Which? report on car seats

[Lolasmum]

Has anybody read the latest Which? report on car seats? We need to buy a new group 0 one (from birth to 1 year) and want to make sure we get one of their recommended ones. The one that's supposed to be the safest is the Btitax Isofix, but that doesn't fit in our car according to the Britax website. Does anybody know what other ones have been recommended?

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We've got a Renault Clio L reg. On the Britax website it tells you what cars it can be fitted into. Apparently it only goes into a Clio from 1998 onwards. Maybe I should go to Mothercare and see if they can fit it for me. I was hoping to order one online as they're cheaper and going shopping with dd is a nightmare.... Esp. at 34 weeks pregnant!

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A big mothercare would probably be your best bet - I found the one in West Quay in Southampton really good - the sales woman really knew what she was talking about and fitted the seat into our car for us. I think isofix fittings are somehow part of the body of the car and then seats click into them, and some new cars are manufactured with the fittings, which is why they are so safe. But as long as they are fitted properly, I think the seat belt ones are perfectly safe.

If you haven't got Isofix there is a non-Isofix version which is basically the same shell. The report comes out strongly biassed towards Isofix but that is n't of much practical help to the majority of the market, since not even all new cars have it as standard. There are at least 2 other similar threads which quote the report. here adn here

I found mothercare the worst for car seats. I went to buy DD one last month and they just got one from the cupboard and went to scan it, when I asked if they would fit it to ensure it fitted they said 'if you want us to but it isnt nessesary' thats terrible. It was a mothercare world as well so not a small store. In the end I went to a independant place who took the time to fit the one I liked and it didnt fit my car so she wouldnt sell it and made me choose another.
Its not worth getting a car seat that doesnt fit your car correctly. I would advise buying one on line unless youve tried the model type first. My MIL car only one make of car seat fitted hers.

Thanks for the links Lizs. One of them had the which? report on it. We're going to go and test out the 2nd carseat down the list of recommendations.

sub.which.net/motoring/reports/jun2004mt30t34/seatsontest.pdf Is the Which? league table if anybody is intersted.