Car seats in Australia - What you need to know

[PomPrincesses]

What is this obsession with top tethering, does anyone know the reasoning behind it.

 

I am quite horrified by it all it would seem i have to sell my safer UK car seat to go to Aus and pay almost twice as much for an inferior product.

[Iron Chef]

Don't rely on reason. If the ISOFIX seat isn't labelled to say that it meets the Australian standard for ISOFIX (even if the standard is identical) then it still won't be legal in Australia. It's also possible that the Australian standard will require ISOFIX seats to use a top tether as well (which of course no imported seat will have).

 

It definitely won't - the whole reason they've moved away from the top tether system to ISOFIX in the first place is to get rid of the top tether and make it simpler to use. They are adopting the international standard for ISOFIX (not creating their own) as part of a broader process for harmonising Australian Design Rules with European Standards, mainly because pressure has been put on them by the manufacturers who are getting sick of the extra costs for producing cars that are specific to the Australian market and nowhere else.

 

Getting the states to agree on what is suitable has been the biggest delaying factor in them achieving this. The states can't even agree on a single set of national regs, let alone adopting international ones.

 

The press release re ISOFIX:

 

http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/ck/releases/2012/March/CK009_2012.aspx

Edited May 22, 2012 by Iron Chef

[Ken]

It definitely won't - the whole reason they've moved away from the top tether system to ISOFIX in the first place is to get rid of the top tether and make it simpler to use. They are adopting the international standard for ISOFIX (not creating their own) as part of a broader process for harmonising Australian Design Rules with European Standards, mainly because pressure has been put on them by the manufacturers who are getting sick of the extra costs for producing cars that are specific to the Australian market and nowhere else.

 

Getting the states to agree on what is suitable has been the biggest delaying factor in them achieving this. The states can't even agree on a single set of national regs, let alone adopting international ones.

 

The press release re ISOFIX:

 

http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/ck/releases/2012/March/CK009_2012.aspx

 

Well that's not my reading of the press release: "clears the way for Australian child restraints to include these new compatible features" and "Standards Australia has already started on this work which is expected to be completed by early next year" is not what I'd expect to read if they are merely adopting the international standard rather than writing their own.

[Guest]

Hello.

 

Thanks for the help. Since your first posting is there any child seats now on sale in the UK that are legal in Oz... I read about `some` Maxi Cosi seats being ok.. not sure if we should invest over here before our departure. Callum will be 19 months when we land. And i`m sure there will be more to `pop out` in due course.

 

Your UK Maxi Cosi car seat won't be legal in Aus. However, Maxi Cosi do sell a few cars seats for the Aus market and you can find them via an online search with that name and perhaps Dorel. If you check the CREP results you can see their seats rated also and they tend to fair well.

 

Drop me a PM if you would like

[Guest]

What is this obsession with top tethering, does anyone know the reasoning behind it.

 

I am quite horrified by it all it would seem i have to sell my safer UK car seat to go to Aus and pay almost twice as much for an inferior product.

 

The Aus system using the top tether with a seatbelt install is actually a good set up. Its more secure than just installed with a car seat belt. Some UK car seats are now sold with a top tether as well as being seatbelt or Isofix install.

 

There are some good car seats available to buy in Aus. Just not yet with Isofix. So its seatbelt and top tether. Many UK parents still have their children in non Isofix car seats and they are no worse than the Aus car seats (which also have the top tether for extra security).

 

Given a choice, if I was using a non Isofix car seat in the UK you can bet I'd want it to have a top tether also.

[PomPrincesses]

The Aus system using the top tether with a seatbelt install is actually a good set up. Its more secure than just installed with a car seat belt. Some UK car seats are now sold with a top tether as well as being seatbelt or Isofix install.

 

There are some good car seats available to buy in Aus. Just not yet with Isofix. So its seatbelt and top tether. Many UK parents still have their children in non Isofix car seats and they are no worse than the Aus car seats (which also have the top tether for extra security).

 

Given a choice, if I was using a non Isofix car seat in the UK you can bet I'd want it to have a top tether also.

 

I have a Swiss Isofix rear facing car seat, that they call in the USA the orphan chair because the children survive in those even when everyone else in the car has gone.

 

Now I know the idea scenario is that we quite simply do not crash but the forward facing, non isofix seats i have seen so far, even maxi cosy and britax just don't look that good to me, in fact even the NSW site rating them couldn't give any car seat 5*'s that doesn't instill confidence.

[Guest]

I have a Swiss Isofix rear facing car seat, that they call in the USA the orphan chair because the children survive in those even when everyone else in the car has gone.

