The search is driving us insane! All we want is a reasonably priced car seat for mashiehood jnr as he is 9 months old and too fatbig for his baby seat. He needs to stay rear facing until he is 4 years old.

Any advice / help / pointers greatly appreciated.

We got a Be-Safe one – it’s very good, has done the offspring from 6 months to 3-and-a-bit so far.

http://rearfacing.motors.co.uk/where-to-buy/

We have a BESafe one which our daughter has grown out of.

It’s in good nick if you’re interested?

Get a forward facing car seat, they don’t need to be rear facing till they are 4. Best place for advice is mothercare then do your homework on the internet and order from there. We did that with both of ours

There are huge benefits to be rearfacing aslong as possible. As you probably know if you are asking for one.

Another thumbs up for BeSafe here, ours was great.

why do you need to be rear facing until 4?

Get a forward facing car seat, they don’t need to be rear facing till they are 4. Best place for advice is mothercare then do your homework on the internet and order from there. We did that with both of ours

What???

He needs to stay rear facing until he is 4 years old

Why?

I know its safer if you crash, but in our case, the constant screaming from a bored and lonely little boy who couldn’t see us in the front made driving unsafe. As soon as he faced forward, all was peace in the car. Maxi Cosi Tobi from about age 1.

ir – bandito – i think you have answered your questions in your first sentence. ‘Its safer if you crash’

Thanks for the Besafe reviews – it is on of the very few on offer so think we will go for the Besafe.

ir – bandito – i think you have answered your questions in your first sentence. ‘Its safer if you crash’

My point being I was more likely to crash from not being able to concentrate on driving. Not crashing is always the best option.

If your child is happy to face backwards, then yes, that’s the way to go. Just so happens my eldest is a bit hyper, and at that age really, REALLY didn’t like facing backwards and made his opinion quite vocal.

Why do all seats in cars (bar the driver) by default not face the rear?

‘cos most people like to know they’re going?

He needs to stay rear facing until he is 4 years old.

Don’t be too sure. From the age of 1 or so we spent our journeys chatting to our kids about what we can see out of the windows. I reckon this is pretty important for their development, we now have two great travellers (aged 2 and 4) who love to chat to us. I think being included in the family is more important than slighly improved crash safety.

When there’s only two of you in the car would you sit your partner in the back facing backwards too? No, of course, not – cos you want to talk to him or her. Well, your kid wants to talk to you too.

Plus the 4 year old was 107cm and 24kg odd at age four, there wasn’t a chance of being able to have her rear facing at that size. Nor was there at two years old to be honest.

When there’s only two of you in the car would you sit your partner in the back facing backwards too? No, of course, not – cos you want to talk to him or her. Well, your kid wants to talk to you too.

I don’t sit her anywhere, she’s an independent woman – butt she likes sitting in the back chatting to the thing, and can easily talk to me too. And if it’s jut me and thing, we can still talk happily – and I can spot interesting things that she can see as we go past.

Britax Two-Way Elite here. Fits well in a Mondeo Estate and Honda Jazz. Can be used either-way round.

Our little one has just gone in a front facing seat and its transformed our trips in the car. He was so fed up in his rear facing seat as he couldn’t see anything. He now loves looking out of the windows and babbling to us.
His new seat is more upright but he still manages to sleep in it ok. We swapped him over at 10 months

ir – bandito – i think you have answered your questions in your first sentence. ‘Its safer if you crash’

Er.. Then don’t crash. Seriously 3-4 year olds are absorbing everything around them all the time and will want to talk constantly to you and see where they are going.

Its your choice but I personally think it will be massively unfair to have a rear facing seat – almost excluding your kids from what’s going on around them. I certainly couldn’t do that with mine, they would be going insane with frustration that they couldn’t see us.

even from the age of 1yr they tend to be in forward facing seats.
how old is minimash?

And this is probably why the OP only asked about rear facing seats, not about whether they’re right… 🙂 Good old STW

(FWIW, my two are both in forward facing seats and have been since they got out of the <9month seats)

The op asked for any advise I do think it is ok to point out kids seem happier and more alert in forward facing seats . It is much easier driving listening to crankbrat saying “OO look another red bus in daddies window” than it is driving with him screaming from boredom. My own view on a scientific study of one 23 month old is that I would happily sacrifice a marginal crash statistical advantage for reducing the distractions while driving and increasing the child’s pleasure and social interaction.

The Britax 2 way looks like the bets of both worlds, and not horrendously expensive either.

I will look at that in more detail.

What about in the boot? Is rear or front facing best?

While we are on the subject, what do people think about the horizontal cot seats for babies?

Why do all seats in cars (bar the driver) by default not face the rear?

Because most occupants’ necks are well-developed enough that they won’t snap in an accident.

interesting video

how long are these car journeys, i would have thought safety would be the most import aspect of the car seat? we are about to buy a rear facing car seat. its awkwrd as the car is a 3 door, so wil end up buy the most expensive in order to swival the chair to make life easier getting the baby in and out.

i would have
thought safety would be the most import aspect
of the car seat?

don’t be silly. if there was a model that cost 5k , took three hours to get the kids in but was 5% safer, you’d be buying it, would you?

Silly example but like everything it’s a compromise and everyone’s compromise will be different

While we are on the subject, what do people think about the horizontal cot seats for babies?

We were recommended one on medical grounds. We got the Jane matrix.Expensive, work really well but outgrew it after about 6 months.

what about a Leatt neck brace instead?

Britax Two-Way Elite is one we are currenty using.

We had the britax and its a good balance of safety, ease of use and budget. Some will say the straps are a faff but no probs after a coyple of uses..

what about a Leatt neck brace instead?

Not without a full face helmet…