Rear-Facing Support, Questions & Answers

[TigerLady]

Thanks, it took me a while, but I finally figured out how to slide it. It is easier if you do it from the back. It is harder to slide up than down. So it keeps sliding down rather easily. In the back, there are two blocks, each with with two bolts. That is the part that slides.

 

[TigerLady]

Hmm... guess it doesn't need to lock. Odd. Okay... I think that does it then! I'm good to go!

 

[Shifter]

Thanks for this thread, I think it's an issue that could do with more open discussion.

We got a Britax First Plus before Jack was born as we wanted to save money by having a car seat that would last, rather than forking out for an infant carrier and then another one in a few months. MIL insisted we have an infant carrier so she loaned us one and we used it in my mum's car but Jack outgrew it by 3 months (I was right lol!) Anyway, it's only since I learned about ERF that I realised the weight limit on the RF position is a problem

I hadn't talked to DH about it yet when he raised the topic recently, saying we "should" probably turn Jack around soon. I practically exploded at him! But it's not his fault, he's just going by what he thought was safest - as the weight limits would imply. I had to explain that the 20lb guideline is an absolute minimum and children should RF as long as possible

 

[CountingDown]

Thanks for this thread, we are currently looking into purchasing a rear face carseat but options seem limited in the UK.

 

[LadyBee]

Omg he is just sooo precious TL...
That seat rocks!!

 

[kirsten1985]

Thanks for this thread, I think it's an issue that could do with more open discussion.

We got a Britax First Plus before Jack was born as we wanted to save money by having a car seat that would last, rather than forking out for an infant carrier and then another one in a few months. MIL insisted we have an infant carrier so she loaned us one and we used it in my mum's car but Jack outgrew it by 3 months (I was right lol!) Anyway, it's only since I learned about ERF that I realised the weight limit on the RF position is a problem

I hadn't talked to DH about it yet when he raised the topic recently, saying we "should" probably turn Jack around soon. I practically exploded at him! But it's not his fault, he's just going by what he thought was safest - as the weight limits would imply. I had to explain that the 20lb guideline is an absolute minimum and children should RF as long as possible

Hey we have the Britax First Plus, is the RF weight limit 20lbs?! I thought it was 28lb or something, I will have to go find out.

 

[kirsten1985]

Ah, found it, it is 28lb. You scared me then Holly! Thought I was in for buying another seat soon.

It's this one we have:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product...m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1T5RN6YSCMGP2D7YWB5J

I think it will be a nice long time 'til Freya is 28lb, she is only about 16lb right now. Gives me some time to save for a new one!

 

[Rachel_C]

I think I've found a few possibilties in the UK (www.rearfacing.co.uk has lists of shops that sell RF seats) but one of them is only available if you actually go to the showroom so they can make sure it fits your car properly. Not sure OH will appreciate being dragged to Oxford but it'll be worth it to have somebody show us the options and how to fit them.

Are RF seats isofix, or do they fit with a seatbelt? Is it better to use isofix? We use the seatbelt for Leyla's baby seat right now and it's a real pain so I imagine it's awkward with a bigger child if the seat uses seatbelts.

 

[morri]

Many if not all have a ISofix function .

 

[Shifter]

Thanks for this thread, I think it's an issue that could do with more open discussion.

We got a Britax First Plus before Jack was born as we wanted to save money by having a car seat that would last, rather than forking out for an infant carrier and then another one in a few months. MIL insisted we have an infant carrier so she loaned us one and we used it in my mum's car but Jack outgrew it by 3 months (I was right lol!) Anyway, it's only since I learned about ERF that I realised the weight limit on the RF position is a problem

I hadn't talked to DH about it yet when he raised the topic recently, saying we "should" probably turn Jack around soon. I practically exploded at him! But it's not his fault, he's just going by what he thought was safest - as the weight limits would imply. I had to explain that the 20lb guideline is an absolute minimum and children should RF as long as possible

Hey we have the Britax First Plus, is the RF weight limit 20lbs?! I thought it was 28lb or something, I will have to go find out.

No the RF limit on that seat is 28lbs but they say the minimum weight to put them FF is 20lbs.

 

[morri]

most can be done both ways , isofix or seatbelt.

 

[Shifter]

I've got my eye on a Britax Multi Tech now lol! We can keep the First Plus for baby #2

 

[mommyof3co]

Isofix is like our latch right? That has the little hooks between the actual car's seats and you hook it there right? I've seen other threads of people wondering if they should buy the base for infant seats...do they not come with there? Here every infant seat has a base now and every seat has the latch system

 

[Shifter]

Yeah, Isofix is car-dependent, i.e. your car has to have the fittings and then the base clips into that. Infant carriers usually have an isofix base that you can buy with them but are priced separately. For instance, you might pay £150 for the carrier and an additional £100 for the base. I always thought this was a bit of a rip off but I guess if you are going to need to use the car seat in several different cars then you have the reassurance of knowing it will fit in any car with the fittings as not all seats will fit in every model of car when fitted by seat belt. Our car doesn't have the fittings as it's over 5 years old, just.

