[BigBrad]

Originally Posted by amitahirrao

Chicco UNICO CAR SEAT.

Is this compatible with cars without ISOFIX?

[amitahirrao]

Originally Posted by BigBrad

Is this compatible with cars without ISOFIX?

If your car does not have isofix then use the belted seat. The chicco seat you mentioned above is not compatible with cars without isofix. Check for Britax Duo Plus. This is the same seat Global NCAP guys using to test our cars for safety ratings and Britax Duo Plus is compatible with both with isofix and without isofix cars. Chicco nextfit is also an option but again this is US homologated seat and does not meet Indian regulations that are equivalent to EU regulations.

[abhiram7912]

Originally Posted by satya180

I went to the Britax Romer India website and sent them a mail regarding buying a BABY-SAFE2 i-SIZE along with the BABY-SAFE i-SIZE Flex ISOFIX base (because it had an adjustable base angle which meant the child car seat angle could be adjusted while still being locked in place). The seat was Rs. 15299 and along with the base came up to Rs. 19999.

Hi are there any contact details available for the person you dealt with? I have emailed Britax and they are saying Baby Safe i-Size 2 and the seat base are not available in India. There is another version called "Baby Safe" for 16,000 INR and the "Baby Safe Base (Isofix)" for 21,000 INR, which is more than the seat it self.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by amitahirrao

The blow moulded seat like R for Rabbit, Luvlap and mee mee will not keep your child safe. Invest in a good child seat that had solid injection moulded plastic parts.

A Team-BHP fan drops the following query:

Hello,

As a mother and newbie driver, I am concerned about a post by "amitahirrao" with regards to blow-moulded seats being unsafe as compared to injection moulded seats. It is assumed that seats from MeeMee, R For Rabbit, LuvLap etc are blow-moulded, hence cheap and unsafe? How do we identify by looking at the spec sheet as to how a seat is manufactured? I have a Luvlap seat which needs replacement, and I checked its papers as well as the product description on Amazon, and none describe the production method.

What if cheaper (relatively) seats from Graco or Chicco are also blow moulded? Or expensive ones from Luvlap aren't injection moulded? How do we make absolutely sure? Does the product itself have any telltale signs? Manufacturer website? Can you please provide guidance on this so that our next purchase is backed by better knowledge?

Regards,

A concerned Mom.

[varunsangal]

Originally Posted by GTO

What if cheaper (relatively) seats from Graco or Chicco are also blow moulded? Or expensive ones from Luvlap aren't injection moulded? How do we make absolutely sure? Does the product itself have any telltale signs? Manufacturer website? Can you please provide guidance on this so that our next purchase is backed by better knowledge?

While I haven't looked very closely into the blow moulded vs injection moulded of the seats, typically Graco is the perfect brand to buy for kids stuff, I have been using various Graco products for ~8 years now and Graco car seat for ~4 years. The experience has been awesome. The one I picked for by brat is this.

The thumb rule that I follow for car seats, buy as heavy as possible (I suppose here blow moulded would be lighter) and always buy a seat that is approved for use in USA. This because, while there is an increasing awareness about using car seats in India, there are no governing rules.

[amitahirrao]

Originally Posted by GTO

A Team-BHP fan drops the following query:

I am glad someone is really concerned about how to choose a seat for their kid and most important is to have a good quality product for the safety of the child during travel.

I would like to start with the regulation in India for the child seat compared with US regulation and EU regulation and the products we have in India.

India has a regulation called AIS072 for certification of Child seats in India. This regulation is literally a translation of European regulation ECE R44.04. Whereas in EU this regulation is phasing out and new regulation is forced is R129. On the other hand, US has FMVSS213 regulation and Canada has CMVSS213 based on US regulation. The US and Canada regulation are still based on 2008 cars and hence it's older whereas European regulation is updated as per the cars we have today and the crash scenarios we have today's world. e.g. Isofix anchorages compatibility

The regulations I mentioned above are all stickers on the child seat when it is approved by one of this regulation. Each seat sold in the market has one regulation label from manufacturer and manufacturer name and address on it. This is a requirement by regulation.

There are other requirements such as flammability and toxicity of the parts and fabrics used in seats. The approval agency also takes care of toxicity due to fumes from the fabric of the seat due to high temperatures and sometimes kids do lick the plastics/harness of the seat.


Seats sold in India from brands like LUVLAP, RforRabbit, MeeMee and anything that retails below 5000 INR do come with R44.04 label but it's not as per approval authority. Some of them do not have a label at all. I suspect its not real approval and by looking at the fabric and plastic it is far far away from toxicity and other safety tests considered in EU and US.

Every label printed on the seat should have

1. The model name of the seat
2. Regulation it satisfies
3. Weight range of the child it can take
4. Serial number
5. Manufacturers Address

Like this image.


Seats currently sold in India also show low quality in terms of sharp edges, flimsy plastic and overall build quality that cannot even take a simple impact of fall from 1-floor height.

No retail website or manufacturer will provide information about blow moulded parts or injection moulded parts. The simple difference I can suggest is the weight of the injection moulded seat for age group up to 4 years (toddlers) is in the range of 10-15kg without a child in it. Infant carriers for a baby can range from 2kg to 4kg. For children (4 years to 12 years) can weigh between 10-16kg.

