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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.

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Original poster

21 month toddler too young for stage 2 booster?

19 replies

hotterpotter · 29/04/2010 20:22

DS is nearly 21 months old, currently in a Stage 1-3 seat which is not brilliant quality, as I have recently passed my driving test he will be in the car much more often so want to get him a decent, safe and comfy seat.

My dilemma is though that the lardy lad already weighs 17kg so is rapidly getting too heavy for a seat with an integral harness as they only seem to go up to 18kg. Surely he is too little to be in a seat secured by the adult belt only? Won't he wriggle out? (He is quite wriggly)

Has anyone successfully put a young child in one of these seats? Thanks

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Fel1x · 29/04/2010 20:29

Is he really 17kg?? My 4.6yr old is 17kg

I wouldnt personally put a 21 month old in a stage 2 seat, but I'm sorry I cant offer advice on stage 1 seats that go up to higher weight limits... could you call britax? they were v helpful to me once when I had a query about which car seat was most suitable for us.. or perhaps go into Halfords and ask their advice?

NoahAndTheWhale · 29/04/2010 20:32

I am pretty sure you can get car seats with integral harnesses that go up to 25kg although I am not sure which sort. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will come along.

azazello · 29/04/2010 20:33

I would check very carefully to make sure there are no other seats which will take higher weights because booster seats are based on the child being a certain height otherwise the seatbelt will be in the wrong place.

onepieceoflollipop · 29/04/2010 20:33

Is he fairly tall (and, more importantly,fairly co-operative? - so he won't undo the seatbelt)

Most of the high back boosters are suitable from 15kg afaik.

Freezingmyarseoff · 29/04/2010 20:35

Don't ask Halfords, (sorry Felix) I've heard so many stories about them being crap

I can't offer you any advice but try calling the in car safety centre here

I bought a rear facing seat from them and they were really helpful over the phone.

Original poster

hotterpotter · 29/04/2010 21:17

Yes he really is 17kg he was 10lb 8oz at birth and just keeps growing...

He is tall so would fit OK in a booster but as for co-operative well so short of tying / duck taping him in he would prob try and escape without an integral harness.

Thanks for tips will try and find a seat that goes up to 25kg... or stop feeding- him

OP posts:

ASecretLemonadeDrinker · 29/04/2010 21:22

Goodness, I wouldn't put him in a booster. Go to mothercare or halfords and try out a few seats - I got one from Asda the other day that has a harness but goes up to about age 5 I think, if not more. If your seat is 1-3 then I see no problem with keeping him in it, until the harness literally wont fit anymore. My 4yo wears a harness as he slips under the selt in his 'emergency' booster. If you are looking for a new one, I think stage 2-3 usually have harness', as far as I know the harness isn't unsafe for older, it just gives the option to use with a normal belt once the child is ready, or just doesn't go long enough anymore.

jocie · 29/04/2010 22:33

im pretty sure the britax two way elite harness up to 25kg its a stage 1 rear facer but can also be forward facing will look up the details to post tomorrow as hubby is insisting he needs to use computer!!!!!

nicm · 29/04/2010 23:47

my ds is like this too he has just turned 2 but last time i weighed him he was 16kgs! i wouldn't put him in a booster either as he would only climb out. all group 1 seats only go up to 18kgs even if they are 1,2,3 seats-the harness has only been tested to 18kgs and then you should use the adult belt. we have a britax twe which is harnessed to 25kgs.

the britax two way elite is the only rf and ff seat with a hraness to 25kg, although some of the rf seats go to 25kgs. they used to do an elite seat that was ff only but have stopped selling it. they do have higher harnessed seats in america but you can't use them here as they are not british/eu standard.

i would second calling the in car safety centre instead of mothercare and halfords in the link below they were very helpful.

ShowOfHands · 29/04/2010 23:52

My dd is in a 25kg max weight ff 1,2,3 seat. She's always been on the top centile for weight and height and is just fine. I don't think they make the one I have anymore but it's similar to the britax twe. She's 2.11 and I wouldn't even think of putting her in anything else just yet.

Original poster

hotterpotter · 30/04/2010 11:31

Thanks, I called the In Car Safety Centre and the basically said it's the 2 Way Elite or nothing . I know the safety of my precious son is paramount but £200
What a dilemma - enough money for food so DS breaks the weight limit or a better seat but I can't afford to feed him so he doesn't need it

OP posts:

Liopleurodon · 30/04/2010 23:03

My DD has a Britax Elite (not the 2-way elite)- you can find them on ebay every so often. It does harness to 25kgs. She is 5.1yrs now and fits in it very well. she says it is very comfy.

Seona1973 · 01/05/2010 10:23

at that age ds put on weight quite slowly so you should get a few more months out of your existing seat until he reaches 18kgs. We had to put ds into a high backed booster when he was just over 2 as he was 18kgs by then and too heavy for the harness.

Adventuredad · 03/05/2010 22:49

Putting a 21 month old in a booster seat is a really bad and unsafe idea. Sorry about the bad news.....

TWE will last until 25 kg both rear facing and FF. It's the only seat in Europe with this capacity. There are a number of other seats which will keep your child RF for a couple of years more which is recommended.

Age is far more important than size. Bones in the neck don't ossify until age 3+ and continues to harden until puberty. At age 21 months neck of a child consist of different pieces of bone which are held together with weak cartilage. In other words then neck is really weak.

What car do you drive?

Original poster

hotterpotter · 05/05/2010 15:24

Thanks for all your input to this, I have done the sensible thing and ordered the 2WE .

Perhaps I can use the cost of the car seat to persuade DH to have another DC so at least we would get our monies worth out of it...

OP posts:

katiepotatie · 05/05/2010 15:33

Hi, The britax website has a fit finder, you put in the age and weight and how you would like the seat to fix. I put in your details and it came up with 9 seats that come with a 5 point harness.

We have the Evolva 123 for both our wee ones, they can be used from 9 months to 11 years.

I hope this helps

Original poster

hotterpotter · 05/05/2010 15:58

Thank you katie, unfortunately they only go up to 18kg with the integral harness at which point you are supposed to fasten them in with the adult seat belt. DS is really not old enough to be trusted not to wriggle out of the adult belt so we are having to go for the Britax 2 Way Elite whose harness can be used with DC up to 25kg.

OP posts:

Adventuredad · 05/05/2010 18:05

Katie, Evolva can be used for a long time but only until 18 kg with harness...... Using it with eat belt with a 21 month old would be very dangerous. The only seat in Europe which allow harnessing FF to 25 kg is TWE

Original poster

hotterpotter · 11/05/2010 16:43

Thanks for all the recommendations re the 2WE, 'tis fab. We have it rearfacing and even DD (nearly 5) pesters to go in it when DS isn't in the car

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