 

[mommyof3co]

Oh ok...here since the end of 2001 our cars are required to have them...ours is early 2001 and doesn't have them But we do have the top tethers for when seats are forward facing to do that part, but not the bottom where you would use it or the seatbelt.

Here each infant seat comes with the seat and base and have the LATCH system but you can use LATCH or seatbelt with it, it doesn't have to be LATCH. You can buy extra bases if you have more than one car you will use it in alot. And then all but Evenflo infant seats (which I think the new models you can) install with just the seatbelt and not base.

 

[morri]

Here rthis is from Wikipedia

ISOFIX is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger cars. The system is also known as LATCH ("Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children") in the United States and LUAS ("Lower Universal Anchorage System") or Canfix in Canada.[1] It has also been called the "Universal Child Safety Seat System" or UCSSS.
ISOFIX is International Organisation for Standardisation standard ISO 13216, which specifies the anchoring system for Group 1 child safety seats. It defines standard attachment points to be manufactured into cars, enabling compliant child safety seats to be quickly and safely secured. ISOFIX is an alternative to securing the seat with seat belts. Seats are secured with a single attachment at the top (top tether) and two attachments at the base of each side of the seat. The full set of anchor points for this system were required in new cars in the United States starting in September 2002.
In Europe the system is known as ISOFIX and covers both Group 0/0+ and Group 1 child safety seats. The mechanism for attaching the seat to the Lower Anchors is quite different than in the United States. In Europe two "alligator-like" clips connect the seat to the Lower Anchors rather than the open clip style connectors commonly used in the United States.[2] However, some carseat manufactures are beginning to offer true ISOFIX type attachments in the U.S. In the European standard, there are also various installation categories: "universal", "vehicle-specific" and "semi-universal". The main difference being that "Universal" represents use of a top tether strap with the ISOFIX anchorage, "vehicle-specific" represents the usage of the ISOFIX anchorage without the TopTether in specified vehicles only, while "Semi-Universal" represents usage of the ISOFIX anchorage together with a "foot-prop".[1] [2]
For Group 2/3 seats there is a system called ISOFIT which anchors the seat to the vehicle so it cannot slide around when not in use. In the case of Isofit, the child is held into the seat using the vehicle's existing seat belt system, not the safety seat's straps.

btw this is what I wanted to psot before but coud not remember the site, a norwegian forum with more photos of rearfacing including pictures of the seats in small cars
https://forum.nybaktmamma.com/showthread.php?t=524428/

https://www.wdr.de/tv/servicezeit/mobil/videos/flashplayer.jsp?mid=18428

 

[kirsten1985]

Thanks for this thread, I think it's an issue that could do with more open discussion.

We got a Britax First Plus before Jack was born as we wanted to save money by having a car seat that would last, rather than forking out for an infant carrier and then another one in a few months. MIL insisted we have an infant carrier so she loaned us one and we used it in my mum's car but Jack outgrew it by 3 months (I was right lol!) Anyway, it's only since I learned about ERF that I realised the weight limit on the RF position is a problem

I hadn't talked to DH about it yet when he raised the topic recently, saying we "should" probably turn Jack around soon. I practically exploded at him! But it's not his fault, he's just going by what he thought was safest - as the weight limits would imply. I had to explain that the 20lb guideline is an absolute minimum and children should RF as long as possible

Hey we have the Britax First Plus, is the RF weight limit 20lbs?! I thought it was 28lb or something, I will have to go find out.

No the RF limit on that seat is 28lbs but they say the minimum weight to put them FF is 20lbs.

Sorry, think I misread what you said, lol, blame it on lack of sleep

 

[TigerLady]

Honestly, having used both LATCH (isofix) and non-LATCH systems, I would spring for the base in any case if I had the LATCH option. We have one car with and one without. I had bases for the infant seat in both. Also, my MIL had a base in her car with LATCH. the LATCH plus base is SOOOOOOOO much better installed and secure than the non-LATCH option. The extra bases cost us extra and were worth every penny to be able to use the LATCH in those cars.

 

[kirsten1985]

I've got my eye on a Britax Multi Tech now lol! We can keep the First Plus for baby #2

I think this is what we are going to do, Freya should be just getting to her RF limit in the First Plus at the time I would like another baby, so she can pass it on. I like the Britax ones, the Multi Tech looks nice.

 

[Lara+sam+bump]

My 8 month old has just outgrow his infant carseat, he weighs 21lbs so every1 assumed he'd be in a FF now, but instead to everyones surprise we now hav the britax hi-way which RF till 40lbs, my LO loves his new seat and looks much comfier than he ever did in his old one. xxx