Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Car seats

Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here. For Mumsnetter-approved essentials, sign up for Mumsnet Swears By emails here.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

New car seat for 14kg toddler

31 replies

LolaLollypop · 10/11/2019 09:05

I've got baby no2 on the way and need to put the newborn in my Maxi Cosi newborn seat/Isofix.
My 2 year old daughter is currently on that base in a Pearl. She weighs about 13kg now so i estimate when no2 arrives she'll be about 14kg.

She already undoes the straps on the Pearl and I have to battle to get her to stay in. So I'm thinking maybe buy her a "big girl" booster seat in the 15kg+ category rather than another 9kg-15kg toddler seat. She'll be just under the weight/age limit I reckon.

Thoughts? Too risky? Ideally I'd have her in the toddler seat til 4yrs but she already manoeuvres out of it!

Or buy a new newborn set for no2, keep toddler in pearl then change the seat again in a year when daughter is 3.5 And baby is ready to move into the Pearl.

Either way I'm forking out for new car seats this year and next 🤔

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Sparrowlegs248 · 10/11/2019 09:08

I wouldn't put her in a booster seat. What about a Joie stages? She can rear face with harness until 18kg and then you can switch it to forward face with seatbelt when she's 4, which should be around the same time.

stargirl1701 · 10/11/2019 09:10

Joie Verso? It lasts from birth until 12 years. Rear facing until 18kg.

Original poster

LolaLollypop · 10/11/2019 12:17

Thanks both. I'll check out the Joi range. Not sure my daughter will want to face backwards again she's currently in a forward facing Pearl.

OP posts:

Sparrowlegs248 · 10/11/2019 13:18

Well she doesn't have to face backwards but it is 5 times safer, and virtually removes the risk of internal decapitation which is a very real risk if a child under 4 is forward facing.

Bluelightdistrict · 10/11/2019 13:25

Definitely an extended rear facing seat.

Joie stages has a safety warning.

Things like joie 360, britax romer i size, axkid minikid

NameChange30 · 10/11/2019 13:34

If you're on Facebook join the group "Car Seat Advice UK", there's excellent advice on there.

You absolutely should not put your 2yo in a booster seat. She won't be able to go in a (high-backed) booster until she is 4.

In your position I would keep her in the Pearl (and buy a second base for the newborn seat) or buy her a new 9-25kg seat. Preferably ERF as it's so much safer. But if you insist or still forward facing she still needs to be in an appropriate seat for her age (ie harnessed, not a booster). If she escapes from her seat as it is, she is not going to sit nicely and safely with just a seatbelt on.

JoJoSM2 · 10/11/2019 13:39

We’ve got the Joie seat. Really great to know we won’t need another one again.

NuffingChora · 10/11/2019 13:46

You absolutely, categorically should NOT put a 2 year old in a high back booster, she is not yet skeletally mature enough to withstand the forces of a seatbelt in the event of an accident, and if she won’t sit safely in a harness, why on earth would she sit any more safely behind a seatbelt? She is also, as you state, below the safe weight limit. PLEASE do not do this.

moreismore · 10/11/2019 13:49

In pretty sure the Joie doesn’t have a safety warning and the Which report was wrong. I would second the fb group mentioned above for best info.

Sparrowlegs248 · 10/11/2019 13:54

I think the joie didn't fare well forward facing with harness. But then there's no need to use it like that.

Humpdayruminations · 10/11/2019 13:55

No it's really not safe to put a 2 year old in a booster. She will be all over the car for a start!

NameChange30 · 10/11/2019 13:58

Which are good at testing household appliances but not so good at testing car seats.

They have very strange criteria and downgrade rear-facing seats if they are tricky to fit - even though they are significantly safer than forward-facing seats provided they are correctly fitted. Unless you are going to be moving a car seat regularly, ease of fit doesn't matter - you get it right the first time and then the seat stays in the car.

Bluelightdistrict · 10/11/2019 13:58

Joie Every Stage review

Read full safety alert

Product alert
This child car seat has passed the regulatory tests required by ECE R44/04 to be sold as suitable for children from 9-36kg. But in our own tests, which are conducted at higher speeds and forces than the standard requires, this seat scores poorly for frontal-impact results when used in Group 1 mode.

Sparrowlegs248 · 10/11/2019 14:07

But doesn't that apply to forward facing @ Bluelightdistrict?

NameChange30 · 10/11/2019 14:14

The Joie Every Stage would only be safer than the Pearl if it was used rear-facing, if not it would be better to stick with the Pearl.

Bluelightdistrict · 10/11/2019 14:14

Yes. OP doesn't look.like she wants to do the safer option of rear face.

Sparrowlegs248 · 10/11/2019 14:21

Thanks @Bluelightdistrict my in laws have one for one of my children, but it is rear facing with harness, then will go ff with seatbelt, when the time comes.

cudbywestrangers · 10/11/2019 14:24

We had this issue and picked up a second
base for the new born seat on ebay/ gumtree/ Facebook selling page. We had a pebble which was compatible with an easy fix base (I think) as well as the family fix so picked that up second hand and left the pearl as it was.

Bluelightdistrict · 10/11/2019 14:24

No worries @Nottalotta it's only group 1 mode affected too so you should be fine

Starlight456 · 10/11/2019 14:27

I bought a car seat from Smyths 6 months ago it is forward facing but extended 5 point harness as most ho up to 18kg.

Tfoot75 · 10/11/2019 14:31

We had the same thing and bought a new group 123 britax seat. The decision was pretty much made because I found the pearl to be a very small seat and due to the position of it, wouldn't have been comfortable for a 4yo (weird angle on the legs I found) so when dd2 was about 2.5 we bought a second britax 123 seat. You can't remove the harness and use a seat belt until the child is over 4 (and reliable not to mess with the seat belt!) anyway so as others have said you need a seat with a harness. Don't know anyone in real life who has rear faced beyond 2 (though certainly not criticising, each to their own, everyone does their own risk assessment) so don't feel bad about some of the comments about that.

Original poster

LolaLollypop · 11/11/2019 09:37

Thanks Tfoot75 for the helpful, non passive-aggressive comment! Makes a change on here...

Yes, I've been looking at seats that are a bit more "grown up" than the Pearl. My daughter is quite tall and looks quite big for it already so I think what's right (and safe) for us is to get something like the Britax 1,2,3 where she's a bit more upright and then as she grows we can convert to the booster seat. At least this was there's only one new seat to buy for now, as the new baby can go in my newborn set, then the Pearl when he/she gets to the right size.

Like you, I don't know anyone who's kept their toddler rear-facing. Let alone when they get to 3 or 4!

OP posts:

user1483387154 · 11/11/2019 09:40

I thought they remodelled the joie after the review and that the new version is really safe?

DartmoorDoughnut · 11/11/2019 09:41

Our 5 and a bit year old has just moved into a high back booster, bought the Cybex Z-fix. Almost 3yr old is now in a Axkid Minikid which rear faces up to 25kg and is what his big brother was in, very comfy and falls asleep every time he is strapped in.

welshweasel · 11/11/2019 09:46

Have a look at her growth chart and see how heavy she will be aged 4. 4 is the absolute earlier she should go into a booster seat, so if she is going to hit 18kg before then you’d be better off looking at a seat that harnesses forward facing to 25kg, such as the joie bold (yes she’d be better off rear facing but accept you don’t want to do that). Otherwise you might be in the situation of having to buy yet another car seat before she is old enough to sit in a booster seat.

Flip

1 2