Car Seats Confusion - Isofix

[AuroraB]

Hello, i'm baffled by car seats!

My lovely MIL has got us a pushchair and a car seat (maxi cosi cabrio)thanks MIL.

Baby isn't due until June so i've not unboxed the seat, it's possible i could answer my own questions if i did,but it's easier to store all boxed up.

so here's what puzzles me..

what is isofix?

will looking at the model of car seat tell me if i have isofix?

how do i know if my car has isofix (looked on manufacturers website - no joy)

the car seat looks pretty small so i assume i'll only be using it for the first few months so do i need a seat base?

if so will a non isofix one fit if i have an isofix seat and isofix in my car?

sorry for the rambling, hope what i want has come across (stupid pregant brain!)

thank you

Take your car to a garage & get someone to check if you have isofix or not. On most of them they just stick their hands down the back of the back seat and can feel it.

If your car was not brought brand new, and did not come with it as standard it could have been added by the previous owner.

A non isofix car seat will fit fine in an isofix car.
BUT
An isofix carseat in a car which has had isofix fitted not as standard, means that there is a high percentage chance that the manufacturers did not test an isofix car seat in that car model so will not guarentee its safety.

HTH!

Isofix is a system where there are anchor points in your car that the seat fixes to, rather than using the seat belt. It's much safer

The car seat you have will normally attach to the car using the seat belt. If you want to use isofix, you would need to buy an isofix base.

Your seat should be used until the baby is at least 9 months old.

You'd need to check your car handbook - on some cars you can see the anchor points in the back seat, others you can't

You can put non isofix seats in a car with isofix and vice versa

Isofix is designed to be an idiot-proof method of fitting a carseat. A properly-fitted Isofix seat isn't (AFAIK) safer than a properly-fitted non-Isofix seat, but it's safer than an improperly-fitted non-Isofix seat.

Isofix seats can generally also be fitted in a non-Isofix manner if the car doesn't support Isofix.

A non-Isofix seat will fit even if the car does have Isofix (well, by and large -- an individual seat might not fit in an individual car, but it won't be anything to do with the Isofix/non-Isofix issue).

What is the carseat model and what model of car do you have?

Also, stage the one car seat you have got, can be used (depending on hieght/weight) up to 12 months. So its important you are happy with how to fit it yourself etc.
Ask MIL where she got it, ring them up and ask for a lesson. They should be fine in doing that. Also will make sure that its the absolutely right car seat for your car. VERY OCCASIONALLY some cars (particularly older ones) do not have seat belts long enough to fit a car seat properly. So, you may have to buy a seat belt extender......or a new car But, this is not something you want to discover when you are taking a newborn home from the hospital!

Sorry, just seen it's a Maxi Cosi Cabrio. I believe that if it were Isofix it would be Maxi Cosi Cabriofix, so if it doesn't say that then it's probably non-Isofix.

Good point. You normally buy the maxi cosi isofix base seperately, in a seperate box.

Please check what model it is and go to a store and ask them to check the fit in your car. You do not need to take your seat - they will use the display model anyway (you don't need to tell them you have already bought it - pretend you are about to buy one - or are checking so that MIL can come in and buy another day if you want). Not all car seats fit all cars.

Assuming that your car fits the seat it will fit without any additional extra's using the seatbelt. It is highly unlikely to be Isofix as not many first stage seats are. BUT you may be able to buy a base seperately whcih will make fitting easier and stay in the car. This may be isofix. It is not essential though and the seat can be fitted straight out of the box without and additional attatchments (with the above disclaimer over checking it fits).

wow you lot are great, such a quick reponse, thank you

it's a 6 month old honda civic type r, wholly unsuitable for babies but when we got it we were free and unencumbered, i'm off to poke around the back of the seats and up to the attic to check the seat model.

the reason i am so interested is that the baby seat will have to go in the back as the front seats are sporty hold you in in types, so if i'm having to clamber in the back and arse around with weaving a seatbelt into clips i think i might make a mistake and cause a disaster, someone told me about these seatbases wheras you can just clip the baby seat directly on with no seatbelt threading. i googled it and saw isofix ones and non isofix ones and was v confused about which sort would suit me.

so what you're saying is that if the car & seat are both isofix the seat will clip straight into the car without the need for a seat base?

wow another essay - sorry

Your Honda will have Isofix - mine does,
I too had a maxi cosi cabrio fix, and you will need the base (around £100 i'm afraid)
Is brill though.
(not sure if you can use a different brand base, we just got the corresponding one)

you can use the seat without the base, but it will be secured by belt not isofix

DS grew out of his first seat around 10mths,
we loved the maxi cosi so much that we then bought the maxi cosi priorifix for the next size up.

ok, so my car has isofix but my seat isn't an isofix.

So if i get a non isofix seat base and ignore the isofix facility that the car has that would work right?

although i have heeded what you all said about going to the shop and asking advice, i certainly will but i'm a country dweller and who knows when i'll next be near one. i will do it before the baby arrives for sure.

thanks again all

You don't need an isofix base unless your seat is isofix too. It sounds like you have a non isofix seat that you will be able to fasten in the 'old fashioned' seatbelt way. properly done this is as safe as isofix but you need to be shown how to do this. Your alternative is to take the seat back and buy a maxi-cosi seat which is isofix compatible but then you will also need to buy a base. I had a Britax one and the seat was about £100 and the base another £100 - but thankfully friends had the identical one so we were able to borrow their base. When your baby is older you can carry on buying seats that just use seatbelts or you can go for an isofix seat and this will not need a base it will just plug straight into the isofix points. HTH

you can just use a seatbelt to secure the seat without using a base,

but I would buy the Isofix base they are so secure and sturdy, and you will probably be able to sell it on without losing too much value as maxi cosi is a good brand

You can buy an ISOFIX base and a non ISOFIX base for the Maxi Cosi Cabrio, Ive got both, my car has ISOFIX points my sisters doesn't. I just click the seat in and out of both bases i find it much easier then faffing with belts.