Car seat dilemma

[Minnie_me]

Grateful for advice from anyone who has come up against this. Went to pick up my car seat (maxicosi cabriofix) and discovered I can't have an isofix base and that my car seatbelts are short so whilst it can be used, it is going to be a struggle every time I need to take the car seat in and out.

Has anyone else got a similar situation and how are you managing?

Apparently it wouldn't make any difference if I got a different brand of seat so I now feel frustrated and upset.

 

[popat]

Could your seat belts work with the Easybase 2 (which doesn't use isofix)?

 

[Beadette]

^^ Yes I have bought the maxi cosi cabriofix and it is also compatible with the Easybase 2 as well a the Easyfix base (iso) so you should be ok if you get that????

Sorry you are frstrated x

 

[emsie]

Woah? this thread proves i have no idea about the world i am about to enter into.

 

[Tea Monster]

We have this with the Easybase 2 (ie base that clips in with the seatbelt, not the isofix base) and it's fine - the car seat clicks on and off the base just like it would with an isofix and the lady told us pretty much all cars can take the Easybase! Hope that helps...

 

[Tadan]

If not and it's just the seatbelts, will a seatbelt extender work? I bought one online because our seatbelts were too short and sadly a nice new car isnt likely! It has the european certificate thing on it and as long as its tight in the car its fine, the lady at the shop tried it for us with the car seat (we've paid for it months ago but arent picking it up until Feb) and she was happy that it was as sturdy as if there wasn't one there and its got the safety mark

 

[My_First]

We are the same, no isofix in the car so bought the easybase 2.

 

[Minnie_me]

Tried the Easybase and my car failed due to buckle buckling or some such phrase which means that the plastic clip of the seat belt would be against the plastic of the chair causing it to be a weak spot hence making it unsafe I asked about a seatbelt extender and the woman said it would be very expensive and not worthwhile. I am probably over reacting but I got back to mum and dad's and burst into tears, I feel like a failure which I know is ridiculous - it's not my fault that my car isn't made to support infant seats but I just want everything to be right for my daughter. My mum now wants to see if her car is any better (it's considerably newer) and if so she will give it to me but that's made me feel even more guilty.

 

[bigbetty]

We had the same problem with the seatbelts being too short for our primo viaggio and we don't have isofix points either. We looked into getting a surfix base but it is £95!

Then DH was having a look on ebay and we found this - a seatbelt extender. It works a treat and saved us £90 lol

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160516781196&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[Tadan]

Tried the Easybase and my car failed due to buckle buckling or some such phrase which means that the plastic clip of the seat belt would be against the plastic of the chair causing it to be a weak spot hence making it unsafe I asked about a seatbelt extender and the woman said it would be very expensive and not worthwhile. I am probably over reacting but I got back to mum and dad's and burst into tears, I feel like a failure which I know is ridiculous - it's not my fault that my car isn't made to support infant seats but I just want everything to be right for my daughter. My mum now wants to see if her car is any better (it's considerably newer) and if so she will give it to me but that's made me feel even more guilty.

Mine is similar to BigBetty's but not from ebay and about the same price too! Not expensive at all
I'm sorry they made you feel terrible hun, there is always ways and means! And bless your mum too

 

[Casey-Jones]

What car do you have?

 

[Minnie_me]

What car do you have?

Fiesta - an old one

 

[peonies]

Fiesta's are a bloody pain in the bum! I got the easyfix base because I have a 2008 Fiesta and was sure I'd read that isofix was standard since 2006. Apparently Ford don't follow this rule and make it a (free) option when you buy them new. We inherited this car from OH's dad, who at 60+ had no need for isofix when he ordered it new! Fortunately the easyfix does still fit with just the seatbelt so we're doing that for now, but having done it ourselves I'm now worrying about the seatbelt length issue that you've mentioned!

After doing some googling I did find out that you can have isofix retrofitted for about £40 from a ford dealer, it is literally two little clips that attach between the bum&back cushions on the back seats, I always assumed it was much more complex than that! Silly me for not checking before we went with the cabriofix But then, we'd chosen the quinny as our pram, so there weren't really any other options

 

[Minnie_me]

After doing some googling I did find out that you can have isofix retrofitted for about £40 from a ford dealer, it is literally two little clips that attach between the bum&back cushions on the back seats, I always assumed it was much more complex than that! Silly me for not checking before we went with the cabriofix But then, we'd chosen the quinny as our pram, so there weren't really any other options

£40 to have isofix put in sounds like a good option, might see about this. I think my mum's Fiesta is an 04 so she probably doesn't have it either. This is what I get for being totally disinterested in cars and happy enough to drive my faithful little V reg

 

[tigs]

Just wanted to pop in and say all you ladies with shorter belts might find stage 1 2 3 carseats tricky to buy too... as the buckle issue is still there..

