Rear-Facing Support, Questions & Answers

[veganmum2be]

i installed my hi way

it was actually really easy to do, but one thing really bugged me, it comes with a wedge to prop it up to make it lay back further for smaller babies, we needed to use it cos he was too leaned forwards otherwise, but the instructions did not mention it AT ALL. so i was really worried i hadn't done that right but there is no other way for it to go, so it must be right.

its in a 5 door fiesta i uploaded some photos of it installed

the front seat can still be used but my knees touch the dashboard and i'm 5'6.

I have a different seat (volvo multitech) so this may be different, but our seat is pulled really tight on the tether straps, and the back of the seat pushes quite hard into the front of the adult seat (making it recline more) This may mean it won't need the wedge.

I hope you don't mind me saying, it's just I saw the pictures and that's the first thing I thought. It might be different for your seat though. Anyone with the same seat have any ideas?

no i dont mind you saying

do you mean the carseat pushes against the front passenger seat?
if so the instructions say the carseat must be 10mm away from the front seat, but im not sure if thats what you mean?

the tether straps are as tight as possible, but the seat was still pretty much bolt upright without the wedge, and with the seat being from 0-55lbs the wedge would have to be used for a newborn i would leave it out but that would mean his head would be tipping forward when we drive.
i dont actually like having the wedge in as it felt less solid when its resting on that, than it did on the seat, but i have no idea what to do really.
i'm actually anoyed at the instructions, because for a carseat they weren't very clear and its a big thing to get right.

 

[Rachel_C]

do you mean the carseat pushes against the front passenger seat?
if so the instructions say the carseat must be 10mm away from the front seat, but im not sure if thats what you mean?

Different seats have different rules. Ours says that the seat must either be firmly pushed into the front seat OR have a 20mm gap between them

 

[veganmum2be]

ah ok, thanks, this one deffinatly says 10mm space! x

 

[pinkclaire]

I have the hi-way but mine didnt come with a wedge? Are you sure it wasnt used for packaging? Where did you get yours from? We have a similar problem though the seat could do with a few more holes in the extending bar at the front, my LO is 1 and his head falls down when hes sleeping sometimes, I certainally wouldnt use the seat on a very young baby. I thought it was our car as the actual car seats seem to recline a lot!

 

[hayley x]

Claire Daisy's head leans forward too, but now she is getting used to her seat more the last 3 times she fell asleep her head was back still We bought her one of them neck things for long journeys if we know she will fall asleep x

 

[Dimbo]

i installed my hi way

it was actually really easy to do, but one thing really bugged me, it comes with a wedge to prop it up to make it lay back further for smaller babies, we needed to use it cos he was too leaned forwards otherwise, but the instructions did not mention it AT ALL. so i was really worried i hadn't done that right but there is no other way for it to go, so it must be right.

its in a 5 door fiesta i uploaded some photos of it installed

the front seat can still be used but my knees touch the dashboard and i'm 5'6.

I have a different seat (volvo multitech) so this may be different, but our seat is pulled really tight on the tether straps, and the back of the seat pushes quite hard into the front of the adult seat (making it recline more) This may mean it won't need the wedge.

I hope you don't mind me saying, it's just I saw the pictures and that's the first thing I thought. It might be different for your seat though. Anyone with the same seat have any ideas?

no i dont mind you saying

do you mean the carseat pushes against the front passenger seat?
if so the instructions say the carseat must be 10mm away from the front seat, but im not sure if thats what you mean?

the tether straps are as tight as possible, but the seat was still pretty much bolt upright without the wedge, and with the seat being from 0-55lbs the wedge would have to be used for a newborn i would leave it out but that would mean his head would be tipping forward when we drive.
i dont actually like having the wedge in as it felt less solid when its resting on that, than it did on the seat, but i have no idea what to do really.
i'm actually anoyed at the instructions, because for a carseat they weren't very clear and its a big thing to get right.

I don't think I was quite with it last night when I was trying to explain what I meant. Not into the front seat, into the front part of the back seat. So, if you sat on the seat, I mean where the back of your knees would be. Let me see if i can find a photo....
https://www.familytram.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/infant-type-seat-500.png

so where the bottom back part of the seat meets the bottom front part of the adult seat, it actually indents into our car quite a lot. This means it reclines more, and her head doesn't bob forward as you say. This might not be as effective on your seat, because as I say ours is different. But it might mean you don't need the wedge.