Blow moulded seats are generally light in weight and you can squeeze the plastic by normal hand.

AFAIK, Chicco, Graco and Britax are the good brands that do not sell blow moulded seats in India. Parents in India are still carrying their kids in arms or non-belted in cars. This scene is slowly changing and as per new regulation introduction and enforcement, I think educated parents will choose products that are safe for their kids with good internet research.

In India as per motor vehicle amendment act updated as of 1st Sept 2019, use of Child Restraint system is made mandatory by the law till the age of 12 years of the child. Failing to this rule, a fine of 1000 INR is stated in the regulation document.



Hope this helps to choose the best child seat for your kid.

[Brishti]

Are lap belts as good as full size belts for these seats?

Chicco comes with both lap seat belt and 3 point seat belt compatibility and my advise was isofix but my cousins car "Elantra SX(O)" comes without them.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Brishti

Are lap belts as good as full size belts for these seats?
Chicco comes with both lap seat belt and 3 point seat belt compatibility and my advise was isofix but my cousins car "Elantra SX(O)" comes without them.

Ideally a 3 point ELR belt should be used with the belt going across the child's shoulder towards waist on other side. Best not to sit a child in the middle of rear seat (which has a lap belt generally). In case of a mishap & failure of belt - the occupant in the middle can be potentially thrown forward much longer and towards things that aren't cushioned like the back of a seat.

While the child seats themselves may have safety belts to secure the child in the seat - in case of a sudden deceleration, the whole child seat assembly can topple forwards if only on a lap belt - causing significant injury to the child. A 3 point ELR belt ensures the top of the child seat also stays secured in case of an accident.

Best solution is ofcourse to have an ISOFIX child seat that also has a top tether that is hooked up to the floor behind the main bench seat. These tethers are mandatory by regulation in many developed countries like the UK.

[Brishti]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Ideally a 3 point ELR belt should be used with the belt going across the child's shoulder towards waist on other side. Best not to sit a child in the middle of rear seat (which has a lap belt generally). In case of a mishap & failure of belt - the occupant in the middle can be potentially thrown forward much longer and towards things that aren't cushioned like the back of a seat..

The back of Elantra front seats have hard plastic "Due to seat cooling" and I have hurt my knees due to them several times.

What about this (Aftermarket ISOFIX brackets for a child seat) and using the lap belt in conjunction to it.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Brishti

What about this (Aftermarket ISOFIX brackets for a child seat) and using the lap belt in conjunction to it.

Yes this looks quite interesting. I had also seen this some months back on AliExp. Should do the job I guess as long as the seat has a top tether belt & latch. As long as it actually fits very tight in the seat and isn't lose / moving around - it should be okay.

Of course - not something 100% trustworthy as a standardized ISOFIX from factory in the seat - but better than nothing of course.

[amitahirrao]

Originally Posted by Brishti

Are lap belts as good as full size belts for these seats?

Chicco comes with both lap seat belt and 3 point seat belt compatibility and my advise was isofix but my cousins car "Elantra SX(O)" comes without them.

This is typically a US approved seat installation. Only lap belt. FMVSS 213 calls it Type 1 installation. Only lap belt is also enough to install a US regulated seat. However 3 point belt child seat installation has its own drawback like during crash it gets twisted towards shoulder belt Anchorage. The best solution is to have isofix installation and next to it could be 3 point belt considering regulations and cars in India.

[Venkatesh]

Car Designer Frank Stephenson Reinvents the Child Car Seat called the BabyArk.



Former BMW and McLaren designer Frank Stephenson has turned his hand to making what the company claims is going to be the world's safest child car seat.

The BabyArk seat was created in conjunction with an Israel defense contractor and has a shock-absorbing spiral adapted from tanks.

The seat will be expensive—how expensive, the company's not yet saying—and is expected to go on sale online to U.S. buyers in late 2021.

The seat is built around a sinuous carbon-fiber frame overlaid with a transparent and tinted polycarbonate skin.



The seat mounts (facing either forward or rearward) to a carbon-fiber base, packed with electronic sensors to facilitate proper installation, track the seat's condition, and alert the driver if the juvenile occupant falls asleep or is left in the vehicle.



The initial product is categorized for children zero to four years old.



https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...seat-revealed/

[fine69]

In the market to buy a car seat. I have a 2013 4x4 Fortuner and 2017 Celerio Zxi (O) AMT.

What kind of car seat do I need to look for if it should work with both the cars?

[amitahirrao]

Originally Posted by fine69

In the market to buy a car seat. I have a 2013 4x4 Fortuner and 2017 Celerio Zxi (O) AMT.

What kind of car seat do I need to look for if it should work with both the cars?

First you need to decide the category of child seat based on your child's height and age. Go for belted mode because I suspect your Celerio will not have isofix.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by amitahirrao

First you need to decide the category of child seat based on your child's height and age. Go for belted mode because I suspect your Celerio will not have isofix.

Thanks for responding!

We're expecting so need it for newborn but something that would work till a few years down the line as well.

I'll mainly be hauling the child in Fortuner only but then there is also a Honda City and Honda Jazz in the family so looking at something that would work with all.

Appreciate your help!