We have been in touch with lots of parents who are not only confused but a little worried about the new change in law regarding rear facing car seats. We are setting up a Q&A Maxi Cosi. You can email your questions to us here
The new law states, “All children and babies aged 15 months or under must travel in a rear-facing (or ‘i-Size’) car seat. Which car seat your child uses will depend on how tall they are. “
Many parents are faced with the predicament that they have just purchased a front facing seat for their little one, so what do they do now? Fork out for a new one?
The guidelines seem to be a little confusing, it appears that parents don’t need to panic. Firstly, these guidelines are being phased in over five years, (we have no idea what that means either) ! and in most cases we have found that this law changed in July 2013!? Did you know that? Us neither!
The information on the government website is variable and doesn’t have a set date. For confused parents it is not helpful at all, there have been very little to no widely available information or advertisements of these new rules. In short, if you didn’t have social media, you would probably be non the wiser! https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules
Here is the official info:
| Child’s weight | Car seat |
|---|---|
| 9kg to 15kg | Forward or rear-facing baby seat |
| 15kg to 18kg | Booster seat, forward or rear-facing baby seat |
| 18kg to 22kg | Booster seat |
| Over 22kg | Booster seat or booster cushion |
We are going to be honest, we are slightly annoyed at the prospect of having to turn our little one back round to rear face, not least because there’s always the worry that our usually happy car journeys could potentially turn into a battle, as our little ones will now have less vision in the car. However, we have now put on our sensible heads. I watched the video below on www.rearfacing.co.uk which highlights the benefits of rear facing car seats.
So, to summarise, rear facing is best, safest and most expensive! We are guessing that the market will become more consumer friendly as car seat companies compete for your business.
If we were you with a baby, we would think about purchasing the Two Way Pearl (below) or similar as your next seat. We would also take heed of the isofix guidelines and make sure this is a deciding factor in our next seat purchase. Take it From Mummy is awaiting clarification regarding the actual enforcement of these car seat laws and will update as we have the information.
According to RoSPA, you should only move your child up to the next Group of seat when he or she has exceeded the maximum weight for that Group or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat.
“It does not matter if a baby’s feet dangle over the end of the seat. However, if a child’s head definitely extends above the back of the seat, it is probably time to move them up to the next type of seat,”
RoSPA.
We have been looking at the available car seats, they don’t come cheap! Here’s two of Maxi Cosi’s only rear facing car seats .. The Assis Fix and the Two- Way Pearl. The pearl is designed to be the next stage from your baby seat and will last right up until four years. The Assisfix is suitable from 4 months to four years and can swivel round to the front when the time is right.
The Assisfix is available from Mothercare for £350!! You can see all the info here 
The Two-Way Pearl is also available from Mothercare, all info here
Of course these aren’t the only rear facing car seats on the market but they do give you a good idea of cost and style. There are a range on Kiddicare here
Useful Links:
https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules
