DO you need a child seat in your car? Are you considering a new seat and/or are you concerned about the safety of the kids in your car?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you'll almost certainly have come across the i-Size child seat. But what is it, and why is it important? Well, i-Size is a European-wide child car seat safety regulation aimed at improving safety. It’s an addition to the current EU's R129 regulations and designed to reduce the risk of child car seats being installed incorrectly. R129 regulations were introduced in 2013 to run alongside the old R44 regulations which will no longer be legal to sell after September 2024. The new seats must pass a side impact crash test using crash test dummies, whereas that wasn’t required for the older seats. R129 seats keep children rearward facing until they are at least 15 months old, while those in R44 seats can face forwards at nine months.
The older R129 seats could be secured either by a seatbelt or Isofix mounts, whereas i-Size seats only have Isofix, making them easier to install and less prone to fitting issues. 40cm to 85cm (baby seats) are usually lightweight infant carriers that are easy to get in and out of a car while the baby is still in the seat, making it easier for parents to transport babies. They generally have quick-release catches to remove the seat from its base with one hand, and a carry handle that also acts as additional crash protection.
Many infant carriers have extended lie-flat settings that enable the baby to be positioned almost flat in the seat, which is the optimal position for ease of breathing. Another useful feature is a rotating function that enables the carrier to swivel to face the parent while they’re standing at the car door.
40cm to 105cm (toddler seats) can generally be used for children aged up to four years old. They are larger and heavier than infant carriers and better suited to being left in one vehicle. Although many are suitable from birth, they are quite often used as second stage seats for children aged 15 months and older because the children can walk to the car and climb in and out of the seat. With 40cm to 125cm (extended rearward facing seats), safety experts recommend that children should be kept rearward facing for as long as possible because this provides the best protection for their heads and necks in collisions, and there is a growing number of extended rearward-facing seats available. While these are among the safest seats, they can be bulky and require a lot of space in a car.
40-100cm to 150cm (multi-age seats) are cost-effective seats that will be suitable from birth right up to the age of 12. They are not instantly removable so aren’t as convenient as infant carriers for babies, and they are generally much heavier. However, they represent great value for money and are ideal for grandparents who may need to only transport children occasionally or indeed need to carry children of different ages.
Whatever style you require, i-Size seats offer your little loved ones the best . Why would you do anything different?
