Choosing a child car seat in the category from 9 to 36 kg

If it is expensive to travel with a newborn baby even on a personal car, then in the future it would be more difficult to leave it at home in a situation where the whole family would gladly go on a vacation or a visit. A child who has reached at least a year is no longer considered by many to be so small and helpless; you can even watch and care for him outside the house; therefore, it remains only to decide how best to place him in a car.

If the baby weighs more than 9 kg, but has not yet reached the age of 12 years, then the child car seat of the category “1-2-3” will be the best durable solution for it.

In the old manner, many domestic drivers prefer to carry children without any additional devices, not really thinking about how correct this is. In fact, it is not just inconvenient, but also prohibited by the current rules of the road, which clearly state that until the age of 12, any child should be transported only in a special device.

In the end, it is more convenient for the baby as well, because even at the most comfortable car, the seats are designed with an eye on adults, while the car seat tightly embraces the baby, ensuring the correct position of the spine and even arms thanks to the comfortable armrests.

Naturally, in children of different ages, the requirements for the size and specificity of the child car seat differ radically, and therefore such products are traditionally divided into age categories. Models of the “1/2/3” group are rightly considered the most durable, and therefore the cheapest solution, because they can be used for eleven years. The passenger withstand the weight of such models from 9 to 36 kg, which roughly corresponds to the age from one to twelve years.

By the way, the convenience for passengers of so different dimensions is also achieved by inserts. The design, in fact, is a large child car seat category "3", designed for elementary school children and the pre-adolescent period. Inside it are fixed one or two liners with their own seat belts, which allow to reduce the space on the seat, fixing the baby more reliably and not allowing him to poke or slide even during very sudden braking.

Accordingly, as the child grows, such liners are removed, and without them there remains only an almost teenage chair of group 3, for fixing which already uses standard car safety belts. When a child, by weight or height, develops such a chair, it can already be transported as an adult.

A car seat for children from 9 to 36 kg must meet the requirements of each age group for which it is designed, and the smallest passengers are naturally the most demanding. Different manufacturers offer different conditions of comfort, and also use completely different approaches to ensure them, because children's car seats can even be classified to a limited extent. Naturally, before making a purchase, it is desirable to have an idea of ​​what the money will be paid for.

Of course, the most popular models with a sleeping position. Such convenience can be organized in different ways - there are chairs with a horizontal position for sleeping (only for the smallest children) or simply with a certain adjustment of the backrest angle. A universal chair could not be considered so fully without having the function of lying down, since a child from one to three may want to sleep at any time, and his loud discontent caused by the inability to realize his dream will hardly contribute to a good atmosphere in the cabin. Actually, even a child of school age the opportunity to sleep in comfort will not interfere, because the distances in Russian realities are often quite impressive.

The transformer is also a success, which allows you to add even a liner for the smallest to the design. Such models are actually relatively small, because with the typical dimensions of a newborn it makes no sense to take up a lot of space with a large car seat. In addition, many parents believe that the first year of life is still not the best time for active travel. However, if your family has a different point of view, you need to buy such an accessory.

It is worth noting that children's car seats in this category can also be divided according to how they are mounted in the car. The most modern and relevant is the Isofix mounting technology, in which the product is equipped with long metal spikes, which are included in special grooves of the same material, provided for by the design of the car. This solution provides a direct attachment directly to the body of the machine, because the unauthorized detachment of the chair, even in an emergency situation, is impossible; in addition, the probability of improper installation of the structure is minimized.

The classic car seat mounting scheme assumes that the child sits on the seat and is fastened with standard car seat belts - this becomes possible and safe due to an increase in the volume of the car seat itself. It turns out that the belts hold the child, and already he, being fastened, holds the chair.

With proper installation of the car seat and the correct location of the belts, this solution is still relevant, especially since it is suitable for the vast majority of cars and is relatively inexpensive. However, in terms of reliability, such a means of security is still inferior to the Isofix system, because the belt may come off or be unbuttoned by the disobedient child himself.

An alternative solution could be a child car seat, in which the child is fixed not only and not so much with safety belts as a hold-down table. By the principle of its action, the design resembles an ordinary feeding table, when blocking the exit to the front acquires additional useful functions, being a convenient table top for eating food, creativity, or games. This option is good because the baby does not feel constrained and can even spin without endangering, and no belts rub anything at all.

