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Original poster

Car Seat dilemma!

22 replies

nell12 · 08/09/2005 22:19

Help! I need to get a new stage 2 car seat for DD as DS's old one has given up the ghost! Looked on the best products bit on MN and they all seem to be sooooo expensive! I am willing to spend money if it is really worth it, but has anyone found any other car seats that are just as good but at a lower price??

OP posts:
spacecadet · 08/09/2005 22:29

how old is your dd?

Original poster
nell12 · 08/09/2005 22:37

11m, I want one that will last her till at least 4, though

OP posts:
ionaming · 08/09/2005 22:40

I think you just have to try them all out at your local mothercare or halfords & see what actually fits your car the best. That narrowed our choice down to only 2 car-seats! You can always be a bit cheeky & then buy it elsewhere e.g. kiddicare.com

spacecadet · 08/09/2005 22:50

if shes 11 months you could get something that will convert to a booster seat later on, such as the britax ranger etc, only drawback being that they dont recline. the britax eclipse is very good, ive got one and its lovely, however, halfords are doing the britax freeway for only 49.99 at the mo.

ionaming · 08/09/2005 22:56

Think you're right Spacecadet - the recline feature is definitely useful at that age. We have the britax renaissance - very pricey, but it was a good fit. DD is now 4 & am starting to look for high back booster. Considering the britax highliner which does recline & did well in crash tests, but is only suitable from 15kg, so no good for Nell.

spacecadet · 08/09/2005 22:56

kiddicare are doing the freeway quite cheap too..
freeway

spacecadet · 08/09/2005 22:58

ionaming, we had the renaissance for ds2 as it was the only one thsat fitted in the car we had at the time, it was pretty pricey IIRC, but very cosy and well padded, it has come down in price a bit now though.

Yorkiegirl · 08/09/2005 23:01

Message withdrawn

ionaming · 08/09/2005 23:03

Yep, we paid £115 (reduced from £135) in Mothercare but I know kiddicare now does them for under £100. But didn't know about kiddicare then I think the renaissance is a fab seat too - highly recommended! The eclipse looks very good value though.

ionaming · 08/09/2005 23:04

Sorry Spacecadet, I meant the freeway!

Skribble · 08/09/2005 23:07

We had one very similar to this . You can get cheaper versions.

It is quite bulky and definatly one to leave in place, but the fact it reclined was great. It lasted them until they were about 3yrs (my kids are big). My DD is 5 and still sleeps alot in the car so a recline for younger ones is essential I think.

Skribble · 08/09/2005 23:08

The Kiddicare freeway one is practically the same seat.

spacecadet · 08/09/2005 23:09

i got my eclipse reduced in robert sayle(john lewis) to 64.99 with free delivery.

starlover · 08/09/2005 23:10

the mothercare ones came out really bad in the Which report though didn't they?

I was considering a freeway as a 2nd seat for my parents car

spacecadet · 08/09/2005 23:12

i have an eclipse in our main car and a freeway in dh's car and im quite happy with the freeway.

Original poster
nell12 · 09/09/2005 17:39

Thanks everyone, I had toddled off to sleep by the time most of you posted (how you manage those hours is beyond me!) I will look into all the ones you suggested.
Hooray for MN

OP posts:
NannyL · 09/09/2005 19:53

The ones the Which report recommends....
the maxi cosy priory XP,
or the Britax ISOFIX one (by far the safest)

Britax reinaissance also good as it has a belt tensioner which makes fitting it incorrectly much harder.

Ive heard that mothercare do there 'own' car seat which is pretty much identical do the maxi cosy one... would not bother with anything else 'mothercare' as done badly in the past (oh except their current rear facing babyseat did very well too!)

Bear in mind tho 3 years ago one of the motehrcare car seats was SOOO dangerouse they said it was likely to kill the child sitting in it in a crash

Hulababy · 09/09/2005 20:04

I can also recommended the Britax Isofix Duo, if your car has Isofix fittings. Expensive I know, but incredibly safe.

starlover · 09/09/2005 20:11

although bear in mind taht if the ones Which recommends don't fit well in your car then they are much less safe than some alternative seats which fit better...

we don't have Isofix so, unfortunately, not an option

NannyL · 09/09/2005 21:12

Ok.... the ones that the WHICH magazine has in there unsafe seats to be avoided section: (for children from 9kg)

Britax Crusier plus
Mamas and papas Elan
Britax Ranger
Concord Trimax X line
Britax trio
Meggy Kombi

starlover · 09/09/2005 21:34

is the britax freeway in it?
or, the britax elite?

isn't it odd how one company (britax) can make seats which are the best and worst! you would think that their safety standards would be the same on allt he seats they make

LIZS · 09/09/2005 21:47

What most of those on the "unsafe" list have in common is that they are used either with the 5 point harness or just the adult belt, and that seems to be where most "failed". iirc the Which test list isn't comprehensive and didn't specify the Freeway.

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