Rear-Facing Support, Questions & Answers

[Rachel_C]

It's like that in the UK too. It's such a horrible shame that it's not well known but I think it can and will improve. I was talking about it to my mum and she said that when I was a baby (I'm 26), there weren't even infant car seats. You were expected to sit with your baby on your knee or put their moses basket on the back seat. My parents were laughed at because they bought a special harness for me and my moses basket! Seat belts weren't a legal requirement then either. So that's how much things can change in less than 30 years... hopefully ERF will be far more common in the future.

 

[Kota]

At least its legal where you are, if not well known. In Australia there are NO seats that are ERF approved for over 12kgs, so basically, once your baby hits 12kgs, you have to turn them, most people will turn at 6months and about 9kgs, and not think twice about it, I've been looked at so strange that P is still rear facing at 13months. .
Whats worse is that not only are there no approved seats, but over here, to use a seat that isn't Australian approved, is considered illegal, so by me importing one from America to do what I believe safest, I'm technically breaking the law. Such a crap situation to be put in.
They've recently reviewed all the infant/child restraint laws here as well and it was hoped that there would at least be an allowance for ERF, but no. and what sucks most, is that one of the companies over here actually has the design and ability to build one that could be approved, but won't because they don't believe that there is a market for it..
But until someone brings one out, there will never be a market for it as the majority just have no idea.

 

[Kota]

My radian just arrived! It's soo lovely, can't wait to get it in the car.

 

[Rmar]

Kota,

You have probably mentioned this before but I am really time poor so I can't go back and read but is your Radian meeting Australian standards and if so, what does it rear face up to?

We are purchasing a Britax AHR but that only goes up to 12kg's in RF position(so much better than the 9kg ones that everyone else seems to be getting). Looking into what we are going to do after the baby hits 12kg's (or gets too tall). I don't really want to go against the law. Would be great if the ERF Britax ones could be approved for Australia.

 

[Sarahwoo]

Kota we want to see pictures!!

 

[Kota]

Kota,

You have probably mentioned this before but I am really time poor so I can't go back and read but is your Radian meeting Australian standards and if so, what does it rear face up to?

We are purchasing a Britax AHR but that only goes up to 12kg's in RF position(so much better than the 9kg ones that everyone else seems to be getting). Looking into what we are going to do after the baby hits 12kg's (or gets too tall). I don't really want to go against the law. Would be great if the ERF Britax ones could be approved for Australia.

Nope, it doesn't. I've been reading my head off for the last couple of months trying to figure out what I should do, and after LOTS of research and looking at other Aussie parenting forums, it would appear the Radian is by far the most popular ERF seat that people will get imported.
NOTHING in Australia is approved over 12kgs RF, which SUCKS. and whats worse, is that it isn't even a saftey standard that its not meeting, because the Radian would pass any Aussie standards by FAR. It's actually a design standard. Because Australian cars are rarely built with LATCH./Isofix, they won't approve a seat that primarily uses this. Its really quite ridiculus.

Anyway, from everything I've read, if you were unlucky enough to be pulled over, the chances of a cop knowing that your seat is not Aust approved is slim to none.

You CAN get them approved over here... but you need to purchase 3 seperate seats, and give 2 of them to the safety standards testing people. They will perform whatever tests they need to, and when it passes, you get approval to use your seat. What sucks about this, is that you could do that for the Radian, get it approved, and then your best friend could go get the same seat, but theres wouldn't be approved and they would have to go and give them another 2 seats to test as well. Stupid huh!

So yep, after really thinking about it, we've decided to 'break the law' and get the ERF in. I'd rather know my child was in the safest possible seat he could be for as long as he can be. But obviously its entirely up to the individual to take the risk,.


eta - however it rear faces up to 20kgs! so much better then the piddly 9kg or 12kgs you can get here.

 

[Kota]

Kota we want to see pictures!!

Here you go!
It's not in the car yet as its been raining all afternoon, but hopefully can get it in there tomorrow.

https://i56.tinypic.com/2960x8i.jpg

 

[Eala]

Aww he looks like he really loves his seat!! What a gorgeous smile

 

[Sariana]

I had never heard of ERF until I started using BnB! I have been looking in to getting out of my (very nearly) 6 month old. Does anyone know if the Volvo/Britax multi tech would fit in to a 2009 Vauxhall/Opel Corsa? Thanks.

