glad that i found this thread. wanna ask anyone using firstyear truefit or chicco nextfit? care to share the exp? thanks.

First Years's company announced leaving the car seat business this year, so that's why their carseats are really affordable now, because there will be no more support for them. If you don't mind the lack of any support, True Fit is highly recommended IF you're not using a compact car. For example, it doesn't fit a Kelisa rear-facing. I've never tried it in my Myvi, so I'm not sure if it would fit a Myvi.

I've never touched a Chicco NextFit, but it is also on http://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-rec...nded-car-seats/. According to that website though, you cannot use ISOFIX with the carseat anymore once your child is more than 18kg, so if you go with it, make sure that you know how to install it with seatbelt also.

very thanks for the reply!

i have go thru the link. i have a sedan(has isofix) and a myvi(no isofix). i think smaller car only can use front-facing and when front-facing cannot use isofix right although the car has isofix?so are you using first year true fit? any issue so far? actually my first choice is first year truefit because pricing is around rm900 while chicco around rm1300-1500.
too bad the company leaving the car seat business and this make me need to re-consider again.

for chicco, normally if child weight near to 18kg mean leg already long and will not feel comfortable when use rear-facing right?
chicco nextfit attracted me because it has 9 position can adjust. so child will feel more comfortable when sleeping.

haiya how lah...maybe wait coming baby fair then go look see look see...

Smaller car or not, if baby less than 1 year old MUST be rear facing ONLY. If carseat cannot rear face in your car, then do NOT buy the carseat! Or at least, don't drive the baby in the smaller car. NEVER NEVER NEVER put baby <1yo in front-facing seat, please.

And rear facing is always safer than front facing, so you should rear face for as long as possible. Some kids find rear facing even more comfortable than front facing because when front facing their legs dangle, but rear facing they can put their legs on the back of the car. http://carseatblog.com/5168/why-rear-facin...-rf-link-guide/ Scroll down to the videos if you don't want to read the links.

And whether can use isofix or not depends on instructions of the carseat and your car itself. Different carseat got different instructions. Different car also got different ability. Before you buy any carseat, 1. read your car manual, to make sure you know what limits they put for carseats if any; 2. TEST INSTALLING THE CAR SEAT. At least on the demo chair at the shop, if they don't let you test in your own car.

REMEMBER THAT A WRONGLY INSTALLED CAR SEAT CAN BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN NO CAR SEAT AT ALL.

I am not using first year true fit. It was a friend who was using it in her kenari, that's why I know it cannot rear-face in kenari. But she also has a Proton Inspira, so she was rear-facing her baby in the bigger car and only put front facing in the kenari after her baby was heavy enough to be front facing.

For me, I started with a combi coccoro. It's small and fits easily in the myvi. Can install with both isofix or with seatbelt well, no moving where it's installed, using rolled up towels. My son was able to rear face in the coccoro until 2 years old, no problem. I turned it front-facing when there was only 1 inch left above his head (he was still nowhere near the 18kg limit, but height is also a limit). After that I looked for a front-facing seat that had harness and could become booster later. I paid a fortune for Britax Pinnacle because it had the easiest install I've ever seen in my entire life. LoL but unfortunately I had a car accident just one week later. By the way, my son slept through the car accident! Since I had to buy another carseat anyway, I decided to go back to rear facing, and I bought a Diono Radian, which is what my son is in now.

This post has been edited by hanishoney: Oct 24 2014, 03:27 AM

hi, many thanks for the feedback. understand and noted on your comments. cheers

Last weekend, I installed my son's Diono Radian in my mum's old Mercedes. 2006 C-Class, I think. Can't remember.

I installed the seat in the middle back seat, using the lap and shoulder belt. Pretty easy, no problem. Until it was time for my mum and I to sit at the back. We discovered that we could buckle the seatbelt behind the driver's seat, but we couldn't buckle the seatbelt behind the front passenger seat, because the middle seat's seatbelt, holding my son's Diono Radian, blocked the buckle access.

Remember, when anybody is unbuckled in your car, in an accident, that person can fly and injure the child in your carseat and your child's carseat can also injure the flying person. EVERYBODY has to be able to buckle up in your car.

So make sure when you're testing the fit of a carseat in your car, that you also test whether other people can still buckle up the other seats of your car.

Is it advisable to install a car seat in the middle back seat? I've not done that personally and not sure how secure it is. Can share more?

