 |
Disney Cars Booster Seat
by Bolly81
Keeping your child safe and strapped in whilst in the car is easier said than done when they reach that magic age where they have worked out how to undo the seatbelt all by themselves and you can't always keep an eye on them when you're driving and they are in the back. My son was a complete terror for this and nothing would convince him ... to keep his tiny little butt in the seat when mummy was driving and I had tried everything from shouting to bribery and was verging on buying industrial strength duck tape to keep him in place.
While browsing on Amazon one day I stumbled upon this Disney Cars booster seat for £23 and had a bit of a eureka moment. My son is a massive cars fan, his favourite character is Lightening McQueen, and when I bought him the Lightening bed set he began sleeping happily ever after in his own bed, so I thought that this would maybe have the same effect in the car and encourage him to stay in his own seat (I also found a matching seatbelt pad for £3 in Tesco)
Roll on 3 days later when the seat arrived and shorty was so excited when he saw it come out of the box. I explained to him that it was for in the car and that it was his new special big boy chair. So out we went together, put it in, clipped in the belt and went for a wee spin and he loved it. No trying to escape, no bouncing about the back, he just sat there happy as larry watching the world go by. Result!!! Granted this approach may not work for everyone but for me it was a winner.
I have had this seat now for 2 years and it for the money I paid it has been a bargain. And despite getting older my son still loves the novelty of his lightening seat. Another great feature is that the cover can be removed and washed, because as we all know kids can be very messy little gremlins and things don't stay clean for long. Also due to it being so lightweight it can easily be moved from car to car with no hassle at all.
Overall I highly recommend this product. Its design makes it far more appealing to younger children and the price isn't any higher than your ordinary plain booster seat. Any anything that encourages them to stay put in the car can only be a good thing.
Read the complete review |
 |
Maxi-Cosi Priori XP Car Seat
by Bunnyhop2
The change from rear facing to forward facing car seat was a big event for us. My twin girls are both small for their age and it seemed like they were never going to reach the minimum weight (9kg) for a Group 1 seat. They still easily fitted into their baby rear facing seats at their second birthday and were 26 months when they started ... using this Maxi Cosi Priori XP. I was looking forward to being able to see them when travelling in the car but didn't want to make the change until they were big enough as everything I read said that they were safer in the rear facing seats.
Deciding on a car seat
We decided on the Maxi-Cosi Priori XP after it was recommended by a friend and we liked everything about it. The girls had been using the Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix since birth so we were familiar with the quality of this brand. The price came within the range we were willing to pay and although we had to buy 2 seats it was important to us that they were of a good quality. We regularly travel long distances to visit family and the girls can spend up to 4 hours in their car seats on these days so they need to be comfortable as well as safe.
Things I like about this seat
It's safe
The seat has side impact protection and the 5 point harness means you can ensure your child is firmly in place. Should we be involved in an accident I hope that this seat would provide as much protection as possible.
It's Comfortable
This seat looks really comfortable with plenty of padding all over and there is lots of space for my girls to grow into them. The approximate age range for this seat is 9 months to 4 years (9-18kg) as my girls have only just gone into them I think they will last past their 4th birthday! The material is good quality and easy to wipe clean, our seats are black although they are available in other colours which I like as they look smart.
The seat has a 5 point safety harness which is easy to do up, a strap at the front of the seat tightens the straps as you pull it. There are a choice of positions at the back of the seat to ensure the straps fit properly over your child's shoulders and it is easy to change the straps between the positions. The seat has clips on each side which you can use to keep the straps out the way when putting your child in, I find these particularly useful if one of the girls isn't keen on going in and is putting up a bit of a struggle!
Easy to fit in the car
My husband did this but it didn't take him long to fit both seats into the car using the seat belts. If we ever need to take them out to use the car with other passengers it is simple to do and not too much hassle.
