Car Seat Conundrum

A question about : Car Seat Conundrum

Hi Folks,

I'm 14 weeks pregnant and starting to think about the essentials we will need. One of which will be a car seat.

I want one that can be taken in and out of the car easily so with a base. I have a standard car and will have to have a belted base but OH has a car with ISOFIX.

Ive had a look arround and Maxi Cosi pebble has a belted base and ISOFIX base for the same seat. I cant seem to find any others or am I being blind? Maxi Cosi isnt the cheapest brand either, whilst Im all for safety, money saving also has to play a part. I'll probably pick up the bses 2nd hand but go for a new seat.

Has anybody else got any recomendations??

Thanks

Best answers:

• I have this one
  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Graco-Junior.../dp/B006UAQCHE
  It's ideal, the base is belt fit and the seat just clips in and out. You can get a pushchair for it to clip onto too.
  My car has isofix, but I just use the belt, so you could do the same I suppose?
• I would buy a cheaper brand, perhaps like Graco as they do a few options with bases, but I really wouldn't buy either part second hand. The base is essential for keeping the seat held in and in a crash/bump should be replaced in the same way as a seat so probably shouldn't be bought second hand either (unless you know the history).
• I bought a Mamas and Papas Ultima travel system and, though pricey, money well spent. I had the isofix base in my car and husband had the belted base for his. Fantastic as it was simple to put up the pushchair frame and then I just pushed one button on the car seat to release it and then clicked it into the frame. So much easier than faffing around unstrapping and restrapping baby - especially if little one is asleep. The carrycot/pram module also has a stand so can be used as a Moses basket and was much larger than the whicker ones. Our daughter slept in it til she was 7 months, so that definitely got lots of use!
• I'm getting the joie stages car seat. It belts in, stays rear facing up until 4 years old (which is much safer than putting baby forward facing from 9kg...) and lasts until they're 7 years old. It's about Ј130. It isn't compatible with a travel system but it is light enough and easy enough to move between cars and fit with the belt. Like others have said I personally wouldn't but anything car seat related second hand unless you're buying off someone who you absolutely trust and know hasn't been in an accident. I recommend you go to some of the larger baby stores and speak to the car seat fitters- they'll let you try the seats out in both of your cars and give you tips and advice that suits what you want. I would read up on rear facing seats for longer if I were you though.
• I thought almost all car seats could be used with either ISOFIX or seatbelt? However I understand the ISOFIX fixings aren't the same in every car, so what may fit in a VW Golf, for example, may not fit in a Ford Fiesta using ISOFIX.
• The Maxi-cosi seat with the separate isofix base is worth every penny, especially if you have a buggy frame that the seat can also clip into.
• Worth mentioning the types of cars - some have particular quirks narrowing down the range of car seats you can have (vauxhalls being the one that springs to mind).
  We had a britax infant carrier seat which I always coped with fine just using with the seatbelt to fit it - but has belted and isofix base options as well. I just got sick of bashing my blooming shins with carrying it around in and out of the car and ended up with our first class plus that stays fitted in the car... but it all depends if you have a baby that isn't bothered by being clipped and unclipped into the car (my youngest can stay asleep being removed from the car, popped into a shopping trolley seat, pushed around Tesco, back into the car and driven home - sleeping is a particular talent of hers and when she zonks - armageddon wouldn't wake her up).
• I have a maxi cosi pebble and cant see why anyone would buy or use a base it it. The seat belt goes around and has three points of contact same as what it would for a twenty stone adult.
• If you have a Kiddicare local to you, pop along and investigate their closing down sale.
  I went at the weekend and picked up the Maxi Cosi Familyfix base for Ј90 (usually Ј150). I'll get the Pebble seat later (~Ј120 in John Lewis etc) or maybe the Cabriofix (~Ј92). Both these seats can be used with the base or just with the seat belt.
  Regarding different brands in different cars, I found that the Recaro base was no good in my car (Skoda Octavia) because of the way the rear seats angle down towards the back rest. It meant that the seat fitted too upright rather than allowing the baby to lie flat. The Maxi Cosi was fine though. Always worth having one of the experts fit it and test it for you in your particular car.
• I would suggest looking into extended rear facing too from birth, such as The Joie as already recommended. Look into extended rear facing, you should keep your baby/child rear facing until at least 4, it is 5 times safer! The Joie seat will last until 4 which saves buying another seat when the baby one is outgrown.
  This whole appeal of putting a car seat on a buggy is IMO a terrible idea, a new born baby should be laying flat rather than sitting in a car seat, a baby should not be in a car seat for any longer than 90mins at a time, the curve is not natural for their backs as a newborn.
  If you have a local In Car Safety Centre please go there and ask for advice, nothing should be second hand, it may be your most expensive purchase but being in the car is the biggest risk you will put your baby at, make sure they are safe.
• I got the maxi cosi pebble and it's definitely been worth the money. Rock solid! Not sure I'd go second hand though.