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Car seat confusion!

5 replies

Sowalk · 04/10/2020 10:10

Hi all,

FTM and totally overwhelmed with the number of car seats that are available!! I'm wanting to go for one what will last from birth to roughly 4 years old (the 0+/1 group) but not sure which to go for!

There are so many choices and everytime I think I've narrowed if down something else crops up. What car seats have you had that you would recommend?

Thanks in advance!! Xx

OP posts:
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teaandlotusbiscoff · 04/10/2020 15:54

Do you want one to attach to the pushchair? These tend to be better for newborns as they’re more reclined. The 0+/1 ones can’t be attached to pushchair, although there is one—recaro zero elite which can attach to maxi Cosi adaptors with an interim adaptor.

Do you have isofix? Do you have a budget? The spin one tend to be the most popular, BUT make sure to stick to big brands like Joie/Maxi Cosi/Britax/Cybex/Nuna Smile

peakotter · 04/10/2020 19:17

We always went for a lightweight one for 0-9 months or so. The ones you can carry or add to a pram if you have the right type. It was useful for carrying them inside if they were in the middle of a nap or you were just popping to a shop. I think most people do this.

Then get a decent one for 1-4. Delay the purchase a bit and there’s more choice. They are horribly bulky so no use if you have a napping child.

BertieBotts · 07/10/2020 17:33

Some of the 0-4 years ones don't have the best positioning for newborns.

These are the ones which do IME:

GB Vaya i-size 2 - but - there is no in between insert after 60cm (6-12 weeks) and I think it could do with one, because a 62cm baby looks absolutely lost in the seat without an insert.

Maxi Cosi Mica - again, no in between insert, just a newborn one to 60cm and then nothing - you can buy an inbetween insert separately, though. They call it the Pearl comfort cushion, but it's also approved for the Mica. IMO with this in between insert (if you need it) it's a nearly perfect seat.

Besafe izi Twist B (B stands for "from birth") - inserts are supposed to be really good. This one in particular counteracts a slope if your rear seats are highly angled, which is a huge problem with most isofix seats. I strongly recommend getting it fitted or a fitting demo because it is more complicated than most car seats.

Joie Spin 360, or i-Spin 360 - the insert is 3-part so you take different parts out as they grow. I don't think the harness is the best for tiny babies, it tends to swamp them and it's hard to feel you're getting a secure fit. You CAN, but it's fiddly and takes a bit of effort which TBH you're probably not going to want to do in a hospital car park for the first time. I recommend moving the harness pads down, if you do get it. It's an extremely good low budget option, but IMO if you're spending the £280 for the i-spin, just go for the Maxi Cosi instead.

The above all turn to the door to help get the child in and out.

You may also wish to look at:

Recaro Zero.1 Elite - this is a spinning seat which has an infant seat that clicks in and out of it. Can be quite high in the car, so no good if you have a small opening for your door.

Modular systems - this is where you buy one isofix base and the infant and toddler seats click into it in turn. Can be a very expensive way of doing things, but sometimes good if you take advantage of special offers such as this one. It's also useful if you have two cars and need to move the seats often because you can just buy a spare base, which doesn't cost as much as buying a whole second set of seats, but is much easier than moving a heavy seat with a base stuck to it.

The new Axkid One+ seat - this is quite pricey at £700, but will take you all the way through from newborn to 125cm, which is about 6-8 years old and means it's the only seat you'll need until you need to get a high backed booster seat, which you generally don't want to combine with other types of seat anyway. It's the first isofix car seat to go up to this age and has one of the best newborn inserts I've ever seen. It also has a good angle adjustment similar to the Besafe one so it can be installed in any car with isofix.

BertieBotts · 08/10/2020 11:30

@imissthesouth this thread will be useful for you.

imissthesouth · 08/10/2020 12:46

Thank you so much! @BertieBotts

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