Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Car seats

Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here. For Mumsnetter-approved essentials, sign up for Mumsnet Swears By emails here.

Please help! Confused with car seats!

15 replies

Orangeroses243 · 29/10/2025 20:23

So purchased the Joie Signiture set that came with the baby car seat and 360 iSpin. However my little girl is turning 1. Legs seem to be getting long. This seat is not designed to face forward... do I buy another one now or are they meant to stay rear facing. Thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
dementedpixie · 29/10/2025 20:50

The longer they rear face, the better
It doesn't matter about long legs

Bitzee · 29/10/2025 20:52

That seat can rear face up to 4 years/105cm. If your 11MO is looking snug in it you’ve likely forgotten to remove a newborn insert or have it incorrectly installed. You can also turn it forward facing I believe but legally not before 15 months and there will also be a minimum
height stated somewhere. I wouldn’t rush to do it though because rear facing is much safer so keep them backwards as long as is feasible, which would be up to age 4 unless they’re distressed or suffering from car sickness. The legs don’t matter, they’ll find a way to get comfy. Either way you don’t need to think about the next seat until DC is at least 3 (when they hit 105cm) but it sounds like you’d benefit from rereading the manual and double checking the install.

Snailssitonwhales · 29/10/2025 20:54

as above, rear face as long as possible. they find comfortable ways for their legs to rest.

we have the Joie 360 safe which is same weight and height limit as yours and my little boy still fits in it at nearly 4 years old, we've only moved him on so my younger could have it as she outgrew her baby carrier. He's now in an axkid rear facing seat as he's still quite small and I want them rear facing as long as possible. He was forward facing recently with a family member and said his legs hurt hanging down!

there's a great group on Facebook called 'bump to booster - UK car seat support' where you can post for advice and fit checks.

BertieBotts · 29/10/2025 22:14

Is this a carry seat with the handle you're talking about, that goes with a pram? Signature is the fabric style with Joie, rather than the car seat model.

I am wondering if by the "360 iSpin" you are referring to the isofix, spinning base for the car, which goes with this carry seat with a handle.

Or do you have the seat Joie i-Spin 360 which is for 0-4 years, stays in the car all the time (doesn't work with a pram) and can go forward and rear facing? But the rear facing is likely the only mode enabled at the moment.

At under a year old your baby needs to stay rear facing for a while yet. The minimum age to turn forward facing is 15 months, but it's much safer to keep her rear facing as long as possible.

If you have the Joie i-Spin 360 seat then you can keep her rear facing in that until she's about 4 or when she is older (ideally over 2 or 3) but minimum 15 months, you can move the switch on the front of the base to unlock the forward facing mode.

If you have a carry seat that came with your pram, you can keep using that until her head reaches the edge of the shell, or she reaches the height (length) or weight limit, whichever comes first. Then you'll need to get a new seat, most seats which follow on from the first seat can be used rear facing a bit longer. If you have the Joie Encore spinning car base, then you could get the Joie i-Harbour which goes onto the same base, but it's cheaper for some reason to get a seat where the base is already attached so it might be better to put the base for your infant seat away in case you have another baby, or sell it as a set.

The Joie i-Pivot or Cybex Sirona Gi i-size are examples of seats where they are 360 spin seats 0-4 years but the base is already attached.

Orangeroses243 · 30/10/2025 19:40

@BertieBotts @Bitzee @dementedpixie @Snailssitonwhales thank you for taking the time to respond. Massive massive help. I am going to look at the seat name I have and pop it on here tomorrow incase you have heard of it. I will definitely check the installation guide. I am pretty sure I don't have it installed incorrectly but will check it for sure!!
My mind is struggling to understand how my little girl will continue to fit! I am not disagreeing and after I posted on her checked online and didn't know the legal requirement until yesterday re rear facing car seat!
Lots of new things to learn as a first timer! Thank you all again xx

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 30/10/2025 19:48

Don't worry Smile

I would guess that the seat you have is probably a carry type seat with a handle, is it? Some of those seats from Joie are only up to about 75cm, so it's quite possible she is close to the limit if this is the kind of seat you have.

The seats for older children are bigger, so they can fit for longer. But they do also slow down their growth hugely by the end of the first year - you know how they go up a clothing size about every 3 months at first, that slows down and they only go up about 2 sizes from age 1-2 years and then it's about one size per year after that - the car seat adjustment settings are pretty much the same. They rocket through them in the first year or two and then only have a couple of settings left but they last for much longer because their growth slows down.

