Britax Trio - anyone got one...........?

[mumbojumbo]

Just been trawling thru information on carseats.

Has anyone got a Britax Trio - what do you think of it?

I've done a search on Mumsnet so seen a number of comments but I'd be interested in some more!

TIA

I've got two, the comments you saw were probably mine....

I love it and my dd is comfy in it. We're still using ours on the first setting, with the 5 point harness.

We've got one. DS1 just gone into it (2y4m. I find it a bit difficult to tighten to be honest as you have to pull the strap down rather than out (IYSWIM!)and also DS1 looks a bit awkward when he's asleep in it - he was in the Renaissance before which reclines - but he does sleep in it so I guess he's comfy enough!

We've got one, or rather had one, which saved ds's life at Christmas when we were in a motorway accident. He had just turned 3 and was still using the harness. We have replaced it but then, when I finally got my new car, we found it did not fit so do check first.

Seat is still in dh's car though for emergencies and I think is pretty good.

We bought one on Saturday and I'm thinking of changing it cos it scored badly in the AA/Which? tests compared to the Maxi Cosi Rodi or the Britax Kid but Bagpuss has got me thinking cos the one thing which puts me off the others (and why we bought the Trio) is the fact that it has a 5 point harness and the other 2 don't.

I've just found the which report for car seats. Nothing seems to score very highly. It's so difficult trying to choose whats best. I've got two sons - ds1 is 2.5 years and ds2 is 8 months and outgrowing his rear facing seat. I've got to do something regarding the next stage. Oh well, keep doing the research.

Thanks to all who responded. Millie1, do you still think you'll change the Trio - if so, what will you go for?

Mumbojumbo/Millie1

Just another quick note to say that the tests that the AA do are not done at high speed (neither are the NCAP ones) so, for example in the case of our accident, I doubt any seat would have passed. The Trio did break in two during the accident but did save our son's life. I was worried about the side protection as almost all of the windows were smashed in our case but neither child had any scratches or cuts amazingly. When it came to choosing the new replacement seats we went for like for like as our two (Eclipse and Trio) were so good. The new versions are slightly better though and the Eclipse offers more head protection and Trio seems more padded around the head area.

DS now uses the super cruiser which has a lock off type guide for the adult belt which is better for him now that he is nearly 4 and dd who is nearly 2 uses the Eclipse in my car and the Trio in dh's car. We can transfer ds's seat between the two cars easily and the other two seats just stay fixed in each car IYSWIM. (Although we wouldn't have had to buy another seat if Trio had fitted the C-Max, Grrrrr!)

Also lastly, when chosing the new seats I spoke at length to someone on the Britax helpline who gave me several options to suit our situation. Their number is on their website.

HTH

Thanks for that info, Bagpuss. I think I will give the helpline a call.

Bagpuss & Mumbojumbo

It must've been really frightening when you had the accident and I'm so glad the kids were okay - doesn't matter how the seats end up as long as the children came out unharmed.

Mumbojumbo - I haven't a clue what I'm going to do. I worry that at only 33 months, DS1 is too young for a booster without a 5 point harness and that's my real issue. However, he is 100cm tall and 15.75kg so a big boy for his age.

Re the tests - this is what Which say about them:

To meet the compulsory standard (called ECE R44.03), all child seats sold in the UK must be able to withstand a low-speed front crash test, equivalent to around 30mph, without a child sustaining any serious injury. The frontal impact is done on a test bench, rather than with the seat fixed in a real car. These crash tests for child seats don't yet include a side-impact test.
Our own tests
When we test child seats we use far more stringent (and realistic) standards than the legal requirements. We use the same severe EuroNCAP-derived crash situations used to assess adult protection. This means, for example, a front crash at about 40mph and also a side-impact test. We put child crash test dummies in car seats fitted to real car bodies. The front crash is equivalent to a force of 30 times the dummy's weight on impact, rather than just 20 times in the standard safety test.
The seat anchorage points in the test car body and the car seat characteristics are also more realistic than on the standard's bench test.
These tests reveal big differences between seats. Though all meet the official standard, some cope much better than others in our more stringent crash conditions.

