Car seat for family without own car - advice needed asap!

[suzyj]

Mumsnet challenge - I've hunted the threads but haven't exactly found the answer to this one yet, but I know you're up to it!

We don't own a car but use taxis and hire cars frequently enough to warrant having a car seat. Up til now we've used the kind of seat that clips in with the seatbelt but dd has outgrown the 10kg limit on hers. She's 9 months old and a bonny 11kg. We had a Britax Rock-a-Tot, with a 13kg limit, that a kind friend has lent us for a bit, but it has to go back as her ds needs it.

Are any of you in a similar position? Are there car seats that are so quick/simple to fix in properly that we could use them in a taxi without having to book one 30 mins in advance and try to persuade them to take their seats out?

DD could go in a forward facing but we are also happy to carry on using rear-facing if they have any in her weight range. We obviously want to get one that will last for as long as possible though.

I'm travelling to Dublin in 10 days and will need to have one by then. Any help and advice very gratefully received.

Sorry can't really help but have the same sort of situation myself. DD regularly goes in 4 different cars, easy enough to find one that goes in mine, my mum's and my sister's cars but can't find one for dh's car - AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

the polystyrene ones are good if you move them in and out of cars-lightweight but forward facing. We have got a britax super cruiser and have used it for ds since he was 8months old. My mom also has the mothercare one(thats a booster aswell) they are only about 20pound and they are fine too.

suzyj I would vote for the Britax super cruiser too, It is very lightweight polystyrence, you use the car seat belt to fix and it works for my dd even though she's 4.

You could also talk to Mothercare or Halfords and they may be able to advise you on a seat which fits the bill.
We've always found Halfords particularly helpful.
If you want one that will last for as long as possible then I'd stay away from the rear facing ones.

Couldn't recommend the supercruiser for a child so young as it has no integral harness (ideally don't use before 3yrs), but they are the easiest to carry around.

We have a graco stella which fits easily into all the cars we've tried and I really and truly can't fault on safety. But it is quite heavy, you wouldn't want to carry it around town.

you are allowed to use the super cruiser from 9months and I find the seatbelt hooking under the headrest holds the child as secure as an integral harness. Must admit thpugh some of the other polystyrene seats do let little ones flop around a bit.

Romer do some lightweight universal ones, that are worth trying. Not seen them on sale in any shops though - got ours from a Peugeot dealer. it is really easy to carry and fits in all the cars we've tried. Will try to find a web site.

Romer is the European brand name for Britax. Slight variation on spec of some seats and models are called different names but several are essentially the same seat.

Britax do one called trio which starts out with integral 5-point harness & can adapt to just high-back booster then just booster, so up to 12 yrs I think. We keep ours in UK for when we visit & it has to fit in our family's cars - so far no problems in a Fiesta, Merc or Mondeo, so seems pretty universal & not too tricky to fit.

I agree, I would not put such a young child in a seat withought 5-point harness, no matter what the weight guidlines are.

We also had a Cruiser as a second car seat and it was very good. The way the seat belt fits, it keeps the child very securely in place, we found. I guess the only disadvantage for a 9mth old is that it doesn't recline but if you're not driving for miles and miles, I guess that isn't too important.

The problem with using the adult seat belt rather than an integral harness is that you rely on the emergency stopping mechanism of the seat belt as your only restraint. If that is weak (against the small weight of a young child), or the child fiddles with it (easier to do), you lower the protection in a crash.

This is the reason Halfords suggest you use a integral harness with under 3s.

Hey, I knew you guys would come up with something! Right, I'll try Halfords and look up on the websites the names that you mention. Thanks for your help, mumsnetters!!

I'd reccomend the Britax trio too, and Halfords have a third off all Britax child seats at the moment.

I have just bought the Britax with the isofix and it is great, so simple to clip in and out, but you need to have isofix in your car, so probably won't work for taxis.

SuzyJ: maybe I'm too late to this thread, but we don't have a car either. I quite liked the maxi-Cosi seat (which comes highly rec'd here, too), because it is extremely quick & easy & (most important) almost foolproof to fit to almost any car. It can go forward or reverse, and it's only drawbacks are weight & price.

