Car Seat Woe

A question about : Car Seat Woe

Hey all!

I'm getting myself in a right old tizz trying to sort car seat! I'm nearly 34 weeks and this is the last big item on my list to get.

I am so torn between just getting a cheaper Ј60 Kiddicare car seat or getting the Maxi Cosi Pebble FamilyFix base for ease of use (and because we have the Oyster pram so it will clip on top!)

I spotted a great deal of both for Ј240 from Kiddsave a few weeks back but I just missed it :-( I'm checking the usual haunts everyday but price seems to be static at Ј150 for each.

Just wondering if anyone has spied them at a discount anywhere or has seen any significant discount codes that I may have missed for Mothercare/Kiddicare etc. etc.

Thanks guys
(you can tell I'm a first timer right )

Best answers:

• If I'm not mistaken you can use Quidco on Kiddicare to get cashback. It could be worth a look at how much you would get back.
• We have a maxi cosi pebble. I'm not convinced cheap is best when it comes to car seats. Plus, convenience wise, having the car seat being able to clip onto our pram (icandy), is great for when I'm popping into sainsburys for a couple of bits and my little one is sound asleep.
  I think ours was from amazon when they had it cheap, might be worth having a look on there. It is expensive but we're planning to keep ours (as long as it doesn't get damaged) for baby number 2, so saw it as an investment.
• Is there a reason you specifically want the Pebble? The Cabriofix looks practically identical and I've seen it for Ј91 in Halfords. It does fit on the Familyfix base. According to some quick googling, the Cabriofix should also fit the Oyster pram but you might need to research a bit more.
  At least the Familyfix base will fit the next size up car seat when you get to that stage (Tobi/Pearl??) so you get a decent amount of use out of it..
• I don't think there's that much difference. We played with then both in Kiddicare and I remember that the straps on the cabriofix were a bit more fiddly than the pebble but that's the only thing I remember. Could be worth considering to save a bit.
• I wouldn't get the family fix, unless you are talking about the 2wayFix. The reason for this is that, when you starting thinking about the next size up, you'll hear about extended rear facing car seats. They are safer than forward facing car seats and there is supposed to be legislation coming in that requires toddlers up to 15 months be rear facing. If you get the family fix it won't be compatible with extended rear facing. However, the 2wayfix base and the pebble and 2waypearl will be.
  Alternatively, you can get car seats that go from birth to toddler. I now have the Britax Dualfix which can be used from birth to approx 4 yrs. I haven't used it with a newborn, as we had the cabriofix to start with, so can't comment on it there, but I like it. The only downside is that you would not be able to take the car seat out if the baby fell asleep in it (which they often do).
  If you do get a infant car seat that you can remove from the car, remember the 2 hour rule! Babies should not be left in their car seats for more than 2 hours (as a maximum).
• Agree with Hawk re extended rear facing and the two hour rule, I would definitely recommend you research these aspects before making your choice.
  Hope your next few weeks are easy ones, I remember I felt like the last month went on forever!
• Just to add one more thing - there is a new Pebble Plus out now (or Dec latest) that is designed to fit the 2WayFix base. Its the iSize equivalent of the Pebble and provides extra protection and cushioning.
  Might be worth looking into it before you take the plunge.
  I'm in a similar situation - our baby is due 1st Feb so waiting for the Pebble Plus and 2WayFix base deals to appear.