Tdcp · 01/11/2025 23:09

Orangeroses243 · 29/10/2025 20:23

So purchased the Joie Signiture set that came with the baby car seat and 360 iSpin. However my little girl is turning 1. Legs seem to be getting long. This seat is not designed to face forward... do I buy another one now or are they meant to stay rear facing. Thanks

This car seat is made for little ones up to 87cm or 15 months old. If your baby is getting too big for it I would look to upgrade the seat to an extended rear facing. up to 4 or 7 years are most common but some go beyond this. Just remember to take into account your car size and how far the seats move etc if you have a smaller car, I have a Ford fiesta and had a headache finding one that fit properly. 360 spin bases are bigger than non spin seats if you have a smaller car or need the room.

Orangeroses243 · 02/11/2025 07:04

So its the i level recliner i have that goes on the 360 base! It does say as per online yp t 85cm. I guess i just didn't know what age 85cm was - first time mum - as well as have to be rear facing legally up to 15months. Of course worth it for safety!! Il definitely keep rear facing as long as possible. However I think I want to change this car seat. Il keep the whole thing for baby no2 for sure but id like to get a better fitting one. Any recommendations would be greatly received. My little girls is now 10 months so by 1 id like to have picked a new one so many to choose from!!!???

Please help! Confused with car seats!
OP posts:
Tdcp · 02/11/2025 08:00

Orangeroses243 · 02/11/2025 07:04

So its the i level recliner i have that goes on the 360 base! It does say as per online yp t 85cm. I guess i just didn't know what age 85cm was - first time mum - as well as have to be rear facing legally up to 15months. Of course worth it for safety!! Il definitely keep rear facing as long as possible. However I think I want to change this car seat. Il keep the whole thing for baby no2 for sure but id like to get a better fitting one. Any recommendations would be greatly received. My little girls is now 10 months so by 1 id like to have picked a new one so many to choose from!!!???

I have the cybex sirona g with the 360 function. It's a really nice deep seat with a very good recline angle. It lasts until age 4. I've heard good things about axxkid if your budget allows it.

I had the britax romer swivel before this one and my dd had breathing issues (on a smart motorway as well so I couldn't stop immediately) due to headflop as the recline was rubbish!

Orangeroses243 · 02/11/2025 18:02

@Tdcp thanks for your recommendations!

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 03/11/2025 21:11

Ah yes OK the Joie i-Level normally fits children up to about 18 months, but a lot of people prefer to change at about 1 year old. Do you know about moving the headrest up as she gets taller?

As said you'll need a seat which can keep rear facing. The Cybex is a good one, make sure you look at the version which comes with the spin base attached rather than the one which is two separate parts.

Axkid Spinkid is also on a good Black Friday offer and has more leg room than some other spin seats.

The Britax Swivel is a multi stage seat which includes a booster mode for much older children. In general those don't have as good of a recline, so I'd avoid, especially if you plan on having more children. I'd probably look for a spin seat which goes up to 105cm, then once DC2 grows out of the baby seat you can move them to the spinning seat and decide if you want a rear facing or forward facing seat for your older child.

The Joie i-Harbour will fit onto the base you have, but then you're stuck and can't use the baby seat for another child, plus the i-Harbour costs more than a lot of spinning seats do on their own so it seems like a false economy to me.

Orangeroses243 · 03/11/2025 21:41

@BertieBotts thank you for taking the time to reply with alot of helpful information!

So we are hoping for another so would make sense for another full seat rather than the i harbour to fit to current base as you stated.

I need to definitely get out and have a look as I do like the swivel base but feel like the room the take up is crazy! But if I go for isofix only then its rear facing and eventually after 14 months or so will have to then buy another seat that then faces forward 😲🫠

Saying that this current seat goes up to 18 months then? Or 105 cm then which ever comes first. I mean this could last til then then go from this to forward facing when little baby arrives (hoping for all the luck with getting her a sibling 😊)

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 04/11/2025 10:56

> I do like the swivel base but feel like the room the take up is crazy!