 

Now I know the idea scenario is that we quite simply do not crash but the forward facing, non isofix seats i have seen so far, even maxi cosy and britax just don't look that good to me, in fact even the NSW site rating them couldn't give any car seat 5*'s that doesn't instill confidence.

 

The seats have to meet different requirements to EU/UK seats. IIRC Aus seats also test for side impact. I'd have to dig around in my files for all the tech stuff.

 

Honestly, you can buy poorly rated and highly rated car seats in both countries. How they are installed when not using Isofix is often the problem, more than the seat itself.

 

I do my best to inform people here and try to not debate which country has better or more inferior seats. They have different testing and requirements to meet in each market.

 

You know, I am the last person you need to convince on all this I just don't post my personal opinion on the matter here.

[PomPrincesses]

This is what I am confused about and trying to get to the bottom of because as you rightly say it is all down to installation and the top tether cannot be easy for your average parent to install. The number of posts I've read where parents are taking tiny 7 month old babies out of the bucket type seats and putting them into forward facing because it's difficult to get the child into the car seats, no ther reason.

 

I think I shall be using the bus a lot in Australia.

[Guest]

This is what I am confused about and trying to get to the bottom of because as you rightly say it is all down to installation and the top tether cannot be easy for your average parent to install. The number of posts I've read where parents are taking tiny 7 month old babies out of the bucket type seats and putting them into forward facing because it's difficult to get the child into the car seats, no ther reason.

 

I think I shall be using the bus a lot in Australia.

 

The top tether can be a faff with a capsule as it has to feed round (anchored in already so nothing to do there you would hope). But in a normal forward facing car seat its straight forward and anchors into the boot of the car and is attached to the top of the car seat over the back of the rear seat of the vehicle. And straps are cheap enough you can have a few and move car seats around between cars without having to keep taking the tether strap. In FF car seats its the seatbelt installation part people struggle with and get wrong generally.

 

The top tether on an infant carrier/capsule is a pain for some but honestly, if someone hasn't learnt how to do it properly by the time their kid is 7 months old there is something wrong. If you do something like that every day, the process should be smooth and simple enough as its well practised. Yes it might be a faff, but it means your child is safer and more people are becoming aware of this in Aus.

 

The law in Aus allows for babies to go into a FF car seat at 6 months in Aus. They also have a 4 kg difference on their RF option on early stage car seats. Most stop at 9kg, a few go to 12kg. UK is 13kg/9 months. So often parents hands are forced to change car seats as their child is simply too big and 9kg is reached early on. Small changes in weight limit and so on, people would probably continue to use their capsule till the weight limit or upper age limit was reached, or a dual way car seat and RF till the limit was reached that way. In the UK its 9 months and the amount of people who I've seen are excited or can't wait to turn their baby FF as soon as they reach 9 months, even if they can still RF in it (as in a dual way car seat) or remain in a capsule for longer to the weight limit is very high. Its considered one of those milestones and many people are simply unaware of the safety factor compared to keeping your infant RF a bit longer.

 

Many car seats for 6 months to 4 can still be used for RF till a weight/size limit but people are just keen to turn their kids FF as a rule.

 

I'd not face my child forward simply because the install took a minute or two longer or putting them in meant I had to redo the tether strap. I doubt you would either.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Guest

[Shaz36]

I have used a capsule RF with the top tether and can say that its not difficult to use. I would say that moving most car seats between cars is a hassle and it doesnt take much longer doing so with a top tether. Once you've figured out how to do it, its no problem.

 

I used the Maxi Cosi Mico which has been designed for the Australian market and found it to be a great capsule. I used Maxi Cosi car seats in the UK and this one wasnt hugely different, and as Snifter said, it actually feels more secure using the top tether to be honest. There are good and bad car seats here, but if you buy one of the better ones, I reckon theyre just as safe and secure as some of the European ones, but thats my personal opinion.

 

After she outgrew the capsule, I bought a car seat which can be RF or FF.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Shaz36

[pwkl]

When the child gets a bit older, it's probably less of an issue with tether as the seat will less likely be moved from the car. When my son was still in infant carriers, we would take him out while he was still in it, straight onto the pushchair so no need to disturb him if say, he was sleeping. Isofix in this case was so simple and quick for that, so I'd imagine having to remove/attach the tether being a bit more troublesome.

[Guest]

When the child gets a bit older, it's probably less of an issue with tether as the seat will less likely be moved from the car. When my son was still in infant carriers, we would take him out while he was still in it, straight onto the pushchair so no need to disturb him if say, he was sleeping. Isofix in this case was so simple and quick for that, so I'd imagine having to remove/attach the tether being a bit more troublesome.

