Changing car seat rules

[sarah707]

This is a good explanation of the car seat rules and how they are changing - I've shared the link with all our parents :D

Child car seat confusion: Our guide to the new car seat laws and best buys - Parentdish UK (http://www.parentdish.co.uk/baby/child-car-seat-confusion-guide-to-the-new-regulations-and-products/)

[loocyloo]

Thank you ... simple but equally a bit confusing!
The implications for childminders are quite big. I already have innumerable car seats but will have to get another 'baby seat' for new year as new babe starting and current babe still in baby seat ( I was already planning this ) but now I need to work out what seat to buy and what size it needs to go up to!

[KateA]

Thank you interesting reading

[moggy]

'being phased in over the next 5 years' I think is the crucial bit. No need panic and go out and buy anything new.
If you need to buy new then you can decide if you want to move to one of the new types of seat, if your car can fit it (I do not have isofix of any kind).

[hectors house]

I have a 9 month old baby and she isn't heavy enough to go forward facing yet, but with the changes it looks like I need to buy a new 0-1 car seat that can go rear facing until she is at least 15 months and can either stay rear facing or turn to forward facing - my current 0-1 car seat for some reason has never fitted securely in my car rear facing so baby is still in my Graco stage 0 baby carrier, but I hate fussing around trying to look all the seatbelt round the back and trying to plug it in whilst standing on my head - my car has got Isofix so am looking forward to getting new seat that uses that system. Anyone got any suggestions for one that fits well in a Renault Scenic -5 seater? I have read through the article and it just says get a seat that is compatible with your car - who tells you that as can't see it listed on any car seat specifications?

[moggy]

I have a 9 month old baby and she isn't heavy enough to go forward facing yet, but with the changes it looks like I need to buy a new 0-1 car seat that can go rear facing until she is at least 15 months and can either stay rear facing or turn to forward facing - my current 0-1 car seat for some reason has never fitted securely in my car rear facing so baby is still in my Graco stage 0 baby carrier, but I hate fussing around trying to look all the seatbelt round the back and trying to plug it in whilst standing on my head - my car has got Isofix so am looking forward to getting new seat that uses that system. Anyone got any suggestions for one that fits well in a Renault Scenic -5 seater? I have read through the article and it just says get a seat that is compatible with your car - who tells you that as can't see it listed on any car seat specifications?

You do not need to keep this baby rear facing- these changes are being phased in over the NEXT 5 YEARS, no one need do anything in the short term unless they want to. But as seats should be replaced after a few years anyway (due to deterioration of plastics/straps etc over time) even if you did buy a 'new rules' seat now it would need replacing when the law changes in 5 years time! The exact dates for the law change were not in that article, All the articles I can find are from companies trying to sell car seats so no exactly forthcoming with that detail!!

The best way to make sure a car seat is going to fit a particular car is to go to somewhere like Halfords and have them fit it for you.

[hectors house]

Have been to Halfords today to ask about a new birth to 4 years car seat, rear and forward facing and wanting to make use of my new car's (well new to me last year) and it turns out that because my car has underfloor storage compartments, I can't use a seat that uses a support leg and that seems to rule out all Isofix seats - thanks Renault for installing Isofix in my car and making them obsolete by giving me storage in the floor that I don't use! :angry: Have e-mailed Britax (to complain about the support leg design) and Renault to complain about the storage - my husband has suggested putting a piece of metal plate over the storage to reinforce it, but not too sure about that?

[zanacal]

Some car manufacturers supply what is basically a piece of polystyrene cut to fit the under floor storage compartment so support legs can be used, we have one in my husbands VW :) You need to try different seats too - some of the support legs completely miss the storage compartment and some are long enough to actually reach the bottom of it which is ok too.

Check out the Joie seats, which are reasonably priced and readily available and can all be used up to 18kgs rear facing. The Stages seat in particular can be used for all ages from baby to pre-schooler.

[hectors house]

Some car manufacturers supply what is basically a piece of polystyrene cut to fit the under floor storage compartment so support legs can be used, we have one in my husbands VW :) You need to try different seats too - some of the support legs completely miss the storage compartment and some are long enough to actually reach the bottom of it which is ok too.

Check out the Joie seats, which are reasonably priced and readily available and can all be used up to 18kgs rear facing. The Stages seat in particular can be used for all ages from baby to pre-schooler.

