Car seats in vauxhall zafira

[Clever Clogs]

Hi there

i'm having a bit of a headache regarding car seats. Just went to buy an extra stage 1 seat and each one I tried has buckle crunch so wouldn't sell me one. What makes it worse is they are saying the one I have for my own son isn't safe either as it has buckle crunch and is very common with this car - at the moment it is Britax I have. She advised me to go on Britax website and enter make etc of car which I've done. However - the ones they recommend all have a bit about seatbelt maybe being too long (or soething along those lines) so none really suitable???

Does anyone have a zafira nd what car seats d you use? This has really put me in a spot of bother.

Thanks
Tracey

[katickles]

Sorry Tracey don't have a Zafira, but whats buckle crunch?? :blush:

[fionamal]

I have the zafira and my seats are all Britax ones and never heard of buckle crunch.

Mine were all bought and fitted by Halfords

[Pipsqueak]

What about using IsoFix units with the carseats Tracey?

Buckle Crunch:
Many experts would agree that this group of child car seats is the most difficult to fit safely in to a car because of a problem called "buckle crunch".
In the U.K. we (quite correctly) take buckle crunch very seriously but some other countries do not share our view as they consider the weakest part of a design will always exist.

So firstly let's try and describe buckle crunch.
Let's pretend you had a pencil and you wanted to break it. If you pulled it from one end and a second person pulled from the other the chances are the pencil would not break. Now if you placed the pencil in both your hands and "snapped it" the pencil would of course break immediately.

In theory we have described "buckle crunch", except you need to replace in real life the pencil with the buckle located on the cars seat belt.

In normal passenger usage the force in a accident is applied down a seat belts length but when placed around a car seat sometimes the seat belts buckle lies across the frame of the child cars seat. In event of an accident the seat is then thrown against the seat belt buckle and it can burst open as the force is going "across" as opposed to "down".

In practice however many car seat fitters definition of buckle crunch varies.

Some people consider that even if the buckle touches the frame of the car seat that is enough to consider the child's car seat as being unsafe in the car.
Other people are more tolerant and define buckle crunch when the buckle lies across (or nearly across) the car seats frame.
In short this is a matter of opinion but everyone would agree if the buckle is laying across (or nearly across) the car seats frame it is without question unsafe to be used in the car you are trying to get it to fit.

[Pipsqueak]

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/child_safety/weights_compatibilty.html

http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/choosing/common_problems.htm

[cuddlybunny38]

I have a zafira and use a car seat. it is a booster seat with integrel harness as well, seat belt from car does not rub on any part of it, got seat from toys r us, not sure of make of seat but will go look and let you know

[Mrs.L.C]

Just reading all this and hoping mine are ok now. My care seat has a red clip that goes on the seat belt which I assume is to stop it touching the frame of the seat but it still touches the side of the frame but does not lie accross the frame. Has anyone else got one of these on there car seat?


Might have to see if Halfords will check it for me

[Wiggly]

I have a zafira. I have a britax 0-4 years seat, a graco 3-11years seat, and a Mothercare 9 months to 11years seat (harness and seat belt abled).

They all seem to fit fine in my car but I must admit - I'm gonna get them double checked after reading this thread.

Wiggly
x

[Rubybubbles]

Just reading all this and hoping mine are ok now. My care seat has a red clip that goes on the seat belt which I assume is to stop it touching the frame of the seat but it still touches the side of the frame but does not lie accross the frame. Has anyone else got one of these on there car seat?


Might have to see if Halfords will check it for me

I had these red clips for when my dd was going through a fiddley stage

[Rubybubbles]

re-read think I thinking of something else haha

http://www.gltc.co.uk/fcp/product/-/car%20seats%20&%20car%20accessories/Seat-Belt-Safeclip/2067

[Mrs.L.C]

No not the one but I might get one of them to stop one of my mindees undoing their belt...its a pain having to keep pulling over

[Alibali]

I have the zafira and britax carseats and they are fine. The britax website has a fit finder to assess whether or not seats are ok with certain cars and the britax seats are suitable in the middle row at both sides.:)

[Clever Clogs]

Thanks for all your replies - had no idea it ws such a minefield to get a cr seat to fit right. All this time I thought my sons one was ok.

Will keep looking for the perfect fit.

Tracey

[LisaH]

I have a Zafira and i think my seats are all britax ones. Had never heard of buckle crunch either.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have a friend who purchased a people carrier and landed up changing her seats. Got them off ebay and they are fantastic. They have everything in one seat, booster, baby and over and when an adult sits in them they are normal again

Sorry not explained it very well

[Cazz]

You mean she changed the actual car seats? The baby seats are part of the main seats? Didn't realise you could do that! Is it just for new people carriers though? I have a P reg VW Sharan and I'm going to have the same headache trying to find a baby seat that fits well!

Carole x

[Chatterbox Childcare]

You mean she changed the actual car seats? The baby seats are part of the main seats? Didn't realise you could do that! Is it just for new people carriers though? I have a P reg VW Sharan and I'm going to have the same headache trying to find a baby seat that fits well!

Carole x

Not sure about the cars but will try and find out and send pics too.

The seat is an adult seat, for babies you pull down a middle part and it becomes a baby seat, push it back and the front comes up to make a booster seat.

[Cazz]

Not sure about the cars but will try and find out and send pics too.

The seat is an adult seat, for babies you pull down a middle part and it becomes a baby seat, push it back and the front comes up to make a booster seat.

How clever is that - must have been designed by a woman! :laughing:

If you could find out any more info and get some pics that would be great! :thumbsup:

Thanks.

Carole x

[Alibali]

My friend has an Alhambra and they come with those seats, I'd love it, it would save so much time and effort- not to mention storage space:)

[Rubybubbles]

ohhh whats that then,


cuppa waiting for pictures haha