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5 point harness or seat belt

34 replies

BeckiW93 · 09/06/2024 19:00

My DS is currently forward facing in a Be Safe Isize Modular. The height limit for that is 105cm. Currently he is 100cm and 13.5kg so I've been starting to look at what to get next as we've only got 5cm to go. I'm after a group 2/3 or 1/2/3 to grow with him. But they all seem to have a height limit on the harness of 105cm. I'd much rather him have a harness still, especially as he's not at the weight limit, only the height. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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BeckiW93 · 09/06/2024 19:52

olderthanyouthink · 09/06/2024 19:28

Also at 13kg he's too light to legally use a high back booster so your legal options if he hits 105cm before 15kg are very limited.

Forward facing I think only the old Joie bold (R not isize), cosy n safe Hudson (this seat has unknown performance in crash tests) and cybex anoris t

RF there are several seats by BeSafe, britax and Axkid

Buying a HBB down the line would be cheaper so I wouldn't get hung up on a multistage seat.

Yes I definitley want a harness still. Do you think if he's over 105cm but well under the weight limit, with ears below the head rest and shoulders below the highest rung on the harness he'd be OK in it till he's heavier?

OP posts:
BeckiW93 · 09/06/2024 20:01

Excited101 · 09/06/2024 19:17

Sorry- only just saw your updates.

I’d get yourself a BeSafe stretch if you’ve been happy with the brand, it should last him till about 7. Then he can move to a HBB with a seatbelt.

I still can’t quite work out what seat you’ve got though! The measurements don’t sound right!

Edited

Yea that was one that I'd seen. Was more confused about the height limit on the harness on his current seat, don't want to be buying a new one if he's OK in his current one still.

It's this one https://www.besafe.com/en/car-seats/toddler-seats/izi-modular-x1-i-size/

The rear and forward facing toddler seat that installs with one click onto the ISOfix base. | BeSafe

Scandinavian safety for your child - inside and outside the car. We develop products intended to protect the most valuable we have - our children.

https://www.besafe.com/en/car-seats/toddler-seats/izi-modular-x1-i-size

OP posts:
Overthebow · 09/06/2024 20:06

olderthanyouthink · 09/06/2024 19:46

@Overthebow I think looking at the WHO growth charts briefly if she followed the same line she miiight just be ok. But the safest option is to buy a 25/36kg RF seat because using the adult belt at 4.5 is not really ideal and another year would be better (DD1 went to a belt at 4 but extenuating circumstances, disability and it's really not often, hopefully my other kids will be RF for much longer)

If you want the safest car seat you're better looking for a Swedish plus tested seat rather than isize because there are some poor isize seats but some really good non isize seats atm that pass the Swedish plus test.

She unfortunately doesn’t get on well with rear facing otherwise she’d still be rf now. Thanks I’ll have a look at the Swedish standard.

Newbornatawedding · 09/06/2024 20:10

BeckiW93 · 09/06/2024 19:52

Yes I definitley want a harness still. Do you think if he's over 105cm but well under the weight limit, with ears below the head rest and shoulders below the highest rung on the harness he'd be OK in it till he's heavier?

I would do personally but it will be frowned upon on here for being unsafe. The legislation doesn't account for children with long torso or long legs. Surely it should be their seated height used in car seat legislation?!

BertieBotts · 09/06/2024 20:26

Legally the seat is outgrown at 106cm, so technically it's a non-regulated use, but if he physically fits into it and isn't over the weight limit it's likely nonsensical to say it isn't safe. There are some caveats to this - e.g. if you had a very cheaply made seat, if it's a rear facing one fixed by seatbelt and at some point the balance of their weight tips above a level, if there are different limits for different modes, like some seats have an 87cm limit for rear facing but 105cm for forward facing - I'd listen to this. But in this case where the harness has a physical limit around this size anyway, it doesn't really make a lot of sense that if a child has more length in their legs it magically makes the seat less safe than it is for another child with more height in their body.

But also - 100-106cm is approximately a year's worth of growth. You don't need to worry about this yet, unless you're passing the seat on to a younger sibling. I would wait and see what weight and age he is when you get closer to the 105cm mark. It might be that he hovers at 100cm for ages.

There are harnessed seats up to 125cm, but they are currently all rear facing. There might be some harnessed FF seats up to 125cm in the future. Besafe has one on the continent but it's been delayed for the UK - also won't be any good for you, as it's one of those modular systems, similar to what you have, so will work out very expensive.

If you prefer forward facing, there are several old-regulation seats still on the market with decent space in the 5 point harness. I would look at Recaro Tian, as it performed very well in the ADAC test, it's a belt fitted one but it did as well as the isofix + top tether types. Of course being forward facing, it didn't do as well as the Besafe ones which can go both ways, but that is because they take an average of all modes the seat could possibly be installed for the test score, unless it fails one of them.

There are also several 25kg limit seats available under the old regulation (e.g. Joie Bold) however the newer versions do have the 105cm limit, so be careful what you buy.

If you get to the shoulder belt limit and are still unhappy with him being in a seatbelt, but are happy to ignore a height limit if he still fits into the seat, the Maxi Cosi Titan i-size has a generously sized harness (unfortunately, the non i-size one is very limited). The Silver Cross Balance and Britax Swivel do as well, though the Britax seat is only a booster up to 125cm rather than the usual 140/150cm limits.

olderthanyouthink · 09/06/2024 20:26

@BeckiW93 .... I suppose theoretically it's probably fine as they were in the past but 🤷‍♀️ it's up to you to follow the limits or not I suppose. I might eeek it out short term but would probably buy a seat that would last longer.

It's very annoying being caught short, it sort of happened with DD where she was well within the limits for the seat but the seat was physically to small

@Overthebow unfortunately the Swedish plus is RF only. If she didn't like RF because of being cramped you could look at an extended rear facing seat as they have a lot more room usually (a lot of indie retailers will try seats in your car and even come to you). DD can't RF because she can't stand a harness because of a disability and that bothers me but we just have to do the best with can with what we've got.

BertieBotts · 09/06/2024 20:38

It's also quite a big difference from height to weight centile, so I would wonder whether he has recently had a growth spurt and so will stay at the same height for a while. Of course some children are just beanpole shaped - I have two like this and the other is like a bulldog (and stubborn like one too) Grin

Is he just three or closer to four? If he's just three, then 100cm and 13.5kg is 91st and 25th centile respectively, but if he's more like 3.5 then it's more like 50th and 9th centile.

Excited101 · 09/06/2024 21:20

If he’s 100cm then op, you do really only have 5cm left, regardless of the fact he’s nowhere near the weight limit yet. Get yourself the Stretch, it’s a fantastic seat. And as someone mentioned upthread, if you buy from an independent, they’ll let you try a few out to check the size and comfort before you buy. They’ll also give you fit advice for the whole life of the seat.

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