The day has arrived; when you will be called Nana, Grandma or Poppy; but this will involve transporting your Grand-children. Here I explore the best baby car seats for grand children; and the benefits/ disadvantages of choosing that seat.
The best baby car seat for your grand children, will depend upon your lifestyle, frequency and budget. Do you drive your friends around, perhaps you play golf and need to fold down the back seats. Here we explore these issues and suggest possible car seat to handle these issues.
Best baby car seats (0 to 6 months)
The best baby car seats for grand-children when they are newborn to 6 months of age, will be the maxi cosi mico plus capsule. This capsule is highly recommended as it is possible to take the capsule in and out of the car easily. The capsule allows you to place it high enough so that it is easy to harness your grand-child easily without stress on your back.
Easy Installation
The Maxi Cosi Mico plus has an easy to install isofix system, which will allow you to take the capsule base out when you need to drive friends around or when you need to play golf.
Best baby car seats (0 to 4 years)
As a new grand-parent, one choice is a baby capsule which only lasts up to 6 months; however the best baby car seats for grand children (convertible car seats 0-4 yearrs) britax millenia, britax graphene, the infa secure quattro and the Infa secure grandeur.
Best Britax baby car seats
When it comes to the best baby casr seats for grand children the key criteria is ease of use and the ability to take the car seat in and out.
The ease of use criteria, is dictacted by how easy the car seat can be loosened and tightened and adjusted for a growing child. Ability to take the car seat in and out is governed by how easy the car seat is to install. Britax car seats all have an easy to use isofix system which make to install securely.
If you have a smaller car then the first choice should be the Britax Graphene of the Britax Brava. Both the Graphene and Brave are harder to adjust the harness height and when loosning the harness boths straps must be loosened together.
Best Infa baby car seats
The best baby car seats for granchildren when considering the infa secure brand; are limited to 2 seats. However in order to meet the criteria on being able to remove and install the car seat easily; you need to ensure there is a safe grip clamp included. When the safe grip clamp is not included; you need to purchase the red clip seperately.
There are two recommended baby car seats for grand children from infa secure. The first of these are the Infa Secure quattro, a newborn to 4 years of age car seat; extended rear facing; with a twist and lift harness mechanisn. The quattro is a narrow child restraint; but still is a full width seat with air cocoon technology to add extra protection.
The second recommendation is the infa secure grandeur. The Infa Grandeur is a new born to 8 years of age seat with both; extended rear facing and extended harnessing. This is the only child restraint on the market; which has an easy adjust harness, and will take you from newborn to 8 years of age.
Non Recommended Baby Car Seats
All baby car seats; that cannot be used easily, or taken in and out easily; are not recommended for grand children. This include brands such as maxi cosi, safety 1st and mothers choice. Some of the issues with these brands include the inability to easily take the car seats in and out; either the seats do not have isofix or the isofix system is difficult to tighten securely. Additionally the harness should be easy to loosen and tighten in both forward facing mode as well as rear facing. Since the introduction of the maxi cosi moda, many maxi cosi seats have been difficult to tighten without resorting to pulling the harness from the back,
Cheap seats…. are they worth it..
Selecting a car seat purely on the price; instead of ease of use; is the biggest mistake in selecting a child restraint for grand children. All child restraints should be easy to use and adjust.
The majority of errors made by parents and grand parents; are when the child restraint; is difficult to use. When the child restraint is easy to use, then you will make the adjusts on a regular basis; and keep your grand children safer.
Grandparent tips for travelling with grand-children
When selecting a child restraint, and travelling with your grand children; the following tips; should be taken into consideration:
- Can you release the tensioning strap easily
- Is it easy adjust the harness strap height
- Look for a restraint which you can install easily
- Fully loosen harness; before tightening the harness.
- check harness height each time your grand child travels with you
- Always make harness as tight as you can
- Rear facing : top tether is taut and not over tight.Summary
- Rear Facing : from seat is not touching child restraint
Summary – Best seat for Grandparents
The best capsule for Granparents – Maxi Cosi Mico PLus Isofix
The Best convertible car seat is the Britax Graphene or the Britax Brava