Car seat help please

[Bubbaloo]

Dh recently had a car accident so we need to get 2 more car seats for his car(Picasso).
Ds1 will be 3 in June and Ds2 is 11 months old.
We were using the Britax Duo isofix and ds2's infant carrier in his car and am wondering which seats to go for now.
In my car I've got ds2 in a Maxi Cosi seat and I recently bought a Britax Evolver 123 for ds1,thinking it would work out cheaper as it can be used til he is about 10.
I'm really not sure if I like it though as his view is slightly restricted and it wasn't the easiest seat to fit.
Can anyone please recommend another seat(mainly for ds1) that can also be used for quite a few more years,as is seems a bit daft getting a new one now that'll only do him til he's 4.
Thanks.

i think the only group 1/2/3 car seat that which have ever tested that has ever been better than really dangerouse is the evolva 1/2/3 tbh

Really.

What makes them more dangerous than a single stage seat?

Agree with NannyL.

The which verdict is that most products that do more than one job compromise on each job and in the case of carseats that compromise isn't worth it.

That's really interesting because when I bought the Evolver for my car it didn't fit aswell as the Maxi Cosi and is fitted alot differently with the seat belt.
The sales person told me that it was fine though as this particular seat isn't a snug fit,due to it's design and that there wouold be some slight movement.

single stage seats are designed for a child of a certain size.... not children of lots of sizes

i recommend you go to the library and read the Which reports for June of the last few years (where they review car seats) and i think after reading them you would only consider the evolva 1/2/3 OR another group 1 car seat (like you maxi cosi, or britax isofix) and then investing another £100 in 18 months time in a group 2 car seat designed for children aged 4+ eg the evolva 2/3 or maxi cosi rodi which all score very highly on independant crash tests!

Thanks very much.
Did the Evolver come out ok in the report then?
Think I'll just get 2 of the Britax isofix seats,then at least I know they've got a decent one which is safe.

Which review:

Britax Evolva 123 Ultra
This seat is designed for children from one year up to 12 (9-36kg). It?s secured using the car?s seat belt but the child is secured into the seat with a 5-point harness for use with the 9-18 kg children. Larger children use the adult belt to secure the seat and the child simultaneously.

It is fairly easy to use, and while the idea of having one seat for several weight categories is a good one in theory, in practice it can only be a compromise, with limitations for all the groups. The harness can be adjusted to several different heights without having to unthread the belts. It has a high backrest and in some cars you can improve stability of the seat if the vehicle headrest is turned.

Crash loads are low in a side crash and somewhat higher ? but still just about acceptable ? in a front crash.

Pros: Covers several age groups, good comfort and ease of use.

Cons: Front crash performance not as good as the best in its class. Seat cover must be hand-washed.

58% overall
Scored 4/5 on the following categories:
Comfort
Side crash
overall safety
fitting in car
belt routing
buckling up
daily use
correct use

Scored 3/5 on hte folowing:
Front crash
Instructions

HTH

They tested 7 1-2-3 stage seats from what I can see.

5 of them scored 25% or less.

Evolva 1-2-3 scored 58%
Recaro young sport scored 56%.

Thats what which think of this class of car seat I'm afraid...

Thanks-that's really helpful.

Obviously not one of the better seats,although better than some by the sound of it.Looks like I'll be buying 2 of the Britax Duo's again,then.

sounds like a good plan

also you might find someone you know from toddler / music group / friend of friend or something who will be prepared to give you some £ for your nearly 3 year olds britax as they will know you and trust you and realise it hasnt been in a crash or used very much etc

I dont think any sensible person would by a car seat from a complete starnger though

i st bought my dd an evolva 1-2-3, and i love it and so does she. there shouldnt be any movement if its fitted properly.
my dd is 2 and had outgrwn her forward facing 9m-4y seat as she was far too tall for it. so it was either one of these type seats or one with just a seatbelt securing her (which she wasn't quite heavy enough)
TBH if the seat doesnt fit your car properly i would take it back to the shop and demand they change it.