I pulled the tether straps tight, and moved the support bar onto a shorter setting, and then pull the tether straps tight again. It was so tight for me that I had to pull with one hand and push the back of the seat down with the other hand. This is what the guy from the shop who originally tried it for size in our car said to do.

I hope that makes more sense.

 

[veganmum2be]

thanks so much for the advice i am going to remove the wedge and mess about with the positioning on the seat, the tether straps are tight but not as tight as you describe.

i bought the seat secondhand as its the only way i would have been able to afford erf to fit our car, i bought it from a lady on here, the wedge does say britax on it and it matches the polystyrine(sp?!) stuff on the bottom of the seat, but it doesnt even mention it in the instructions. i'm going to remove it!
his head lolled about in the infant carseat i think it might just be how the seats are in the car, i just used to hold his head in that so i can just do it until hes bigger i suppose!

really appreciate the feedback x

 

[Eala]

You could also get a neck cushion to stop his head lolling? I had a similar problem when LO was smaller. I got a Yondi neck pillow, they are made by Trunki! They do a "baby" size, but I got the toddler one which comes all the way around and fastens with magnets. It really helped when my LO was younger.

 

[veganmum2be]

oh the yondi seems like the perfect solution
however think i am going to go with the 1+ size, as i think by looking it will only be effective with the magnets, as i think the baby one is more head support to stop head tipping sideways, it will possibly be far to big but will give it a go.
thanks x

 

[Eala]

oh the yondi seems like the perfect solution
however think i am going to go with the 1+ size, as i think by looking it will only be effective with the magnets, as i think the baby one is more head support to stop head tipping sideways, it will possibly be far to big but will give it a go.
thanks x

Yah we got the 1+ size. The baby one looked ok in some pics, but in others it looked odd. I also factored in that my LO had a big head (in comparison with her length/weight) so I figured it might need the 1+

It worked absolutely fine for us

 

[Eala]

Are there any issues with buckle crunch and erf seats? Even though our car is a family car, we have had real trouble finding seats that fit without 'buckle crunch'.

Also, does the Britax Multi-tech recline?

Sorry Flubdub, totally missed this post originally

The Mult-Tech doesn't recline, no. Hasn't stopped my LO slouching into the side padding (very generous sides!) and sleeping

Buckle crunch was an issue for me in my Mum's Honda Jazz. The seat belt clips were on stalks of belt, and this meant that we got buckle crunch I don't know if the little stalks are longer or shorter than in other cars though. Oh, and the seat in question was the Volvo Multi-Tech again.

I've not tried my DuoLogic in there except as an Isofix, so I'm not sure how that would do. But the belt fitting is a bit different, so it might be ok. I can try it at some point, but I've no idea when I'll next be round there.

 

[flubdub]

Are there any issues with buckle crunch and erf seats? Even though our car is a family car, we have had real trouble finding seats that fit without 'buckle crunch'.

Also, does the Britax Multi-tech recline?

Sorry Flubdub, totally missed this post originally

The Mult-Tech doesn't recline, no. Hasn't stopped my LO slouching into the side padding (very generous sides!) and sleeping

Buckle crunch was an issue for me in my Mum's Honda Jazz. The seat belt clips were on stalks of belt, and this meant that we got buckle crunch I don't know if the little stalks are longer or shorter than in other cars though. Oh, and the seat in question was the Volvo Multi-Tech again.

I've not tried my DuoLogic in there except as an Isofix, so I'm not sure how that would do. But the belt fitting is a bit different, so it might be ok. I can try it at some point, but I've no idea when I'll next be round there.

Well apparently it is quite common with our car to get buckle crunch, as the seatbelts are on an extra length of belt, as you said. But Im sure I can check that out with Britix, or someone. My LO is only young yet, but Im just trying to learn more about RF and also prepare myself if we end up buying an expensive seat!lol


OT, but I was in a baby shop today, a bit like Mothercare, and a shop assistant was showing a young girl a car seat (it was a combination RF and FF). Her baby was about 2 months old and she wanted it FF!!! The shop assistant had to explain that the O had to be 20lb or 9 months old!

 

[veganmum2be]

^

i got some advice from hakan at carseat.se about seatbelts on long webbing, he said to twist the female end. so that the plastic bit was touching the seat so its shorter.

x

 

[flubdub]

^

i got some advice from hakan at carseat.se about seatbelts on long webbing, he said to twist the female end. so that the plastic bit was touching the seat so its shorter.

x

Is that the bit that you plug into? Does twisting not make them weaker?
I was wondering this today as one of the clips in our seatbelts has twisted round, and theyre a bugger to get back!

