Car seats......do you go by weight rather than age?

[queenrollo]

my ds is 2.6......and weighs just short of 15 kg.He's quite tall for his age.

i need to get a car seat that will fit in a VW camper so have decided it's probably time to replace the one we have, which ds is going to grow out of very soon.

i'm a bit confused though that everywhere i look seem to equate 15kg to a child of 4 years old.

Has anyone else moved their little into the next group of seats based on weight rather than age.

IIRC it's the weight which is more important, except when you're talking about tiny babies who can't support their heads (even if they are whoppers, they still can't go up to bigger types of seat).

It goes by weight rather than age, but he is too young to go into just a high-back booster. Go for something like the Britax Evolva 1-2-3 which has the harness until he gets to 18kg weight and is closer to 4 years+.

I would agree with the highback booster and harness as 2 1/2 hr olds are still very floppy especially when asleep.

It should be by weight/height that you pick the seat.

I kept DS in his infant carrier until he was 15mo because he was still well within the 13kg weight limit on it.

you have the same dilemma as i do

ds1 is 2.9yo, tall and skinny - only 14kg but his eyeline is nbearly at the toip of his group 1 seat

i have spoken with britax, mothercare and halfords and am happy that they are safest in the 5-point harness group 1 seat until the eyeline (not the top of their head) reaches the top of the seat

at that point the seat is no longer safe and they should move to a bigegr seat irrespective of their age and weight

(age is irrelevant it appears - the 4yo thing is just indicative of the age of a typical child who is of the weight and height re'd to go up a group)

PC - most people would not choose the Britax Evolve 1-2-3 as a follow-on from a group 1 seat as it won't last very long

However the Evolva 1-2-3 can then be used as a high back booster without the harness until the LO is tall enough to go without a booster seat so you do get the extra years of use.