*This is a paid advertorial with Tesco.*
Living in the North we’ve discovered that we’re car people, without a car we wouldn’t get around so easily, especially not for the amount of travelling that we do. Bus routes are rubbish, there is no tube or tram and the trains, well, they can be a NIGHTMARE. That basically means that we need a car and I don’t really know of many of our friends that don’t drive. I think it’s just a part of countryside living.
With the need for a car comes the need for three car seats. Three of them!
If you’ve followed the blog for a time you know that I am a trained car seat fitter after years of working in children’s retail. I’ve fitted all sorts of car seats, every awkward one, every extremely heavy one and every one that you have to have a degree in engineering to fit. I now only have Edith in a huge car seat with both of the boys now in the easiest stage, the best stage (in my humble) for parents because it’s the easiest to fit stage! Stage 2/3 (confusing name because it adds to the annoyance that is car seat shopping for those not in the know) is the stage that your kiddo reaches when they are over 15kg and 3 years+. Otherwise known as a high back booster, it’s a pretty simple shopping experience for this one but there are still a few things that you need to look for:
- Head impact protection is key, people often think at this stage that it isn’t as important as when they are looking for a younger child, but it is! Impact protect should provide support for your child’s head in a collision. It’s also great if you have a child that still drops off, which Toby does FREQUENTLY!
- Extra features like the cup holder on this Little Tikes Highway high back booster which you can find at Tesco are fab for making little ones feel a bit more grown up! It’s a big transition from being in a 5 point harness seat to being belted like mummy and daddy. Cup holders are also great for little ones who bring random toys along with them, Shopkins or Pokemon games are often docked here by Tobes!
- Don’t forget the padding! The amount of high back booster that have little padding always amazes me, there is nothing worse than sitting on a slab of hard plastic so check the padding. It’s not uncommon for us to do 4-5 hrs in the car if we are travelling down south so I want the kids to be comfy!
- Side impact protection is also vitally important. It shouldn’t be restrictive to your child but it needs to provide them with enough support in an impact that they are cushioned.
- A dock for the seatbelt holder and extendable back are essential. When I was a car seat fitter we would often be told that the back (which is removable) would be taken off when the child got a bit older, something that I can absolutely advise against! Don’t do it! Keep the back on and make sure that your seat is adjustable so that the head rest sits on the shoulder where the belt should come across.
It’s not just a minefield to know what to look for. Pricing is also a huge issue for most parents, let’s be honest, we are all looking for value and if you are buying for more than one car, it becomes an extremely expensive process.
We need a secondary car seat for Toby for the occasions that Adam uses his car to collect the boys, so we’ve taken the plunge and shopped at Tesco and the brilliant Little Tikes range. You all know I love Tesco, but I will confess that I didn’t realise their range of car seats was perfect for Grandparents and secondary car seats.
They are affordable, tick all the above boxes and they are lightweight so they can be moved in and out without scratching Adam’s obscenely precious Volvo.
You can take a look at the Little Tikes Highway Group 2/3 car seat that Toby is sat in.
H 🙂