I spoke to a local Renault dealer and they said they hadn't ever heard of it being a problem and said there wasn't anything we could use to fill the compartment. I asked Halfords if we could lay a piece of steel plate across the floor under the car mats but they said "no because it wouldn't have been crash tested". Is your VW a Touran, as I have a CM friend who is having the same problem - I will tell her to contact VW to see if they do a filler.

I have looked at the Joie seat in Halfords but I don't want to have to lift baby under or over the fixed seat belt for months, then they move into another forward facing seat as by then I will have another baby - really want a rear facing Isofix - think I have found a Maxi Cosi one that has a top tether, but need to go to nearest John Lewis's to have it fitted and I'm not going to be doing that before Xmas!

Britax have said that I can't use their Dualfix isofix 0-4 seat with support leg in back of my car at all - even in the middle where there isn't a storage compartment lid on floor because the floor is still basically a false floor. They said I could only use in front by disabling the air bag - I said it seemed pointless to spend £300+ on the safest seat on the market if I then have to disable my cars main safety feature - they said it doesn't invalidate insurance as long as you have notified insurance company.

[clareelizabeth1]

Try maxi cosi I'm testing their new axxisfix and it has a top tether instead of a leg support.

[hectors house]

Think I going to get the Milofix MiloFix convertible car seat - Maxi-Cosi (http://www.maxi-cosi.com/products/car-seats/infant/milofix.aspx) as it is birth to 4 years, it will be in constant use rear facing for babies as when each baby is able to go into forward facing I will move them up to next seat as always seem to get a new baby each September. But the Axxisfix looks great for the next stage up.
Does anyone have 3 Maxi Cosi seats across the back of car as I am worried about the width of these new "all singing, all dancing" seats?

[loocyloo]

Think I going to get the Milofix MiloFix convertible car seat - Maxi-Cosi (http://www.maxi-cosi.com/products/car-seats/infant/milofix.aspx) as it is birth to 4 years, it will be in constant use rear facing for babies as when each baby is able to go into forward facing I will move them up to next seat as always seem to get a new baby each September. But the Axxisfix looks great for the next stage up.
Does anyone have 3 Maxi Cosi seats across the back of car as I am worried about the width of these new "all singing, all dancing" seats?

I love maxi cosi ... but their seats are quite wide. I used to have 2 of their 'normal' forward facing seats ( before they started doing swivels etc ) and I couldn't get another backed booster inbetween.

that seat looks great though.

[hectors house]

I love maxi cosi ... but their seats are quite wide. I used to have 2 of their 'normal' forward facing seats ( before they started doing swivels etc ) and I couldn't get another backed booster inbetween.

that seat looks great though.

Ok Thanks - really does seem to be 2 steps forward and one step back trying to replace car seats these days. T

he lady in Halfords was saying that when they bring out the new i-size seats they may fit in parent's cars but probably won't fit in grandparents cars (as not all cars will be manufactured in i-size) and there will be even more of a problem with car seats not being interchangeable.

[rickysmiths]

Have been to Halfords today to ask about a new birth to 4 years car seat, rear and forward facing and wanting to make use of my new car's (well new to me last year) and it turns out that because my car has underfloor storage compartments, I can't use a seat that uses a support leg and that seems to rule out all Isofix seats - thanks Renault for installing Isofix in my car and making them obsolete by giving me storage in the floor that I don't use! :angry: Have e-mailed Britax (to complain about the support leg design) and Renault to complain about the storage - my husband has suggested putting a piece of metal plate over the storage to reinforce it, but not too sure about that?

I have just bought a Britax Isofix seat and it doesn't have a support pole. I bought it from Halfords in Liverpool in May. I was also informed by them that the child carry seats would be changing to be able to be used for 0 to 18 months to comply with the new requirements.

[hectors house]

I have just bought a Britax Isofix seat and it doesn't have a support pole. I bought it from Halfords in Liverpool in May. I was also informed by them that the child carry seats would be changing to be able to be used for 0 to 18 months to comply with the new requirements.

Could you let me know which model seat you have please Rickysmiths?

[zanacal]

My daughter has an expensive extended rear facing seat (I bought it before the Joie came on to the market as it looks very similar to their Isofix version!) and it takes up very little room, no more than her infant seat and less than a standard forward facing seat. She's still rear facing at 2.5 and will probably stay that way until she's in a high back booster :)

Hubby's car is the Touran, he got the infill from a VW dealer, part number 7N0 019 720 and it costs £11.50!