Car seat for occasional use

[hoorayforharoldlloyd]

Hi all - we don't have a car but want to get a car seat for pr grandparents visits - can anyone suggest a good one for 12 months plus that is ok with seat belt only. I was looking at britax romer.

Thanks!

Seat belt only is not safe

Well it's a lot safer than using a taxi with no car seat at all.

Isofix and seat belt fixings done correctly are both as safe as eachotherx its just that isofix only needs fixing one so is less likely for human error.

OP, i've found all car seats to be pretty similar, when we got our dd one for 12 months plus, we just wanted to make sure it was still rear facing, and still reclined enough so if she fell asleep her head wouldn't fall forward. Alot didn't seem to recline enough

Thanks lazypuppy!

We bought the Britax Romer for both sets of grandparents. Installing it is a bit fiddly until you get the hang of it, but for a good car seat that doesn't cost the earth it's great.

We had a Joie Steadi for this reason.

It is belt fitted which is just as safe as Isofix if done correctly and this one was very simple to install.

It also rear faces to 18kg which is safer than forward facing. We needed a narrow seat but if space isn't an issue is look at the Joie Stages which turns into a high back booster after 18kg so it's better value for money in the long run.

Car seats really aren't very similar once you're past the infant carrier seat stage. There is a legal standard that all car seats have to pass in order to be sold but it is a shockingly poor test. Some brands will put their car seats through more extensive testing so these seats will always be better than the seats that only meet the minimum standard. Rear facing is far safer than forward facing, there is no question in that. It's not a case a parental preference. If the seat is for occasional use, the Joie belt fitted seats are a good option. The Stages is the best overall in terms of fit in most cars and the size of the seat. The Tilt and Steadi are also ok but the shell is smaller so will be outgrown sooner. The Britax Two Way Elite is also worth considering if you are interested in rear facing for longer as it has a 25kg weight limit so is a better choice for heavier or taller babies.

Agree with the previous poster except I’d recommend the Joie Every Stage over the Stages - lasts up to age 12 vs 7, fixed with only seat belt, and rear facing up to age 4/18kg. We’ve bought it for grandparents (also no car) and are v happy.

I think there's been a misunderstanding as to whether you mean it's being installed by a seatbelt or whether you're planning to use a stage 2/3 car seat, so no harness! We've had quite a few car seats but the last ones I bought i checked on which? as they do rigorous tests. There was also some very reasonable seats which scored highly.