Car seat minefield!

[HopelesslyHopeful87]

DD is 5 and a half months and weighs about 7.5kg. I hate the infant carrier and the travel system I have. It's got to go. I have impingement in my shoulders and I can't keep lugging it about. I want to get a BJCM (should have just got this in the first place!) and replace the car seat.

I want her to remain rear facing obviously as she is still young and small so we would need group 0-1. I want it to recline as she naps in the car often if only she would sleep in bed

I am just looking at options and there are some extortionately priced options and some ridiculously cheap options. I've looked at the Britax Romer and the Cossatto Moova and this would be the price bracket I can afford. What other options would you recommend? Do I need Isofix or is seat belt just as good?

She's my third DC but I never had a car with my other two and have never had to deal with this before. Mind blown.

You don't need isofix in my opinion unless you'll be moving it between cars a lot. Can you not keep the infant carrier for longer and just get rid of the pram? Then when it's outgrown, get something like the Britax Two Way Elite (cheaper) or Axkid Minikid (more expensive) that will last basically until they're at school?

Otherwise, I don't have it but did like it - Cybex Sirona m2? I'm fairly sure it was from birth to 4 years old and not as pricy as the one I did buy. It had a good recline and looked comfy.

Can't get rid of the pram and keep the seat as it all goes together. The car seat wouldn't fit on another travel system so resaleability factor is a lot lower if it doesn't all go together. Hindsight is wonderful. If I knew then what I know now I'd have just got the BJCM and the maxi cosi with adapters.

And no, it won't be moved from car to car often, if at all.

I'd keep using the car seat, if you can store the pushchair somewhere out of the way, then get the BJCM now and start using it. When DD gets to 9 kilos this opens up more options on car seats and at that point sell the travel system?

The infant car seats are so much better in the early months.

I've bought a GB vaya for DD but at 11 months I'm still using the infant carrier as the headflop for her in the Vaya is bad (despite being advised that this seat has the best recline of all the group 0+1 seats).

OK, so if I wait until she's 9kg then do I go straight for a group 1?

Email or visit the In Car Safety centre, they will advise you.

Personally I would keep the infant carrier for now, it is the best option at this age. You can leave it in the car, you don't have to lug it in and out

Then I'd go for a Britax Two way elite (£185 ish, rear faces to 25kg) or Axkid minikid (more £££ also rear faces til 25kg)

In Car Safety centre are great. Tell them child's age , weight and make model year of car.

Oh and don't buy the cosatto!!

Also, rear belt fitted is as safe as isofix as long as it is installed correctly. Isofix takes away the element of human error.

I have been leaving the seat in the car lately so I don't have to carry it but then I've still got to lift the bloody pushchair section of the travel system which is just as awkward and heavy. So yes will definitely need to get the bjcm.

Taken comments on board about the carrier being best as she is still small. I don't want to do anything unsafe for her. And I definitely don't want the headflop when she falls asleep.

Why so adamant about the cosatto? Are they horrendous? The anti escape arms looked good...

I'll definitely have a look at that car safety place, thanks. If it makes any difference I have a 2012 zafira which I also hate 😂

There's a Facebook page, car seat advice uk, which is very good. Whenever anyone posts about the cosatto seat the people who run the page (who know their stuff) always say to steer clear.

If you were to buy a seat from say Mothercare or Halfords, the Joie stages is a good bet.

What percentile if your baby on for weight? You can follow the line and see when she is likely to hit 18kg. The joie rear faces with harness til 18kg then can forward face with the seatbelt. But it's only advisable to ff with seatbelt at a minimum of 4 yrs.

Joie every stage? Stays in the car, rear facing til 4.

Oh and the cosatto is forward facing I think?

Keep them rear facing as long as is possible. 4yo is best. There are some lower cost rear faing seats (Joie) or higher cost

I went for a Britax 2way Elite. Love it!

I have 3 britax two way elites. 2 in my car for dc aged 2yrs 9 months ad 14 months. One in my mum's car for dc1 and a joie stages for dc2.

Don't forget that the car seats advertised as 0-4 years are really until they get to 18kg. With my ds that would be just 3 years and then I'd have to buy an 25kg seat unless I would be happy putting him in a booster seat with the adult belt. (Which I wouldn't be happy to do).

So before you buy the next seat check out dd red book and see when she is expected to reach 18kg. Then you can decide whether you need an 25kg seat. Axkid minikin or two way elite

Thanks for all the replies. She is between the 50th and 75th so would be over 4 when predicted to hit 18kg.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will hold off for a while and will definitely check out that Facebook page.

Rear facing - the way forward is also a really good group on fb if your interested in erf.
We kept DD in her infant car seat until she outgrew it then opted for a joie stages for my dh's bigger car and a joie tilt for my small car. Both seats rear face until 18kg. She is 3 in August and happily rear facing with no plans to turn her around any time soon.
Second pp's in keeping the infant car seat until your DD grows out of it. No point in spending money on a new seat when the one you have got is perfectly good. Just get a new pushchair.

If you're not shifting the car seat between cars you can get a 25kg rear facing car seat, the Swedish do some great ones that the fb group really rates. Our 75th centiler should fit into his axkid minikid until age 5 or so. Keeping them rear facing as long as possible is really important!

Agree with everybody else that your best bet is to leave the infant carrier in the car and use that until she grows out of it, then get a 25kg seat. I love the Axkid Minikid but also have the Britax Two Way Elite as spares.

But she won't fit these seats until she's around 1 so keep your infant carrier until then and get a new pushchair. No need to clip the car seat on.

Stick with the infant carrier and buy a bjcm. Review the car seat when she is older.

Never carry infant carriers they are very awkward for your back

As others have said, keep using the infant carrier for as long as you can. The cosatto is a poorly made seat with minimum levels of crash testing. It’s also only forward facing - keeping your child rear facing until at least 2, but preferably until 4 or longer, is the single most important thing you can do for them in terms of car safety.

Thanks everyone. Really grateful for all the input. The fb groups suggested are brilliant and been opened up to lots of options. Really glad I asked. Now time to save up for the bjcm 😀