[shyamhegde]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Apart from what @androdev mentioned, buy a car seat that can also be used as a front facing one later on. This means you can effectively use the car seat upto about 4 to 5 years (may be more - i am not sure) of the child's age.

Height and weight of the child would be deciding factors more than age for progressing from child seat to booster.

[thangu]

Originally Posted by androdev

Best best is to call Shoppers Stop and find out. Mothercare products are are sold through shoppers stop in India. You should be able to get good quality rear-facing child seats for about Rs. 10K approx (something like maxi-cosi brand or equivalent). The shop keeps a catalogue which you can browse thru and order something if it is not readily available for sale.

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Apart from what @androdev mentioned, buy a car seat that can also be used as a front facing one later on. This means you can effectively use the car seat upto about 4 to 5 years (may be more - i am not sure) of the child's age.

Thanks Androdev and Deep_bang.

My child is only 5 months old, and we have a Graco rear facing Infant car seat here in the U.S. We are coming to India shortly for a longish vacation (6 months) and would need a car seat for this time. The Graco seat's dimensions are more than baggage limits restrictions laid down by the airlines.

So my options here are
1) Send the Graco as check-in baggage and pay the extra fee (approx $200) for over size baggage.
2) Buy a new car seat in India.

I checked Shoppers stop website, and they have just one model of a rear facing seat which costs approx 11k.

Are there any other options to shop for car seats in and around Chennai?

If all options are priced around 10-11k, I might just decide to ship my existing Graco to India.

[PraveenM]

I wouldn't recommend a car seat that serves from infant to 5+ years, they are quite bulk and unnecessarily expensive. Rear facing ones for upto 1yr would go for about 6k at Mothercare. The Forward facing ones with 5point harness would go for about 5k.

[Thad E Ginathom]

You could call the store and see if they have anything different there. They used to have more. The mothercare catalogue on my shelf shows three different models, but it is from 2008 (when I first had a tiny grandchild).

Does your seat require teh car to have special fittings? I don't think there are to be found on cars here, unless they are 100% imports.

[PraveenM]

Thangu, check with the airlines. A few years ago, my infant child was entitled to 1 piece of luggage and a stroller (which could hold the Graco car seat). We didn't have to pay anything extra.

Thad, AFAIK the ISOFIX car seat harness is not present in cars in the <10 lacs range. Mothercare has stock of Britax carseats that are ISOFIX compatible.

[thangu]

Thanks for your replies.

It looks like there is one Mother care outlet in Chennai at Kuppu Arcade in T.Nagar, I'll call up and check with them.

The current seat that I have does not require special fittings, it uses the LATCH mechanism, so its just a metallic hook that needs to be locked into the loops in the rear seats. This seat also came with another attachment which can be used along with normal seat belts where the LATCH mechanism is not present.


Praveen M - My infant is allowed on piece of check in luggage and a stroller. A car seat would probably go as an extra baggage. I've got differing answers from Lufthansa on the two occasions that I asked them about this. Let me try to get something in writing.

[Thad E Ginathom]

It looks like there is one Mother care outlet in Chennai at Kuppu Arcade in T.Nagar, I'll call up and check with them.

Sorry: assumed you knew that. Anyway, you do now

This seat also came with another attachment which can be used along with normal seat belts

You will need that. Even then, you may find that the buckle end for rear-seat belts in many taxis and travel cars is utterly lost under the seat!

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by thangu

Thanks for your replies.

Praveen M - My infant is allowed on piece of check in luggage and a stroller. A car seat would probably go as an extra baggage. I've got differing answers from Lufthansa on the two occasions that I asked them about this. Let me try to get something in writing.

When i travelled via Singapore airlines in 2009, they allowed me to checkin the car seat and a stroller without any additional fee. The child had a seperate seat, which i am not sure if it matters.

Yes - as you mentioned Lufthansa guys are the best people to answer. Why not try to write them an email, in which case you can also carry a printout of the email just in case there is trouble later on.

[manjubp]

You can buy the good car seat in Mothercare outlet. Certainly not worth the pain to bring from US/Europe. I had brought one booster seat 3-4 years back for my son, and it is exactly the same what I saw in UK. Certainly not too expansive.

Here is the address where I brought and also link to shoppers stop(they may note have all of the seats, which mothercare outlet have in Bangalore).

Icon (Bangalore)
Indira Nagar
12th Main Road
5th Cross Road
Next to Sagar Clinic
Indiranagar
Bangalore 38
Tel: 0091 80 252 13009
Tel: 0091 80 252 13010/11/12/13/14/15

Link to car seats with price at(shopper stop)

http://www.shoppersstop.com/cat-Kids...ories-262.html

manju

[shyamhegde]

While Mothercare shop is being talked about here, here are the few snaps from the stands from my yesterday's visit to Indiranagar Mothercare (above crosswords) . Not a bad idea to go there to see them, they have some offers running too.

[selfdrive]

I am looking for a car seat for my 4 year old. With the high back car booster seat, is the back part detachable and/ or adjustable?
My friend has a car seat in which the back is rigid and it is difficult for the child to sleep in that position. It would be better if the back part can be reclined further or totally removed.
Is it safer to have a car booster seat with a back, or a normal booster seat provides the same safety? The thinking is that the back part can be fitted for longer drives and removed while using within the city.

[S_U_N]

I am researching on child car seats for my son who is turning TWO in March. He is around 12 KGs.
I noticed that most child seats have a weight range from 9KG to 18 KG. I see that in my case, I might have to buy another seat after a year or so, since my son could reach the threshold (18 KG) in that time frame.
Which models can support child beyond 18 KGs? Any recommendations?

Also, are there any cars that I should avoid (from the current hatchback segment) considering that I would be fitting child baby seats in the car as soon as I get one?
(I am yet to finalize on the car).

[nkapoor777]

Originally Posted by S_U_N

I am researching on child car seats for my son who is turning TWO in March. He is around 12 KGs.
I noticed that most child seats have a weight range from 9KG to 18 KG. I see that in my case, I might have to buy another seat after a year or so, since my son could reach the threshold (18 KG) in that time frame.
Which models can support child beyond 18 KGs? Any recommendations?

Also, are there any cars that I should avoid (from the current hatchback segment) considering that I would be fitting child baby seats in the car as soon as I get one?
(I am yet to finalize on the car).

You can look at the Mothercare Advance SP model which can used for children in weight group of 9-36 kgs. I recently bought this one for my two-year old. Sure VFM at Rs. 5,495/-

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by nkapoor777

You can look at the Mothercare Advance SP model which can used for children in weight group of 9-36 kgs. I recently bought this one for my two-year old. Sure VFM at Rs. 5,495/-

That was very quick. Thanks Mr. Kapoor

[asliarun]

Steven Levitt had given a very interesting TED presentation on the efficacy of car seats for older children vs standard seat belts. His argument is based on statistical analysis of US road accidents as well as analysis of crash test dummies, which are both shown the video in the link provided above. (Steven Levitt is the author of "Freakonomics", and is a well known and well respected economist and statistician).

The essence of his argument is that car seats are effective for infants and children below the age of 2, but are only as effective as seat belts for older children. That too, car seats are safe only when they are properly fastened and anchored, and in most cases they are not (due to their complexity).