Car seats

[scn]

What's everybody doing about car seats?
I was hoping to get this package deal to last as it's a good saving but I can't find any definite info with regards to the law changing next year, all the info I can find says it 'may' change in 2017. If it does change then it'll be a waste of money and I'll need to get something else but just getting it now in case the law does change takes the cost up to around £600 as opposed to this deal at £350 plus the cost of getting additional bases for my mums car etc when I go back to work, couldn't chop and change the bases morning and night

 

[Jojo84]

What is law changing to?

 

[scn]

That they need to be rear facing until 4 years old

 

[Jojo84]

So if they come in before March 2018 I'll have to buy a new carseat for my 2yr old for the sake of 6 months or so?!

 

[scn]

I would assume so, I can't find anything that says it's for definite, everything I can find just says it may come into force 2017

 

[Maud]

I doubt it would be retrospective, just for new seats being sold.

However, that is a great price for the Pebble/Pearl as a pack! We used the Pebble from birth and really liked it and the ease of moving it in and out on the base. It's roomy too; our daughter still fitted in it when we moved her over to the 2way Pearl at 16 months. We had to buy two bases as the 2way wasn't available until after our daughter was born. Does mean we still have the original familyfix for the new baby to use though so ended up right in the end

Just make sure you check compatibility first. Maxi Cosi have a list of newer cars but we had to have ours fitted in a shop as neither of our cars are on any of the lists and mine needed some modification before the base was safe due to underfloor storage boxes.

 

[scn]

I've done some more digging and found some info that says you'll be able to use your old car seats for a few years after the change
Thanks Maud, the maxi cosi seats and bases are compatible with my car xx I thought it was a great price too and considering I've now found that info, I think I'm just going to go for that deal xx

 

[Blueclass]

I thought this too and bit the bullet and spent around 600 on the pebble plus as it will be the isofix base and the car seat will last till she is about 5. I personally thought these are meant to be safer and if I get it now saves buying one later.

 

[Phoenix85]

I've bought this one for £50 which lasts til around a year-18m (depending on weight), then when it's outgrown I'll be getting one of the Joie ERF seats which are rear facing til 4 and only £100-£200 depending on style.

 

[scn]

These ones are isofix base fit too, just not extended rear facing.
It's not so much a problem paying £600 but by the time I buy 2 further bases at £190 a pop it'll push the cost up to £1000 as my mum and sister will be sharing the childcare when I go back to work and it's not practical to be swapping these bases numerous times per day.

 

[scn]

What make is that one Phoenix?

 

[scn]

My main problem is that the seat will be going into 3 different cars each day I'm working!
In mine to drop him off at my sisters, then my sister will drop him off at my mums when she goes to work and then I'll pick him up again. It's turning out to be a bit more complex than I imagined it would be

 

[Tigger87]

There's already 2 regulations running side by side. If you buy an "I-size" seat, they have to rear face until 15m (current law is 9kg). It's more on age than weight.

A word of warning though - I bought the pearl for my now 2.5yr old, thinking it would last till 4 (18kg). He's now 17.5kg! So very close to the weight limit on the harness, and we'll have to move him to a high backed booster way before I'm ready. I should have looked for one that RF/harnessed to 25kg but they're much less common seats.

We got a spare seat for my dads car when he was doing nursery runs - a joie stages. It's a birth to 7 years old seat, I-size compliant and a reasonable cost (approx £120 I think?). It's not isofix but it's very easy to install - might possibly be worth you buying one of those for your mum and sister to share?

There's also a joie every stage recently released that I think is birth to 12, but I've not looked into it, so don't know too much about it.

 

[scn]

Yeah Tigger, the more I think about it the more I think it makes more sense to just buy them a seat belt car seat to share, it's not going to work out any other way without it costing a bomb and it's not like he's going to be sitting in their cars for long periods or for long journeys.
I was looking at the maxi cosi opal for £170, it's seat belt fitted and the pebble can be seat belt fitted as well and I'll just have the isofix base in my car, so all in should work out around £520 xx
I know you can't put a price on safety but they really do take the piss with the cost of these things don't they?

 

[heatheror12]

I used to work for a independent baby shop. This was a year ago so things might have changed but basically if you buy a I size car seat you have to use it rear facing. When I asked the rep who was from Britax if the law would change it was very vague. I asked because not everybody had Isofix. Can you imagine having a older car an suddenly you have to but a new car plus a I size car seat. Would cost you thousands. But maybe it will happen but I can't see it. Tho I defiantly agree it is safer to rear face your child longer. And I also agree that the price of rear facing car seats is rediculas. X

 

[MelC2011]

That's a fab deal.
After much researching we've gone for the isofix 2 way with the pebble and will buy the pearl later when needed

It's such a minefield what with the new regulations. I've noticed a lot of shops have reduced the isofix base prices but only because eventually they will be discontinued and it's there way of getting rid of them to buyers who don't know much about the changes xx

 

[scn]

The seat belt type are being phased out and will no longer be manufactured or available to buy after 2018 according to the good egg car safety website and only isofix seats will be available!

 

[Prettypee]

The law is currently changing to i-size legislation which is rearfacing until a minimum 15 months - this was announced 2 years ago and 4 years grace is given so that anyone who had a baby pre announcement didn't have to buy a new carseat. Law will be enforced from 2018, and you are only allowed to buy I size compliant car seats in store. Rear facing until four is the European legislation and not legally binding in UK however experts recommend it and they are expecting the UK law to be updated to this at some point.

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

[Prettypee]

I had two way isofix Base and maxicosi cabriofix. My LO hated it and always overheated. Changed to a britax dualfix at 4 months, she loves it, i havent looked back. I will reuse the cabriofix until baby is supporting head properly then will get another britax. The spare seat in 2nd car is currently 2way pearl xx

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

[Phoenix85]

The purple one I have is by "Obaby"

When I had my other 2 I got a Graco car seat and two bases which could be fixed in the car permanently (one in my mum's, one in the in-laws') and then the car seat went between them

I don't have that carseat now, plus it was bought 12 yrs ago so probably not current standard.

I got this one but no base as it will be going in all different cars.
Sometimes might be in my mum's, or in my dad's, or a taxi, or a friend's car etc. And I'm not going to want to move the base as well.

I don't drive though.
If I did and I had my own car I'd have gone for the Joie from day 1, possibly the i-anchor, and just kept it in my car all the time.

I went for this one because I wanted one I could easily swap between cars.

To be honest though, I rarely go anywhere by car. Maybe once a week, twice at most, otherwise we walk or get the bus. And even then I only get taxis these days because it costs the same for me to get a taxi into town with both my kids as it does for us to get the bus, and also I live at the top of a steep hill an the bus stop is at the very bottom so getting a taxi means I don't have to walk up it LOL.
I don't think my car seat will get much use really. If I were using it daily I'd probably look into an isofix one.