We also have a very cheap seat (Argos £19.99), which is lightweight and fits adequately into every car we've tried it on, too. Although only forward-facing.

zebra - thanks for this. I'd heard from lots of people that the Maxi Cosi ones are good but has discounted them because they just looked complex to fit. I'm going to try and go to Halfords/Mothercare today and have a play on a few models!

The Argos seat that you got - what age range is it? And (she says snobbily) could a car seat that inexpensive be safe, do you know what its safety testing record is? It would be great news if it is because the only spare pounds I have at the moment are on my bum!

sorry - typo - meant to say that I HAD discounted them... not that they were on special offer or anything...

Suzyj:
Honestly, I chose the MaxiCosi because it was easiest to fit. Not just easy to fit, but easy to fit right. I've borrowed & used carseats in three different countries, now, and none were as easy to install as the MaxiCosi. I did buy a more expensive seat for my 2nd child precisely because I was concerned about proper fitting in whatever car we happened to be using. Plus the MaxiCosi reclines, which lets the child sleep comfortably on longer journeys (unlike cheap Argos seat).

The Argos seat only says suitable from 9kg or 9 months (they assume those are the same) to 11 years (bottom part becomes a booster seat).

Is a cheap Argos carseat "good enough"? Heck, I don't know. They have all been examined & tested to make sure they meet minimum safety standards. I suspect that bad (lazy/incorrect) fitting is more a hazard than inherent seat poor quality.

When you go in cars rarely, it's very hard to justify spending a lot on an expensive car seat, when a cheap and cheerful model ought to good enough. Most of my friends have identical (seeming) car seats for their tots of similar age that cost more and come with brand names or little features like arm rests. But underlying the prettier covers, these other seats are the same design and materials as the cheap one I got from Argos.

Ps: cheapest place in UK to buy carseats might well be Kiddicare .

suzyj FREE CARSEAT!! I have a speedway car seat from argos, it is lightweight has an integral harness and can be used with a seat belt and with or without the back. It is slim and I have found it great for smaller babies, but from 9 months, the harness keeps them secure.

If you would like it I can send it to you securicor next day delivery, you can have the seat for free, It is only 14 months old, seldom used,- just for school run for childminded baby. I need to have mercedes ones for the front or the isofix is best for my car. It is as pictured except the arms have got a bit faded by the sun, promise hand on heart, absolutely safe, not misused, I would carry on using it but life is easier with isofix for me!

lookhere email through my website the best in childcare

Wow!!!! Just seen this as I've been laid low with the twin evils of a stomach bug and a day in the office...

Alibubbles, I think I've replied via your site but I'm not sure it worked so here is most of my message again - what a gorgeously generous thing to offer and we'd love to take you up on it - thank you so so so much. We'll definitely pay for securicor and packaging if you're sure you don't want anything for the seat itself. This offer is really a life-saver at the moment, you're a star!

If you don't receive anything through your site let me know and I'll send my address again.

Thank you, you wonderful lady, you!

Does anyone have the britax club class car seat? Its one of the few that fit in dh's car and it's got £50 off in Halfords at the mo.

Is it any good?

badjelly, if you use the Search facility on here and type in Britax Club Class it comes up with lots of discussions.

badjelly, I've got a Britax Club Class. It's OK if it's going to be pretty much permanently fixed in a car since it's quite heavy. I expect they all are though aren't they if they're 9 months up as mine is. It is a bit of a pain to fit to start with (but I am easily irritated by these things and a bit crap at them) but it does recline, which is useful, and it looks comfortable. I bought it nearly 5 years ago so I can't remember much about my reasoning at the time but my mum and I chose it together and I seem to remember thinking it was one of the best in Mothercare at the time though it wasn't the cheapest. Like I said, it was all a v. long time ago though! £50 off sounds like a good deal though.

I think this is a brand new, unused Maxicosi seat for sale for £30.

Just wanted to let you all know that alibubbles got the seat to me yesterday and that she is a queen among women. It looks like just the ticket too, so we're very happy! Hurray