Any reason not to get a rear facing car seat?

[Stefka]

DS is needing to go up to the next car seat. I read the stuff on rear facing car seats and it makes sense. Are there any reasons not to get one that I might be missing? They are expensive and I want be sure I am doing the right thing.

How old is your DS?
Children should be in rear facing seats until they reach 1 year old, can sit unsupported for at least 20 minutes and weigh at least 8kgs.
If your DS is much older than a year, he will probably start getting bored of facing backwards quite quickly.
Most children prefer to face forwards and to see everything, including mummy, as soon as possible. It helps to keep them happy and quiet during journeys.

I'm thinking of getting one too. I'm hoping to go to the place that sells them to try one out because I can't have one with a leg because I have (useless) storage compartments in the floor of my car and therefore I will have to have it resting against the back of the front seat. I don't know how that is going to work because I have to move the seat every time we switch drivers because my DH is a lot taller than me.

I've heard concerns about a rear collision but surely the result will be the same as with a stage 0 seat.

I hope boredom won't be a problem if they are not used to facing forward because they won't know anything else and they'll be able to see out of the side windows anyway.

He is almost one. I am thinking mainly about the safety factor as it seems the research says that it is safer to keep them rear facing. The chairs are expensive though and it would be easier to put him front facing.

I don't know of any reason for not getting a rear facing seat for stage one. I have one for my DD. The only thing that you might have a problem with is the fact that the seats are general quite a bit bigger than the forward facing seats. That said we did get our Brio Zento in the back of our Corsa in it's reclined position, didn't try it in the main position as we were just in the process of getting a bigger car.

Sorry it's a bit wafflely.

Hi Stefka
I can't think of any reason not to go rearfacing after reading all the info, I couldn't contemplate turning my son round for the next few years. We have just ordered the BeSafe Izi Kid (rearward facing only) from Sweden and will be reviewing it on the www.rearfacing.co.uk website as soon as we get it. Keep spreading the word about the additional safety of rearward facing!

I'm off to a shop tomorrow to look at one - the Recaro Polaric.

I have been talking about the issue to others and have been surprised by how negative and resistant people are to it.

Yes we told all our friends with similar aged babies and a few looked at the website but no-one else as far as I know took it any further. Well each to their own, we are just so happy now after researching the seats for months and finally ordering one. Perhaps people will be more interested if they see the seats in use. I was speaking with the lady at the Essex car safety centre and she said that the suplliers of the Recaro Polaric expected UK sales of 40 in the first year but they had 50 in the first month so there are people listening to the safety message.

We bought the Concord Ultimax for DS2 which we've got rear facing at the moment, but which can be turned round when we're ready.

I like it a lot and am really pleased with it. The only thing is that the seatbelt can get in the way, but I push it down and catch it on a bit of the base when I'm taking him in and out.

DS2 seems happy in it too!