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Original poster

Stage 2 car seats

19 replies

Poogles · 21/01/2011 11:20

DS is too big for his stage 1 car seat (his shoulders are above the top hole for the straps). The stage 2 seats say they are suitable for age 4 - 6 with minimum weight of 15kg.

DS is only 2.8 but is quite big for his age and weighs 15.9KG (so well above minimum weight). Is it safer for him to continue in the stage 1 seat which he is too big for (according to the guidlines) or move to a stage 2 even though he is too young but above weight requirements?

We're heading on a long journey tomorrow and want him in the safest seat for him!

Can't seem to find any advice online that answers my question.

OP posts:

castleonthehill · 21/01/2011 18:02

He is to young won't be able to sit still in a booster with back. He is safe in the current one until his eyes are above the back of the seat (unless its a maxi cosy tobi). What I did was to go round a few shops and measure the back of seats. your other option is a britax two way elite (I didn't) know about it when we were it that situation but is what I would be in the same situation now as long as it went in the car)

You get then <a class="break-all" href="//‎www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/30/products_id/46?osCsid=vb7910s4ki9tc0rcohhhrd3t43" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here they go forward in harness until 25kg and have a taller back

Rollercoasteryears · 21/01/2011 18:04

Hi we're just going through something similar - DS is only 25 months but v tall and his eyes are at the top of his stage 1 car seat meaning he'll have grown out of it shortly (he's still just within the weight limits) so I've been reading up about it.

The age stuff is only guidance - so ignore it. Both legally and from a safety perspective, what's important is the weight and height.

I've had recommended to me and am planning to buy the Britax 1 2 3 plus - currently £99 on Kiddicare. It takes them from 9 months to age 12 so adapts as they grow and is still very safe for little ones, whereas most stage 2 car seats don't have the harness restraints that toddlers still need.

Hope that helps.

Original poster

Poogles · 24/01/2011 08:58

Thanks all. We left him in the old seat as I was a bit nervous about changing him.

He is too big for the current seat he is in and we have been advised to change his seat. Will look at the Britax one mentioned by castleonthehll to see how that compares.

I looked at a couple of the ones that have the internal harness but the ones I have measured still have the straps at the same height as the one that he is already in. Mothercare recommended a booster with a back as he is the right height and weight to go in. They said the only worry was whether he would lean over and try and undo his seatbelt but I don't think he would. He has never tried to undo the harness and his brother still doesn't try and undo his seatbelt!! I think I will trial him on a couple of little journeys in his brothers car seat to see if he tries to undo the seatbelt and decide from there.

The woman in Mothercare said that because his shoulders are so far above the holes for the straps, he could suffer serious injuries in a crash so I do need to look at alternatives!

Never had this issue with DS1 - he is on the slightly smaller size for his age whereas his brother is a giant for his age! Although there is 2 years between them, they often get taken for twins or I get the comment about how I must have fallen pregnant as soon as I had delivered!

Thanks again for the advice.

OP posts:

sazm · 24/01/2011 13:50

we had the same problem with our dd at this age,i got her the britax evolva 1-2-3 and it was fab,the harness goes pretty high and will last a while (til 18kgs)
the other option is one of the seats which have an impact cushion - cybex pallas, kiddy comfort

although they are big enough a high backed booster just doesnt give the same protection as a 5 point harness/impact cushion.have a look on you tube,theres loads of crash tests on high backed boosters on there - you will see what i mean x

Bramshott · 24/01/2011 14:06

I don't think it's a problem for their shoulders to be higher than the strap holes AFAIK, just that their head shouldn't be higher than the back of the seat.

We have the opposite problem - DD2 is nearly 4 and weighs 13kg. I'm frantically hoping she'll have put on 2kg before she starts school in Sept, so she'll be okay on a booster seat!

sazm · 24/01/2011 14:13

we were told that the straps should be coming from just above the shoulders.

(our dds head was above the top of her seat and all the other seats we tried too )

Loopymumsy · 25/01/2011 13:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bramshott · 25/01/2011 14:26

Loopy - unfortunately (or rather fortunately, most of the time!) DD will go on school transport so she'll have to be on a booster. I'll just have to feed her cream cakes all summer at this rate!

Loopymumsy · 26/01/2011 06:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TopsysMum · 26/01/2011 18:05

I'm really confused as to what to do! DS is 3:7 and weighs about 13kg. He is just starting to crown over his stage 1 car seat.

I've just looked at the Rospa fact sheet which states: Only move your child to a booster seat once
they have exceeded the maximum weight for the
child seat, or the top of their head is higher than
the top of the seat. But I don't seem to be ffinding this anywhere else. DS is complaining that his seat hurts him so I'm guessing it could be time to move up???

www.childcarseats.org.uk/factsheets/types_factsheet.pdf

Loopymumsy · 26/01/2011 19:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SecretNutellaFix · 26/01/2011 19:45

Topsy, what they mean by top of the head is when his eyes and ears are in line with the top of the seat.

It does get a bit confusing,

Sazisi · 26/01/2011 19:49

We just got the Britax Evolva 123 for DD3, she's nearly 4 but we do a lot of long car journeys so I felt she needed one with lots of support (she falls asleep in the car quite a lot) and also I wouldn't trust her not to escape from a 3-point seat belt.
We got it in the sale from Mothercare; thihnk kiddicare have them on offer too.

TopsysMum · 26/01/2011 22:19

Have just found this on the Which? website.

Child car seats and height

Few children get too tall for a seat in their weight range
In most cases, the child will reach the weight limit of a child car seat before becoming too tall for it.

However, your child will have outgrown the child car seat if his or her eyes are level with the top of the seat.

If they're below the thresholds suggested above, seek advice from a qualified child car seat expert (contact your local authority's road safety office to find out who this is in your area).

In extreme cases they may advise you to seek advice from a doctor or paediatrician.

Given this, he does need the next seat, I can't find anything re the law and his weight, certainly not any of the govt websites (ie Rospa) they state the above too.

Seona1973 · 27/01/2011 13:01

Topsysmum, your lo shouldnt move to a high backed booster until he is 15kgs. The Evolva 123 would be ok for him as he could remain harnessed until he no longer required it (18kgs) and then it converts to a high backed booster just to be used with the seat belt.

types of car seats

TopsysMum · 27/01/2011 21:26

Seona - the Evolva has a 41% safety rating from Which?... No way would I use that.

To clarify the situation I've spoken to the Road Safety Officer for our council and height is a big problem, as big as weight. If your child's eyes reach the top of the seat then there is a high chance of whiplash in a collision and if the shoulders reach the highest strap levels then you can risk serious injury.

The 15kg issue is not a legal thing, as he pointed out, it is far more dangerous to continue using a seat that is too small in height and rear facing baby seats do not generally weigh 15kg when first used.

He said it's actually more dangerous to have a child that's shorter and only weighing 15kg as they may not be able to suppor their body properly.

Thought this may help anyone else in the same siutation, and I have to say, if anyone is unsure, then contacting your local Road Safety Officer at the Council is a really good move!

Seona1973 · 27/01/2011 21:49

I have always read that weight is the most important when it comes to car seats and that thay need to meet the minimum weight requirements before moving to a different seat. There are other seats that would suit better than using a hbb when they are not heavy enough - yes he needs to move to another one but I would choose one that fits his weight requirements.

Bramshott · 28/01/2011 08:54

That's a good tip re the road safety officer Topsy - thanks.

TopsysMum · 29/01/2011 09:50

Seona - unfortunately most of the 123 type car seats seem to compromise safety in other aspects as a lot of them seem to appear in the Which? Don't Buy section. Don't you just love how life is made easy with these things

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