Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Shopping

From everyday essentials to big purchases, swap tips and recommendations. For the best deals without the hassle, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Car seat for very tall but light toddler who's outgrown group1?

40 replies

MummysLittleHelper · 04/02/2011 10:40

Our DS is about 96cm tall but only weighs 12.8 ks. His head is now about an inch obove his car seat (an Axiss, which we love!). Group 2 starts at 15Kg, so he's far too light for it. I suppose the only answer is a group 1-2-3 seat... Can anyone recommend a good one? Or if you've been in that situation, what did you do?
Many thanks! Yours Confused

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 04/02/2011 10:43

His head can be above the top, its the line of his ears that matters

Original poster
MummysLittleHelper · 04/02/2011 17:55

Thanks, CMOTdibbler!
I've heard that as well, but what exactly does this mean? The top of his ear lining up with the top of the car seat??
Cheers

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 04/02/2011 19:45

Pretty much centre of ear - as long as the centre of gravity of his head is going to hit the seat its fine

JarethTheGoblinKing · 04/02/2011 19:47

Mummys - we have the same problem, DS is now 14kg and about 102cm tall.. JUST fitting into his car seat (mid forehead level with top of seat)

It's not just that though, it's the position of the shoulder straps. They should be higher than the shoulder, so shouldn't have to go up and over them at all (hope you know what I mean by that)

IngridBergmann · 04/02/2011 19:48

We have a Kiddy Comfort Pro, and it's huge. I'm sorry I don't know the groups or ages and cannot think in kilos! but ds is 3 and fairly small. It fits him and his 7yo brother.

IngridBergmann · 04/02/2011 19:48

Have also heard Britax Evolva being heartily recommended.

onimolap · 04/02/2011 19:53

WHICH report says that weight is the most important factor re safety.

Here's the link. There's also a guide to best-buy cars seats and ones to avoid.

PurveyorOfWoo · 04/02/2011 19:54

Have you seen any of the extended rear-facing seats? The Britax 2-way Elite comes highly recommended.

Otherwise have a look at the Stage 2 seats that have an impact cushion, because these can often be used from Stage 1 weight (9Kg). We have the Jane Montecarlo Plus with impact cushion for my DD because she is also on the light side and looked far too small to use the adult belt. Other makes are Cybex Solution X/Pallas and the Kiddy Infinity Pro.

Blatherskite · 04/02/2011 20:21

We have the same problem. DS is 104cms and 14.5kgs. Checked him today and the top of his head is out of the top of the seat and he maybe has another couple of cms until his ears are level with the top too.

We've got a Maxi Cosi PrioriFix which we love but will have to change it soon.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 04/02/2011 20:23

Blathers, we have the Priorifix too - DS sounds about the same size as yours. Is your DS starting to complain about the straps being too tight as well?

The straps are just level with his shoulders on the highest setting at the moment.. one more growth spurt and we'll be into the next seat. Just don't know which one to get!

Blatherskite · 04/02/2011 20:26

No complaints about straps yet. He's generally in his winter coat though so that might be padding them.

Just reread your post above...I was under the impression that the straps should come up and over the shoulders and shouldn't come from above the shoulders. I'm sure I read that in the instructions...off to look it up!

JarethTheGoblinKing · 04/02/2011 20:31

I thought they were meant to come just over.. so pulling them back into the seat, rather than downwards IYSWIM

we're looking at the Britax Kidfix when we change up..

Blatherskite · 04/02/2011 20:36

Just checked. It says "The correct height of the shoulder belts is attained when the belt disappears into the shell slightly above your child?s shoulders" so I'd better check DS's straps again tomorrow.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 04/02/2011 20:40

OK, thanks for checking - I just looked at the thing on line, but the Maxi Cosi instruction PDFs are less than clear. :)

DS is about the same height as yours, and he's a long body so hopefully yours will be OK for a short while as well, especially if he's been wearing a winter coat. You might get away with just putting him in a fleece and sticking a coat over him if he's cold and running out of strap space.

Blatherskite · 04/02/2011 20:45

Yes, long and thin just like his Daddy :)

I like the look of the Kidfix. Definitely want ISOFix again, seems a shame not to use it when both cras have it. Can't decide if I want a separate harness or to use the seat belt though.

Will be nice to be buying his last car seat. Those tings are expensive!!

JarethTheGoblinKing · 04/02/2011 20:58

I don't think I'll bother with the separate harness. There's (apparently) evidence that once they reach 15-18kg then it's no more beneficial to have them in a 5 point harness and can be better to have them in a seatbelt so they so move in the event of a crash (please don't quote me on that, I'm not 100% sure of the facts)

I does kind of make sense though, which is why I reckon an isofix HBB makes sense. If there IS a crash, then the seatbelt should take the force of just DS.. if the HBB isn't secured to the car then it will move forward as well, and that's the bit I don't like the idea of.