For boys, this solution is also more appropriate in view of the fact that fixing with straps can damage the groin area during hard braking, which is not exactly the case with the table. However, there were some drawbacks here too, because such a car seat is usually still attached with straps, which must still reach the table, for which they are fixed - this problem is easily solved in foreign cars, but becomes a problem in the samples of the domestic auto industry. Another disadvantage is the fact that the actual size of the seat cannot be precisely adjusted depending on the season of the year and the amount of clothing on the child.

As is often the case, in the case of eminent manufacturers you can not guess with the choice of a particular model, still being satisfied with the purchase, but unknown brands from China can unpleasantly surprise even if all their characteristics have been carefully studied in advance and supposedly completely fit your child’s needs.

The requirements of each child are individual, especially since the choice of a car seat must also be carried out strictly according to the model of the car and the dimensions of its cabin. At the same time, none of the manufacturers still stand still - each company tries to surprise customers with something new, better than its competitors, however, sometimes such attempts to press rivals end even with the release of an unsuccessful product. This means that there are no eternal leaders, no less than eternal losers - even the best brands have setbacks, and relatively stupid companies can succeed.

In a word, any top 10, including ours, risks being both subjective and, what is very important, non-permanent. Nevertheless, we present our review of the car seats that are certainly not the best, but simply very popular as of the summer and autumn of 2018.

Maxi Cosi is one of the most sought-after car seat brands worldwide, based in the Netherlands. European origin in itself speaks volumes - in these parts it is customary to treat traffic safety issues very strictly, but this is not the main highlight of this brand. The fact is that several years ago he introduced the technology Turnosafe, which allows you to turn the chair in any direction. Of course, such a technological course was very positively received by so many parents, because now the passenger in the backseat can perform almost any operations with the child even while the vehicle is moving.

All major models of this manufacturer undergo regular checks on crash tests, where they show themselves not below the mark of "good." Another thing is that such an acquisition will hit the pocket hard, because its average price is several tens of thousands of rubles, depending on the model.

Aprica is a Japanese brand of various goods for children, which is particularly popular in the Far East due to the geographical proximity of the manufacturer and relatively low prices.Specialists of this company have devoted many years to the issues of comfort, because each of their car seats is different using breathable fabric. This moment is very important, because most of the car seats “hug” the child rather closely, and in the conditions of a hot summer, such a journey can become another test.

Inglesina is one of the absolute world leaders in the production of baby carriages, so it’s not surprising that car seats are also not alien to this manufacturer, and its products are in high demand among consumers. Probably, the products of this particular Italian brand can be called the most balanced, since product prices are comparable to the same Aprica, however much attention is paid not only to increased comfort, but also to the safety of a small passenger.

Here everything is thought out in order to avoid even minor injuries. Such chairs traditionally collect very few critical opinions.

Nania is a vivid example of how not the highest quality product can be in demand due to its low cost. Such a solution is far from the best in terms of safety, because on the numerous crash tests that the products of this French company pass, the most popular assessment is just the top three. At the same time, the main selection criterion that makes it possible for this brand to hit our rating was the cost, which is limited to just a few thousand rubles.

Recaro are world-famous car seats, which prove that German products cannot be bad in principle, especially if they are somehow related to the automotive industry. One can even not mention the standard positive characteristics of such products, such as increased safety and comfort - they are assumed by default. At the same time, the products of this particular brand are considered the most spacious, therefore, for children of dense build, this may be the best solution.

A very special achievement in the form of installation in a car seat built-in audio system (model “Monza Nova IS Seatfix” distinguished) emphasizes that the manufacturer is ready for anything, just to satisfy customer needs. At the same time, such chairs of the middle price category often receive maximum marks from specialists for the environmental friendliness of the materials used.

Cybex is another popular German car seat, which seriously claims to be the world leader in this field. The manufacturer clearly proves that for a modern successful company the main factor of success is not so the presence of a century of history, as careful attitude to their work. There is no doubt that the employees of this company are as patriotic as possible and put only these children's car seats in their own cars, because in terms of safety, almost all the models in the history of this brand deserve a rating above nine on a ten-point scale.

Kiddy is another German brand that has decided to focus on the safety of a small passenger, not only in emergency situations, but also at every minute while traveling by car. The fact is that many manufacturers somewhat ignore the correctness of the position of the child’s back and neck, arguing that it will remain intact when confronted.

