Forward Facing in the Baby Seat - When?

Kintarō Hattori

Hey Folks,

Just a question to see what the general consensus here is.

I took delivery today of a mirror for my car so I can see my 14 month old and she can see me. I have her rear facing when in the car. A colleague was very surprised that I have her this way and stated that they should be forward facing from around a year. They seemed really surprised that I hadn't been doing that.

I thought the current thing was to keep them rear facing up to 2 or 3 or so long as they were within the weight limits for the seat.

What do you do?

Moonbeam

You should keep your child rear facing for as long as possible, ideally until they are about 4.

bee06

Moonbeam wrote: »

You should keep your child rear facing for as long as possible, ideally until they are about 4.

Yep, my son will be rear facing until he grows out of his 25kg limit seat which should be around 4.5 or 5. Rear facing is 5 times safer so it’s a no brainer for me. Unfortunately not enough people seem to know this.

Addle

How are their legs comfortable until that age in a rear facing car seat?

bee06

Addle wrote: »

How are their legs comfortable until that age in a rear facing car seat?

They cross them or prop them up against the seat. It’s more comfortable than having them dangling down while forward facing.

http://www.carseat.se/rear-facing-car-seats-and-leg-space-for-your-child/

mirrorwall14

My lad is still rear facing at 3.5. We're aiming for next summer (4.5) when he's due to outgrow his 18kg ERF seats. He's on the smaller side so we've been lucky. Not a bother on him regarding legs etc

ERF in Ireland has only really happened in the last 5-10 years as far as I can see but everyone around me is staying rear facing longer now. The Rear Facing Ireland group on facebook has done some really stellar work in its promotion. When I had my lad I was explaining it to everyone around me. Now it seems to be much more widespread

lazygal

Ours were nearly five and nearly four. Way safer to keep them rear facing as long as possible. Be Safe seats for both.

Emmmmm

Sorry to hijack thread but I was just researching this myself last night and hadn't realised that extended rear facing is much safer than forward facing. We are looking at buying our next car seat and I'd love to hear any recommendations. Thanks!

bee06

Emmmmm wrote: »

Sorry to hijack thread but I was just researching this myself last night and hadn't realised that extended rear facing is much safer than forward facing. We are looking at buying our next car seat and I'd love to hear any recommendations. Thanks!

We have the Axkid Minikid. It’s rf to 25kg and 125cm so it’s especially good if your child is in the high percentiles for weight or height. My little boy is tall so I know it will last him until at least 4. The Axkid Move and Britax Two Way Elite are also supposed to be great and are both 25kg limits (and more wallet friendly if you are buying seats for a few cars).

The majority of rf seats are 18kg/105cm limit so don’t last high percentile children. Very annoying to have spent money on one thinking it will last til 4 and for them to grow out of it much earlier!

I’d highly recommend the Facebook group mentioned above. You can give them you child’s weight, height and age and they will give you seat recommendations that are appropriate.

mirrorwall14

Emmmmm wrote: »

Sorry to hijack thread but I was just researching this myself last night and hadn't realised that extended rear facing is much safer than forward facing. We are looking at buying our next car seat and I'd love to hear any recommendations. Thanks!

Emmmm i highly recommend the facebook group but a few things

1. Do you know where on the centiles your little one is? Mine is 25th-37th for height/weight so an 18kg suited for us.
2. Whats your budget?
3. Do you have any requirements? (e.g. rotating etc) Isofix is generally only to 18kg for example
4. Will you need to move it daily/regularly?

I'll give you my three for example
Joie Tilt: approx €80. ERF to 18kg but no adjustable headrest so will be outgrown on height early than age 4 by a lot of children. My lad has his height in the legs and it looks like we might just about make it to age 4. This is the seat for our childminder, dead easy to take in and out. Belt can be in the way but you get very used to it. Also a very narrow seat which is dead handy in a full car

Joie Stages: Approx €130. ERF to 18kg then forward facing to age 7ish. We found this a bit wide for our lad when younger because obviously its a lot longer lasting of a seat. Belt is also in the way but again you become immune to it. This is in my husbands car and is our "secondary" seat

Joie 360 spin: Approx €270. ERF to 18kg. Biggest positive, its rotating so its dead easy to get our lad in and out. Its also isofix if you like that but its a pain in the ass to take in and out compared to the belt seats! Will last to about age 4.5 based on our lads centiles. Its probably our favourite out of the three but I'm not sure I'd spend that again. If you need two like we did its a nice option.

angeldelight

Our 3.5 year old is very comfortable in her rear facing seat - she’s 50th centile so we’ll hopefully get another year or so out of it

Emmmmm

bee06 wrote: »

We have the Axkid Minikid. It’s rf to 25kg and 125cm so it’s especially good if your child is in the high percentiles for weight or height. My little boy is tall so I know it will last him until at least 4. The Axkid Move and Britax Two Way Elite are also supposed to be great and are both 25kg limits (and more wallet friendly if you are buying seats for a few cars).

