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Car seat doesn’t recline enough

11 replies

Dulcie6 · 04/01/2026 06:29

My partner purchased this car seat for our newborn:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7355545?&utm_custom6=PLA&deeplink=true&gclsrc=aw.ds&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7Cacid:629-618-1342%7Ccid:20378155429%7Cagid:%7Ctid:%7Ccrid:%7Cnw:x%7Crnd:9810299696327862080%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:9190076&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20378155429&utm_term=7355545&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=629-618-1342&GPDP=true&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19671790546&gbraid=0AAAAAD9II9mNFm4xOpfAsLC0tBP12chlZ&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyO6ZoJzxkQMVdpVQBh2YVwKAEAQYASABEgIx8fD_BwE

It has really good reviews so we assumed it would be fine.
We installed it (with the isofix base) and I could see straight away that it was far too upright for a newborn. We took baby out in it when she was 3 weeks old. Her head completely flopped forward and when I turned around I could see her head flopping over the side of the car seat.

It is beyond unsuitable for a newborn.

A couple of people mentioned this in the reviews but a huge majority gave it a good review.

Has anyone else had this issue, or have I somehow managed to install it terribly?! I’m really annoyed. I assume Argos will take it back given that it’s not fit for purpose and is dangerous?

OP posts:
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Whizzingwhippet · 04/01/2026 06:34

You haven't installed it incorrectly, it's just not suitable for a newborn. It's so irritating that these car seats say they are, when actually they definitely aren't. Well done for spotting that she can't travel in it - head dropping forward is a huge asphyxiation risk.

LeafHunter · 04/01/2026 06:40

It’s a minimally tested seat and not suitable for a newborn, despite saying it is. Get an infant carrier or visit a local independent place for advice. Ideally look for seats which pass the Swedish plus test.

DeliciouslyBaked · 04/01/2026 07:34

Very few seats of this style are truly supportive enough for a newborn unless you have a very big newborn. Its a bit like false advertising really. You'd be better off using an infant carrier then switching to this one (or similar) when baby is bigger. Britax babysafe core is a good choice and on sale so only £50 in lots of places at the minute.

Patchworkquilts · 04/01/2026 08:20

Did you install in forward facing or rear facing?

Dulcie6 · 04/01/2026 10:10

Thanks everyone.
So fucking annoying.

@Patchworkquiltsit’s rear facing.

Thankfully the one in my own car is perfect, just a nightmare with my partners car now. Urg.

OP posts:
Dulcie6 · 04/01/2026 10:27

DeliciouslyBaked · 04/01/2026 07:34

Very few seats of this style are truly supportive enough for a newborn unless you have a very big newborn. Its a bit like false advertising really. You'd be better off using an infant carrier then switching to this one (or similar) when baby is bigger. Britax babysafe core is a good choice and on sale so only £50 in lots of places at the minute.

Going to order this one now! Thank you

OP posts:
FcukBreastCancer · 04/01/2026 10:29

I think that's the problem when they try snd cover too wide a range of ages with one seat.

RabbitsEatPancakes · 04/01/2026 13:44

It looks like a crap seat, it's a cheap brand. But it does look like it reclines when rear facing. Are the seats in your car very sloped? We struggled in a rented mini as the rear seats are very angled.

We have a besafe izi for 0-4 and I love it. Very good seat. We've also got an axkid which should do 0-7 but I think i didn't like it for newborns.

LeafHunter · 04/01/2026 13:53

RabbitsEatPancakes · 04/01/2026 13:44

It looks like a crap seat, it's a cheap brand. But it does look like it reclines when rear facing. Are the seats in your car very sloped? We struggled in a rented mini as the rear seats are very angled.

We have a besafe izi for 0-4 and I love it. Very good seat. We've also got an axkid which should do 0-7 but I think i didn't like it for newborns.

Love an axkid! We started using ours at about a year (when he outgrew the infant carrier) and they’re so good. I recommend them to anyone.

Hopello · 04/01/2026 14:23

We had the Joie version of this for our newborn second daughter and it was fine with the newborn attachments, we did switch back to our newborn car seat when the school run started as easier with the buggy. If it’s not working then take it back, it does say from 40cm long so check this with your baby’s length too.

BertieBotts · 04/01/2026 20:35

Cars have different tilts on the rear seats and different positioning of the isofix attachments. It sounds like your partner's car has especially sloped rear seats and probably low down isofix points. Some newer cars have the sloping seats, because they offer better safety and comfort to adult passengers, but the isofix is positioned higher to sort of straighten out the child seat position a bit.

Unfortunately the angle is not specified in the legal standard, and the problem is that if the seat is too reclined, it does affect the crash performance which is specified in the legal standard. The test bench used in the legal test is flatter than most vehicle seats, so vehicle seats which are very tilted end up with a problem here. In order to accommodate a better recline, the seat needs to be more carefully designed, which is more expensive so you don't tend to find it on these generic brands. Therefore, they tend to err on the side of having the seat be a bit too upright in order to get better crash test performance. That means the newborn head flop is a fairly common issue in cheaper/generic multi stage seats, although if the vehicle seats are particularly reclined, you can get the same issue even with the top brands unless the seat is specifically designed to work on a tilted seat.

The other common fitting issue with generic seats are that the inserts often don't fit snugly or fasten to the main cover and often both cover and insert are made of a shiny polyester type material, all of this tends to mean they easily slide around and constantly move themselves as you put the child in, which makes it really difficult to get a good, snug fit with the straps. You end up needing about four hands to hold the insert in place, hold the baby in place (esp a squirmy, curled up newborn) and tighten the straps properly. It's possible to work with it and get a good fit sometimes, but they are not easy to work with at all.

The other common issue with multi stage seats is that the straps are bulky to accommodate much older, larger children and they tend to swamp a newborn and sometimes you can't actually adjust them small enough to accommodate a newborn or the pads get in the way and prevent you from tightening it enough. Straps should be snug to the baby's body. This is just poor design - there's nothing for it except to wait until the baby gets bigger. Again there is not much in the legal standard for this, because the smallest dummy the seat is tested with is based on the size of a 6 week old baby, and the dummy is actually nearly 60cm long which is closer to the size of an average 3 month old.

That said, this seat will pass legal standard safety testing and will offer protection in a crash as long as a child fits into it properly, particularly when used in the rear facing mode. But it doesn't sound like it gives a good fit for a newborn, which a lot of multi-stage seats won't, and if the straps and inserts are hard to use then it can be difficult to ensure that it is fitted properly, meaning you might not get the crash performance it's tested for.

Long term this will likely continue to be an issue in your partner's car, so bear it in mind when choosing the next stage seat. An infant carrier which can be fitted with seatbelt or a flex type base (the Britax one recommended does both) is a good option for this stage. For the next stage you could look at seatbelt fitted extended rear facing seats like the Axkid seats, Avionaut Sky, or Britax Max Safe Pro or Safe Way M. Or if you are keen on isofix you could keep an eye out for when the Besafe izi Turn/Twist go on sale. They have a clever isofix attachment which counteracts a slope. Axkid One is also fine on sloped seats but is expensive.

The Axkid belt fitted next stage seats are not suitable from newborn. Axkid One and the Besafe seats can be purchased with a newborn insert but it's £100+ extra, so usually best to stick with an infant carrier.

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