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Car Seat

Isofix Car Seats – Important Things to Know

Did you know that various surveys carried out suggest that around 70% of baby car seats fitted in the UK are actually fitted incorrectly? This is a shocking statistic and one that Isofix Car Seats aims to resolve.

Isofix car seats are a relatively new phenomenon and may well eventually replace traditional baby car seats that are installed using an adult car seat belt. They are becoming more and more popular with parents mainly because they can be installed in most cars with much more accuracy and ease than the standard type.

How does an Isofix Car Seat work?

In order for an Isofix car seat to fit into your car, your car will need fixed anchorages. Two of these anchorages are usually located at the intersection between the back and bottom cushions. If your car has a third anchorage point this is usually located either on the parcel shelf, boot floor or the back of the seat.

Once you've located these anchorage points then the aim is to plug the baby car seat into these anchorage points in your car. This will save a great deal of time and effort because the seat will simply plug into the fixed points.

What are the main advantages?

• Superior Safety Performance in crash tests
• Removes the need for the use of adult seat belts
• Much quicker and easer to install
• Removes the risk of incorrect installation

 Will an Isofix Car Seat fit in my car?

The Isofix Car Seat is designed to be universal but it's not quite there yet so it's still important to do a bit of research before you buy. Some older car models will only have two anchorage points and others will have three so check your vehicle handbook to see where the fixed points are.

The downside to having two anchorage points is that the baby car seat is relying on the seat cushion for support and if the cushion is too soft the car seat won't have maximum support in the event of a crash. The way to resolve this is to buy a rigid support leg which is attached to the Isofix Base where the car seat fits on top.

Its important to check that the Isofix car seat you are buying is compatible with your car. For example, some isofix car seats are designed for use only in cars with a two point system. Usually the actual baby car seat box will list the cars its compatible with.

Isofix Car Seats come in two categories and these are Universal and Semi-Universal. More recent car models include three anchorage points as standard and these are most compatible to the Universal Isofix Car Seats. There are also different size categories and these are:

A –ISO/F3 = Full Height Forward Facing Seat

B –ISO/F2 = Reduced Height Forward Facing Seat

B1 –ISO/F2X = Reduced Height Forward Facing Sear

C – ISO/R3 = Full Size Rearward Facing Seat

D – ISO/R2 = Reduced Size Rearward Seat

E – ISO/R1 =Rearward Facing seat

Again your vehicle handbook should state which type of Isofix Car Seat is compatible but if your still unsure contact the car manufacturer or contact a trained car seat fitter.

Where can I buy an Isofix Car Seat at the Best Price?

Most mainstream baby car seat manufacturers make specific Isofix Car Seats and these can be bought from major high street names and also via the net. It's always worth shopping around because prices can vary considerably. It can take quite a bit of time checking each retailer but it really is worth doing your homework as retailers can vary greatly. 

About the Author

If you're looking to buy an Isofix Car Seat then look no further than www.firstbabybliss.co.uk where you'll find the most popular Isofix Car Seats at the best prices.

What convertible car seat would you recommend?

My daughter is almost 6 months old and right now she has a Graco Safe Seat. She will need a convertible car seat soon. The Graco Safe Seat step 2 does not have a rear facing feature and I dont really like the Graco Comfort Sport seat. Anyone who had a safe seat what seat did you get next?

You're right not to want the SafeSeat2, b/c your baby absolutely needs to stay rear facing for as long as possible. The SafeSeat2 is a really limited seat, it only does forward facing, only from 22-40lbs, not much use to pay for.

