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Original poster

Car seats: why can't my 2 1/2 YO be moved into the car seats for 4-11YO's if he weighs the min weight requirement?

26 replies

JonahB · 09/01/2008 21:58

Can any of you offer me some advice? I have a 2.7YO and a 7 month old I want to move the baby into the next stage car seat (ie, DS1's seats), but don't want to have to buy 2 more Stage 1 car seats. We already have 2, 1 for each car and I don't particularly want 4.

My elder DS weighs 33lbs, which seems to be the min weight for Stage 2 car seats, however, they always seem to advertise those seats for 4YO+. Is there a reason why I can't move DS1 into the next stage car seat, freeing up his 2 old seats for DS2? Am I missing a fundamental and basic safety issue about putting him in a seat designed for his weight but not his age?

OP posts:
nortynamechanger · 09/01/2008 22:05

Surely the 7 month old shouldn't be moved into a forward facing seat yet.

At the end of the day the decision about your own child's safety is up to you alone.

Personally I belive my children are safer in a seat that is correct for their age and height rather than just weight.

eg my dd is 8 and 1m35cm, according to the law she does not have to use any form of child car seat. She still uses a high backed booster because, in the event of an accident, I wish her to have the most amount of protection possible. Once she is too tall for it she will be using just the booster cushion.

SlightlyMadShrek · 09/01/2008 22:09

The smallest seat available for your child is always safest.

For optimal safety

A baby should be in a rear facing seat for as long as it is appropriate for their size and physical ability (can DS sit unaided for a minimum of 20mins?)

A toddler should be in a seat with a 5 point haress for as long as they fit

Just because DS1 is heavy enough for a highbacked booster doesn't mean you should do it. I personally don't think a 2 1/2 yo can be trusted enough to use a 3point harness safely.

Just because DS2 has reached the mi weight for a forward facig seat doesn't mean you should.

MoosMa · 09/01/2008 22:13

Why do you want to move the 7 month old in to the next stage seat? He should be facing backwards for as long as he can, surely he's not 13kg already??

yelnats · 09/01/2008 22:17

What weight is your 7 month old? 7 months does seem young to go into forward facing seat tho.

I too am currently having the great car seat debate - my dd's are 3 1/2 and 11 months. 11 month old is almost 20lb and 3 year old is 25lb - thinking of getting a Britax Evolva 123 which does from 9 months til 11 years for dd1 and putting dd2 into dd1's seat. IYKWIM.

nortynamechanger · 09/01/2008 22:18

Taken from ROSPA website

Forward-facing child seat
Group 1: for children weighing 9-18 kgs (20-40 lbs) roughly from 9 months - 4 years.

Once children have outgrown a rearwards facing seat, the best option is to use a Group 1 seat with an integral harness, the large area of the harness helps to reduce the risk of injury if there is a crash. The bottom attachment between the legs will also prevent the child from sliding under, and out of, the harness.

They can be used in the front or rear of the car, but it is safer to put them in the rear, especially if there is a passenger airbag in the front.

Once again, it is safest to keep children in this type of system until they have outgrown it. Only move your child to a booster seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the child seat, or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat.

nortynamechanger · 09/01/2008 22:22

Yelnats, my DD is 3.5 and we got the Evolva 123 a while back (changed car and his group 1 was an unsafe fit). It is good and the new one has a bit that shows if the straps are tight enough.

He is 50 centile and will be in the 5 point harness for a while yet.

VanillaPumpkin · 09/01/2008 22:26

Hi Jonah. It is me Skyler/Cooperoo, fellow Junie. I seem to recall you have big babies???
Anyway dd2 (my Junie) is tall and quite heavy. She is just over 16kg and so could in theory go up to the next stage seat. DD1 was nearly four before we moved her but she i quite small. The age 4 thing is misleading I think. DD2 is going to have to change seats before she is 3 as she will be over the 18kg weight limit for her current seat. I agree that they should stay in the seat for as long as poss but NOT if they are over the weight limit. That is my logic anyway. Not sure it helps really but I think the age guidelines are misleading and the weight ones are the best.

yelnats · 09/01/2008 22:30

thanks norty - that one seems to be one of few that cover all 3 stages - just hoping it doesnt compromise elsewhere for it. Will be getting 2 - one for our car and one for grandparents car.

VanillaPumpkin · 09/01/2008 22:33

There was a thread on here listing the Which report results for all the car seats. The Britax Evolva 2-3 did well but not sure about the Evolva 123... Will try to search.

