car seats
#46
Re: car seats
Not exactly...that one only goes up to age 7. Our exact models aren't here, but more like these ones in UK where the head support bit is adjustable in height and there is a solid seatbelt guide that you thread the belt through so that is can't slip over the neck, as opposed to a booster seat where the adult strap rests directly over the top of the seat. These ones are for ages 4-11 years:
http://www.mothercare.com/b/11886403...%2011%20yrs%29
http://www.mothercare.com/b/11886403...%2011%20yrs%29
#47
Re: car seats
Ah I see (our kid is 5 so we aren't in that territory yet) ... more like this ... http://www.babiesgalore.com.au/car_s...x_booster_seat
It's the same problem we're having in NZ. They just don't sell high-back booster seats for older kids here because the law doesn't require them to use one past a certain age, regardless of whether a child is large enough to *safely* wear an adult seat belt or not. Now, many people will probably think I'm being overly fussy and will happily put older kids onto a normal booster cushion, but I've seen first hand the kind of permanent neck and spinal damage kids can suffer from a sideways impact in an accident and I'd rather my kids were protected well for as long as possible.
Last edited by Pine Cone; Dec 10th 2010 at 6:57 am.
#48
Re: car seats
That is more along the right lines in terms of shape and adjustment, but again it only goes up to 26kg so wouldn't be suitable for kids much over the ages of 7-8. Based on UK guidelines, most highback boosters I can find in Argos/Mothercare etc for older kids with go up to approx 36kg.
(edit) Also here ... http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/foru...p/t696862.html
(edti 2) A more scientific explaination here (basically it says current weight limits are inadequate) ... http://mja.com.au/public/issues/188_...t10786_fm.html
Last edited by DeadVim; Dec 10th 2010 at 6:54 am.
#49
Re: car seats
(edti 2) A more scientific explaination here (basically it says current weight limits are inadequate) ... http://mja.com.au/public/issues/188_...t10786_fm.html
"While seatbelts are better than no restraint, the use of booster seats is associated with a significantly lower risk of head and spinal injuries, internal organ injury and lower extremity fractures than the use of seatbelts for children"
#50
Re: car seats
In Australia we had a Maxi Rider for our 3 year old- it was comfortable (she told me) and well padded and seemed well made. It also had 5 point harness.
Here in UK we had to buy a UK car seat and spent 130quid on one- those with ISOFIX points are few and far between and we could not find one for a 16kg+ child.
It attaches with a seatbelt only and has 3 point harness. I feel this is far less secure than her Maxi Rider and I wish there were additional fixing points in the car. (our has ISOFIX points, but the seat doesn't).
So to all those saying UK seats are better- I totally disagree!
Here in UK we had to buy a UK car seat and spent 130quid on one- those with ISOFIX points are few and far between and we could not find one for a 16kg+ child.
It attaches with a seatbelt only and has 3 point harness. I feel this is far less secure than her Maxi Rider and I wish there were additional fixing points in the car. (our has ISOFIX points, but the seat doesn't).
So to all those saying UK seats are better- I totally disagree!
#51
Re: car seats
In Australia we had a Maxi Rider for our 3 year old- it was comfortable (she told me) and well padded and seemed well made. It also had 5 point harness.
Here in UK we had to buy a UK car seat and spent 130quid on one- those with ISOFIX points are few and far between and we could not find one for a 16kg+ child.
It attaches with a seatbelt only and has 3 point harness. I feel this is far less secure than her Maxi Rider and I wish there were additional fixing points in the car. (our has ISOFIX points, but the seat doesn't).
So to all those saying UK seats are better- I totally disagree!
Here in UK we had to buy a UK car seat and spent 130quid on one- those with ISOFIX points are few and far between and we could not find one for a 16kg+ child.
It attaches with a seatbelt only and has 3 point harness. I feel this is far less secure than her Maxi Rider and I wish there were additional fixing points in the car. (our has ISOFIX points, but the seat doesn't).
So to all those saying UK seats are better- I totally disagree!
The child harness with the maxi-rider is only suitable for kids up to 18kg however, after that they need to use the adult seatbelt same as with other booster seats.
Here is an example of a booster seat in the UK with isofix, and it goes up to 36kg, so will fit a child up to age 11 approx:
http://www.mothercare.com/Storchenmu...54031&mcb=core
Personally, I don't think the car seats/boosters seats in Oz seem any better or worse than the ones available in UK. My main issue is the fact that there just doesn't seem to be any on the market down under that are designed to take the weight or height of older children so people put 7 year olds in cars using an regular adult seatbelt and yet the vast majority of children I've seen that age are clearly still too small and have the seatbelt cutting across their necks or tucked under their armpits.
Last edited by Pine Cone; Dec 10th 2010 at 11:59 pm.
#52
Re: car seats
Just a reply about the car seat on the plane...it depends on the age of your little one, but we brought it on for our kiddo when he was under 18 months. It was just an easy way to keep him restrained and as a bonus, he loved to sleep in it too, so that made life easier.