The specialists of this company decided that they shouldn’t interfere with one another, therefore they are actively involved in the development of each new model of professional children's orthopedists. As a result, children's doctors usually recommend products of this particular brand, especially since some of the car seats from the brand's lineup received absolutely fantastic 9.8 out of 10 for safety.

Happy Baby is a Chinese brand. To be honest, most of the advantages that buyers describe in reviews do not at all relate to the main characteristics that a car seat must have. Allocate most often the cost (still) compactness, ease of installation and convenience for the baby. It should be noted that the buyers of such a chair certainly have nothing to compare with - perhaps they would greatly change their assessment of such a product, having experienced at least one of the three German brands described above.

Capella is a brand positioning itself as South Korean, but in practice, it carried out all of its production capacity outside the country to China. The fact of production in South Korea would say a lot in favor of such products, and it would be more correct to say that Koreans exercise control over how the Chinese save their money. The choice in favor of such car seats is a kind of compromise between the purchase of full-fledged "Western" (which in terms of quality can be attributed Korean) seats and the acquisition of cheap, but very mediocre Chinese models.

Everflo is another brand that supports the newfangled tradition, according to which it is not so easy to determine the exact origin of the product. The company itself is listed as Canadian, most of its products are actually manufactured in China, while the manufacturer is largely focused on the Russian market, because he managed to start gradually expand its production here. As of mid-2018, the production of car seats has not yet come to an end, but it is possible that very soon Russia will acquire “its own” child seats. As befits such a manufacturer, it occupies an intermediate position between Chinese firms and serious manufacturers.

The choice for such products falls due to extremely low cost (usually less than 10 thousand rubles), but the quality of the questions is often more than the answers.

To make the right choice, and not spend money in vain, you need to focus on many selection criteria. To begin with, it should be understood that parents often praise the “1/2/3” category of chairs for the reason that this is a single investment for a decade ahead, but it’s not at all a fact that the child and the pediatricians share such a delight. Highly specialized goods are not in vain still exist in the age of total universalization - just a special product for a particular situation is always better suited than the one that is designed for all occasions. There are exceptions when universal does not mean bad, but this usually reflects on the cost, and then a reasonable question arises whether it was not easier to buy several separate car seats, even if not the most popular manufacturer.

The second point that you need to pay attention to is the banal compatibility of the product with the family car.It would be the height of folly to buy a product with an Isofix system mount, after listening to fair praise in favor of the reliability of such a connection, whereas the family car does not have any slots for spikes! However, even the alleged compatibility should not be misleading - you should first make sure that the chair fits normally in the salon, while all those present feel comfortable.

In pursuit of maximum security, one cannot ignore such an important moment as comfort. Agree, if the baby is uncomfortable, he will cry and complain all the way, it is unlikely to have a positive effect on the driver, who should devote all his attention to the traffic situation. The child complains about the car seat is not necessarily out of pampering - it can really be uncomfortable, given the almost mandatory fitting nature of the product. In Russia, where the trip can last not only for hours, but even a week, it is worth paying more attention to comfort, and therefore for long trips you should choose a reliable car seat that has at least the ability to adjust the head restraint in order to allow the little passenger to sleep with relative comfort - it will save parental nerves.

All other parameters depend mainly on personal preferences. If the car seat model has any potential advantage, the manufacturer is not too lazy to announce it at all, so do not be lazy to ask in advance about the car seat description from the manufacturing company and the real consumer feedback on the selected model.

The method of installation of the car seat in the cabin strongly depends on the method of attachment provided by the car seat. The easiest thing is to look at the models equipped with Isofix - there you just have to insert the metal spikes with which the product is equipped into the grooves provided for by the vehicle structure. These fasteners are designed in such a way that the possibility of incorrect fastening is completely excluded - the spikes simply do not fit into the groove. If everything is done correctly, a distinctive click will be heard, and without pressing a special button to remove the car seat will not work.

Oddly enough, the scheme of attachment of more traditional car seats looks a bit more complicated. In fact, such complications are caused only by a variety of designs, in which armrests with cup holders can be present and absent, whereas the presence of a clamping table can drastically change the installation scheme of the car seat. In this regard, you should not look for a "universal" mounting scheme for all traditional car seats - it is better to pay attention to the instruction, which is mandatory attached by any self-respecting manufacturer.

The review of the Cybex Pallas M-Fix car seat from 9 to 36 kg see in the following video.