SlightlyMadShrek · 09/01/2008 22:33

I agree that they shouldn't stay if over the weight limit.

I do agree that you must go by the weight, the ages are only guidance. However they must be developmentally ready and IMHO a 7m old is not developmentally ready for a forward facing seat and a 2.6yo is not developmentally ready for a 3point harness. If your 7m is too heavy or too tall for his infant carrier then the safest* option is the ones that can go reward and forward - installed facing rewards.

SlightlyMadShrek · 09/01/2008 22:34

WHich tend to be a bit negative on the multi stage seats. They say that they compromise on teh safety.

Hang on I will see if I can find the report...

VanillaPumpkin · 09/01/2008 22:36

Here www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1012&threadid=427758#8666813

yelnats · 09/01/2008 22:36

I was on Which website today and the Evolva 123 didnt do too badly. Wasnt the best but is the only one I could see that they tested for multi stage seats.

VanillaPumpkin · 09/01/2008 22:38

None of them seem to do that great do they???
We have the Maxi Cosi rodi xp and will prob get that again....

SlightlyMadShrek · 09/01/2008 22:41

Britax Evolva 123 Ultra
This seat is designed for children from one year up to 12 (9-36kg). It?s secured using the car?s seat belt but the child is secured into the seat with a 5-point harness for use with the 9-18 kg children. Larger children use the adult belt to secure the seat and the child simultaneously.

It is fairly easy to use, and while the idea of having one seat for several weight categories is a good one in theory, in practice it can only be a compromise, with limitations for all the groups. The harness can be adjusted to several different heights without having to unthread the belts. It has a high backrest and in some cars you can improve stability of the seat if the vehicle headrest is turned.

Crash loads are low in a side crash and somewhat higher ? but still just about acceptable ? in a front crash.

Pros: Covers several age groups, good comfort and ease of use.

Cons: Front crash performance not as good as the best in its class. Seat cover must be hand-washed.

58% overall

3/5 front crash safety
4/5 side crash safety
4/5 overall safety

All other actegries they rated (instructions, ease of use etc.) were 4/5 except instructions which were 3/5.

Dated Oct 2007

Original poster
JonahB · 10/01/2008 08:47

thanks for the advice, ladies. I moved DS1 out of his rear facing car seat at c.7-8 months so I guess i didn't think it would be an issue doing it again.
The reason I wanted to sort this out is that now i'm back at work, we are spending a huge amount of time juggling our 1 rear-facing car seat between the 2 cars, so i thought moving DS1 up to the next level would solve the logistics issues. Of course safety is far more important than inconvenience, so i wanted to get some more opinions
What i will do is weigh DS2 + find out what the max weight for their current seats are.

OP posts:
nortynamechanger · 10/01/2008 09:55

SMS well done for posting that info. Vanilla thanks for the link, see below.

I have got to get a 2nd seat for DS as my DH has just got his own car and I've realised he is incapable of fitting a seat correctly. I wanted an isofix but the evolva isofix is stage 2-3.

He is 3.5 and only 12.5-13 kgs, he really needs a 5 point harness. I was going to use the M&P pro tec that I bought a while ago for a light weight holiday (we always take our own car seats when we go on hols - too many bad experiences with badly fitted/broken rental seats)car seat but having read all the info I am not going to!

yelnats · 10/01/2008 22:56

I have a mamas and papas protec - it gets a good review on which - are you th inking of the mamas and papas pro-tour?

nortynamechanger · 11/01/2008 14:06

Possibly, it's been in the loft awile am probably geting my tours/tecs confused.

nappyaddict · 03/03/2008 11:22

sorry to hijack but jonahb are you in the midlands or did i imagine it and if so whereabouts are you?

Emprexia · 03/03/2008 11:52

a baby should be rear facing until 1yr AND 20lbs. turning them before that can damage the neck and spine during a crash.

If you have a seat that will RF to 13kgs/29lbs then keep them in it for as long as you can!

If you dont, then the stage 1 seats that will RF and FF are the best.

nappyaddict · 03/03/2008 12:34

KAISHAY is it you that's in shropshire? if so where are you?

Emprexia · 03/03/2008 13:31

Yep, thats me!
I'm in Welligton, why?

Emprexia · 03/03/2008 13:31

That'd be Wellington... i need to go find my glasses!

nappyaddict · 03/03/2008 13:34

was thinking of arranging an easter meet up at the town park!!do you have an email address/msn/facebook i can contact you on?