Car-free mums, what car seat did you buy for use in other people's cars?

[Lio]

Friend without car occasionally takes her 10-month-old dd on the train and needs to be collected at the other end and driven to, for example, granny's house. What did you buy for this purpose? I'm guessing less bulky and less heavy is good, more important that comfort, for example, for short journeys and infrequent use.

We didn't have a car when ds1 was small and I used a Britax Rock-a-Tot - it's still not very portable, but I did take it on the bus a couple of times (didn't like it as a seat though - very faffy to use and I didn't rate the harness clip at all). We do have a car now and both my boys have Concord Lift-Pros which are very light weight and use the car seat-belt. I've walked with one of those to pre-school when ds2 was having a lift to a party. But the Concord is only from 4.

Do they still do those polystyrene Stage 1 baby seats? They are very lightweight. I never quite trusted them when ds1 was a baby (although they pass the safety standards) but I reckon that's as lightweight as you would get. Don't know if they're suitable for 10 months though...

Sorry, not overly helpful post!

I've looked at Mothercare and Kiddicare and I can't see if they still do the polystyrene one - it was basically a moulded piece of polystyrene with a cover. But stage 1 is only to @12 months anyway - so your friend's 10 month old wouldn't get a lot of use out of it.

I always really liked my Rock a Tot, was a bit heavy though (although not as heavy/faffy as friend's M&P first stage or Graco first stage).

We have a nania seat which is light and quite faff free to fit but quite bulky. It does split into two parts quite easily tho and is very cheap. we got it when dd was about 18 mnths tho and it goes upto 11 yrs.

I hated the handle, NdeP - it was so stiff and fiddly (though that could be because we didn't use it all that often, not having a car).

\link{http://www.groovystyle.co.uk/productpages/2005-nania/speedway.htm\this} is the one we have.

You are right about the handle, but it did eventually loosen with wear.

Bump

Thanks, I'll pass these on. Sorry, computer didn't update at first so that's why I put in the bump. Any more for any more?

I need another child seat and have been looking at \link{http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3754494/Trail/C%24cip%3D36406.Toys%2Band%2Bbaby%3EC%24cip%3D36460.Baby%2Band%2Bnursery%2Bequipment%3EC%24cip%3D36466.Baby%2Band%2Btoddler%2Bcar%2Bseats.htm\this}

or \link{http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3754511/Trail/C%24cip%3D36406.Toys%2Band%2Bbaby%3EC%24cip%3D36460.Baby%2Band%2Bnursery%2Bequipment%3EC%24cip%3D36466.Baby%2Band%2Btoddler%2Bcar%2Bseats.htm\this one}

They are similar to the one tarantula has.

Dont forget that those cheeper lighter car seats offer much less protection in a crash!

Even tho they may not be used often... would you really wanna put a child in one if there was a crash?