Confused about car seats... ISOFIX? Car compatibility?

[kayleigh&bump]

Im wayyyyy confused about car seats!

I have a car seat that came with our travel system, its the Graco Quattro Deluxe system. Heres a pic of it



Basically, what i wanna know is... what is all the ISOFIX business about? and will this car seat fit in my car?! I thought they were all just standard and now im kinda panicking!!!!!

I have a 2004 ford fiesta finesse 3 dr.

If anyone could shed some light and tell me how i can find out is my car is compatible, that would be great

Thank you x

 

[ellie27]

The graco website has a car compatability section on it - it is not working at the moment but it was last week!!

I did a bit of research on this as I am looking to get the Graco Tour Sport. The base that comes with the graco fits pretty much all cars- it is not an isofix base. An isofix base fits isofix cars - a new addition to newer cars.

So I think you are fine!!

 

[MUMOF5]

How about Ford website? I may be wrong but I thought that isofix didnt come as standard in cars until 2005-2006 models?? x

 

[Maybebaby80]

I posted a similar post a few weeks ago. I was also totally confused!

I have a 3 door 2004 Ford Ka and it does not have isofix. My Mum and Sisters cars do and they say that it is there in the back.

It is unlikely your car will have it, I think it is all new cars after 2006 have to have it.

You can get an easy fix base instead. I suggest going to Mothercare or Halfords and asking them to test different ones in your car - both were very helpful. Hopefully they will try the one you have got to see if it is fits.

 

[Hanna]

To find out if you have isofix, just stick your hand down the back of your seats (in the gap between back and seat - same place the seat belt fixing is), isofix is a kind of hook. If you have them, then you can use an isofix baby seat.
https://motortorque.askaprice.com/images/features/428-288/ISOFIX-Baby-Car-Seats-explained-19857.jpg

 

[kayleigh&bump]

thanks... slightly clearer!

Just one question.... what exactly is an isofix base? Are the Graco ones isofix? Im completely baffled lol xx

 

[ellie27]

The graco ones are not isofix bases so you should be ok.

 

[emalou90]

in my car, the isofix isn't a hook, just so you know, the bases just 'click' in. its also refferred to and 'click and fix'

and only most of the newer cars have it, we're talking 2006 onwards, just check your user manual if you're not sure, but a 2004 model won't have it.

x

 

[_Vicky_]

lol omg WTF - mine just attach to the seat belts all this iso whatsit is giving me a headache lol

It would be interesting to find out if my car has it though

Peugeot 407 SW on an 06 plate anyone?

 

[suzanne108]

OMG I have to agree with Vicky!

My base attaches to the seat belts in my car....but I haven't tried it and I'm getting worried now in case it doesn't fit!!

My car is 52 plate so probably doesn't have this iso thingy, the travel system is Graco.

 

[kayleigh&bump]

OMG I have to agree with Vicky!

My base attaches to the seat belts in my car....but I haven't tried it and I'm getting worried now in case it doesn't fit!!

My car is 52 plate so probably doesn't have this iso thingy, the travel system is Graco.

I also have the graco system, but someone said that they dont use the isofix thingy majig so i think we will be okay. Its all so confusing, I didnt have a clue about all this stuff... when we bought the travel system, i just assumed it would fit!!

 

[aly888]

I have the same travel system as you but you dont need to worry because the Graco base is not an ISOFix base anyhow!! So we will just have to use the cars seatbelt to fit the base (or the seat on its own if you choose not to use the base)

As someone has mentioned, ALL cars from 2006 onwards must have at least a two point ISOFix system for the rear seats (coz you can get ones with three fixing points with the third being at the top of the seat), but that doesnt meant you definately dont have ISOFix if your car is pre-2006!! I am buying an 04 car that has ISOFix, and both my OH's cars have ISOfix (one is 2001, one is 2002)!! again, as someone has already said, ISOFix is just the branding for what effectively are just two hooks under the seat cusions of your car that are permanently fixed to your cars body. The seat then just 'clicks' onto these hooks and becomes almost 'as'one' with your car! lol

If you do buy a seat that is ISOFix it doesnt mean you cant fit it to a non ISOFix car...all child seats can be fitted using the good ol' tried and tested 'seatbelt' method. The idea of ISOFix was to take the confusion out of seatbelt fitting as so many parents were getting the fitment so so scarily wrong it was unbelievable!!!

 

[Morris]

arghh! Im mega confused now. Thank you so much for this thread, Im just looking into travel systems at the moment but have yet to buy one. So far i dont think that any of the ones i have looked at has mentioned anything about this, or specifically about a base. If u buy a car seat as part of a travel system then do i have to buy a base separately?? Iv just been presuming that a car seat was simple, would come ready to use and would fit any car, lol, clearly im living in a bubble where everything is sooooo much easier than real life lol

 

[emalou90]

haha... okay to all those who are worried their car seat bases wont fit...

DONT WORRY.

All bases are compatible with using the good old SEATBELTS in every car.

your base will clearly say if they are Isofix (if in doubt read the instructions!)

Isofix is just a new fancy word. Google it.



The seatbelts work just as good as Isofix but they say Isofix is less likely to be fitted wrong.

Don't worry girls.. all your bases will fit.. unless you bought an Isofix car seat base to go in a 1986 car haha!

Google is very good for getting info on Iso and non Iso seats.

xx

 

[xpinkness87x]

in my car, the isofix isn't a hook, just so you know, the bases just 'click' in. its also refferred to and 'click and fix'

and only most of the newer cars have it, we're talking 2006 onwards, just check your user manual if you're not sure, but a 2004 model won't have it.

x

My car is 2001 and it has it I think it depends on manufacture.

Also i am going to get a base WITHOUT isofix so we can move it between cars easily as OH's car doesnt have isofix.

 

[emalou90]

in my car, the isofix isn't a hook, just so you know, the bases just 'click' in. its also refferred to and 'click and fix'

and only most of the newer cars have it, we're talking 2006 onwards, just check your user manual if you're not sure, but a 2004 model won't have it.

x

My car is 2001 and it has it I think it depends on manufacture.

Also i am going to get a base WITHOUT isofix so we can move it between cars easily as OH's car doesnt have isofix.

Yeah thats true hun! i stand corrected... its just become more common from 06 onwards.
don't quote anything i say i have pregnancy brain haha xx

 

[xpinkness87x]

lol dont i have the same at the moment lol!! i just thought i would say as everyone seems to get confused about weither or not they can use them I think they are more a pain in the bum than anything else lol

 

[PieMistress]

If you are able to go to a Mothercare they will come out with the car seat bases and try them in your car x

 

[sam's mum]

We have that travel system and the base doesn't have isofix - even if you have one that does, you don't need to use it (if your car doesn't have isofix points) - it just saves you having to use the seatbelts to strap it in. My car has isofix but I've still got the base fitted with the seatbelts.

Sam's big car seat has isofix though - it's just easier to fit and feels very secure (you don't have to keep checking that the seatbelts are tight enough!) ...but I can still strap it into OH's car using the seatbelts. Pretty much all seats are compatible with all cars so you don't really need to worry - it's just that there's more than one way to fit some of them x