Car Seat dilemma

[Gillian76]

Have just bought a new Zafira (well it's 6 monthys old but you know what I mean) and have to sort out new car seats as ours are too big.

Here's the situation:

Need to fit all 3 across the back when we go on holiday buit will probably use at least one back seat on a day-to-day basis.

DD1 is 6 in Feb. Don't know if she's ready to just have a booster yet. Would prefer a highback and booster.

DD2 is 4 and needs a highback and booster.

DS is 2.5. Not sure whether to get an ordinary forward facing seat which will do until he's 4 or one of these highback and boosters with the harness, like the Britax Trio?

Also if they're all going in the back together they'll need to be fairly narrow-based.

Help, please!

The convertible forward facing seats to high bakc booster like the Trio got panned in the last Which? report on car seats. You could look at a Britax Elite which has a harness and goes up to average age 6 but it is quite wide based. ds has a Maxi Cosi Rodi booster with back which can be removed for use as a booster cushion later - would suit your elder 2, if 4 yr old is over 15kgs. Think it is something like 22 or 25kg before just a booster cushion recommended.

You probably need to go and try a few different combinations to see what would fit best.

Do any of the highback/booster seats actually lock the seatbelt? We have the Graco one and I'm not that impressed tbh. The seatbelt just feeds through the loop at the shoulder but isn't hald in place.

Just weighed 4 y/o. She is 17.2kg

Don't think so - they rely on the inertia of the main seat belts. The Britax Cruiser locks but I'm never sure if that is a good thing , although perhaps necessary as it is for a younger child.

PILs have just bought DD, 3.5yo, the Britax Hi Liner seat, which did well in the Which reports. Looks good.

We're just off to Mothercare to try a few for size! Will report back...

Really liked the look of the Maxi Cosi Rodi and DD2 loved the pink flowery fabric on the demo model in Mothercare!

Saleslady reckons the Britax Freeway is the narrowest base in the group below.

mamas and papas pro tec has a v narrow base and is top of the which report.

protec

try contacting your local council office and see if they have a road safety officer.
We have a great guy who has just about every single car seat available in his store room. You book an appointment, he tells you which car seats fit your car and which are the best, shows you how to fit them etc and then once you've got your own car seat you can go back and he'll check that you're using it correctly.

The Britax cruiser plus locks the seat belt... but didnt do very well at all in the which report, so i wouldnt bother with that.

as mentioned before the britax trio also did V badly as well so wouldnt both with that either!

if you want high backed boosters go for either of the Britax ones, Britax kid and Britax.... (cant remeber what its called but Britax do 2 and both did well in which report) or the maxi cosy rodi.... but NOT the graco one, that was V bad as well.

You are right 2.5 year old really should be in a proper seat with a harness etc. The maxi cosy priori and britax renaissance do well in this catagory, or you could get the britax one that goes up to 25kg so should last you longer.

It was the Britax Hi Liner (high back booster seat) that also did well.

For ds who is just 2 but well over 16 kilos - we have a high back booster with extra straps on it. The seat belt just holds it in place and then there are 'proper' straps to do him up. When he is older it will convert to a more conventional booster.

From Mothercare own brand I think. Cost £50 anyway! Seems good and quite narrow.

We currenlty have a Freeway - now 7 years old - and it has been great. Very secure fit in all the cars we've tried. The Eclipse is similar in styling and size but think it reclines without having to adjust the fit of the seat in the car (not that we've ever found it an issue).