car seats for 4yr old and 9 month old

[anneme]

At the moment we have a chicco car seat for 4 yr old and a britax for 9 month old (that we used for DS1 as well). I am not happy with either - the chicco does not hold the strap adequately over 4 yr old and the britax is hard to tighten. Any ideas for good seats? Also is Halfords a good place to go to buy/get help with fitting?
thanks

We have a Concord Ultimax for my 9 month old (same age gap!) which is currently rear facing. I find the straps really hard to lengthen enough, but it is solid and feels like a brick in the car - very safe apparently. It goes forwards after 18 months or sooner if you wish I think, there aren't any others which go rear facing to this age.

Our four year old has been in a booster with a high back for a while, which I never liked - my parents got it - as it isn't secure and he doesn't look safe in it.

The other week we had to take a two year old in the car and so I borrowed the 'spare' seat from Mum and Dad, which is a Britax First Class - and it is brilliant.

It fits in really securely and my four year old loves it as he is so high up. The straps are easily adjustable which is the main bonus, and he looks really safe with the five point harness rather than an adult belt.

Which Britax do you have atm?

(Ours was £69 from Kiddicare - they often seem to have them really cheap, last seasons colours etc)

Ps I got the Concorde from a local shop, as it was tricky to fit at first. I needed to be shown how - I think they do that at Halfords but they don't sell Concorde afaik.

The First Class is simple to fit - well not that simple but easy enough with the instructions

i love my britax first class, dd used it from birth with insert and rear facing then forwadrs facing until she was 3, now she's in a britax evolva. it has 5 point harness and then that can be removed (really easily as i just found out!) and it's used with adult seat belt. very secure, high back with head support grows with her till apporx 11. they were both expensive seats, bought new for £100+ but well worth it. am preg with no.2 now who will go into first class from birth, agree with flora, once in they are like a rock!

I didn't find the Britax so easy to secure when it was rear facing by the way - but forward it is a dream!

i love the britax firstclas sit is fab easy to fi tgets a good tight fit nice high seat straps easy to adjust nice recline on it u can't beat it imo

Maxi Cosi Priori XP for the 9mth old.

Maxi Cosi Rodi for the 4yr old.

Both Which? best buys, both very easy to fit, both comfy. (I have a Britax Evolva 123 and it's a pain to fit when using the 5pt harness)

And I wouldn't go to Halfords - they didn't have a clue when I went, even though they displayed training certificates. I'd go to John Lewis or Mothercare

we just bought a britax evolva 1-2-3 ultra for our dd (just turned 2) and its GREAT i love it,its tricky to fit the first few times(as with any other seat)until you get used to it,but is very secure in the car,our lo sleeps in it most days and has never flopped forward,
ATM our 3 and 1/2yo is in a britax hi-liner but i think im going to get him an evolva too as they are so much safer in a seat with harness for as long as they fit, he has plenty room in the evolva.
and once they out grown the harness, i will buy them both a hi-liner/evolva2-3 each.
i would also recommend maxi-cosi seats though,my sister had a priory xp for both her ds' and it was SO easy to fit/use,
i would buy a seat from halfords IF i fitted it mysef and knew exactly what i was looking for,i wouldnt go in there for advice.(but maybe it depends on your branch)