Are more expensive car seats better/safer?

[DANCESwithHughJackman]

We're looking at the 3 - 11yrs one booster with a back and side impact head protection like this Can anyone make any recommendations? The price range is huge and I'm a bit baffled as to why!

£50 isn't expensive for a car seat imo but I do think you get what you pay for to a degree. ie the 10 quid cushions, what is the point of them? Ones with backs are better.

We have the rodi and can't rec it highly enough.

You find huge variation in structure and support between the cheaper and expensive oens. Some are just a very basic polystyrene shell others have a mroe rigid plastci ocnstruction, adjustable height and/or width, with extra side protection and recline features . They all pass the same quality tests but to an extent you do get what you pay for.

ds has a Maxi Cosi Rodi (original one) and it is a great seat and does consistently well in Which ? tests. dd has a Britax Evolva 123 which is bulky but does the job fine. The Britax Evolva 23 is rated well as is the concord Lift

Thanks

go for a maxi cosi rodi
a britax evolva 2-3
or britax highliner (can oftne be found on offer for £30 ish)
or btiax kid

all these seats have been found to be the safest in the which independant crash tests

Do not get a graco... when tested these were found to be dangerouse and not offer enough protection yet they continue to sell them cause they comply with ' EU regs' apparently... (as do some car seats that would seriuosly injur / kill children in crashes )

Phew! I ordered one last night, thankfully it was the maxi cosi Rodi which is what dd has too. That is frightening to hear about Graco, you presume those regulations mean that everything in the large shops like mothercare is safe.

All carseats are rubbish unless fitted and used correctly; I think the correct use/fit matter far more than how much you paid/published safety performance.

very true flack

but some car seats even when used and fitted correctly are still rubbish

I'm appreciate the sentiment flack but a crap seat fitted well is still going to be crap. I do worry about how well mine is fitted as the belt across dd always seems to be twisted. Might pop into halfords today and get them to check it. Thanks for reminding me

Generally they are better than no seat at all though. To be fair it was the cheaper Graco (Junior) which was panned and the newer one Rally Sport(£50- 70 ish) was launched after those tests and not sure that it was included in this year's Which ? sample.

true.... any car seat normally better at least a bit better than no seat at all...

(with the exception of the mothercare daytona from about 7 years ago that would have actually broken the babies neck during a 30mph crash .... i guess a baby might not have died if not sitting in that seat )

hence they made it the law that children have to be in car seats cause its so dangerouse and can kill / paralyse / crush their internal organs if no seat is used