Middle back seat is furthest from side impact, therefore safest from a car ramming you from the side. However, there are other issues to consider before assuming that middle back seat is the best choice in your car.

As I said before, your baby is safest in a carseat that is installed CORRECTLY. Middle seat often does not have LATCH or isofix. Some middle seats don't even have a seatbelt, or has only a lap belt, no shoulder belt.

If there is no shoulder belt, then it is NOT safe for even an adult to use the middle seat. If there is no belt at all, there is no way you can install a carseat there!

Let's say your middle seat has only a lapbelt, like my Myvi. If your carseat allows an installation with lapbelt only, then IF you can get a tight install with the lapbelt, then your carseat can gain the added advantage of being furthest from a side impact. Because my old Combi Coccoro enabled me to use lapbelt only, I could install in the middle seat. My Combi manual even instructed that if the Coccoro was installed on a side seat, no one should seat in the middle seat next to the Coccoro! So by installing my Coccoro in the middle, not only did I give extra protection from side impact to my baby, I was able to have two shoulder-belt seats for adults to seat safely beside my baby (admittedly it was a squeeze for them).

More links to choosing position of your carseat:
http://thecarseatlady.blogspot.com/2010/06...-be-riding.html
http://carseatanswers.com/which-seat-is-sa...babys-car-seat/
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...30102652AAN0z9m
Installing in center seat with LATCH

To ascertain how secure your carseat is, compare how you've installed it to what the carseat manual says. Then try to move it where it is secured. It should NOT move more than an inch, up down sideways any way, at the area where it is secured by isofix belt or seatbelt.

Thanks for the pointers! Indeed, it is very informative.

I self imported a britax max fix designed to be rear facing up to 18 kg.

highly recommend it

What car or cars have you installed it into? Extended rear-facing carseats tend to be extra long and so can be hard to fit into smaller cars like a Myvi or a Fiesta, so telling what cars you have successfully installed your britax max fix in would give other parents some idea of its suitability to their own cars.

Also, have you tried installing with both isofix and seatbelt? Or just isofix or seatbelt? Which car positions have you tried installing the Max Fix? Middle back seat, behind driver or behind front passenger seat?

ah yes. it's pretty huge. i have only used it with isofix only.

i use it in two cars

volkswagen sharan - it will fit easily on any of the middle row seats. however my preference is to install it in on the middle seat. this is one advantage the sharan has, it has three pairs of isofix points for the middle row so even the middle seat has one.

mercedes-benz s-class - it will fit on both rear seats. i use it behind the driver.

This post has been edited by paultantk: Sep 22 2014, 11:14 AM

I was comparing Joie Tilt (0-18kg) and Joie Stages (0-25kg), bought Stages at www.littlewhiz.com in the end because

1. bigger seat ...good for chubby infants
2. paddings/cushions is more comfy
3. was on offer < RM1000 for superb quality & looks found on higher specs

Is this the model you bought -> Joie: Stages Convertible Car Seat?
Does it comes with ISOFIX?

No ISOFIX.... utilising normal seatbelt.

can share more on your experience with Joie??

Hi There,

can suggest which car seat can fit my nissan almera (isofix) ?

budget around rm1k......

Installed into your car yet? What car and which position did you install into your car? Was it difficult to install? Is the manual easy to read/understand?

Hi lemon_girl and hanishoney,

Joie Stages Introduction Video

Installed in Peugeot 308T facing rearwards, overall is good just front space a bit tight due to it's bigger than normal seats (suggest you try any seats in your car before deciding).

Joie Stages installation is pretty simple as video below with straightforward manuals.

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmoQ0le-_Cs

IMHO, other very useful items:
1. infant body support provided for babies under 9KG / <6months which helps to
give a snug fit!
2. adjustable headrest following your baby's height
3. Can convert to Group 2 car seat (up to 25kg) - that is why size is bigger!

Well, all car seats are good as long it fits your purpose and budget

This post has been edited by dijon: Oct 21 2014, 11:20 PM

Actually, most important is that it is installed CORRECTLY in your car. That's why, when recommending a car seat, I strongly recommend mentioning your car and which position you install it in: behind driver, behind passenger or middle.

How do you know if your carseat is installed correctly? You shouldn't be able to move it more than an inch in ANY direction around the area secured with isofix/seatbelt after installing. If it can move more than an inch, it will move A LOOOOT more in an actual car accident. A carseat can actually be MORE dangerous than no carseat IF installed wrongly.

This post has been edited by hanishoney: Oct 24 2014, 03:09 AM