Car Seats - Choosing the right type of car seat
The right Baby Car Seat
What car seats are there and what should I look for when buying a seat ? We start with the explanation of the different groups. See the listing below:
What are the child seat groups ?
- Group 0+ for children who weigh less than 10 kg and are under 15 months old.
- I-Size They are for all children no taller than 105 cm and under 15 months of age.
- Group 1 for children weighing between 9 and 18 kg and not older than 4 years of age
- Group 2 for children weighing between 18 and 25 kg and not older than 7 years of age
- Group 3 for children weighing between 22 and 36 kg who are not older than 12 years of age.
- Group 1/2/3 for children weighing between 9 and 36 kg and not older than 12 years of age
- Reboarder
Group 0+ Baby Car Seat
This is the baby car seat. You can use the infant carrier from birth up to approx. 9 kg. If your child is too big for the infant carrier then it would be necessary to buy a car seat from group 1 or 1/2/3. The infant carrier is attached backwards in the car, using the belt system or the Isofix Base / Isofix Station. You can place the car seat on the passenger seat using the belt system, but the airbag should be turned off.
I-Size Child Seat
This is the size of the child and not the weight. You can use the I Size infant carrier up to 105 cm or up to 15 months. Hereby you will use this infant carrier longer than the old infant carrier. The car seat is attached backwards in the car by means of the belt system or the Isofix Base / Isofix Station. You can put the infant carrier on the passenger seat using the harness system, but then the airbag should be turned off.
What is I Size exactly: i Size stands for the first phase of the new child seat standard ECE R129, which came into force in July 2013. It refers to child seats (infant carriers) for children, up to a maximum height of 150 centimeters.
Group 1 Child Seat
There are seats with Isofix and which are fixed by means of the belt. There are also different options here. Seats with catch basket and those without. What is a catch basket? A safety harness is a so-called part for a car seat, with which your child is strapped in while driving, instead of the normal 5 point belt. Forward facing car seats with 5 point harness system have the highest risk of injury. The risk of injury is much lower with the use of a restraint. But even better are the reboarder seats.
Reboarder Child Seat
Reboarder seats are seats that can be turned. You can use them against the direction of travel. So not only the baby car seat is still backward in the car attached, but also the subsequent car seat up to about 18 kg (about 3 years). Children in a rear-facing seat ,sit much safer than in a forward-facing child seat. Rear-facing child seats distribute the impact energy evenly over the child's entire back. The seat shell acts as a protective shield, supporting the head as well as the neck. Did you know that there are seats with reclining function?
Group 2 Child Seat
These are car seats for children from 0 - 18 kg and not older than 3 years. Here we are talking about car seats like Maxi Cosi and many more. Group 2 seats are also often reboarders..
Group 3 Child Seat
Here we are talking about car seats from about 3 years to 12 years. (Up to 36 kg). These grow with up to an age of 12 years. They can be fixed in the car by means of a belt or by means of the Isofix. The children are strapped in with the normal 3 point harness system, just like the adult. Isofix is a simple system to fix the car seat. The system is standardized according to the standard Iso 13216, from which it got its name.
Group 1/2/3 Child Seat
Group 1/2/3 car seats are car seats, which exceed groups. This means that you can use these seats from 9 kg up to 12 years. This means that when your child gets too big for the infant carrier, you can opt for a group 1/2/3 car seat, but these are forward facing seats with little or no recline function. It is then also important that your child can sit well independently. Your child is strapped in by means of a 5-point harness system or by means of a restraint basket. Various brands offer car seats in the group 1/2/3, but not every manufacturer.
How to clean Child Seat?
The fabric of most car seats can be easily removed and cleaned. The covers are washable at 30° degrees. It is best to let the covers air dry!