The majority of rf seats are 18kg/105cm limit so don’t last high percentile children. Very annoying to have spent money on one thinking it will last til 4 and for them to grow out of it much earlier!

I’d highly recommend the Facebook group mentioned above. You can give them you child’s weight, height and age and they will give you seat recommendations that are appropriate.

Thanks for your reply. He is a big boy weight & height wise so I'd like to get something that he won't outgrow too quickly. I'll check out your recommendations. I came across a FB page last night that was very informative and scary too!

Emmmmm

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Emmmm i highly recommend the facebook group but a few things

1. Do you know where on the centiles your little one is? Mine is 25th-37th for height/weight so an 18kg suited for us.
2. Whats your budget?
3. Do you have any requirements? (e.g. rotating etc) Isofix is generally only to 18kg for example
4. Will you need to move it daily/regularly?

I'll give you my three for example
Joie Tilt: approx €80. ERF to 18kg but no adjustable headrest so will be outgrown on height early than age 4 by a lot of children. My lad has his height in the legs and it looks like we might just about make it to age 4. This is the seat for our childminder, dead easy to take in and out. Belt can be in the way but you get very used to it. Also a very narrow seat which is dead handy in a full car

Joie Stages: Approx €130. ERF to 18kg then forward facing to age 7ish. We found this a bit wide for our lad when younger because obviously its a lot longer lasting of a seat. Belt is also in the way but again you become immune to it. This is in my husbands car and is our "secondary" seat

Joie 360 spin: Approx €270. ERF to 18kg. Biggest positive, its rotating so its dead easy to get our lad in and out. Its also isofix if you like that but its a pain in the ass to take in and out compared to the belt seats! Will last to about age 4.5 based on our lads centiles. Its probably our favourite out of the three but I'm not sure I'd spend that again. If you need two like we did its a nice option.

Thanks for your detailed response. He is at the top for weight & height so I suppose we need to get one that he won't outgrow too fast.
Budget wise we don't mind investing in a good one but we'll need to be able to move it from car to car as he starts with a childminder soon, or we many have to get a second one for her. The first two you've described are pretty affordable if we have to do that. Rotating sounds good as he is a heavy lad but will have to weigh up pros and cons first. Will check out FB too, were there any shops you found helpful when you were buying?

Keith186

When you find the model seat you are looking for try and find the US info sheet.
Can't remember where I read it (probably on boards), but the US regulations test the maximum weight the seat model can take, the EU regulations just test if it's suitable for set weights which are 18kg and 25kg at the upper end.
So, depending on the model it could be suitable for a few kg more.

This company in Belfast had a few more options available than in shops here when I was shopping.


https://incarsafetycentre.co.uk/category/extended-rear-facing/

fits

We have used mumnme In waterford and Tony Kealys to buy car seats. Both offered knowledgeable fitting services. I’d steer clear of the high street retailers.

annoyedgal

Have the brittax 2 way elite and would recommend it. Get it routinely checked by the RSA check it fits guys and they commented about what a good seat it is. My son is tall and heavy so was a good a choice for him.

Millem

Emmmmm wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. He is a big boy weight & height wise so I'd like to get something that he won't outgrow too quickly. I'll check out your recommendations. I came across a FB page last night that was very informative and scary too!

Contact incarsafety in Belfast. The car you drive could have a deciding factor as some seats might not be compatible in it

Kintarō Hattori

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Emmmm i highly recommend the facebook group but a few things

1. Do you know where on the centiles your little one is? Mine is 25th-37th for height/weight so an 18kg suited for us.
2. Whats your budget?
3. Do you have any requirements? (e.g. rotating etc) Isofix is generally only to 18kg for example
4. Will you need to move it daily/regularly?

I'll give you my three for example
Joie Tilt: approx €80. ERF to 18kg but no adjustable headrest so will be outgrown on height early than age 4 by a lot of children. My lad has his height in the legs and it looks like we might just about make it to age 4. This is the seat for our childminder, dead easy to take in and out. Belt can be in the way but you get very used to it. Also a very narrow seat which is dead handy in a full car

Joie Stages: Approx €130. ERF to 18kg then forward facing to age 7ish. We found this a bit wide for our lad when younger because obviously its a lot longer lasting of a seat. Belt is also in the way but again you become immune to it. This is in my husbands car and is our "secondary" seat

Joie 360 spin: Approx €270. ERF to 18kg. Biggest positive, its rotating so its dead easy to get our lad in and out. Its also isofix if you like that but its a pain in the ass to take in and out compared to the belt seats! Will last to about age 4.5 based on our lads centiles. Its probably our favourite out of the three but I'm not sure I'd spend that again. If you need two like we did its a nice option.

We got the 360 Spin for my partners car and she loves it. The rotating function really makes it easy to get our little lady in and out of the car.

