5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Booster Car Seat
Hey hey and welcome. We are so close to meeting baby number two now. I am excited, scared, emotional. Yep, all the feels. You can read a bit about my pregnancy journey here if you like. And my fave newborn products here!
Today on the blog though, we’re looking at car seats. And in particular, booster seats. So actually nothing to do with newborns. That’s all coming soon. We’ve been working with BeSafe, a Scandinavian car seat company, to bring you a series of posts on car seat safety. Today I’m highlighting five things to consider when picking your next booster seat.
I don’t know about you but there’s so much info out there and it can all get a bit confusing. Here are some of the key things to think about though when picking your next stage car seat.
When to Switch
Typically the recommendations for switching to the next stage car seat are from four years old. it really depends on your child’s height though, with the range being from 105-135cm. Switching seats used to be based on weight but the new i-Size regulations go off of height.
Look for i-Size
i-Size is basically a new set of car seat rules which were introduced in 2013. They form part of the UN regulation ECE R129. In terms of what it means for parents, let’s take a look.
- i-Size means that car seat manufacturers must offer car seats which allow your child to travel rear facing up to 15 months. Group 0+ car seats still exist, and you can still buy and use these. But i-Size means car seat manufacturers must also offer the new i-Size seats as well.
- i-Size is based on your child’s height rather than weight.
- i-Size means that all seats will fit in all cars using ISOFIX.
- i-Size introduces side-impact crash testing as part of safety testing on car seats.
If you want to read more about i-Size, I recommend taking a look at these links:
Safety First
How safe a car seat is will be up there as priority when shopping around. Find out what crash testing conditions your chosen seat is put through, and have a look at features designed for maximum protection.
We recently put the BeSafe iZi Flex FIX booster car seat to the test. It comes with many safety features which go above and beyond what our UK regulations state. It also offers three layers of side impact protection:
1. A curved headrest for extra protection for the head.
2. Side impact bumpers in addition to what is required by i-Size regulations.
3. SIP+ (Side Impact Protection Plus) for an additional layer of protection on the side closest to your car door.
Use ISOFIX if Available
All i-Size car seats come with ISOFIX fitting points. This means you can fit the car seat into your car without relying on just the seat belt. The BeSafe iZi Flex FIX booster car seat is the first i-Size booster seat released on the market, in the world. Read more about the BeSafe iZi Flex FIX booster in our review here.
Will it Last?
Remember you’ll most likely use this seat until your child is around 12 years old. So quite a while! You want something not only safe but comfortable, that will grow with your child. One plus for the BeSafe iZi Flex FIX is that it is is i-Size compliant, which means it’s already up-to-date with current UK car seat requirements. You don’t need to worry about updating your car seat again.
What do you look for when considering a next stage car seat? Share with us any comments and stories here or over on social: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
And be sure to pin this for when you come to choose your next stage car seat.
Amazing Tips! Thanks for sharing.