Buying your next-stage/toddler car seat
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In this handy guide, we cover all the things you'll need to consider when shopping for your little one's next-stage car seat, plus a helpful reminder on the laws around car seats and important safety tips for travelling with your baby/toddler.
By law, children must use a car seat until they're 12 years old or 150cm tall, whichever comes first. For the first 15 months of their life you’re recommended to use a rear-facing car seat, because a rear-facing car seat provides additional protection. It’s important to make sure that your child’s car seat is always appropriate for their size. So as your child grows you’ll need to upgrade to a toddler-appropriate car seat, both for safety and for their comfort.
As you’ll probably know by now, there are different groups of car seats, each suited to a different stage in your child’s development. Which stage car seat you choose should be determined by your child’s height, not by their age.
That’s because children develop at different rates. When you need to buy a next-stage car seat will depend on the first car seat you’ve been using since they were born. If you used a ‘From Birth’ Infant Carrier style of seat, you will need to move on to the next stage when they outgrow the seat, which is when they reach 85cm long. This is usually around 15 months old and will of course differ between babies.
If you’ve been using the type of car seat that’s suitable from birth and adjusts to grow with your child, then you can continue to use your seat until your little one is 105cm tall. This is usually around the age of 4. You should find that your current car seat has features that adapt to suit your child’s changing size and development. For example, it should convert from rear-facing to forward-facing. If you do have one of these seats you should be able to legally and safely continue using it throughout the toddler years.
This ‘Next-stage’ or ‘toddler’ car seat is suitable from birth, so if you’ve been using a rear-facing ‘From Birth’ infant carrier seat until now, you could start using one of these as soon as you feel your little one is ready. They’ll outgrow their car seat at 87cm long, however they may be ready to move into one of these seats – and can do so safely– sooner than that. Remember rear-facing is recommended until they are at least 15 months old, according to Regulation R129 because these allow extended rear-facing mode if you wish, then move on to forward-facing mode when your little one is ready.Some models have features that make life easier for you so keep an eye out for these. This includes a spinning/ rotating function that makes it easy getting the child in and out of the car.These car seats can be adjusted so you can continue to use it until your child is 105cm tall – usually around 4 years old.
Once your little one is 76cm tall – around the age of 15 months old – they can move on to one of these ‘next stage’ or ‘toddler’ car seats. These can’t be used from birth, so don’t use it sooner than that. You can then continue to use this type of car seat right through until they reach 150 cm tall – around the size of a 12 year old.Adjustable features allow you to adapt your car seat as your little one grows, adjusting it to be safe for your child’s varying size and stages of development. Once your child gets bigger these can be converted into a high back booster seat, without an integrated harness. These are ideal for older children.
Child (100 to 150 cm/approximately 4 years to 12 years)
If you use a toddler seat that’s suitable only until your child grows to 105 cm tall then you’ll need to replace your car seat at that point – this usually happens around the age of 4. You’ll replace it with this type of seat, which is more of a high-back booster seat. It doesn’t have usually an integrated harness and usually requires use of your car’s seatbelt to strap your child in instead. They feature an adjustable headrest and often adjustable width, so you can adjust the car seat as your child grows. Many options also have arm rests for comfort and useful extras that you’ll find useful with kids, such as integrated cup holders.
If you’ve been using an Everystage car seat you simply need to adapt its use to suit your growing child’s needs. Refer to the instructions and manual if you aren’t sure how to do this. Or if you have an Everystage car seat that we stock in-store at Mamas & Papas then speak to a member of our team who’ll be happy to advise you. If you don’t already have an Everystage car seat you might decide you want to start using one now, knowing you can then continue to use it until your little one is 150cm tall at around 12 years old.
Convenience
How easy is it to secure the seat and your child in place?
Recline options
Can they see where they are going? Can they recline enough to nap while you’re out and about? How comfy will it be?
Side impact protection
All new R129 seats will have been through extra side-impact testing and many incorporate side-impact protection technology.
Removable/machine washable covers
In case of juice spills and little accidents!
The law on car seats is now based on the R129 regulation, which was introduced in 2013. It was brought in to offer improved protection for younger children and make travel in a vehicle even safer. Under this regulation you choose a car seat based on your child’s height.The R129 regulation replaces the R44 regulation, with complete effect across the UK from September 2024. According to this older regulation you chose a car seat based on your child’s weight.
Car seats that are made and tested to conform to the R129 regulation are referred to as R129 car seats. From September 2024 all car seats sold in the UK must be R129 car seats.
R129 car seats have been tested with side-impact testing, to improve protection of the child’s head and neck. R129 testing makes use of the most high-tech crash test dummies, with more sensors on fragile areas of the body.In brief, the law on car seats in the UK, according to regulation R129 states that a baby must travel in the rear-facing position up to the minimum recommended age of 15 months. Some R129 car seats can be used rear-facing until a child is 105cm tall, which is around 4 years old.
We know the law on car seats can sometimes be confusing, which is why our store team are expertly trained and IOSH-accredited in car seat safety. So don’t be afraid to ask us for help!