- Extended Rearfacing Car Seats

When my son was 8 months old we started to research Group 1 car seats and came across information on the benefits of extended rearfacing car seats.

Although these are rare in the UK, in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries children must remain rearfacing in the car until they have reached the age of 4 and weigh at least 25kgs. This law is in place as research as shown that children are up to 5 times safer rearfacing if they are involved in an accident.

All the information about extended rearfacing can be found at www.rearfacing.co.uk, along with details of the car seats available and the location of stockists throughout the UK.

- Why did I choose the BeSafe Izi?

The main reason that I chose the BeSafe Izi car seat was because it's fitted using Isofix. As with all car seats, it's imperative that the seat is fitted correctly in order to be safe and the Isofix installation offers great peace of mind as it is very easy to see quickly that the seat has been correctly attached.

Although you can buy extended rearfacing seats on the Internet, it was important for me to get it from a shop where they could check that the seat fits correctly in the car and show me how to install it properly.

My nearest stockist was a shop in Croydon, and at the time I purchased the seat they only stocked the BeSafe Izi or a Britax seat that didn't have the Isofix fittings.

- What I love about the BeSafe Izi

The straps are easy to adjust to be at the correct height for my rapidly growing toddler. With some car seats you have to "thread" the straps through holes in order to change the height of the shoulder straps which I think is quite a palaver. However, this straps on this seat can be adjusted by using a sliding mechanism behind the headrest. This makes it incredibly easy to adjust the height, even with the child in the seat.

The straps have magnets in them which attach to the sides of the seat making it very easy to ensure that the straps aren't in the way when putting your child in and getting them out of the seat.

After putting your child in the seat, the straps are very easily adjusted to the correct length by pulling on the strap at the front of the seat. Likewise, it's very easy to lengthen the straps to get them out again.

The seat sits quite high in the car, which I think is great as my son can easily see out of both the side and rear windows. When we made the decision to go for an extended rearfacing seat a lot of friends and family were sceptical saying things like "he won't be able to see anything" and "won't he get bored facing backwards?". I'm pleased to report that he can see plenty and is very happy in the car seat. If anything, I think that he can see more as he's got 2 windows that he can look out of!

Another question that people frequently seem to have is "what happens to their legs if they face backwards?". The BeSafe Izi has a gap in between the seat and the back of the car seat, and so as your child grows there is room for their legs in this gap.

- What I would change about the BeSafe Izi

The seat is heavy and bulky. If you need to move it between cars then it might not be for you. Since having it, I've only removed it from the car once and it was quite difficult to get it in and out through the door.

The other downside of the size of the seat is that it restricts the amount of legroom available in the front of the car. We drive a 2008 Golf and having this car seat means that the front passenger seat is as far forward as it can comfortably go. Neither myself or my husband are very tall so it's fine for us, but is definitely something to consider before you purchase it, and is another reason that I would recommend visiting a shop to try it out in your car.

These are the only 2 drawbacks that I've found with the seat. It is quite an expensive car seat, we paid £299. However, I think that as it should last around 3 years, and the safety benefits of it being rearfacing mean that I think it offers good value for money.

- Would I recommend it?

Yes.

I am very pleased with the car seat. As I said previously, the Isofix fittings give me peace of mind that it's fitted correctly and my son seems to enjoy travelling in it.