 

[Eala]

Ooh that's interesting to know about twisting the belt I'll keep that in mind, it'd be useful to be able to put the Multi Tech into the Jazz rather than the C4.

I don't think car seat safety is anywhere near pushed enough, you can't really blame people for not knowing the regulations. Heck, I sat through a presentation by the police when I was at the Baby Show, and it still wasn't that clear

 

[veganmum2be]

^

i got some advice from hakan at carseat.se about seatbelts on long webbing, he said to twist the female end. so that the plastic bit was touching the seat so its shorter.

x

Is that the bit that you plug into? Does twisting not make them weaker?
I was wondering this today as one of the clips in our seatbelts has twisted round, and theyre a bugger to get back!

sorry i didn't explain it too well, yeah the bit you plug into just turn the whole thing round and round so the webbing that has the plug on one end is shorter


girls i'm really not happy with the hi way
i wish so badly i could have afforded to have a carseat fitted somewhere, but i just couldn't afford new, at least not one that would fit my mums silly little car!

i took the wedge out today and we went out, but he was really squished up, its just so upright...which really makes no sense as the carseat is 0-55lbs, so a newborn should be comfy sat in it, and i dont see that being possible.
i do have a head thing on order but really i dont see that making much of a difference.
i could just pop him back in his infant carrier for longer, but that was a nightmare in the car too.
also when i look at pictures of the hi way installed in cars everyone seems to have done soemthing different, like the belt going through the lock offs, some have the non plug in side (iykwim ) both bits of belt going through some only have one bit. we did both as thats what the manual seemed to suggest. and positioning on the seat some have it so its touching the back seat some have it so its hanging off the edge of the seat almost.

i can stop using the car and just bus everywhere but that would mean i would miss out on loads of family gatherings and outings.
i just wish 1. that my mum had a decent sized car so we could go for any seat, and 2. i could afford to go new and travel to get one fitted.
but i cant

what do i do?
how am i supposed to know that its right and how is it right that its supposed to be from newborn but it clearly isnt?!

 

[Rachel_C]

^

i got some advice from hakan at carseat.se about seatbelts on long webbing, he said to twist the female end. so that the plastic bit was touching the seat so its shorter.

x

Is that the bit that you plug into? Does twisting not make them weaker?
I was wondering this today as one of the clips in our seatbelts has twisted round, and theyre a bugger to get back!

sorry i didn't explain it too well, yeah the bit you plug into just turn the whole thing round and round so the webbing that has the plug on one end is shorter


girls i'm really not happy with the hi way
i wish so badly i could have afforded to have a carseat fitted somewhere, but i just couldn't afford new, at least not one that would fit my mums silly little car!

i took the wedge out today and we went out, but he was really squished up, its just so upright...which really makes no sense as the carseat is 0-55lbs, so a newborn should be comfy sat in it, and i dont see that being possible.
i do have a head thing on order but really i dont see that making much of a difference.
i could just pop him back in his infant carrier for longer, but that was a nightmare in the car too.
also when i look at pictures of the hi way installed in cars everyone seems to have done soemthing different, like the belt going through the lock offs, some have the non plug in side (iykwim ) both bits of belt going through some only have one bit. we did both as thats what the manual seemed to suggest. and positioning on the seat some have it so its touching the back seat some have it so its hanging off the edge of the seat almost.

i can stop using the car and just bus everywhere but that would mean i would miss out on loads of family gatherings and outings.
i just wish 1. that my mum had a decent sized car so we could go for any seat, and 2. i could afford to go new and travel to get one fitted.
but i cant

what do i do?
how am i supposed to know that its right and how is it right that its supposed to be from newborn but it clearly isnt?!

Where did you buy the seat from? I would take photos (loads of detailed ones) and email them to the shop and ask their advice. They should be willing to help.

 

[veganmum2be]

Where did you buy the seat from? I would take photos (loads of detailed ones) and email them to the shop and ask their advice. They should be willing to help.

i had to buy secondhand. this, from the best i've been able to gather is the only seat that will fit an old fiesta.

 

[Heidi]

^^^I have the same fiesta except a 3 door and the izi combi fits fine, hope you get it sorted out soon x

 

[TigerLady]

Just for fun. My ERF Kiddiliwinks!

https://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx223/TigerLady_Otter/IMG_4657.jpg

https://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx223/TigerLady_Otter/IMG_4662.jpg