The golden rule of thumb really is that you should make sure you follow any guidelines and that the baby car seat matches your child’s height and weight at all times. A car seat is unfortunately for your pocket, not something you can use forever, you will have to change it at some point to keep your children safe.
One of the other things you should be looking out for are ease of installation. This is where ISOFIX fittings are useful. Such fittings (the system is frequently named differently in other countries to the UK) are simply a push and click fitting for your car. Since 2006, cars are fitted with a standard ISOFIX fitting but if your car is pre-2006, you may need to check with the car manufacturer before you buy your seat.
You should also watch out for the weight of the car seat if you are likely to be taking it in and out of your car frequently. If you have more than one car, or intend to use a travel system for baby, this should be a consideration for your personally. It won’t affect baby, but it will affect your back carrying it!
If you are having to buy the cheapest seat you can find (preferable to secondhand), remember that these must also be of a certain standard and follow safety recommendations. Where cheaper seats may scimp is in comfort. Don’t just think that it looks comfy, push you hands onto the sides and into the corners to check it out for good padding and any lumps, bumps or holes in the padding.
Unfortunately, statistics show that a great deal of us are likely to be involved in some form of car collision at least once in our life. Despite how careful we may be, others seem to have a different agenda.
A lot of people are so thankful that everyone is OK following a collision that they don’t always consider whether the children’s car seats are still safe. So what should you look for?
As a basic rule of thumb, if you are involved in any impact over 10km/h the seat may be damaged. If you own a Britax Duo Plus Isofix car seat, Britax will examine the seat and repair it quickly. While the examination is free, parts are not.
While we hope it won’t happen, if you are involved in any type of collision remember to get your Britax DUo Plus Isofix car seat checked out and keep your children safe. If you need more information, you can email Britax direct at service.uk@britax.com.
As a final thought, don’t forget to regularly check your car seat to make sure it is securely fixed and the belts work properly. Belts are susceptable to dust and dirt so keep them clean.
Adults must wear a seat belt if one is fitted in the car. If sitting in the front of your car, children should only do so if in the correct booster seat for their weight and size. If a child is over 12 OR taller than 4ft 5in then they must wear an adult belt.
If you have a rear facing seat, make sure any relevant air bags are disconnected.
NEVER try and alter a Britax Duo car seat (or any other seat) in any way to make it fit your car.
When fitting any seat, make sure you check the car and car seat manual for the correct fitting procedure.
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Tell me, how would you feel if, BY TONIGHT,
you could know exactly how to stop your child’s whining, hitting and
aggression as well as many of the other problems plaguing your family?
Would that make LIFE A LOT EASIER?
