Isofix vs seatbelt car seat for newborn

[LizzeyBenett]

I'm assuming Isofix is safer or is it same same what's the pros and cons ? I've a lot of research still to do to educate myself yet but I am considering the Avionaut pixel pro . I joined a Facebook group on car seat safety and this is what was recommended time and again it can be used with isofix or seatbelt . I'll be buying an isofix base. But wiuld like to know what the difference between using the isofix base and a seatbelt for the car seat is .

Seat belt is just as safe as long as you install the seat correctly. Isofix base is easier to do day to day because you just click the seat onto the base. It’s very useful to have a seat that will work without an isofix base if you ever take taxis or combine public transport and a lift in someone else’s car.
If you’re using any carseat without isofix, you to remember to leave the seat attached with the belt even when the baby/child is not traveling in the car. An unsecured seat will become a projectile in a crash.

An isofix base eliminates user error and acts like a docking station. There’s no safety advantage compared to a correctly installed belt seat.

Personally I don’t think there’s much point to isofix for a newborn seat. I had one, I think I was done by marketing tbh, I wouldn’t get one again as they’re expensive and I don’t think you gain anything at all really.

It’s so simple to install an infant carrier with the belt, which is just as safe, I don’t know that you could get it wrong unless you go out of your way to e.g. some batshit MIL thread I saw a while ago where she’d put the baby carrier forward facing! Takes seconds. Also baby shouldn’t be spending too long in the car seat so I never took it out of the car so the docking bit wasn’t useful. A belted seat is easier for taxis and travel, you don’t want to go for an isofix only. You just leave the belt round it even when DC isn’t in it so it wouldn’t fly around in a crash.

Isofix comes into its own for toddler seats as they’re far more complicated to belt install so I could imagine you could easily go wrong there.

For the Avionaut seats I'd want the base because the belt guides are fiddly. Some seats fit nicely with seatbelt (Maxi Cosi and Britax mainly) but a lot of them it seems these days are designed to be used with the base most of the time and the belt fitting is possible but it's just not that nice to use. It's fine for occasional use but would drive me mad all the time.

If that makes it a huge amount more expensive then you might want to consider Maxi Cosi Pebble Pro or any of the Britax seats (Babysafe 3 i-size, Babysafe Core, Babysafe 5Z) - these all have nice positioning too, which is the main draw of the Avionaut, but they also fit nicely with a seatbelt.

Besafe izi go Modular X2 is on offer in a lot of places at the moment with or without the base as well. However I can't remember what it's like to belt fit this (I might have never tried it).

If I were you I would see if you can find a local Avionaut retailer who has different infant carriers in stock, and try them all out fitting with seatbelt and base and see if it feels worth the extra cost. The Avionaut Pixel Pro is a lovely seat but a car seat is a purchase worth looking at and trying out if you have the option to. They often have a little mock up car-seat with seatbelt to try different baby seats out on.