Car seat in the front seat?

[CiaoBella1]

Hi, I'm looking for some car seat advice / reccomendations please.

I have two children. My eldest is 8, youngest is 1. The 8 year old is autistic and constantly tries to hurt / will hurt if I'm not looking the 1 year old.

I have the youngest in the front seat as I can't have the two children in the back together. I can't have the oldest in the front as they attack me quite violently when dysregulated and would likely pull the steering wheel etc.

I can't afford a different car at the moment so I am going to have to keep the seating arrangement as it is for now. The airbags are switched off and the seatbelt is holding the current car seat securely.

I am looking for a car seat for 12+ months that can be used in the rear facing position in the front passenger seat. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Or perhaps just know a lot about car seats?

I've tried looking online but there's just so much information and my brain can't process it all!

You need to join a car seat safety group on facebook, or find your local independent car seat specialist. Definitely not halfords/smyths etc!
You're going to get some terrible and unsafe advice on here. Try car seat safety uk or bump to booster on facebook x

You’d need to have the youngest in the front anyway as it’s safest to have a rear facing seat in front with the airbags off so you are already doing the right thing! I’d recommend the axkid mini kid 4 for the longest lasting, but if you want something more compact for ease of seeing out mirrors etc then the Avionaut Sky is fantastic this is the seat I have and it’s tested to well beyond the minimum standards and one of the safest seats on the market. Great for front seat as it doesn’t require isofix you use the cars seatbelt and tethers!

Yes there are car seats which can be fitted in the front seat

As PPs say I would look at the rear facing seats up to 125cm - Axkid Minikid, Avionaut Sky, Britax Safeway/Maxsafe. Probably not Besafe Stretch because I think it's too big to see over. But these are all seatbelt fitted and rear facing (which is fine as long as airbag is off).

If you look on Axkid's website, go to the stockist/retailer search and put in your postcode you can find one near you, it's usually the best way to find one - the other brands also have infant carriers which they sell through chain stores, so it's harder to search their retailers. I would definitely want to find a stockist you can visit IRL or who does home visits, so you can try any seats in your car before you purchase, as it's a legal requirement to be able to see your side mirror and because front seats vary a little bit more in terms of seatbelt placement etc.

I have also seen big foam dividers you can get which strap into the middle seatbelt to prevent siblings being able to reach each other - but fitting a rear facing seat in the front would probably give you better visibility of your youngest and be more comfortable overall.

This is simply incorrect. The safest place for car seat is middle seat in the back. The back is the safest as they would not be as impacted by head on collision.

yes the front can be used if airbags are switched off but every website says rear seats are safer. Other people could see this and think your blanket statement is correct.

The OP has other factors for using front seat and other risk factors.

You’ve misunderstood my comment. It’s safer to have a rear facing seat in the front than it is to have a forward facing seat in the front.

I believe middle back is outdated to some extent, since modern cars have curtain airbags which help a lot, SIPS or other reinforcement of the back doors is also common now, and modern car seats also have side impact protection. The whole keep them away from the sides of the car thing applied much more before those things were commonplace.

There is a guy in Sweden who argues the front seat is safer if you have a rear facing seat (and airbags off) because the front of the car is reinforced and designed to protect the driver and front passenger from intrusion, but also because it encourages parents to keep DC rear facing for longer.

It's not a terrible argument, although not that convincing either, but in any case rear facing in the front with no airbag is perfectly fine. And she can't have a seat in the middle in the back.

Assuming you don't have isofix in the front and can't afford a new car that does. Jioe stages looks like a good option.

Car seat ninja will help you! Shes lovely and helped us.

https://carseatninja.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq6zwBJxC1PqWhxs8XfsCOPR9GrHKvB3vb3xKuYZvV8w-OZRJCC

Free advise on which seats are best for your car + loads of rear facing 2nd + 3rd stage ones.

She can advise by phone and knows about putting the car seats in the front - thats our plan if our family grows - she has qualifications to advise better that than mumsnet strangers.

I can also recommend Car Seat Ninja - we have used her and she’s brilliant. If you are in her area she will bring seats to try out in your car. Another good place is the In Car Safety Centre.

If you can get to an In Car Safety Centre, I have always found their advice and helpfulness amazing.

Seat wise, I have had a child rear facing in a Britax Two Way Elite for many many years (I have many children!). I have found the TWE brilliant for fitting in different cars, forward and rear facing. It is wide and open and so fits kids of all shapes and goes to about age 5-6 (25kg) years rear facing.

Because you’re intending on having the seat in the front most of the time, I would really try to go to a good stockist of rear facing seats to try lots out. The exact angle of the child seat, the front car seat, the dashboard, the height of your wing mirrors and your height/seat position, will all mean you either can or can’t see out of the passenger wing mirror. It’s impossible for internet people to advise on all those variables. Also remember to put your child in the seat at the shop - they may also block your view in the wing mirror (maybe get your bigger child to sit in it too, to see what happens as the child grows?).