Over 25kg | Mumsnet

Kcoffecakebubs · 2023-01-15T18:54:30+00:00

Hi, are there any FF seats that exist over 25kg that use a harness? Currently in a Joie bold, as we can't RF due to sickness EVERY time we've tried. Choking hazard, plus distress. I'm just aware that at some point in the not too distant future he will be over 25kg and then it's seatbelt only. He can't sit still and tries to wriggle out of his harness as is. Just looking for safest option for when time comes so we can have a look/plan. Thank you

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thirdtimeluckyorwhat · 15/01/2023 21:43

Google Houdini car seat straps there are lots of anti escape options you can get.

MaverickGooseGoose · 15/01/2023 21:46

Houdini strains aren't legal in the uk.

FamilyAreEverything · 15/01/2023 21:56

Ah, that’s really tough OP. How old is your little one? Can you have a good chat about how important it is to keep still and not to play with the seat belt?

Original poster

Kcoffecakebubs · 16/01/2023 10:32

FamilyAreEverything · 15/01/2023 21:56

Ah, that’s really tough OP. How old is your little one? Can you have a good chat about how important it is to keep still and not to play with the seat belt?

He's 3.5, but he's non verbal, suspected ASD and ADHD, and difficulty in commutating. So this is making it harder as we can't explain it to him as he doesn't have the understanding. He's 22.5 kg now, so 25 isn't that far off. I know specialist seats exist but they are £850+ and no way we can afford those. I'm just dreading the 25kg approaching and not having many realistic options

OP posts:

Original poster

Kcoffecakebubs · 16/01/2023 10:33

MaverickGooseGoose · 15/01/2023 21:46

Houdini strains aren't legal in the uk.

I was under the impression it was only the BeSafe belt connector that was legal, but that says for use up to 18kg? Not sure if that matters or not though.

OP posts:

Caspianberg · 16/01/2023 10:57

Most children only gain a few kg max per year. So you probably have a good 1-2 years still before he’s over 25kg

Hes currently above average weight for age, so he might not even gain any a while.

At 5 years he will be more reasonable to explain and use normal seatbelt.

justgettingthroughtheday · 16/01/2023 11:00

Have you looked at a crelling harness? It's a special needs harness that is used in combination with the vehicle seatbelt. It can also be used with high backed boosters

www.crelling.com/product/model-28-steel-buckle/

BertieBotts · 16/01/2023 12:07

No there aren't any mainstream forward facing seats with limit over 25kg. Only the specialised ones. I don't know if there is funding that you can get which would help with those.

There are a couple of rear facing ones with 32kg/36kg limit and also limited to 125cm height usage (Klippan have released crash test footage of theirs being used up to 138cm though and it holds firm - just no official way to approve this). They are about £450 so still not cheap.

I would speak to the In Car Safety Centre, they specialise in car seats/seatbelts for children and adults with disabilities.

I think others are right, that it could take years to put on the last 2.5kg so I would not panic yet - but worth looking into just in case. It might be that over the next few years you start to see higher limit harnessed forward facing seats anyway, like there have been in rear facing. However I am not sure that there is as much of a market for that. It sounds a bit strange, but parents seeking out the larger (25kg) rear facing seats tend to be extremely safety conscious, which is why the even higher limits appeal to them. Most people seeking 25kg forward facing seats aren't as safety conscious (because ultra-safety-conscious parents tend to focus on rear facing) so they don't necessarily need a limit higher than 25kg. They just want something a little bit higher than the standard 18kg limit.

The Besafe belt collector isn't "legal" as such either (no manufacturer will expressly permit it, it's still a safer option than the child only being half-restrained) but it's usually recommended for the reason that it's not really a clip and in theory doesn't interfere with the straps in an accident. For that reason I don't see why it would have a weight limit TBH - however it couldn't be used with a seatbelt, only with a harnessed seat.

Original poster

Kcoffecakebubs · 16/01/2023 14:05

Caspianberg · 16/01/2023 10:57

Most children only gain a few kg max per year. So you probably have a good 1-2 years still before he’s over 25kg

Hes currently above average weight for age, so he might not even gain any a while.

At 5 years he will be more reasonable to explain and use normal seatbelt.

Thank you, he's put on 2.5 kg in the last 8 months so I'm not convinced but fingers crossed on that. And as for understanding,the has additional needs, so can't guarantee that.

OP posts:

Original poster

Kcoffecakebubs · 16/01/2023 14:13

BertieBotts · 16/01/2023 12:07

No there aren't any mainstream forward facing seats with limit over 25kg. Only the specialised ones. I don't know if there is funding that you can get which would help with those.

There are a couple of rear facing ones with 32kg/36kg limit and also limited to 125cm height usage (Klippan have released crash test footage of theirs being used up to 138cm though and it holds firm - just no official way to approve this). They are about £450 so still not cheap.

I would speak to the In Car Safety Centre, they specialise in car seats/seatbelts for children and adults with disabilities.

I think others are right, that it could take years to put on the last 2.5kg so I would not panic yet - but worth looking into just in case. It might be that over the next few years you start to see higher limit harnessed forward facing seats anyway, like there have been in rear facing. However I am not sure that there is as much of a market for that. It sounds a bit strange, but parents seeking out the larger (25kg) rear facing seats tend to be extremely safety conscious, which is why the even higher limits appeal to them. Most people seeking 25kg forward facing seats aren't as safety conscious (because ultra-safety-conscious parents tend to focus on rear facing) so they don't necessarily need a limit higher than 25kg. They just want something a little bit higher than the standard 18kg limit.

The Besafe belt collector isn't "legal" as such either (no manufacturer will expressly permit it, it's still a safer option than the child only being half-restrained) but it's usually recommended for the reason that it's not really a clip and in theory doesn't interfere with the straps in an accident. For that reason I don't see why it would have a weight limit TBH - however it couldn't be used with a seatbelt, only with a harnessed seat.

Thank you, I'll have a look. I think there might be funding available to us, so hopefully if we need a specialist one we can look at that.

That makes sense what you are saying about the higher limits on RF. We have quite a collection of barriers that aren't making it easy! I hope my son will get another couple of years out of it, but he put on 2.5 kg in the last 8 months so I'm not hopeful!

OP posts:

Original poster

Kcoffecakebubs · 16/01/2023 14:15

justgettingthroughtheday · 16/01/2023 11:00

Have you looked at a crelling harness? It's a special needs harness that is used in combination with the vehicle seatbelt. It can also be used with high backed boosters

www.crelling.com/product/model-28-steel-buckle/

Thank you so much. This might be really helpful!

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 16/01/2023 18:52

They don't put on weight in a linear fashion at this age, they tend to in spurts. So you'll find that he'll put on that 2.5kg in 8 months and then hover at that weight for a while. But definitely sounds worth talking to someone who supplies the special needs stuff - whether it's an adapted seat or something like the crelling harness.