i-Size car seats were introduced back in 2013 as part of the new EU safety regulations (ECE R129). Currently, you can use either R129 or the older R44, non-i-Size car seats in the UK. This is likely to change eventually, but not for several years.
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What is an i-Size Car Seat?
- i-Size car seats use height as opposed to weight to determine the correct fit for your child, partly because height measurements tend to be more easily recalled by parents than weight, but also because your little one's height is an important factor when ensuring they're safe and comfortable in their seat.
- Unlike R44 car seats, i-Size seats require children to remain rear-facing until approximately 15 months, and will often have features to ensure the seat cannot forward-face before your child reaches a certain height.
- i-Size car seats are fitted with side-impact protection features, and as such must pass side-impact crash testing before they can be approved for sale.
Benefits of i-Size Car Seats
- i-Size car seats are reported to provide a safer and more comfortable fit for children due to the fact that weight is not always an accurate indicator of size, whereas height tends to provide a truer fit. As well as optimum comfort, using your child's height to determine which seat is best for them ensures their head and neck remain well supported and protected should you ever find yourself involved in an accident.
- i-Size car seats provide additional safety for your child and extra peace of mind for you. This is due to the mandatory side-impact protection that allows these seats to pass the extensive crash testing and make it to market. Additionally, the extended rear-facing is proven to be as much as 5x safer in the event of head-on impact than forward-facing, because front impact collisions in forward-facing travel provides little to no support for your little one's neck; a particularly fragile area for young babies. Finally, all i-Size seats are installed using ISOFIX, which not only makes it quick and easy to load and unload your car seat, it reduces the chances of incorrect fitting and provides a more rigid connection to your car, eliminating rotation and providing extra stability.
Please note: Not all vehicles are ISOFIX compatible - contact your manufacturer or speak to us directly! Tel: 0117 986 8184, Email: info@babyandco.com. We offer free of charge consultations and car seat fittings to make sure you get the seat that's right for you.
