Should I get an ISOFIX or use with seat belt Group 1 car seat?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

DS is nearly too big for his rear facing seat so I'm looking to get a Group 1 seat. He currently has a maxicosi rearfacing seat that is secured by the car seatbeat. I'm wondering if we should now get one using Isofix or are seat belt ones safe enough? And when the ones compatable with isofix are advertised, is the price including the isofix base or is that extra?

TIA

For group one (I assume you mean 9mo+) the seat doesn't detatch from base like it does for the baby one so the price includes it
(I have the maxi cosi, but assume they're al the same in that respect)
I've had both, seatbelt only one was in a crash and performed marvellously but I would go for Isofix all the way.

And maxi cosi priorifix was safest in its class when I bought it about 18mo ago.
Boots quite often have deals and you get loads back in points, or Glasgow Pram Ctr does them cheap, and delivers free

this is a tricky one to answer - they are all SAFE. The plus side of an isofix seat is you can't fit it wrong. The forward facing isofix are an all in one job, you buy the seat and thats that, they don't have bases.

We had the Britax Duo group one seat (take a gander at www.kiddicare.com for some bargains, ours were end of range so got em for £130 each).

however if you are confident about your seat fitting skills, then a normal seat belt secured group one seat will be as safe and most definitely cheaper.

(NB, PLEASE make sure your child is 20lbs before making this move and not just because he is too tall).

I'm confident about my carseat fitting skills but not DH's! That's great that the base is included, I thought it was another £100! Can I ask too, how easy is it to transfer an isofix seat from one car to another? We use 2 cars, mainly mine for DS but DH looks after DS a day a week so he will use the seat in his car too. I think they are way too expensive to get 2 seats seeing as DS is usually in my car.

if you are not confident about DH's fitting skills, you may find the isofix a pain to move from car to car.....

it could just have been my DH but he had no patience with the isofix, it's a very precise action to fit them and DH is very much, if it don't fit, or work, hit it/push it harder and it will fit/work.....

I on the other hand found it very easy and was often moving both seats from my car to IL's car when they had them over night. All seats come with instructions, and most places will let you try them out before buying, so go an experiment and see what you think.

I'm thinking now too, I could buy 2 good seatbelt fitted ones to be in each car permanently and then if they are fitted properly and never moved that would put my mind at ease? Could get 2 seatbelt ones for the price of one isofix I think or is that silly? Plus I do worry when I am out with the current seat in my car and DS is at home, what would happen if there was an emergency and DS had to go to hosp or something and I had the carseat? So is it better to have 2 seats? Decisions decisions!

we only ever had the two isofix seats - (we have twins), as our 'second car' was not exactly child friendly, so kiddy transportation was only done in my car and we just switched cars if DH had them for whatever reason.

Could you drive each others cars? could u permenantly fit an isofix seat to your car and just use that as your child car and the other as your non-child car?

basically, don't have the SAFE issue in your list of reasons - both seats are SAFE, one is more expensive than the other and impossible to fit wrong (but also easy to not be able to fit at all and as DH proved easy to 'break'!).....if cost is an issue, just go for a seat belt one and get the shop to fit it for you.....

We got maxi-cosi priory xp seats for our twins. They don't have a base but they have a tensioner that works on the lap strap bit of the adult seat belt. We got ours for £95 each from Mothercare as, I think, they were end of range / old colour. Once they have had rusk mashed into them it doesn't really matter about colour does it?

isofix seats (when used in isofix mode) ARE much safer in the event of a crash

however when straped in with belts (they can be used with seat belts if the car doesnt have isofix)they arnt quite as safe as the safest fixed with belt only safe.

if you read the which reports you will find that children ARE safer and in the event of an accident are likely to be injured kess if they are sitting in an isofix seat secured with isofix...

if you have isofix settings then get an ISOFIX seat IMO.

and as for all car seats being safe... if only that was the case ... several really are rubbish and dont protect children very well at all

Transferring can be a pain esp in 3 door cars from 5 door to 5 door would prob be fine. Agree it's easier just to swap cars. It also depends on what your child does while you're doing this!
Definitely agree to get an old colour if you can, can save quite a bit of money/

We share the dropping off / picking up of both kiddies so have seats in each car (and also in Mums car!).

We have isofix Britax Duo in DH's car and a maxi Cosi Tobi in my car.

If you are using one car mainly then get the isofix one for that, then look for a bargain Britax or Maxi-Cosi one elsewhere - such as Kiddicare - they do them for a good price at the moment - you could get two car seats for £220 - which is a lot cheaper than other places! Why not get grandparents and aunties / uncles, etc to contribute to them as Christmas presents - far more useful than some stuff you get (well meaning gifts!!). We did that for DS and we basically had them paid for by others!!!