 

[Sarahwoo]

Great photo, looks like his seat is already a hit!!

 

[Eala]

I had never heard of ERF until I started using BnB! I have been looking in to getting out of my (very nearly) 6 month old. Does anyone know if the Volvo/Britax multi tech would fit in to a 2009 Vauxhall/Opel Corsa? Thanks.

Is it a 3 door? I know the Multi Tech fits in a Honda Jazz (which is just a bit bigger than a Corsa) but I could imagine it being a footer to fit in a 3-door car.

The Multi-Tech is fitted with a seatbelt, not Isofix, which can cause a problem. Although it had loads of room in the Honda Jazz, the seatbelt fittings wouldn't work with the seat. The belt clips (that the belt clicks into) need to be set into the seats, not on pieces of belt. This is because if the clips are on bits of belt themselves, the seat can move about.

Hopefully that helps a bit!

 

[pinkclaire]

I have a MG ZR, so another small hatchback and was recommended by Hakan to have the Britax hiway, which I just ordered today! I cannot wait for it to come 2-5 days apparently!

 

[Sariana]

I had never heard of ERF until I started using BnB! I have been looking in to getting out of my (very nearly) 6 month old. Does anyone know if the Volvo/Britax multi tech would fit in to a 2009 Vauxhall/Opel Corsa? Thanks.

Is it a 3 door? I know the Multi Tech fits in a Honda Jazz (which is just a bit bigger than a Corsa) but I could imagine it being a footer to fit in a 3-door car.

The Multi-Tech is fitted with a seatbelt, not Isofix, which can cause a problem. Although it had loads of room in the Honda Jazz, the seatbelt fittings wouldn't work with the seat. The belt clips (that the belt clicks into) need to be set into the seats, not on pieces of belt. This is because if the clips are on bits of belt themselves, the seat can move about.

Hopefully that helps a bit!

Hi thats for your reply

Its a 5 door (I should of said). so that would make it easier to fit. I'm pretty sure that the buckets sit in the seat but im not 100% I will check when my husbands gets home from work in 30 mins. My biggest concern was that it would make sitting in the front passenger seat uncomfortable.

Think I might orderone from the local Volvo dealer and see if it fits, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[Eala]

I had never heard of ERF until I started using BnB! I have been looking in to getting out of my (very nearly) 6 month old. Does anyone know if the Volvo/Britax multi tech would fit in to a 2009 Vauxhall/Opel Corsa? Thanks.

Is it a 3 door? I know the Multi Tech fits in a Honda Jazz (which is just a bit bigger than a Corsa) but I could imagine it being a footer to fit in a 3-door car.

The Multi-Tech is fitted with a seatbelt, not Isofix, which can cause a problem. Although it had loads of room in the Honda Jazz, the seatbelt fittings wouldn't work with the seat. The belt clips (that the belt clicks into) need to be set into the seats, not on pieces of belt. This is because if the clips are on bits of belt themselves, the seat can move about.

Hopefully that helps a bit!

Hi thats for your reply

Its a 5 door (I should of said). so that would make it easier to fit. I'm pretty sure that the buckets sit in the seat but im not 100% I will check when my husbands gets home from work in 30 mins. My biggest concern was that it would make sitting in the front passenger seat uncomfortable.

Think I might orderone from the local Volvo dealer and see if it fits, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

It's really quite compact in the back seat (compared to my Graco DuoLogic2, which is also billed as being "compact") so I think you'd be ok for legroom. I think the 5 door Corsas are quite similar in size to a Jazz, and there was easily enough legroom in the front seat for a passenger when we tried the MultiTech.

You could try e-mailing Hakan at www.carseat.se and see if he has any pics of the Multi Tech in a Corsa (or similar sized car?) He doesn't need to know that you'll then buy the seat from Volvo (poor Hakan ), but it might help you get an idea of how much room you'd have.

Reason I suggest this is that I'm not entirely sure if you can return the seat once you order it from Volvo. They don't hold them in stock, you see, you have to order it in to your local dealer, and once they take it out of the box I'm not sure they'd take it back if it didn't fit (although I don't know how this fits in with UK retailer laws right enough).

