Those in the know about RF seats. How bad would it be to mover 2 1/4 year old to a FF seat?

[DrivenToDistraction]

So, give it to me straight, how worried should I be about moving to FF?

We're verging on bankruptcy, being kept afloat by PIL and DS is almost ready to move out of his stage 0 seat. Bugger.

I'd planned to get a second BeSafe izi for DS but we really, really can't afford it. We'll have to borrow the money for a seat from PIL and TBH I think I'm going to have to have enough of a job convincing them that we need a decent FF seat rather than some random cheapo or second hand FF seat.

If it really is still too unsafe to move DD (2 1/4) to a FF seat I suppose I could try and get PIL to let us make up the money above what they're willing to fund. That would mean a real struggle for us though.

DD is still very happy in her RF seat, I really don't think she's would enjoy a FF seat at all. But that's not the issue, is it

I think a 2 year old in a foreward facing seat is fine and tbh I am surprised she still fits in a rear facing stage 0 seat.

My kids were both on forward facing seats by around a year as were most of my friends children. I've never heard of a 2 year old being in a rear facing seat actually!

Obviously not being clear, sorry about that

DD, 2 1/4, is in a stage one RF seat.

DS, 9 1/2 months, is in a sage 0 RF seat.

I'd like to get a second stage one RF seat for DS but can't afford it. Am worried about moving DD to a FF seat.

oh ok. I think a 2 year old in FF would be fine tbh, unless you have a specific problem with FF seats in general?

So you want 2 new seats?

peggotty - Well, 'y see RF seats are much safer for under 4s than FF seats, it's to do with relative had size and neck strength.

RF seats until age 4 are require by law in a lot of Scandinavian countries AFAIK.

So, I suppose you could say I have a problem with FF seats, although I'd never have put it like that myself

FAB - Nooooo. lol.

I need one new stage one seat, ideally I'd like a second RF stage one to use for DS. But, I fear I'll have to get a FF stage one seat instead. This would mean moving DS to the existing RF stage one seat and putting DD in the new FF stage one seat.

I want a realistic picture of the risks of a 2 year old traveling FF as opposed to RF.

See, clear as mud!

...relative head size and neck strength...

It's a Maxi Cosi Cabrio fix, I think it's 13 KG.

DD is 13KG and DS is probably 10 by now.

Waiting may indeed be the best option. How high is DSs head allowed to come in the seat? It's level with the top now...

But, say I could keep DS in his stage 0 for another 3 months, how dangerous is it really (no holds barred) for DD to travel FF at 2 1/2?

Yup, is to 13kg...

Everyone I even vaguely know with children has has a Maxi Cosi , I don't even know if Britax seats are available over here. I've never seen one anyway.

I'll try emailing maxi cosi but they are never very helpful, I remember trying to find out the same thing for DD. They recommended moving up to their stage one seat ASAP because DD was 9 months... Sales, sales, sales.

I think it is going to be impossible to give you risks. It will depend on the type of car, your style of driving, the sort of roads and speeds you generally drive at etc.

On another of these threads, someone has quoted the stats on children in car seats being killed in accidents and I believe it is less than 20 per year. If you work on the basis that the vast majority of children in the UK travel FF, the risks are really very low.

My DS is forward facing at 3.3 and I feel ok with that. We also have one stage one rear facer and younger DD has it. I didn't really know about rear facing stage one when I bought DS's seat and once I had it, I didn't want to buy another rear facer and waste the money I'd spent on the best ff I could find. I did fret a bit about having an accident and what if DS was injured and DD wasn't just because I wouldn't spend £200 but I no longer feel like that. Probably took until he was about to turn 3 to think that.

I can't give you a proper answer but I'd 'feel' ok with the older child going FF.

Loopymumsy - Ho hum. I feared as much.

Well, I'll just have to wait as long as I can and hope the business takes a turn for the better. Stranger things have happened!

I suppose I can also hope PIL will see reason about RF but they do soooo much for us already.

Avril - indeed it does. DP and I drive very carefully but unfortunately accidents do still happen.

tummytime - yes, thankfully very few children are killed in accidents. But, many sustain serious injuries in FF seats that could have been prevented if they were traveling RF.

Maybe we should just stay at home

how much would the PIL spend? tbh a britax 2 way elite is about £195, which is only about £30 more than the maxi cosi tobi, for example.

just rememebered i saw this on the rearfacing.co.uk forum though

bumpto3 have 25% off besafe and if you use quidco thats another 8%
IZI COMBI = £193.2 DELIVERED
IZI COMBI ISOFIX= £207 DELIVERED

www.bumpto3.com/safety/In_Car_Safety

if that helps at all?

otherwise, tbh i think i would be semi-happy with putting a 2 yr old forward fadcing. I think my besafe says to try and keep them rear-facing until at least 2 and a half, which indicates they think that's ok though obv not as good as RF until older

loopymumsy's idea is good though! and the britax first class would have a much higher back, so if the problem is his height rather than weight then it would be ideal really.

you shyouldn';t use the infant carrier if his head is above the back...
my maxi cosi does have an extra padded bit that you can take out, have you done that?
the head-hugger bit goes all the way down to the bottom of the seat and underneath is a foam insert that can be removed

Ds has been in a ff since 9 months old. I have never seen a rf seat for a child older than that age. I didn't realise I was so out of touch!

Cripes. Mine both outgrew RF seats by a year. Their heads were over the top of them, and they weighed more than the limit. They had Maxi Cosi FF ones, which were fine. But they outgrew them at three, and went into high-back booster contraptions.

more information onrear-facing car seats here if you're interested