I am the proud new owner of a 52 plate fabia AND the proud newish mother of one baby

Said babe has outgrown his infant seat at the ripe old age of 13 weeks and so I need another - one that can be both rear and forward facing.

I am on a limited budget - i.e. want to spend as little as possible, but want my son to be safe.

My question is this - which car seat fits best in the fabia?

Do forgive me if my question is not in keeping with the forum - but I am guessing someone out there will be able to help!!!

Ta much x

I am a little out of practise (my son is 6) I found Mothercare world or even Halfords great when looking for car seats. They even do seats for those on a budget

Just thought Toys R Us have good seats aswell

Providing the car has it fitted, then an ISOFIX seat is the best (if you don't know, ISOFIX is the way it fixes into the car - it doesn't rely on the seatbelt like most).

If you are on a budget then try your local free paper or eBay, baby seats don't sell very well second hand, so a bargain can be had.

Before anyone says they wouldn't put their baby in a second hand seat, think about it for a second, a top of the range s/h seat, or new basic one at the same price?

S/h ones are on the whole well looked after by there previous owners and just about all (if not all) of the covers remove so they can be washed in a washing machine.

I personally used a Britax, then went onto a Recaro Start (not cheap, but they are usable from 9 months right up to 12 years old!.

Example of s/s eBay Recaro

New ebay Recaro

(they are not ISOFIX, but IMO are still VERY GOOD).

Oh BTW, welcome & congratulations :cheers:

I have maxi cosi seats in my cars for my 16 month old son. I have a priori-fix seat (ISOFIX) and a Tobi seat. Both are very good but front facing only. The ISOFIX seat is very easy to fit and very very secure (clips onto brackets already fitted in the car). The Tobi seat is fitted using a seat belt and is one of the best non-ISOFIX seats I have seen. It also fits very securely and easily into the car. I got both the seats from the internet (a german company- cheaper and more choice than the UK sites) but do not remeber the name of the site unfortunately. Both these seats are only forward facing which may be a problem for you.

In what way has your baby grown out of the baby carrier? It would be very unusual to require a new seat so quickly. I managed to hold off long enough to go straight from the baby carrier to a front facing seat. Car seats that cover a wide age range always seem to be hugely compromised, in my opinion. In trying to be all things to all people they fail to do anything well/right. Although more expensive I believe in buying a seat specifically designed for the age range my son is (can not put a price on his safety). That way the seat is specifically designed to give the exact requirements he requires for his stage of development.

Also I would never buy a second hand seat (advice given by all magazines/ safety people etc.). Although the seat may look in mint condition you have no idea of the history. It could have been in a car that was involved in an accident and hence have hidden damage which could be fatal if you had an accident in your car with your child in it. Again, you can not put a price on your childs safety.

I just strap em to the roof personally...............................................Baby sitter anyone?

I have a Britax ISOFIX Duo for sale at the moment. It is in excellent condition as it wasn't used that much and has never been in an accident. I'm looking for £50 for it.

Please send me a PM if you are interested.

Car seats that cover a wide age range always seem to be hugely compromised, in my opinion. In trying to be all things to all people they fail to do anything well/right. Although more expensive I believe in buying a seat specifically designed for the age range my son

Thats the beauty of the Recaro, the height, width etc are fully adjustable, so as the child gets bigger you adjust the seat to suit, hence why its suitable for such a wide age range

I also defy anyone to say Recaro don't make safe seats, they are best you can buy IMO

ooh ta peeps!

was looking at britax seats on ebay - think i'll go down that route!

PSM - my son is of the larger stock being a 10lber when born. now he is 3 months, he is just too wide in the shoulder for the baby carrier!

john - strap em to the roof? either that or shove him in the dog cage in the back ha ha ha ha