Car seat dilemma

[Cymru82]

Can anyone recommend a forward facing car seat. My baby is 9 months, so we're starting to research seats.
Any recommendations grateful

We used Britax first class SI here

The bonus is that you can use from newborn rear facing so if you are moving up because of their age / weight but want them to be rear facing longer they can. It was really comfy for our dc and reclines too, so got good naps from them!

May I be the first to reccomend an extender rear facing seat? (ERF) they are pricier,but also safer.

How big is your baby? I started to research next stage car seats when dd was about 9 months, however she's now 13 months (average size) and still hasn't grown out of her first stage seat.

I believe you only need to move them into the next stage if the top of their head is within an inch of the top of the seat.

The longer they stay rear facing the safer they are. In parts of Europe it's the law until 4 but there's a lack of rear facing seats in the UK. I think the law will change here too from what I've read. It's a really serious issue. My husband was adamant the benefits would only exist in a frontal hit collision but I searched on pubmed (medical journal search) and data fm Volvo in Sweden displayed clear benefits regardless of direction of hit. I will be keeping my DD rear facing until her length and height suggest otherwise - prob about 4 - people rush to turn them round - I haven't done this and she isn't bothered in the slightest. At 17mths she is still in her first car seat. Rushing to get the next size up isn't nec or the safest. Sorry I'm a bit of a nerd about all this stuff but I work with kids who have suffered head injuries. Take a peek at this

www.rearfacing.co.uk

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Yes we were advised to keep our ds in his first carseat ( the one you lug around with you!) for as long as possible. RF weren't very available at the time we moved him up (around 15 months) so we opted for a Maxi Cosi Tobi.

Now our dd is almost 1 and still has a little bit of room left in her first carseat, we've started looking at RF seats, they are coming down in price as they become more popular.

You have a few months yet to think about it (and save up!).

We also used a Britax first class plus with DS1 as I wanted him rear facing as long as possible and he was in that until he was about 14 months old before changing it forward facing. We're planning on doing the same with DS2 (he's still in his carry seat but it is getting way too heavy to lug around!).

Another one here who ERFs.

Even if you decide to forward face, keep LO in the rear facing baby seat til either he goes over the maxinum weight or his head goes over the top of the seat - whichever is soonest.

Please do have a little read up.on ERF seats. I knew nothing about them before joining MN and am glad I learned about them,.especially after seeing the crash test dummy videos.

Hi, just Make sure you check your child's weight. Dd took till 15 months to get to 9 kg, which a child must be minimum before going forward facing.
She nearly out grew her first stge by height. Looking at the red book weight charts there must be lots of people who are in same situation.

I'm using a Maxi-Cosi, have been since DD was 9months. To keep DD rear-facing would have condemned us all to hellish car journeys for the forseeable future. She hates not being able to see where she's going and used to scream the place down.

I know rear-facing is a bit safer but TBH not having my daughter screaming her head off as soon as she gets in the car was of more immediate importance. In any case my car is one of the safest on the road; personally I think you have to weigh up what your personal pros and cons are.

I know rear-facing is a bit safer

5 times safer.....

Are there any Group 1 car seats which can face both ways?

DD could then rear face when there's 2 of us in the car (one of us to sit next to her and keep her amused so she doesn't yell... yes yes PFB)
but could forward face if just one of us.

Minipie we've just bought a Joie Stages. Rearward facing 0-4yrs, but can be forward from 9 months so you have that flexibility. Lasts till 7 years. There's a really decent recline on it, too, so littlies aren't uncomfortable.

Summer, the Joie Stages looks really good, and much more affordable than other RF seats. (I know cost is relatively unimportant when it comes to increased safety but still...)

I'm going to keep that one in mind for when dd needs to move out of her baby's eat. Thanks

oooh. Lasts until 7, I like the sound of that. Thanks.

Baby's eat? Baby seat

Glad to help.

PseudoBadger that's a bit disingenuous. 5 times safer than what? What is the actual risk to the child of sitting in a front-facing seat? I confess I've never researched the actual statistics. If I read about all the things that could happen to my child I'd probably never have any.

Crash tests show that compared to forward facing seats, the pressure exerted on the neck is 5 times lower for rear facing child car seats.

There is also a risk to driver is they have to listen to a crying child for the whole journey and also can't see their child while driving

Risk is a set if decisions not a single choice

pookamoo I'd have thought amount of pressure exerted on the neck in a rear-facing car seat in a crash test is much lower than you say, actually.

But that still doesn't give me my answer: what are the chances of my having a crash? In my very safe car, what are the chances of injury to my child?
And is my risk of accident higher if I am distracted by having to listen to a screaming child whilst driving? I have done it a few times in her old rear-facing car seat. It's not an experience I would like to repeat.

As waterrat says, risk is a set of decisions.

Forward facing car seats are tested to 30moh. which tests to 40mph.

I rarey drive with dd in the car, but when I do it is usually on roads 50-70mph. I chose erf as I beleive that a crash at that speed for a ff baby/toddler could cause serious injury, and that rf sears offer a greater chance of her being unharmed.

Stow - the chances of you crashing your car may be slim but there is always the possibility, and of course, you cant control other drivers.

Your very safe car is still subject to the laws of physics.
My three year old (who was in his 'baby seat' until 2 years when he finally weighed 13 kilos and reached the top) loves the great view out of his window and the rear windscreen, and he can see me and the road ahead through his seat back mirror.

Of course there is always the possibility. There is always the possibility of my daughter meeting all kinds of accident as well. I can't legislate for everything.
PseudoBadger I'm very pleased that your son likes the rear view. My daughter doesn't. She outgrew her baby seat by the age of 9 months and we tried a bigger rear facing one. Total meltdown.
I maintain that trying to concentrate on driving with a screaming child in the back would increase my personal risk of accident and, consequently, of injury to my child. And please do not patronise me about the laws of physics. I'm well aware of them. Still doesn't stop my daughter screaming in the back of the car.

And is my risk of accident higher if I am distracted by having to listen to a screaming child whilst driving?

If you are personally distracted by the screaming, to the point where you concentration is impaired then you will be at significantly greater risk of an accident.

If you do go for forward facing, I can recommend the kiddy car seats - it's a German brand and has an impact shield instead of the five point harness, which is apparently safer.