Good view for little ones
These car seats have a plastic base to them which means that your child is sat up quite high in the car and has a similar view to that of an adult seating in the back. After being in rear facing seats for so long my girls love being able to see what is going on and can point out things outside. From the front passenger seat I can easily turn around to talk to them or check they are okay. When driving a glance in the rear view mirror allows me to see them, I didn't like it when they were in their rear facing seats and I couldn't see their faces.
Reclines for sleeping
If we are out over nap time then a handle at the front of the seat allows me to recline the seat into a position more comfortable for sleeping. It is quick and easy to do and has a choice of recline positions.
...and things I don't
There is nothing I don't like, I've been really pleased with them and would choose them again.
Price and Availability
We purchased our seats from Halfords when they were on offer, they currently (February 2013) cost £119.99 at Halfords. They are slightly cheaper at Kiddicare costing £114.95. They were the upper end of our budget but I'm really pleased that we bought them.
Read the complete review |
|
|
Graco Junior Maxi Car Seat
by madeindevon
I am the very proud Nana of three little ones. My eldest Grandson is practically four years old, his sister three and is baby brother under one years old.
When the eldest was first born he was transported around in a pushchair, which had a seat that doubled up as a car seat. It wasn't long however (sadly) that this dear ... little lad started growing and before you knew it he seemed very squashed in this travelling car safety seat.
Nana and Grandad decided it would be nice to have a seat in their car, as well as the safety seat he had in his Mum and Dads car, and when shopping in Toys R Us a couple months before his first birthday we happened to be in the queue at the cash desk when we noticed a promotional stand with this lovely looking car seat reduced to half its normal price, it was £29.99 rather than £60 ish.. we didn't need to think twice about it, we knew Graco to be a most reputable name in pushchairs and travel systems and to be honest Toys R Us have a good reputation too and I was happy to buy the car seat from them.
Then we got home and popped the box away until it was needed.... and when it was we realised that we had mad a stupid mistake and bought a stage two and three car seat, whereas my little Grandson was only just under one years old and needed to be in stage one for another couple years.
So, the seat went back under the stairs and stayed there for quite a long time.. until very recently actually when we had the grandchildren visit and decided to take them all out.
Thomas is now four years old and a tall lad for his age, so we set the new seat up and decided that finally this seat could earn its keep.
The Graco Junior Maxi is a great seat. It consists of a booster cushion and a fitting, separate back, it is fastened with the child sitting in it and a three point seat belt being threaded through the correct points on the back part of the seat and clunk-clicked into the seat belt fastener.
It appears exceptionally comfy and as anyone with a four year old knows, the little critic will soon let you know if there is something uncomfortable about the seat.
It is slightly padded all over and even has a little cup holder, which is a nice touch, and little Thomas is finding it quite a novelty to have somewhere to put his beaker.
The covers are removable and are machine washable, which for a seat used by a four year old is exactly what you need - machine washable on a thirty degree cycle.
The head support is adjustable too, which is a bonus as obviously this seat is for a growing child. It is easy to adjust too, it pulls up and down the height that you require.
The seat is forward facing - I do not know the rules and regulations about front seats, so this seat is on the back seat in our car.
It is 81cm high, 41cm wide and 41cm deep.
It is suitable for children from 15kg to 36kg - age range 4 years up to 12 years, obviously as the child gets older the back part of the seat is no longer required, as the seat can just be used as a booster seat.
The seat is classed as being suitable for group 2 and 3 - group 2 being the booster seat with the back attached and group 3 being just the booster seat.
It weighs 3.6 kg, which is not very heavy at all, the seat is totally easy to take out of the back of our car and put away or relocate into another car.
At the moment (February 2013) this seat is available from many stockists, but I looked online at Argos today and can see that it is for sale at £39.99 - not dear at all, considering this is a one off payment and will last your child through from the age of 4 up to 12 years old - conforming with the law covering children being transported in cars.
I will need another 2 seats eventually, for my ever growing brood of grandchildren and would have no hesitation in buying the same model again.
Read the complete review |