Fingers crossed the buckets are set into the seats (And thank you, I now know the word for those clips )

 

[Sariana]

I had never heard of ERF until I started using BnB! I have been looking in to getting out of my (very nearly) 6 month old. Does anyone know if the Volvo/Britax multi tech would fit in to a 2009 Vauxhall/Opel Corsa? Thanks.

Is it a 3 door? I know the Multi Tech fits in a Honda Jazz (which is just a bit bigger than a Corsa) but I could imagine it being a footer to fit in a 3-door car.

The Multi-Tech is fitted with a seatbelt, not Isofix, which can cause a problem. Although it had loads of room in the Honda Jazz, the seatbelt fittings wouldn't work with the seat. The belt clips (that the belt clicks into) need to be set into the seats, not on pieces of belt. This is because if the clips are on bits of belt themselves, the seat can move about.

Hopefully that helps a bit!

Hi thats for your reply

Its a 5 door (I should of said). so that would make it easier to fit. I'm pretty sure that the buckets sit in the seat but im not 100% I will check when my husbands gets home from work in 30 mins. My biggest concern was that it would make sitting in the front passenger seat uncomfortable.

Think I might orderone from the local Volvo dealer and see if it fits, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

It's really quite compact in the back seat (compared to my Graco DuoLogic2, which is also billed as being "compact") so I think you'd be ok for legroom. I think the 5 door Corsas are quite similar in size to a Jazz, and there was easily enough legroom in the front seat for a passenger when we tried the MultiTech.

You could try e-mailing Hakan at www.carseat.se and see if he has any pics of the Multi Tech in a Corsa (or similar sized car?) He doesn't need to know that you'll then buy the seat from Volvo (poor Hakan ), but it might help you get an idea of how much room you'd have.

Reason I suggest this is that I'm not entirely sure if you can return the seat once you order it from Volvo. They don't hold them in stock, you see, you have to order it in to your local dealer, and once they take it out of the box I'm not sure they'd take it back if it didn't fit (although I don't know how this fits in with UK retailer laws right enough).

Fingers crossed the buckets are set into the seats (And thank you, I now know the word for those clips )

Yes they do sit inside the seats, whoop! I've read that the MT needs 60 cms of room to be fitted in the back where as the hi-way needs 55cm. I will find a tape and go measure my seats tomorrow.

I never thought about volvo not taking it back I kinda just thought I wouldn't pay until it was fitted and if it didnt fit, say I had changed my mind. Maybe thinking about it thats a bit cheeky

Poor guy I will send him an e-mail asking. I have seen pics of it in the back of a onda civic sport and that looked tiny in the back....

Only thing is I couldn't find anywhere to attach the tether straps. Am I right in thinking that you can loop them around the front seats? like this https://www.carseat.se/store.html?gclid=CJeZjJPhqqcCFUEa4QodIEa8mA on page 9. Has anyone done this?

 

[Heidi]

Only thing is I couldn't find anywhere to attach the tether straps. Am I right in thinking that you can loop them around the front seats? like this https://www.carseat.se/store.html?gclid=CJeZjJPhqqcCFUEa4QodIEa8mA on page 9. Has anyone done this?

It probably varies between different car seats but when i got our izi combi you had a choice of attaching the tether straps to the seat runners or through the actual seat like you said if there isnt actually a gap for them to go through on the runners.

 

[Eala]

Yah, some cars have things on the seat runners which you can loop the tether straps through, otherwise the straps go round the seats. That's what I had to do in my parents' C4. It was a bit of a faff, but once I'd figured out where the gap was between the back and um... seat of the seat haha it wasn't too difficult.

 

[Sariana]

Excellent thank you ladies. You guys have been so helpful

 

[Eala]

You're welcome! Hope you find that it works in your car

 

[tiggercats]

Sariana, I have the MT for a astra estate (2000), there isn't loads of legroom in the front once the seat is in, I wouldn't want to be there for a long journey and i'm only 5'4".

There is a corsa listed as having a besafe izi combi isofix https://community.babycentre.co.uk/...all_drive_and_erf_seat_we_have_-_updated_list no comments as to legroom though.