bloody carseats and soding new law

[lazybluealien]

having been car seat free for more than a year, i am now having to go back to two car seats in the back, with a nine year old squeezed in the middle.
i actually think they are less safe now than they were before.
i need to buy dd a new car seat as she cannot continue to sit in the car seat she has, or shell be strangled. at 3.5 she is far too big for it.
any suggestions on what to buy that doesnt cost a hundred pounds: pleasee.

Does she weigh enough for a booster chair yet? DD went into one at 3yo. There are lots available for under £100. The latest Which report will tell you the safest ones. They are linked to on here somewhere.

you took a 3,5year old out of a car seat? what seat does she have? how big is she? how tall is she?

depending on her height and weight depends on what seat she needs.

A 3.5yo really MUST be in a car seat, even before the law. She is simply not safe without.

Car seat free for more than a year and your DD is 3.5 now???

The Which report:

The most recent Which report, for this weight/age reange :

*RECOMMEND
Concord Lift Evo PT = 74 / 100
Concord Lift Protect = 72 / 100
Maxi Cosi Rodi = 71 / 100
Britax Evolva 2-3 Ultra

Did ok
Cybex Solution Plus = 70 / 100
Chicco Key 2 -3 = 58 / 100
Jane Indy Plus Team (Isofix) = 48 / 100 **
Bebe Car Mutibob SP = 47 / 100

And from last year, where different seats were tested:
The mothercare seat that cost about £40 did VERY well for 0 - 13 kg

15kg+: Britax Highliner and Britax Kid have scored well

SEATS TO AVOID:
The Graco seat with a back and booster, (from 15kg)(whatever its called)
Britax Cruiser plus (9kg+)
Britax Ranger (9kg+)

• one other

The Maxi Cosi Rodi is currently £49.99 in Halfords.

where are you located? i have a britax kid/highliner (cant remember which one) for sale for £20, am in welwyn garden city.

your 9 yo should be on a booster too unless she is more than 135cm tall. There are boosters for £39.99, all you need to do is search halfords,toys r us,mothercare,kiddicare

Why do you think your children are less safe in car seats, than without?

How old is your middle child? If over 6, he/she could have a booster cushion, rather than a booster chair with back.

oh b*^^er we just bought a high back booster for taking away with us when we go to NZ in 2 weeks, and i didn't do any research and bought the Graco one. shit shit shit.

Hulababy,quite pleased to see your Which? post there,having bought a Cybex solution this afternoon.I now have two enormous seats in the back and a strapping almost 13 year old squashed in tooStill,it's cosy.

sorry,Alittlebitshy,my post sounds a bit gloaty coming straight after yours...bad timing.

I think it was the Graco Junior that was the issue. It is still better than no car seat though.

Tesco extra have a Britax Hiliner (15kg plus) for just under £35. Can't imagine a 3yr old without a seat tbh or do you mean she is on a booster cushion but the height of the shoulder strap strangles her ? At very least she legally needs a booster seat with a back (and usually that guides the belt at shoulder and lap level). What age is the third child ?

thats just crazy talk - how can such small children possibly be safer out of car seats when the seat belt is probably strangling them!? cant see them making it law without testing it loads and they wouldn't just come up with the heights that need car seats.

Graco have another one out now which afaik hasn't been tested yet.

lol sugar free.

hmm, well, as i turn my head to look at the box.... gues what... it s Graco junior.

and i was so proud of myself getting so organised.

Well, for NZ i am just praying it'll be ok. then when we decided to move dd permanently into high back booster (she is 3.4 at the moment and although tall she is still ok in her car seat, just that it is HEAVY so a no go for a 5 week hol in NZ where we will have a lot of luggage as it is) I'll TELL dh it is not good enough (even though i bought it . ALways helps to have a spare for lift giving (I only pased my test in AUgust so maybe one day I'll feel brave enough!!)

feeling like such an irresponsibe mummy to have gone and bought this without checking first. I was just so gung ho about getting things sorted for this trip. gaaaah.

misdee, is it a kid or highliner? I would be interested in the Kid as it matches one I have.

ali, just googled images for it and its the highliner.

lba...your 3 1/4 year old daughter has been out of a carseat for a year...and you wonder that they were forced to bring out a law about this...it is irresponsible people like you that apparently such law is needed for...sorry...but it really pees me off if people moan about a law that, obviously was needed because people have been putting their Kids into danger!

Did you really take a 2.5yo out of a car seat?

alittlebitshy - it is just one of those things. As I said before it is still much safer than no car eat at all. If it really bothers you though, if still in a box, can you take it back and replaece it? IF not, then it will be fine.

alittlebit, don't feel bad ? it's the (bad) seat manufacturers who should be shot. How the hell are they allowed to sell seats that do so badly in crash tests in the first place? Look at Britax, they do some of the best and some of the worst - WHY?

Actually, I know part of the reason. The official standard for crash tests is (or used to be) 30mph. Unfortunately the Which? tests showed seats that were OK at 30mph were bloody dangerous at 40mph - in previous tests they found seats that disintegrated at that speed.