k8bug79 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Hi, we arrive in 2 weeks and my husband needs to pick up some carseats for our kids. my Son is almost out of one in the UK so needs just a basic booster, my youngest daughter is still in a highback booster but s uses te seatbelt. she could come off onto a normal booster but i'm not sure what Australian rules state. anyway trying to pick them up cheaply had a look on gumtree and ebay but they are not much cheaper than i've seen new. generally they're quite expensive- checked target and big w. anyone got any recommendations of where to buy? online or in person. hubby is staying near Stanmore : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonbclark Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Firstly check out the Aussie rules to make sure you get the right seat for their age http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/children/childrestraints/index.html we got ours from babies r us which is next to our local toys r us but places like bigw sell them as well, there are also baby type paces like baby kingdom that might be worth a look they are more expensive here and unfortunately uk seats are not legal here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k8bug79 Posted August 18, 2013 Author Share Posted August 18, 2013 Thanks will check out Babies R Us Firstly check out the Aussie rules to make sure you get the right seat for their age http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/children/childrestraints/index.html we got ours from babies r us which is next to our local toys r us but places like bigw sell them as well, there are also baby type paces like baby kingdom that might be worth a look they are more expensive here and unfortunately uk seats are not legal here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Can I just chime in with that although Aus law/regs only require children to use a car seat till aged 7, its worth remembering that most children between 7-10 or 11 don't actually sit safely in a car seat with an adult seatbelt as their restraint. Its usually in the wrong position and can do more harm than good if you have to break suddenly or are hit. I'd look to keeping your children in high back boosters till the highest possible size/age limit is reached. Some of the makes now make them for up to age 10 or so, Safe n Sound being one (Britax in Europe). They make a good highback booster that meets the Aus safety standards and will ensure your children are correctly positioned and the seatbelt can be adjusted properly to fit them. Consider in the UK its to age 12 or whenever the height limit is reached, whichever is first. I would never recommend just a plain sit on booster seat for regular use as they are not great in event of heavy breaking or impact. The seat can slide out from under the child and the seatbelt isn't contained within the seat so can do harm to stomach and other areas if the child slides under. Highback is much better for regular use as it keeps the child in a good position and the seatbelt also. You can view which car seats test well to Aus standards here http://www.crep.com.au/crep-results.php The Hi Liner is usually well rated but only goes up to about age 8. They have another called the Encore 10 which is till aged 10. I view the Encore as like the Kid Sict one here in the UK, SIPS and the works. The Hi Liner doesn't have a really comparable one but its more like the Kid Plus or Adventure in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trabonita Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 So UK child seats aren't legal in Aus? I didn't know this! So there is no point bringing my babies car seat over to Australia? i'm sure my friends took their car seat to Aus last year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 They may well have done but they may unknowingly be negating their insurance and cut ally breaking the law if they use them. There re lots of things that technically aren't allowed to be used in Aus - like UK cordless phones for example. Lots of red tape and regulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 As Quoll said, nope, UK car seats are not legal in Aus. There is a sticky thread in the Transport and Shipping forum explaining all about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k8bug79 Posted August 18, 2013 Author Share Posted August 18, 2013 I completely agree an i'm over zealous when it comes to carsets. i was quite surprised how relaxed the Oz law is compared with UK regulations. If my children were "normal" i'd be rushing to buy them all hi back boosters, my eldest (10) has been over the 135cm guideline since she was 8 1/2 and no longer fits a car seat. my son (almost 7) is following suit, he is 130cm so won't b much longer til he's too tall. Being to big for a seat is equally as dangerous hence only buying him a booster to do him the next year. Can I just chime in with that although Aus law/regs only require children to use a car seat till aged 7, its worth remembering that most children between 7-10 or 11 don't actually sit safely in a car seat with an adult seatbelt as their restraint. Its usually in the wrong position and can do more harm than good if you have to break suddenly or are hit. I'd look to keeping your children in high back boosters till the highest possible size/age limit is reached. Some of the makes now make them for up to age 10 or so, Safe n Sound being one (Britax in Europe). They make a good highback booster that meets the Aus safety standards and will ensure your children are correctly positioned and the seatbelt can be adjusted properly to fit them. Consider in the UK its to age 12 or whenever the height limit is reached, whichever is first. I would never recommend just a plain sit on booster seat for regular use as they are not great in event of heavy breaking or impact. The seat can slide out from under the child and the seatbelt isn't contained within the seat so can do harm to stomach and other areas if the child slides under. Highback is much better for regular use as it keeps the child in a good position and the seatbelt also. You can view which car seats test well to Aus standards here http://www.crep.com.au/crep-results.php The Hi Liner is usually well rated but only goes up to about age 8. They have another called the Encore 10 which is till aged 10. I view the Encore as like the Kid Sict one here in the UK, SIPS and the works. The Hi Liner doesn't have a really comparable one but its more like the Kid Plus or Adventure in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 I am a bit anal about car seats too. Our eldest is 7, so theoretically she doesn't need a seat any more. However, at only 120 cm tall and about 21 kg, she is way too small to be without a high back booster. We have the hi liners, and once she grows out of that will see if there is a bigger one, although given how tiny she is, that won't be for quite some time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGHJLL Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 The car seats in Australia tether to a point on the chassis of the car by a strap with a metal clip on, very different to how we fix them here in UK. We bought ours in target and they were both on offer at the time so quite reasonable and comparable to UK prices. Built in speakers for ipod in the youngest's car seat, pretty nifty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbs75 Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 (edited) The car seats in Australia tether to a point on the chassis of the car by a strap with a metal clip on, very different to how we fix them here in UK.We bought ours in target and they were both on offer at the time so quite reasonable and comparable to UK prices. Built in speakers for ipod in the youngest's car seat, pretty nifty! But also utilise the seatbelt? Is the strap with the clip goes on to the rail of the front seat? We got a Volvo badged britax made car seat which we thinking to ship Edited August 19, 2013 by chubbs75 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGHJLL Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 No UK car seats will be legal in Australia unless base only booster seats. They tether to the chassis and use the seat belt too. The age brackets for the different type of seats differ too so best check these out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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