So that points me towards the Kid but it's the old harness thing - seems like our children are around the same ages so you're probably thinking along the same lines as me.

I think I'll do what Bagpuss suggests and phone the Britax helpline, that's a good idea. Better do it today as I'll need to get the seat back soon if I'm exchanging it - DS1 had a bad fall yesterday and knocked himself out ... only for a minute or so but we still had to go to A&E and have him checked out and x-rayed so the car seat issue got put on the sideburner!

I'll keep you posted but let me know what you decide to do.

Just an update ... spoke to Britax customer services who recommended the Elite - 5 point harness and suitable for up to 25kg or 6 yrs. Only thing is that I think we tried him in that on Saturday and he would be using it with the harness in the uppermost position already. Hmmm.

Bagpuss, why did the Trio not fit the C-max? We have one (C-max) and ds (32 months) is getting quite big for his seat and we'll need a new one so I need to take things like that into consideration!.

We have dd (4 in Aug) in a Britax Kid and we're pleased with it. She hasn't undone the seatbelt (yet!) - in fact, I think it would be quite difficult to get round and reach it. The seatbelt fits round her shoulder fine. I'm sure the Kid would fit your son Millie - I guess the question would be whether you could trust him in the seatbelt (because they can move around a bit more in it than the harness). I had to give dd a talk before she went in it about being in a big girl's seat and now she sits as still as if she was in a harness!

millie,

I have a Freeway with lower upper weight limit but to quote...
"once you reach the top slots your child may continue to use the seat until their eyeline is above the top of the seat shell or their weight exceeds 18kg"
perhaps Bagpuss could check her instructions for the Elite for you to see if similar applies but up to 25kg.

Millie1, yes it was frightening but thankfully we are all OK . It must have been the same person that I spoke to at Britax as the Elite was one of the ones that they told me about. I didn't go for it because they said it would only fit in my car (blinking C-Max!) in one position so I thought it a bit pricey for that.

foxinsocks, the advice about the Trio in the C-max was given to me by Britax. It's something to do with the back being too high for the seats in the C-max which is annoying as virtually all Britax seats fit in the Focus which is what the c-max is based on! I am quite happy with the super cruiser though but was wondering also about the Kid (ds wasn't heavy enough for it at the time though). I also did the talk about it being a big boy's seat and we have had no probs so far.

well I'm glad you told me Bagpuss - I'd never realised that! The Kid seems to fit fine and I don't know what seat ds is in (it's an old Britax one) but that seems OK. Incidentally, I noticed that you can (apparently) get the ISOFIX fittings in the C-max. They are in-built and when you have a service, apparently all you have to do is ask for them to be activated (I suppose they have to reconfigure the seats to get them out).

I haven't asked the garage yet - someone else who has one told me!

foxinsocks, which model do you have? We have the 1.8 LX and I was under the impression that ISOFIX was an optional extra but I may be wrong. Would be interested to know if you can activate the ISOFIX for future reference though.

bagpuss, have just checked out the Ford site. It says that the 'ISOFIX mountings for integrated car seat' are standard on all models (including yours and mine!) but that they require 'manufacturer-approved dealer fixing kit'. !!! So I don't know whether that means you have to ask for them when you buy the car (so that it's done in the factory) or whether they can actually fix them after you've bought it. I guess you'll have to phone your dealer or where you get it serviced.

I'll give mine a call tomorrow and I'll let you know what they say.

Thanks foxinsocks, I would ask my dealer but would be too dubious about the s they would most probably tell me (oops ) but that's another thread...

yes Bagpuss, I sympathise on that one! Although I have had many dealings with car garages/dealerships when I was working, and they're all much of a muchness (i.e. they're all as crap as each other).

I'll phone the place I got the car from (useless) and the more helpful, local garage where they are sweet but veeeeeeeeery slow. And no doubt I'll get 2 different answers. After all, anything that encompasses work but doesn't result in much income for them is bound to be unpopular!