i've been doing some reading and research and i would personally recommend Joie Stages. which works from birth till 7 years of age. multi position and its isofix ready and as well with seat belt ready too.

More importantly it is safe with isofix and seat belt ready and works till 7 years of age or 18kgs

Today, while searching for info for a friend becoming a new parent, I found this excellent article. I feel like if you read nothing else, you should read this.

http://carseatblog.com/26847/new-parent-ca...u-need-to-know/

I've got a maxi-cosi Opal too. It is suitable for newborn and up to few years old. One of the main advantage I find about this car seat is that during my newborn's first 6 months, it can be used for back facing. When he is older than 6 months, the car seat can be turned 180 degrees to front facing. It's kind of 2-in-1.

There are many car seats that can turn from rear facing to front facing. They're called convertible seats and I actually don't like "infant" seats that cannot convert from rear to front because I think they're a waste of money.

That being said, just because your carseat manual says you can turn your baby at 6 months old, doesn't mean you should. It's SAFER to face the rear of the car than to face the front. You should rear-face your child up to the maximum weight that your convertible seat allows or when there is less than an inch of carseat left over your baby's head, whichever is earliest.

http://carseatblog.com/5168/why-rear-facin...-rf-link-guide/ has a lot of info explaining why you should rear-face for as long as possible.

Thanks for the information and totally agree. I think its better safe than sorry. With all the ruthless drivers on the road nowadays. Usually I'll drive extra careful and at slower speed whenever I have my child around.

I haven't really notice a fisher price car seat. But I've got a few of their toys. What I found out about their toys is that the quality is inferior compared to other brands which I've got (e.g. vtech, ELC, Hape). It's plastic just felt too thin and fragile. Since my child is still young, can't really tell if the toys will last. Maybe more feedback from others?

My father-in-law bought a fisher price for his own car to drive his grandson around. And I think it is HORRIBLE. Like plastic, and impossible to get a snug, tight install rear-facing. As soon as they could face-forward my son in that carseat, we did, because it was far more secure, but even then, still shaky. The lockoff is RUBBISH and pops off! It feels like a TOY, not a carseat that will protect my baby. If it wasn't for the fact that my father-in-law has never been in a car accident, and his cars are all high end with great safety features in general, I would refuse to let my son be in that carseat.

I wish I could say better things about the fisher price car seat, but sadly, I can't.

Thanks for the feedback, hanishoney. I am also skeptical to fisher price's products these days. An a gentle reminder, even if the car seat is placed in a car with great safety features, that does not mean that your child will be safe. As long as the child is not secured in his/her car seat, that is not safe. The child might get flung off the seat in an accident.

Anyway, is there any recommended car seat brands?

Try research for Joie Stages..have 5 position harness

http://www.joiebaby.com/stages

Err, MOST carseats will have 5 position harness. In fact, American safety standards ban any carseats not using 5 position harness. So recommending Joie Stages on the basis of having 5 position harness is like if someone ask you what fast food restaurant is best? And you say research McDonald's..have fries.

The best carseat is the carseat you can install correctly in your car and you can secure your child in it correctly EVERY time. Because an incorrectly installed carseat is MORE DANGEROUS than not having a carseat at all. In an accident, if your carseat is not installed correctly, it can fly and INJURE people. Try to read the manual before you buy. If you cannot understand the manual, or no one in the shop can teach you how to install your carseat, DON'T BUY. It would be money you waste ADDING injury to your child instead of PROTECTING your child. Better spend the money on medical insurance!

Yes, the 5 position harness is pretty common. However, one fact to consider is whether the car seat can support ISOFIX. What I am asking is for any recommended reliable brand. Joie is definitely one of the good brands. In fact, my child is using its mimzy (http://www.joiebaby.com/mimzy)

Car seats crash tested by American standards: http://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-rec...nded-car-seats/
Car seats crash tested by European standards: http://www.which.co.uk/baby-and-child/baby...hild-car-seats/ (but must pay GBP1 for one year's access)

Which model is it? I couldn't find the Joie Stages is comes with ISOFIX.

http://www.superbuy.my/maybank2urewardspoi...r-seat/p/218073

Thanks for the info! Will check it out.

I think for Joie Stages the isofix base u need to buy it separately.

This post has been edited by lilziggie: Aug 16 2014, 04:48 PM

any opinion on this;

http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/boulevard

it is equiped with latch connector, but i don't know whether it is compatible with isofix. can anyone advise?

LATCH and isofix are pretty much the same thing. LATCH is the American name and isofix is the European name. The important info is that some isofix/latch systems have a weight limit. Check your car manual for the weight limit, if any. If there is a weight limit, then you'd have to find out the weight of the car seat + the weight of your child and make sure that the total is not more than your car's isofix weight limit. After your child has caused the carseat + child weight limit to be too much, you'd have to install with seatbelt.

Boulevard is recommended by CarSeatBlog.com, but apparently can be difficult to use the lockoff with seatbelt in some cars and rather large. Make sure your car can fit it before you buy and that if your car has isofix weight limits that you can install with seatbelt tightly too.

Britax Roundabout is the cheaper, smaller option, if you're a fan of Britax.

Thank you for your feedback on this. Do you think there is any issue to fit this car seat in a small suv such as ford kuga or mazda cx-5?

I'm using Maxi-Cosi MiloFix. Highly recommended!

Ok folks. The best carseat is the carseat that fits YOUR car. If you wanna make recommendations, how about recommending it WITH details about your car and WHERE in your car you have installed it? Middle, behind driver, behind front passenger, etc. Did you install with seatbelt or isofix? THAT would be more helpful because what would fit YOUR car (whatever it is) perfectly may not fit someone else's!

Example: it's really easy to use the Myvi middle position lapbelt to install the Diono Radian RXT, but I lose about 2" ability to push back my front passenger seat. That's still plenty of room to push back, unless you really need super amounts of leg room. If I put the Radian behind either front seat, the front seat has to be pushed all the way forward. Very uncomfortable for anyone sitting in front. The lockoff that has to be used with a shoulder/lap belt is fiddly and a PAIN. The isofix works great! I also install in the Proton Suprima. No problem at ALL except that the middle seat is a shoulder/lap belt so if I want in the middle position, have to deal with the fiddly lockoff, because no isofix in the middle.


I've never looked at the Boulevard in real life, nor have I been in either car. I did a search on carseat.org's forum and found someone who mentions he uses a Britax Boulevard in his mazda cx-5 http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=257477 but that he wouldn't be able to fit a second boulevard in.

My tip if your car is NOT exactly the mazda cx-5 is to read this article: http://carseatblog.com/22818/the-ultimate-...w-size-matters/ then borrow a rear-facing carseat from a friend/neighbour to try installing in your car. Preferably one of the seats mentioned in the article. Then, you can compare with the measurements of the Boulevard and Pavillion (which according to this article are the same length for rear-facing).

This post has been edited by hanishoney: Aug 20 2014, 06:51 PM