Just a ray of hope the kiddyseat is fab and has fit in every car I have tried (we have very short belts)...

It also scored high on teh which saftey tests - and my DD loves it...


its this one

 

[moma]

Woah? this thread proves i have no idea about the world i am about to enter into.

hahaaha me to
ive just sat read through it all, and acutally still have no idea what you are on about ?

ive saw the bases? never took any notice of them,

i have the maxi cosy to not tried it in car yet tho ? i just thought they fit ?

i have a 55 reg citreon c4 , 5dr, they are familly friendly cars i would say , so rekon should fit ??

let you know later ill be sending hubby to try hahaha

 

[peonies]

Woah? this thread proves i have no idea about the world i am about to enter into.

hahaaha me to
ive just sat read through it all, and acutally still have no idea what you are on about ?

ive saw the bases? never took any notice of them,

i have the maxi cosy to not tried it in car yet tho ? i just thought they fit ?

i have a 55 reg citreon c4 , 5dr, they are familly friendly cars i would say , so rekon should fit ??

let you know later ill be sending hubby to try hahaha

Basically you have 3 options with the cabriofix seat:

1. fix it straight into the car with the seatbelt.

2. Buy an easybase, which fixes into the car with the seatbelt. The base stays in the car, and you can click the seat in and out of it which is useful if you have a pram that lets you click the cabriofix onto it. Then you don't have to worry about installing it correctly with the seatbelt every time.

3. Buy an easyfix base. This is the same principle as the easybase, except it fixes to the car using isofix, which is a universal system that means that the base is fixed to the chassis of the car rather than just the seatbelt. The Easyfix base can also be fitted via the seatbelt too, if like me you buy it then realise your car doesn't have the isofix attachments

It depends how you plan to use it as to which is the best option for you, eg if you plan to leave the carseat in the car and always lift LO out of it, then you don't have much use for it. I went for a base because we bought the quinny which allows you to click the carseat straight onto it, and I didn't want to worry about strapping the carseat in with the seatbelt everyday in case I did it wrong!
hope that helps

 

[FunnyBunny]

Tried the Easybase and my car failed due to buckle buckling or some such phrase which means that the plastic clip of the seat belt would be against the plastic of the chair causing it to be a weak spot hence making it unsafe I asked about a seatbelt extender and the woman said it would be very expensive and not worthwhile. I am probably over reacting but I got back to mum and dad's and burst into tears, I feel like a failure which I know is ridiculous - it's not my fault that my car isn't made to support infant seats but I just want everything to be right for my daughter. My mum now wants to see if her car is any better (it's considerably newer) and if so she will give it to me but that's made me feel even more guilty.

Could you get a second opinion from another store?

 

[My_First]

MOthercare have 'car seat fitting stations' they will help you fit your car seat correctly, even if you didnt buy it from them..(y)

 

[moma]

Woah? this thread proves i have no idea about the world i am about to enter into.

hahaaha me to
ive just sat read through it all, and acutally still have no idea what you are on about ?

ive saw the bases? never took any notice of them,

i have the maxi cosy to not tried it in car yet tho ? i just thought they fit ?

i have a 55 reg citreon c4 , 5dr, they are familly friendly cars i would say , so rekon should fit ??

let you know later ill be sending hubby to try hahaha

Basically you have 3 options with the cabriofix seat:

1. fix it straight into the car with the seatbelt.

2. Buy an easybase, which fixes into the car with the seatbelt. The base stays in the car, and you can click the seat in and out of it which is useful if you have a pram that lets you click the cabriofix onto it. Then you don't have to worry about installing it correctly with the seatbelt every time.

3. Buy an easyfix base. This is the same principle as the easybase, except it fixes to the car using isofix, which is a universal system that means that the base is fixed to the chassis of the car rather than just the seatbelt. The Easyfix base can also be fitted via the seatbelt too, if like me you buy it then realise your car doesn't have the isofix attachments

It depends how you plan to use it as to which is the best option for you, eg if you plan to leave the carseat in the car and always lift LO out of it, then you don't have much use for it. I went for a base because we bought the quinny which allows you to click the carseat straight onto it, and I didn't want to worry about strapping the carseat in with the seatbelt everyday in case I did it wrong!
hope that helps

THANK YOU LOL, ive had the quinny to ,
ill have a look at the bases then now i understand