My most recent trips (he's over two now), I've used the CARES harness. It's a five point restraint system, approved by the FAA, and it's easier to carry with you than a car seat.
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/
I've never had any issue with using it on a few different carriers. One flight attendant asked me to show her how it could be removed quickly in case of emergency, I did so, and she was fine with it.
My most recent trips (he's over two now), I've used the CARES harness. It's a five point restraint system, approved by the FAA, and it's easier to carry with you than a car seat.
http://www.kidsflysafe.com/
I've never had any issue with using it on a few different carriers. One flight attendant asked me to show her how it could be removed quickly in case of emergency, I did so, and she was fine with it.
#53
aussie married to a brit!
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 302
Re: car seats
What about 7 seater cars? How do people with lots of kids manage.....you can't fit anchor points for 5 car seats in a MPV can you? I think our car has 2 anchor points (we're in NZ) but we still use our UK car seats (with no tethers) as they are way better quality that anything we can buy here.
i think you can put 2 car seats in the back too..
the safe and sound seats are bloody ugly!
we had an ultra cool maxi cosi tobi in the uk, and it had a one piece harness that fitted over his head, and self tensioned..with the safe and sound seat, i struggle to pull the damn strap to tighten it, and the straps are always getting twisted.
the tethers are annoying in the type of cars where they attach to the roof too...
#54
Re: car seats
We used a Graco travel system in the UK. Although well made, it was also bulky, heavy and cumbersome. There were no tether points because UK safety standards don't require them. Having grown up with Australian standards, I always found this rather worrying.
Now we're in Australia, we use a Safe n Sound (Britax) Premier for our youngest child and a ZuZu Commander for our eldest.
I can recommend them both.
#55
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 412
Re: car seats
We have a safe'n'sound hi liner SG booster seat over here. Basically safe'n'sound is Britax. The hi liner SG is almost identical to the Britax booster that we had in the UK with the addition of the tether strap and an anti-submarining clip between the legs. Personally I think that this seat would go to just the same height as the UK ones and I would say that the only reason that the seats are only rated to 26kg over here is that that is the maximum that they have to meet. I very much doubt that the seats are any less safe than the UK ones and they are probably all made on the same production lines in China using exactly the same materials and moulds.
Our seat in Oz
http://www.britax.com.au/car-seats/hi-liner-sg
The one we had in UK - almost identical.
http://www.mothercare.com/Britax-Evo...encoding=UTF8&
Our seat in Oz
http://www.britax.com.au/car-seats/hi-liner-sg
The one we had in UK - almost identical.
http://www.mothercare.com/Britax-Evo...encoding=UTF8&
#56
Re: car seats
We have a safe'n'sound hi liner SG booster seat over here. Basically safe'n'sound is Britax. The hi liner SG is almost identical to the Britax booster that we had in the UK with the addition of the tether strap and an anti-submarining clip between the legs. Personally I think that this seat would go to just the same height as the UK ones and I would say that the only reason that the seats are only rated to 26kg over here is that that is the maximum that they have to meet. I very much doubt that the seats are any less safe than the UK ones and they are probably all made on the same production lines in China using exactly the same materials and moulds.
Our seat in Oz
http://www.britax.com.au/car-seats/hi-liner-sg
The one we had in UK - almost identical.
http://www.mothercare.com/Britax-Evo...encoding=UTF8&
Our seat in Oz
http://www.britax.com.au/car-seats/hi-liner-sg
The one we had in UK - almost identical.
http://www.mothercare.com/Britax-Evo...encoding=UTF8&
Thanks! I might try and contact the manufacturers to see whether both seat conform to the same standards....if so, this might be the best option for us
Also, I notice in the UK Britax have withdrawn from selling booster cushions due to so safety research from 2005, yet continue to sell them in Oz.
http://www.britax.co.uk/car-seats/hi...oster-campaign
#57
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Woodvale, WA
Posts: 1,674
Re: car seats
It doesn't matter if they are made by the same people and are the same seat. If you bring one to Australia that doesn't carry the Australia equivalent of a UK kite mark it is illegal.
#58
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 412
Re: car seats
We didn't bring our UK ones, we bought Australian ones. The point that I was trying to make was that the Australian ones ARE just as safe as the UK ones and that although only quoted as being safe upto 26kg, they probably are fine to the 36kg quoted in the UK it's just that as this is not a requirement they haven't been tested to that level over here.
#59
Re: car seats
We didn't bring our UK ones, we bought Australian ones. The point that I was trying to make was that the Australian ones ARE just as safe as the UK ones and that although only quoted as being safe upto 26kg, they probably are fine to the 36kg quoted in the UK it's just that as this is not a requirement they haven't been tested to that level over here.
#60
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 412
Re: car seats
That makes sense! I did the 'fit my child' thing on both the UK and Oz websites. The UK one came up with 4 high back booster seats to fit my older child, while the Oz site said none were available to fit the age/weight I gave, and yet they had a couple of seats that look pretty damn similar to the UK ones, but they have a tether in addition. I played about a bit and the Oz site didn't come up with anything for a child over the age of 7, even when you put in a weight below the 26kg maximum stated by most seats.