For my own car I got the Joie Steadi Group 0-1. I went for this as I have her in the car infrequently, mainly at the weekend. Obviously it's not as nice a seat as the 360 but it has an adjustable headrest and multiple recline positions and she seems fairly content in it.

pooch90

Another vote for the Axkid Minikid here. My 2.5 year old loves his and climbs in himself. There no need to adjust straps or headrest as it tightens automatically when u pull the strap. And it's up to 25kg.
Mum n Me in Waterford are great and trained to fit the seats by the guys from the RSA. Tony Kealys too. Don't touch the likes of Smyths, Halfords or Mothercare for installation.

Fagashlil

We've minikids in our cars, son is almost 4, and will stay RF till he's 25KG. The axkid move is slightly less fancy than the minikid, but still the same safety features, and is about €150 cheaper.

jlm29

Emmmmm wrote: »

Thanks for your detailed response. He is at the top for weight & height so I suppose we need to get one that he won't outgrow too fast.
Budget wise we don't mind investing in a good one but we'll need to be able to move it from car to car as he starts with a childminder soon, or we many have to get a second one for her. The first two you've described are pretty affordable if we have to do that. Rotating sounds good as he is a heavy lad but will have to weigh up pros and cons first. Will check out FB too, were there any shops you found helpful when you were buying?

If your child is high on centile s for height and waste, all of those joie rearfacing seats would be a bad buy really. My 2.5 yr old is 91st centile for height and weight, and is 17kg now. If I had bought an 18kg seat, I’d either be buying another 25kg seat now, or else Id have the option of using a booster with the seat belt, and I know he wouldn’t sit up and leave the belt alone. He sleeps in the car often too, so a booster just wouldn’t suit, even if he would sit still in it.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that there are very few forward facing seats that are 25kg and harnessed. A lot of people buy car seats that are marketed as “suitable to age 4” not realising that the weight limits may be outgrown well before that. Also, with the likes of the joie stages and every stage, people don’t realise that after 18kg they need to be forward facing with a seat belt.

I have a minikid, and it’s fab. The ax kid move is similar, but cheaper as it’s missing a lot of the bells and whistles. The Britax two way elite is probably the most affordable 25kg option

pooch90

The TWE is a great price but just be aware that it needs to be braced to the seat in front and that seat can't be moved back and forth.
Minikid is tethered with a support leg so doesn't have same issues.

fits

The minikid wouldn’t fit in our car behind tall husband. Buying two would have been a fair whack of change anyway. My twins are in lower centiles so the spin 360 suited us fine. And joie stages in the second car.

TheValeyard

The Nuva Rebl is very good. A car seat that has isofix and 360 is very handy.

As for the rear facing, yes its ideal, but some toddlers just get to a stage of complete refusal and open rebellion of rear facing. (Suppose curiosity of seeing where mom or dad are driving) so enjoy rear facing while you can!

s4uv3

Be sure and check that any new seat will fit your car too. We have a joie every stages for our daughter, but the seatbelt isn't long enough to install it rearfacing
I had a Corsa up until we got a V50 recently, and it fit in the old car but not the new one, so don't be fooled by the size of the car.

angeldelight

s4uv3 wrote: »

Be sure and check that any new seat will fit your car too. We have a joie every stages for our daughter, but the seatbelt isn't long enough to install it rearfacing
I had a Corsa up until we got a V50 recently, and it fit in the old car but not the new one, so don't be fooled by the size of the car.

Strange - we have a Joie Stages RF in my dads V50

mirrorwall14

angeldelight wrote: »

Strange - we have a Joie Stages RF in my dads V50

There’s a short belt install for the stages we need to use in the grandparents car could help

s4uv3

angeldelight wrote: »

Strange - we have a Joie Stages RF in my dads V50

Oh really? Might have another go at the weekend...maybe I made a hames of trying to put it in.
Or there's a "check it fits" roadshow near me next week, sounds like I might need a chat with them!

mirrorwall14

s4uv3 wrote: »

Oh really? Might have another go at the weekend...maybe I made a hames of trying to put it in.
Or there's a "check it fits" roadshow near me next week, sounds like I might need a chat with them!

There's definitely a short belt install for the stages. Essentially keep the headrest down, route the belt onto it but don't plug in the belt yet. Only when you have the belt up around the back do you plug it in. Like this link

Check it fits should definitely be able to tell you if its really too short or if it can be installed

bee06

s4uv3 wrote: »

Oh really? Might have another go at the weekend...maybe I made a hames of trying to put it in.
Or there's a "check it fits" roadshow near me next week, sounds like I might need a chat with them!

The check it fits lads are amazing. I’d highly recommend going to get it double checked even if you do get it done yourself.

LorelaiG

Murray TheDemonic TalkingSkull wrote: »

The Nuva Rebl is very good. A car seat that has isofix and 360 is very handy.

As for the rear facing, yes its ideal, but some toddlers just get to a stage of complete refusal and open rebellion of rear facing. (Suppose curiosity of seeing where mom or dad are driving) so enjoy rear facing while you can!

Do you mean the Nuna Rebl? If so, are you aware it was recalled due to a safety issue and a new model (the Rebl Plus) was given to people to replace the original model?