ERF, Can some one Help

[emmylou92]

I have been looking at the ERF car seats for ages now, and I cant find any nice ones for my little girl

I managed to find this one
https://www.kiddisave.co.uk/store/product/7550/Recaro-Polaric-Microfibre-Car-Seat-Black-Silver/
and we only like that as it matches her big sisters booster seat.

I would just really like a girly one.

I found one In kiddicare that are birth to 4 yrs though they say when the baby gets to such a weight it needs to be turned around I was wondering If you acctualy have to turn them around or could you just continue using them RF?

 

[Rachel_C]

Honestly, I wouldn't consider 'nice' to be one that is pretty or pink, I'd call a car seat nice if it is the safest option that will fit your child and your car properly. Couldn't you just add some pretty accessories if you're that bothered about how it looks? I don't think I've ever seen a girly ERF seat in the UK (although you might be able to get them imported, I don't know). I think the market probably isn't big enough for them to make gender specific ones - they'll just make ones that can be used for girls or boys to increase the number of people who would buy it.

ETA - And no, if a seat says that it must be turned at a certain weight you have to turn it. That guideline will either mean that it's been tested and isn't safe past the recommended weight, or it hasn't been tested at all past the weight. I wouldn't take the risk either way.

 

[DarlingMe]

Does it NEED to be turned or is that the weight it CAN be turned? Seats in the US are different but they CAN be turned at a one year or a certain weight but do not NEED to be until the parent chooses to. I agree though, dont pick a seat because it matches her sisters seat or because it is pink! Check out safety ratings and ease of insertion, as insertion mistakes are the biggest risk of malfunction. Accessories also should not be added unless made by the seat manufacturer. Even adding decorative shoulder straps can mess with belt tightening.

 

[Blah11]

I think you can get a better seat for that money tbh. Amelies seat does to 55lbs (yours does to 40lbs) and isn't that much more expensive.

https://www.carseat.se/store.html

its the britax hiway.

 

[Blah11]

Does it NEED to be turned or is that the weight it CAN be turned? Seats in the US are different but they CAN be turned at a one year or a certain weight but do not NEED to be until the parent chooses to. I agree though, dont pick a seat because it matches her sisters seat or because it is pink! Check out safety ratings and ease of insertion, as insertion mistakes are the biggest risk of malfunction. Accessories also should not be added unless made by the seat manufacturer. Even adding decorative shoulder straps can mess with belt tightening.

theres usually a few kgs of crossover. Most combi seats do birth-13kg rearfacing and 9-18kg forward facing so theres 4kg where you can have them whatever way you want but when they reach 13kg, you NEED to turn them. The UK is way behind with our carseat law though

 

[Rachel_C]

Accessories also should not be added unless made by the seat manufacturer. Even adding decorative shoulder straps can mess with belt tightening.

I meant more like a pink blanket for over LO's legs You can get head huggers and stuff too, I'm pretty sure they're safe.

 

[DarlingMe]

Accessories also should not be added unless made by the seat manufacturer. Even adding decorative shoulder straps can mess with belt tightening.

I meant more like a pink blanket for over LO's legs You can get head huggers and stuff too, I'm pretty sure they're safe.

I was surprised to hear the head huggers are not! A podcast I listen to had a seat safety expert and she said nothing! She said things over are ok, like the zippered cover or a blanket but nothing in the seat, LO should only wear a layer or 2 of clothing too. A heavy coat can affect tightening of straps too.

She was a little over the top though. Although she is probably correct she said you should have no lose objects in your car and put it in the boot/trunk. Like if you have your laptop or something and get into an accident it could fly
and hit you or LO in the head. Unlikely but very true.

 

[Eala]

I actually saw a Mythbusters episode where they tried to recreate the "Something flying out of the boot/off the parcel shelf and hitting someone" accident. The only thing they managed to get off the shelf was a bowling ball

Sadly when it comes to ERF seats, even manufacturers like Britax who tend to do funky prints and colours in their FF seats don't offer the same fabric choice. Or at least, not the ones available in the UK. I know that www.carseat.se seems to have a few more choices - like the Multi Tech in cow print, or the Hi-Way in purple. You can also get the Graco DuoLogic in a lovely blue colour (not girly, but I think it's stunning!) But really, there isn't the same choice.

As for the weight thing, as I understand it, once they reach the specified limit for RF, they HAVE to be turned. As the seat has not been safety tested RF beyond that weight.

 

[bathbabe]

Check out www.incarsaferycentre.co.uk got my britax hi way 2 from there for £199.95 with free delivery, its plain black but i wasnt too fussed on colour x

 

[Croc-O-Dile]

They really should make ERF seats in nice patterns. I mean, it's all about what's safest, but why have 101 different choices for forward facing seats and only a few for ERF? The two most common being black and vomit orange.

 

[red balloon]

The besafe izi combo comes in pink and 6 other colours

 

[wigglywoo]

Sorry to hijack, but what's wrong with the Recaro one? I like it. It's Isofix and at £184 something (£10 off at checkout and free delivery) it's the cheapest ERF seat I've seen.

Is there a reason that no-one is suggesting that it's a good seat to get? Is it because it's new out and therefore an unknown entity?

 

[Rachel_C]

Sorry to hijack, but what's wrong with the Recaro one? I like it. It's Isofix and at £184 something (£10 off at checkout and free delivery) it's the cheapest ERF seat I've seen.

Is there a reason that no-one is suggesting that it's a good seat to get? Is it because it's new out and therefore an unknown entity?

I don't think anybody was saying that it's a bad seat, just that it's a bad idea to choose a seat based on how it looks. You could have the seat with the absolute best reviews, best marks in safety tests etc but if it didn't fit properly in your car it would be useless.

 

[Eala]

The Polaric isn't new out. The OP was asking about ones that come in other colours than black or grey. As it happens, you can get the Polaric in um... either blue/grey or blue/black (I forget the combo). The one thing which puts a lot of people off the Polaric is how bloody big it is. It's huge!

 

[bathbabe]

The Polaric isn't new out. The OP was asking about ones that come in other colours than black or grey. As it happens, you can get the Polaric in um... either blue/grey or blue/black (I forget the combo). The one thing which puts a lot of people off the Polaric is how bloody big it is. It's huge!

It is massive!! I dont know how anyone can fit it in their car!!

 

[wigglywoo]

Ah, thanks. The link I saw said it was new for 2011 so I assumed it was a new seat!

Sorry for the hijack

 

[Eala]

NP It's maybe new colours or a new model? Or perhaps it's just new to Kiddicare, I'm fairly sure they didn't sell it before now

The only person I know who got a Polaric to fit in their car had a landrover/range rover type thing. And even then, it took up all the room it could get! Crazy stuff.

 

[Blah11]

yeh theyre huge and the weight limit isnt that great compared to others. The britax ones do an extra 15lbs than the recaro.

 

[emmylou92]

Thanks ladys, I'm not going to get a car seat baised on what colour it is it would just be nice to know if there are some out there with more colours to chose from iykwim. I want my girl to be as safe as she can thats why were looking for a RF carseat.

We have been looking at the Britax one as my dad said that one was the best and his GF said that isofix isnt so important in these carseats as they are not been taken in and out of the car so offten.

 

[Bexx]

We have a red BeSafe Izi Combi which is absolutely brilliant. Looks stylish enough and is of course very safe.

I initially wanted the blue one, but there were stock shortages when we bought it and only the red or black were available.

The reason there is so little variety in ERF seats is because they don't sell many yet compared to FF ones and it's not financially viable to make too many different designs.