This isn't based on any scientific info whatsoever, it just makes sense to me. (we always liked the idea of bolting the seats to the car.. don't see why this should be any different)

Blatherskite · 04/02/2011 21:33

I've noticed there is another (more expensive) KidFix with extra side impact cushions. Are they worth it do you think?

Blatherskite · 04/02/2011 21:35

Just found this review on Amazon for the KidFix. It's just a user review not a test as such but provides food for thought re straps..

"The fact that the seat doesn't have its own straps and you use the seatbelt means that my daughter isn't as securely kept in her seat which is fine except when she is asleep. The old seat restraints kept her in the seat whereas the 3 point seatbelt allows her to slump forward. I am happy with the seat but think if I was buying again I would look for one with an integral harness. As its not as easy to stretch over and fasten the belt at the other side of the seat as it was to fasten one on the child."

JarethTheGoblinKing · 04/02/2011 21:46

Have you had any luck finding one with a 5 point harness for 15kg+ ? There's a Britax one that looks good, but i'm not sure tha the harness will tether DS any better than the priorifix. There just don't seem to be any carseats for tall slim kids out there.. it's bloody annoying actually!

The kidfix is reclinable, so if you are going on a long journey, best to recline the seat (if they're lying down then more likely that their body gets shunted forwards rather than heads flipping )

I reckon the extra side impact is probably worth it, yes. (again, just my opinion) but I reckon the if there is an impact it's most likely to be side on. Of course, in the event of a full head-on collision, well.. who knows.

:(

Hmm anyway.. hands Wine

TruthSweet · 04/02/2011 22:12

DD1 is 113cm and 21kg and is in a Britax Two Way Elite - she still has some room to grow probably about 6cm in torso height. Assuming torso and legs grow at roughly the same rate that would make it outgrown at around 125cm. I just hope DD2 doesn't outgrow her seat before as we are playing hand me downs with the seats (but not using 6y+ seats though obviously!)

On the coat front - Big bulky/padded coats are a no-no in car seats (thiner fleece/cloth ones are ok) as in an accident the bulk of the coat compresses and the child can be ejected from the harness.

If you try putting your child in their seat in a thick winter coat and then fasten the harness as tight as you can but still able to slide your first two fingers flat to her chest under the harness. Then without adjusting the harness length take her out, take her coat off and strap her back in adjusting nothing. You will probably see quite a bit of slack - this is the problem and how ejection could occur.

Work arounds to this problem include taking coats off before harnessing and putting the coat over the child's lap with extra blankets as ness., taking the coat off and once the child is harnessed putting the coat on back to front or putting the child in the seat with the coat on but unzipping it and doing the straps up over the clothes not coat (the least safe of the options - though in the bitter snow we had recently I did do this with my eldest two but made sure I had pulled the harness as tight as it could go and then piled on the blankets).

Original poster
MummysLittleHelper · 04/02/2011 22:19

Thanks for all your comments... good advice regarding his head versus top of seat, but that's not practical with our Axiss because the headrest is not removable and his shoulders are nearly touching the bottom of it in the highest position. So it may have to be a multi-group seat after all. Or can anybody suggest another solution?

OP posts:
PurveyorOfWoo · 04/02/2011 22:23

Yes as I pointed out above, the Britax 2-way Elite or a Stage 2 seat with an impact cushion

Blatherskite · 04/02/2011 22:27

I found this old Mumsnet thread about 5 point harnesses

TruthSweet · 04/02/2011 22:31

I'd definitely suggest the Britax TWE then if he is 96cm and 12kg (I'm not clear how old he is but I'm guessing in the 2-3 age bracket?).

It has a very tall seat back and IIRC the top harness slots are 19" high so will fit a 19"+ torso providing the eyes are within the confines of the seat back (measure the torso by sitting child on the floor and noting the height of the shoulders from the floor).

The TWE's manual doesn't recommend forward facing until 15kg but it is rated to be used forward facing from 9kg-25kg. So in an ideal world you would turn the seat rear facing for at least the next 3kg in weight.

DD1 lasted until about 19kg and 105cm-ish rear facing in the TWE but as we had 3 rfing car seats in the back she couldn't cross her legs without bashing her right knee into DD3's seat. We did wait to turn her until she was over 4 though as rfing is 5 times safer for the under 4's.

hellymelly · 04/02/2011 22:31

Britax two way.My tallish but very light six year old still fits hers!Stay rear-facing,it is so much safer.

Swipe left for the next trending thread