This is not the case so much for the next stage. The current seat you have is very reclined, because it is designed for young babies. The i-Level in particular is a very large seat. Any seat which swivels for the next stage, will have a recline setting that can be used for younger babies, but can also be sat more upright e.g. if your child is unlikely to nap, and then they take up less room. In my experience, seats which are a separate seat + base (and can take toddler seats too) tend to be even bigger in order to make space for everything. Something which is only for one seat and the seat doesn't come off the base, they can be optimised to take up much less room. So the Cybex Sirona Gi i-size as mentioned, or Joie i-Pivot, or Axkid Spinkid, these would take up less space than your i-Level seat on the swivel base.

> But if I go for isofix only then its rear facing and eventually after 14 months or so will have to then buy another seat that then faces forward

No this is not the case - the vast majority of isofix seats on the market for this age group are swivel seats, which can be fitted both forward and rear facing. They act exactly like your seat does when it's attached to the base, it's just that they don't come off the base.

Some are rear facing only, like the Axkid Spinkid. But most of them (Joie, Graco, Britax, Maxi Cosi, Cybex) can go either way. It's also possible (and safer!) to keep your child rear facing for the whole of this stage, that's an option if you wanted to. But if you're sure you'll want to forward face at some point, then a spin seat gives you the option to do that. If your baby is 10 months now, then 14 months in the future is about age 2. It's better to wait until age 2 than turn her immediately at 15 months old, but it's even better to wait until age 3 or even 4 to turn her forward, and there are seats designed for this if that's what you choose. You can also do this using the 360 spin swivel seats although the leg room tends to be a bit less.

It's only the longer lasting rear facing seats, like Axkid Minikid, which are rear facing only. Most of those are not isofix, they are fitted using seatbelt and tethers. The benefit of these seats is that they sit more upright, so take up much less space, they can be adjusted to have a lot more leg room for older children (designed in Sweden where they advise rear facing until age 4 - so think about tall, long legged Swedish children!) and they have often passed the Swedish Plus Test which is a mark of safety a lot of people like.

> Saying that this current seat goes up to 18 months then? Or 105 cm then which ever comes first.

Your current seat which you have (Joie i-Level) has a height limit of 85cm (not 105cm - that is the limit of most of the spinning/swivel seats often sold as "up to age 4") and a weight limit of 13kg, it also has a headrest which can move up and down.

Babies or toddlers are too big to use the i-Level when ONE of the following happens:

They are over 85cm in length/height
They are over 13kg
The headrest is on the highest setting, and their shoulders no longer fit underneath this.

It does not have an age limit; 18 months is a rough idea of when she might outgrow it, based on average sized babies. Your baby might be taller than average and so she might reach one of those limits earlier, or she might be smaller than average and be able to fit into the seat safely for longer. As long as she is within ALL three of the above limits, she can use the seat, legally and safely. It doesn't matter if her legs are over the end, or if she is older than 18 months. These are not safety concerns Smile

> this could last til then then go from this to forward facing when little baby arrives

If you keep her in the Joie i-Level until she is over 15 months and then buy a new seat for her, it would be legal to buy a forward facing seat, yes. But personally, I would not recommend this - 15 months is so little to be forward facing, and there are plenty of seats on the market which offer rear facing for longer plus the ability to turn forward when you're ready, which also have the swivel function which you like - this is especially helpful for toddlers!

Most of the forward facing only seats on the market these days are very large and really designed for children aged about 2.5+, they don't swivel, and the recline function is not very good. IMO, it's slightly better to FF in a seat which is designed and optimised for FF, than to FF in a spin seat which can also RF. But the benefit of keeping her RF until she is 2, 3, or even 4 is more important, so I think a spin seat would be the right choice for you.

The main thing I was saying to avoid is the "All stages" seats, which often say they go up to age 7 or age 10/12 because they also include a high back booster stage. For example, Joie i-Pivot Grow, or Britax Swivel. These are bigger in the car, less recline and you don't need to combine the stages if you want to have another child. They also get less good scores for safety.

Hope that helps and feel free to ask any more questions.

Orangeroses243 · 04/11/2025 13:18

@BertieBotts thank you so much tired taking the time to go over this! Honestly such alot of helpful information! All of your points have opened my eyes, and such good advice. Thank you! Xxx

OP posts:
skkyelark · 05/11/2025 09:25

Something you might consider on the convenience of the spin versus the space is that some of the rear-facing seats that don't spin can be fitted very compactly, but the sides are quite low, so children can climb in and out themselves. We have Axkid MiniKids, and both mine could climb in and out before they were two (although I did hover behind them in case of a slip). They obviously don't leave you the option of forward-facing without buying a new seat, though, so it's a trade-off.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page