Baby Car Seats
As a new mum you have a lot to think about. Safety always being a primary concern of every new mum - and car safety is always high on the list of new mums we talk to.
If you use a car to get around then you are going to need to invest in a car seat for your baby.
There are many options to choose from but we like to make it easy to explain.
- iSize car seats : If a car seat is i-Size it means it complies with the new European car seat regulation (the first phase of a safety standard called R129), which aims to make car seats safer. It's designed to keep children rear-facing for longer, provide better side impact protection and make car seats easier to fit correctly.
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Infant car seats which are suitable for newborns up to around 15 months (or 13kg). These are the seats that normally come with travel systems so if you are going with a full system you are covered. Infant car seats can be installed with a seat belt or the majority of car seats will have an isofix base that can be purchased separately. Each car seat will have a specific isofix base that it will fit onto.
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Infant to Child Car seats are suitable for newborn up to about 4 years old. They are both rear facing and once baby is big enough can be switched to forward facing. One of our most popular seats is the Cosatto All-in-All car seat.
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Toddler car seats are for children older than 9 months up to 4 years. We have a wide range to choose from no matter if you are looking for a seat belted car seat, isofix car seat or a swivel car seat.
- Child car seats - high-back booster seats - When your reaches 4 they are now old enough to be in a booster seat. They will now be secured using the seat belt instead of a 5-point harness. We would recommend using a high-back booster seat as it provides extra safety and ensures the correct use of the seat belt.
Why does my baby seat have to be rear facing?
Rear-facing is the safest way for children to ride in a car. A rear-facing car seat will absorb most of the crash forces and supports the head, neck and spine. When children ride forward-facing, their heads - which for toddlers are disproportionately large and heavy - are thrown forward, possibly resulting in spine and head injuries. We also recommend having your child in a rear facing car seat for as long as possible - up to 4 years of age. Evidence does not support that children will suffer leg and foot injuries if their feet touch the seat. There are no known harmful effects of riding rear-facing longer, while the benefits of doing so have been observed for years. Children have many ways of making themselves comfortable when facing the rear and can ride safely that way, as long as they haven't reached the weight or height limit for rear-facing in their seat.
Do I need an isofix base for my car seat?
All baby car seats can be installed using a seat belt. Each car seat would also have a specific isofix base for it, if you have chosen you would prefer to install your car seat with isofix. Isofix is a lot safer as your car seat is clicked into place and it is easier to ensure it is installed correctly as they have indicators that will clearly show you if it is not installed incorrectly. Isofix bases are installed using anchor points already installed in your car and a leg that will go down to the floor of your car.
