Next stage car seat

[Hayls]

HI, can anyone recommend a next stage car seat for me? DD is 7 months old but is quite long and her head is almost reaching the top of her current seat. She can sit up unaided. She weighs 9kilos/ 19 lbs something (I think- based on our scales at home)- is she ready for it yet?

Ideally I'd like one that has an integral harness but converts to one that uses the seat belt for when she's a bit bigger (btw what age is that?) ut I'm at a loss as to which kind to choose. THere are so many that I get all confused.
OUr car has short seat belts and we had a few probs getting the current one.

WE're going to Halfords at the w/end to get one to suit our car but I'd appreciate some personal recommendations if possible. I tend to trust MNers more than most professionals!!

tia

Halfords have always been very good I've found for advice etc (try to get a fulltimer though, not a saturday worker)
You could also try your local council as ours has a road safety officer who also has a huge knowledge of car seats and has a sample of just about everyone on the market that you can go and try into your car to check for fitting etc.
You want to keep your DD in that rear facing seat for as long as possible apparently as if she goes into the forward one to soon and god forbid you are in an accident she could break her neck if her spine and head support isn;t strong enough.

Re which make, I've got a Britax which I;m very happy with but I noticed only yesterday when I put my friends car seat in my car as I was taking her daughter out that her style of seat in my car gives a much more upright position which I wou7ld like for DS now (he's 3 so doesn't fall asleep in the car any more, just wants to be nosy out of the window). HEr seat was a Maxi Cosy I think it's called. Try lots and lots until you find one that suits your style of car seats.

Good luck.

Go to Halfords for advice. The fella I spoke to there said that on no account should anyone put a baby under 8 and a half months in a forward facing car seat. There is one car seat in Halfords and Mothercare that is rear facing and then changes to forward facing- unfortunately my Vectra is one of only a few cars where this seat doesn't fit.
Some seats don't fit some cars so it relly is best to go to halfords or mothercare world and let them try them in your car- you'd think that with an ordinary fairly common model like Vectra any car seat would fit wouldn't you? I was shocked when it didn't

Thanks for that. I phoned the BRitax helpline and they said that they stock seats that are rearward facing then front facing but advised me just to wait until she can go in the front facing one. He also said that the best indicator is weight so as long as she was 20lb she could go in the next stage. Totally different to the advice Halfords gave you, Mamerin!! Now I'm really confused... Our car is Daewoo and the Britax Rock a Tot only just fits so I rally do need to ge someone to fit the next stage for me. I didn't realise that certain models only fit some cars until we bought the first one.

we put dd into a Britax eclipse when she was ready for the next stage of car seat - bought it at halfords and it fitted my daewoo matiz perfectly.

I went through all this when DS was 7 months, he was very long but couldn't sit unaided for very long. I rang the Britax helpline who said that they need to be 20lbs and be able to sit for half an hour unaided and that both were equally important. I rang them again and got the same info the second time.

Hayls,
I think it's only the first stage (rear facing) car seats that only fit in some cars, but am happy to be corrected.

The 2nd stage tend not to need such long seat belts/so much room behind the front seats, so aren't so much of an issue. Agree with what's been said here that both weight and age are important, as is the ability to sit unadaided.

I bought the Maxi-cosi SPS(from kiddicare) and am very pleased. It has some very nice features: hooks to hold the harness out of the way so you don't have to play 'hunt the strap' under your babies bottom, the ability to tilt the seat with one hand so you can reach back and easily tilt the seat to a sleeping position if you're sitting in the front seat and babies in the back.

This is a 9month to 4 year seat and I'm afraid I have no experience with those for older kiddies.

I think you can also get:

9mnths to 6yrs
4yrs to 6yrs
9mnths to 11yrs
4yrs to 11yrs

BR

Are you talking about the Britax first class Hayls?
I have just bought one for my 5 month old. It's beside me in the passenger seat rearward facing. She seems really comfortable. It's reclined at the moment but it will eventually sit up as she does forward facing. I don't understand the helpline though?

Bunny rabbit,
I agree the length of the belt becomes less of an issue in the second stage seat but it has to fit the profile of the seat snugly to ensure a good fit and with different shapes of seat in different car manufacturers and models this can become more of an issue than with the first stage ones.

Hayls
They can start to use a seat with adult belt from around 10kg/22lbs but a 5 point harness, with the seat itself being retained by the seatbelt, is more secure. The next stage of seat where it is a convertible booster back/cushion (which I think is what you mean) is from 15kg approx.aged 3.5/4 yrs. imho you are better getting separate seats for each stage as they tend to be designed more specifically with your childs age/development in mind (ie. they have features like a recline mechanism, additional padding and are less voluminous for a baby) and should you have another child you may want to move her onto a different seat later anyway.