 

The tether feeds through a capsule (infant carrier) once its in the car. Aus capsules are often somewhat different to what we are used to in the UK. Have a look at this Britax Aus one

 

http://www.britax.com.au/car-seats/baby-safety-capsule

 

The seat lifts out of the casing. The tether would then be fed through once the actual seat was in the car. Its a bit like when you use a seatbelt to install a seat and it would be over the top of the capsule.

 

In car seats for older children the top tether remains fitted in the car and to the car seat and you only need to undo it if you take the car seat out for any reason. Otherwise its a case of doing up the seatbelt/harness on your child. Britax use the top tether elsewhere in the world, even in the UK and quite a number of their car seats come with the fitting for using one these days, even with Isofix. And a fair number of cars have tether points also. That Aus used the top tether to secure car seats when we in the EU/UK did not (in days before Isofix) was a good thing IMHO. It does help secure a seat in event of impact. People in the UK tend not to use top tethers because they are not mandatory and therefore not widely included in the design process. But that some companies still include the option makes me think they feel its a worthwhile thing to have/use.

 

ETA - Here are a few pics to try to explain top tether on a capsule and FF car seat for those who are not sure how it all works

[Onmywayhome]

Hi all

 

We're landing in Oz later in the month with our 1 year old. Here we have her in a Maxi Cosi capsule, which we know (thanks to this thread!) won't be legal so we're going to get her a new forward facing seat. I've looked at the CREP ratings and for the 1 - 4 year age group NO seats get 5 stars, and only two get 4 stars. Am I reading those results right? It seems a bit strange to me that no Maxi Cosi seats are even on the list.

 

Obviously I'm inclined to go for the safest ones, so I'm wondering if anyone has experience of of either the Ezy Combo or the AHR Tilt & Adjust? Or would anyone recommend anything else and if so, how do you find out how safe it is?

[Guest]

Hi all

 

We're landing in Oz later in the month with our 1 year old. Here we have her in a Maxi Cosi capsule, which we know (thanks to this thread!) won't be legal so we're going to get her a new forward facing seat. I've looked at the CREP ratings and for the 1 - 4 year age group NO seats get 5 stars, and only two get 4 stars. Am I reading those results right? It seems a bit strange to me that no Maxi Cosi seats are even on the list.

 

Obviously I'm inclined to go for the safest ones, so I'm wondering if anyone has experience of of either the Ezy Combo or the AHR Tilt & Adjust? Or would anyone recommend anything else and if so, how do you find out how safe it is?

 

Maxi Cosi are in Aus but their Maxi Cosi seats are not on the list (it needs a new updated list methinks, doesn't mean the seat has failed or anything, just the CREP list needs updating).

 

These are theirs in Aus

 

http://www.igcdorel.com.au/brand-car-seats/maxi-cosi/

 

The above website is their official site. If you read the blurb on there it is not top of the range price wise and if you shop around online you can find it sold cheaper. If you email them direct I am sure they can give you the CREP ratings etc or you can ask in store or find it elsewhere online. It has now done the latest CREP testing iirc but I don't know the result from it (or when the newest CREP results will be published).

 

http://www.babybunting.com.au/index.php/car-safety/28214.html

 

Same seat, different site with review http://www.productreview.com.au/p/maxi-cosi-complete-air.html

 

And this seat

 

http://www.babybunting.com.au/index.php/car-safety/10012.html

 

They are also in Aus under the brand name ICG Dorel and you will find cars seats sold by them with this name and CREP reports on seats sold under this name. Its the longer standing brand name in Aus. The seats on the Maxi Cosi site only went on sale last year iirc. The Complete Air is a narrow seat.

 

FWIW, I'd be looking at other seats.

Edited June 2, 2012 by Guest

[Guest]

Hi all

 

We're landing in Oz later in the month with our 1 year old. Here we have her in a Maxi Cosi capsule, which we know (thanks to this thread!) won't be legal so we're going to get her a new forward facing seat. I've looked at the CREP ratings and for the 1 - 4 year age group NO seats get 5 stars, and only two get 4 stars. Am I reading those results right? It seems a bit strange to me that no Maxi Cosi seats are even on the list.

 

Obviously I'm inclined to go for the safest ones, so I'm wondering if anyone has experience of of either the Ezy Combo or the AHR Tilt & Adjust? Or would anyone recommend anything else and if so, how do you find out how safe it is?

 

Remember, you can hire car seats from baby goods shops often enough. So perhaps hire one to begin with till you can try them out properly and find something you like for the longer term.

