Car seat when you don't have a car

[FlumptyDumpty]

First baby due in 2 weeks, so really should have sorted this before.

We don't have a car, but will occasionally need to take the baby in black taxis, minicabs and family cars. Need a car seat compatible with the Bugaboo Cameleon, so was planning to get the Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus, to use with seatbelt rather than a base.

Maxi-Cosi site has tests results available for virtually every make and model of car except the one my parents have - 2011 4 door Ford Focus. Was planning to ask them to take us home from hospital, but now not sure the car seat will fit with the seat belts, which apparently can be short in Focuses.

So... Does anybody know if the Pebble Plus can fit in a black taxi? Are the seat belts long enough?

Better yet (long shot) does anybody know if the seat belts in a 2011 4 door Ford Focus are long enough to go round the seat?! Or indeed the Pebble or Cabriofix?

Thanks :-)

[ScorpioMermaid]

to add.. ive not had our baby yet, im nearly 38 weeks pregnant but my toddlers share the p&t currently.

[FlumptyDumpty]

Thanks for all your replies. I don't really want to get a base as my parents won 't want it in the car all the time, plus it's extra expense at a time when we've already spent loads. I might phone Ford and ask them about how long the seatbelt is on their model - surely they won't be shorter than the other versions? Wouldn't' make sense producing different ones from an economy of scale perspective

[PotteringAlong]

Your parents could take the base out through - it's really easy to do and they're not huge to store. I'd buy the base and not the crazy breathing monitor.

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

I would agree.

Are you getting a cameleon new? Those things are a fortune. (And are you sure you want one if you use the bus a lot?)

[Janek]

When i put my pushchair in a taxi (maclaren techno xt), i belted it in as if it were a wheelchair, so baby strapped into pushchair, pushchair strapped into taxi. The pushchair travels backwards (as a wheelchair would), it's a bit of a squeeze, but no need for a carseat!

[DoloresLandingham]

You could just use a sling in the taxi...

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

You can't wear a sling in the car!

[PotteringAlong]

Please don't use a sling in the car!

[DoloresLandingham]

Legally, you can in a black cab. However, I'd agree with pp that it would be more straightforward and probably safer to park the pram in the back of the cab.

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

Can you? That is shockingly dangerous.

[DoloresLandingham]

Staying with slings for a moment - you could take out the car seat on the bugaboo chassis and secure car seat in cab using seatbelt for journey. Then put baby in sling and push empty pram to mitigate against spinal / airway concerns from extended periods in car seat.

[BrockAuLit]

I agree with PP: if your baby is going to be in your parents' car for a bit, better spend the money on the base than the monitor. The latter will drive you mad, and can actually give you a false sense of security. youll have your eye on your baby whenever you travel by taxi and bus, it's really for longer car journeys that you'd want a monitor. It would serve your daughter better to be safely and securely strapped in, than strapped in with a seat belt (especially if on leather seats) with a monitor.

[FlumptyDumpty]

Thanks for your replies. The monitor is very important to me, it's main purpose is to be used at night, it won't drive me crazy, and is already bought. Likewise, my parents have very generously bought the pram. All equipment has been very carefully researched, thought about and compared to alternatives, so I am happy with the choices we've made. The one thing I have left to sort is the car seat, which has become a much more complicated purchase than I was expecting!

I was really looking to see if anybody knew if the seat belts in black cabs are long enough for the maxi-cosi seats, and also the Focus (always a long shot!).

[PotteringAlong]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/702016-Maxi-Cosi-Car-Seat-in-Ford-Focus-help

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/car_seats_chat/2385670-newborn-baby-car-seat-for-Ford-Focus

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/531972-re-car-seat-query-maxi-cosi-and-ford-focus

The summary seems to be - buy the base.

[Milkyway1304]

I used the BeSafe izi go- travelled a lot so used the seatbelt in a VW Polo, Nissan Micra, QashqaI and Toyota Corolla. The quasquai and Corolla have short seat belts and we managed. It's compatible with the Cameleon also. Have you considered that one?

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

Glad you are happy with your purchases. I only mentioned the Cameleon because everyone I know who had one and used buses a lot (London ) changed to a stroller after 6 months - you are too big to fit on with another buggy often . So you might find the car seat on buggy bit is shorter than you expect.

I would suggest a base based on those threads. A cabriofix and the basic base, unless you want something like the two way Pearl for the second seat (is it still called the pearl?) in which case that base and a compatible seat might be a good investment.

[FlumptyDumpty]

Are the bases quick and easy to fit? Bearing in mind my father has quite a low frustration tolerance and would be fitting it for the first time in the hospital's underground car park immediately prior to taking us home...?

[specialsubject]

if you are in London, most taxis will take a normal sized pram (i.e. not a giant mary poppins one!) just wheeled in the back. The traffic is so bad and slow that you really aren't at any noticeable risk.

as noted, don't wear a baby in a sling in a car; much more dangerous, even a small jerk risks you crushing the baby with your body weight.

[LibrariesGaveUsPower]

If you get an isofix base, very easy to fit. No threading seatbelts. It is a lot easier than fitting a car seat with a seat belt, for example.

Also, he wouldn't need to be doing it in the car park - you could take it to them at some point before the baby is born (or order online to deliver there). Then he could have one quick practice at some point and putting it in the car to collect you from hospital would be a 60 second job.

[Heavymetalmater]

We have a ford focus cmax 04 plate and used to use a maxi cosi cabriofix car seat in it with or without the isofix base. I think the pebble is similar . no experience of taxis though.

[PotteringAlong]

The bases take about 45 seconds to fit, max. It's a lot faster than faffing around with a seatbelt.

[mrswishywashy]

They definitely fit in taxis, not the middle of the back seat as the belt is short but the side seats they fit. I'd consider taking taxi home from hospital instead of having the pressure of your dad fitting seat in hospital car park. That will also give you time to see if the car seat could fit with seat belt in parents car or whether to invest in the base. So you don't have a bunch of things when you leave hospital you could leave pram at home and just use car seat. Please, watch internet videos as to how to install it really only takes a few minutes once you have done it a few times.

[FlumptyDumpty]

Thanks, mrswishywashy , that's really helpful to know. The taxi option is definitely looking more appealing. Then we can sort out what will go in their car/base etcwhen we have more time. Who knew it would be so complicated!