Remember these rules:
1)the BEST seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. (This is why convenience features DO make a difference and ARE worth the money! If its easy to use, you're more likely to use it correctly.
2)Children should stay rear facing AS LNOG AS POSSIBLE!!!! The 20lbs/1 year rule is outdated and provides a bare minimum for turning kids forward facing. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend keeping kids rear facing as long as possible, up to the limits of their seat, preferably until at least 2 years of age. For good reason: A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone. In other countries, rear facing 2 - 3 - 4 year olds is standard, they understand that its safer. Here, we turn them as soon as we get to, seeing it as a right of passage thing or something. Ridiculous. Most convertible seats have a 30lbs rear facing limit, Cosco/Dorel/Safety1st/Eddie Bauer seats rear face to 35lbs, Britax rear faces to 33lbs.
3)Once you do turn them forward facing, they need to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. 4 years/40lbs is the minimum for riding in a booster, and most 4 year olds have no business using one yet. If they can't sit upright for an entire trip, they need the harness of a car seat still. And, even if they do sit properly, a 5 point harness is safer, so you want to keep them in one as long as possible. This is important to consider b/c most car seats only forward face to 40lbs. My son just turned 3, and is in the 95th% for height and weight - 40" tall and weighs 41lbs. He outgrew the 40lbs seats shortly after his 2nd birthday. It was a total waste of money. He now has a Britax Marathon, which goes to 65lbs, and will be able to fit it for some time yet. If I'd have bought it when he was born, I could have had one car seat this whole time instead of the 3 I wasted money on. They are more expensive for many reasons, this is one.

So...knowing all that, here's some about specific seats. Please don't get a Graco Comfort Sport. Car seat techs call it the 'crappysport'. LOL Its a crappy seat that won't last your child very long b/c it has a really short shell. The straps twist all the time, and if they're twisted they won't support your child in a wreck properly. They're hard to install. There's nothing good about these seats except perhaps they're cheap sometimes. Ditto the Safety1st 3-in-1/Cosco Alpha Omega/Eddie Bauer 3-in1 seats. These are all the same company - same seat, just different covers. They stink. Hard to install, b/c of narrow belt paths. Ever tried to wash a skinny cup by hand? Now imagine that skinny cup with pointy edges. That's what putting your hand through these to install them is like. AND they have too short a shell to really go to 40lbs. And they do not make good boosters. Also, most kids have to use boosters until they're at least 8 years old. Car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, so no matter what they say it is NOT the last seat you'll ever need to buy.

The Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon (These 3 are the same seat, just different variances of luxury additions, with the Marathon being the cheapest base model) can be found for regular price of $269, and on sale at Albee Baby online for $209-$219. The Marathon a wide open easy to route belt path, which makes using it correctly a lot easier, as do the built in lockoffs, which mean you never again have to use a locking clip. I can get it into 4 different vehicles in under 2 minutes. Because of the way the base is made, it fits in most cars. And, it is worth the money, b/c it lasts usually twice as long as most other car seats (all car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture) lasting a baby till they are 5-6 years old, where most at Walmart will only last till 2-4 years old. Rear faces to 33lbs, then forward to 65lbs. and top slots 17inches tall, lasts most kids to ages 5-6 years old.

The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn't have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don't have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. It's one of only 2 seats that does this (The Britax Boulevard is the other, I believE), and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. No more tugging straps to tighten them either. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. As a major bonus, it can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Awesome for kids who still sleep in the car. I LOVE THIS SEAT! LOL My son, who is too big for every other car seat at Walmart has the same amount of room in this as the Britax Marathon.

The Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe Convertible seat is great, it is made by Britax, without all the frills. It's the same shell as a Marathon, but for less than half the price. $130 at Albee Baby online with free shipping, or at their eBay name, babysurplus. Rear faces to 33lbs, forward to 55lbs. Easy to use, fits in most cars.

These are the best you can buy that will give you the most bang for your buck. As a single parent I'm always watching the budget - I have no money to speak of, and these are what I would buy. (My son has a marathon and is soon getting a Britax Regent). They will last the longest. I only wish someone would've told me all this before I had him, I coulda saved some money for the extra seats I started out with!

All seats in the US must meet the same safety criteria to sell, so technically they all are safe, however, if its hard to install, then it won't be used correctly and that makes it unsafe. Also, they only must meet the guidelines, some seats barely pass, some exceed them. Britax exceeds the guidelines and is easy to use.

A Car Seat Timeline: Which One When?

Tags: auto, car, car seat covers, car seat laws, car seat laws in michigan, car seat safety, car seats, cars, safety, seat

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 11th, 2010 at 4:42 pm and is filed under bedding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.