be avoided if possible.

Also, airbags are designed for adults and can cause serious injuries in smaller children, therefore we advise that children are much safer sitting in the back.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:32

@RHTawneyonabus

The five year limit. Seems to apply to group 0 car seats but not the others? My youngest is in a recaro sport that belonged to his older brother that must be coming up to five years old but says suitable from 9 months to 12 years! I have to buy FOUR car seats (me, DH, nanny and MIL) so have to budget where I can!

Jan's reply:

The recommended time limit for any seat varies from 3-10 years depending on the manufacturer. Check your car seat manual or contact Recaro for advice on the Young Sport.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 21/05/2019 14:33

@isittheholidaysyet

Little ones are supposed to be rear-facing.

If your car has rear-facing seats in the back. Can you put a child in a forward-facing child-seat on a rear-facing seat?
Or do you still use a rear-facing child seat, but the child ends up forward facing?

Jan's response:

Most car seats have not been tested on rear-facing vehicle seats therefore they are not generally approved for use on them.

There have been a few Britax forward facing seats which do, so it would be worth using their fitfinder or contacting them.

A forward-facing seat would act as a rear-facing one in this situation.

MNHQ

LauraEMumsnet · 29/05/2019 09:40

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the comments. I'm not sure Jan will be able to answer any more questions unfortunately, but do keep an eye out for our updated toddler car seats buyer's guide (coming soon), which will hopefully answer anything we've missed.

Watch this thread for updates

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