 

The Safe n Sound Meridian AHR Tilt and Adjust might be the way to go. It rates highly as a harnessed car seat and also as a rear facing car seat which if your child is still small enough is the way to go till she reaches the limits of the rear facing option.

 

Please be aware that Aus car seats are also tested for side impact. UK ones do not have to be tested in this way. Just because an Aus car seat has 4 not 5 does not mean it is not as good or less safe than some seats sold in the UK. It will have met the side impact standards as well as frontal and oblique. If its highly rated, it should be a good seat to use. Installing it correctly will go a long way to making sure it does its job properly in event of an accident.

Edited June 2, 2012 by Guest

[Onmywayhome]

Thanks Snifter. I was leaning toward the Tilt & Adjust anyway based on the ratings and reviews, but I thought it worth checking that I wasn't missing something re the ratings etc.

 

I wasn't aware you could hire seats - I'm going to look into it.

[Guest]

Thanks Snifter. I was leaning toward the Tilt & Adjust anyway based on the ratings and reviews, but I thought it worth checking that I wasn't missing something re the ratings etc.

 

I wasn't aware you could hire seats - I'm going to look into it.

 

There is a site, hire for baby or something, an Aus based one. Check that out for info and also local stores will have info if they hire stuff. Not only car seats but loads of baby stuff.

[pwkl]

Might be of interest, free child restraint checks and fittings:

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Community/Safety/RoadSafetyProgram/ChildRoadSafety.asp

[Redhelen]

We are moving in December when my son will be 10 months old and I'm now quite worried about what to do about car seat.

He's still in a rear facing one here in the UK but we'll definitely need a new one when we get to Oz as we have a 4 hour car journey

the morning after we arrive. So is the general advice, don't bother taking one from the UK, just buy one when we get there? Also we

probably won't be buying a car for several months so if there's the possibility of hiring one, that could be useful.

[Anna333]

Hey,

 

My hubby had a look at something (I think the Aussie law even) and he was saying that there's no law against using our british car seat that we're bringing over with us. It's rear facing (for our 1yo) attached with the seatbelt under the bottom and around its back. He said that there is a law against buying a seat like this when you're in Oz, but nothing about using one that you already own.

 

Anyone know anything about this?? Cheers!

[Guest]

Hey,

 

My hubby had a look at something (I think the Aussie law even) and he was saying that there's no law against using our british car seat that we're bringing over with us. It's rear facing (for our 1yo) attached with the seatbelt under the bottom and around its back. He said that there is a law against buying a seat like this when you're in Oz, but nothing about using one that you already own.

 

Anyone know anything about this?? Cheers!

 

If its not passed to Aus standards then it's not legal. A legal requirement in Aus is that all car seats are installed with a top tether which your UK seat won't have.

 

Have a read of the info and links in the first post.

[Guest]

We are moving in December when my son will be 10 months old and I'm now quite worried about what to do about car seat.

He's still in a rear facing one here in the UK but we'll definitely need a new one when we get to Oz as we have a 4 hour car journey

the morning after we arrive. So is the general advice, don't bother taking one from the UK, just buy one when we get there? Also we

probably won't be buying a car for several months so if there's the possibility of hiring one, that could be useful.

 

Your UK car seat won't be legal in Aus. Top tether is a standard requirement in Aus.

 

Lots of places hire baby equipment and car seats etc. Check this site out to start with or 5 minutes on google for the area you will be in should turn something up.

 

http://www.hireforbaby.com/

[Guest Alice2]

What about booster seats for the 7-10 year olds? What is the law on that? Sorry if someone has asked this already as i haven't read through the whole thread. Can't find by reference to it on the official website. Thanks

[mumoffour]

We bought all new car seats on our way from the airport - always a nearby Kmart when you need one! Got 2 x Booster seats for about $20 ish each and 2 x High back booster styles for the littler kiddies which were more expensive.

Car hire company offered car seats for the duration of the rental which would've cost more than the cost of the car!

 

You don't want to drag your car seats all the way from the UK to get pulled over one day by an enthusiastic copper and fined mucho $!

[PomPrincesses]

Your UK car seat won't be legal in Aus. Top tether is a standard requirement in Aus.

 

Lots of places hire baby equipment and car seats etc. Check this site out to start with or 5 minutes on google for the area you will be in should turn something up.

 

http://www.hireforbaby.com/

 

So everywhere, UK and Australia advises not to buy a 2nd hand car seat in case it's been dropped or compromised but hiring one that's been in and out of numerous cars and installed repeatedly is ok all of a sudden is it ?

Very strange.