Another Brilliant UK Product

[AmandaMum2B]

Hello All,

While in the UK recently I bumped into a lady with a beautiful 3 week old son who was using a carseat (a Maxi-Cosi Cabrio Fix) that was attached to the Bugaboo frame. Can anyone tell me why in Australia it is illegal to use UK carseats and why we cannot use an isofix (an attachment fixed to the body of the car that the car seat clips into when travelling)?

Cheers,
Amanda

[Pixie]

I am in the UK and they are everywhere!
While in Sydney I looked into it and apparently the maxi cosy doens't conform to AU standards, I mean you could buy one and use it, no one will stop you but it's just not Aussie standards what ever they are lol

I can't get over how many maxi cosy's I see here!

[AmandaMum2B]

Just between you and me (and the www) Pixie, I did buy one, and the bugaboo clips, I think it's brilliant and so do many of my friends, but we're all bamboozled as to why they are illegal here.

Hope you're staying warm!

Cheers,
Amanda

[Duchessa]

How is an isofix different from an anchor point? Sounds intriquing.

[oscarsmilkbar]

hi there

They are modifying the maxi cosi so it is "legally welcome" on our shores so stay tuned...probably this year. It is such a great car seat esp as it attaches to a few frames of prams.

[theycallmemum]

I wish we could use the ISOfix system. It's frustrating that so many cars have it but we can't use it. Surely it's safer than a seatbelt? They should make it so we can use it with a top tether.

[WeloveHarriet]

It's exactly the same with my US travel system. They say that it doesn't conform to Australian standards - which is stupid when my US capsule has exactly - and I mean exactly - the same anchor set-up as our Australian carseat. They are identical - right down to the anchor point plus the seatbelt set-up.

Drives me bonkers.

[Caroline J]

I have a maxi cosi car seat with isofix-have a German car and it has isofix attatchments. Also have the Quinny Buzz and Zapp so the carseat clips into the pram/stroller frames.

They are by far my best baby purchases, make travelling with baby so easy...and I can bring her into the house asleep in her car seat without waking her :D

[Butterflies&Hurricanes]

Hi
Sorry to intrude... :wave:

I remember speaking to a woman at babies galore about all this... (We've just moved here from the UK and I ended up leaving my maxi cosi there :( )
Anyway, apparently the reason it doesnt conform to AU standards is because they say its too rounded and is bad for bubs back and too much time in it can cause bubs back to be curved rather than straight.
We were told to not keep bubs in the seat for longer than 2 hours at a time...

Hope that solves the mystery...

[little mermaid]

I have a maxi cosi car seat with isofix-have a German car and it has isofix attatchments. Also have the Quinny Buzz and Zapp so the carseat clips into the pram/stroller frames.

They are by far my best baby purchases, make travelling with baby so easy...and I can bring her into the house asleep in her car seat without waking her :D

So do you use the iso fix attachment in your car? Just wondering as my mum is buying a new car and we went looking at one the other day and it has iso fix aqnd so does my Dad's car. So how does it work?

[sueb31]

I was told that Isofix may not actually be coming to Australia (as a legal car restraint option) as it wasn't considered safe enough, thaht the anchor point is safer.

I am travelling to the UK later this year and I find it so frustrating that there are different standards in each country, I can't even use my Australian car seat on the plane for my baby (Singapore Airlines apparently only take American and European approved car seats). Sorry, that may be abit off topic!

Sue

[LucyE]

The MaxiCosi just hasn't been submitted for approval to Standards Australia yet (well, is in the process of...) and therefore isn't approved for use/sale here even though it is supposed to be safer than most of the carseats currently available here. If you are really interested, as a PP said, they are looking into bringing them into Oz but the date keeps getting pushed back :(

Re Isofix - when the current Australian system is used correctly, it is equally safe as the Isofix system, however, the problem is that most carseats in Oz are not installed properly (based on several different studies). The Isofix system basically just dummy-proofs the installation of carseats and last I heard, Standards Australia are conducting a review to bring it in here too.

For those who want to use this set up, depending on which state you are in, it may not be 'illegal' to use (eg. if in QLD where the law only requires an infant 12months and under to be in an approved restraint but has no requirements for children older than that) but you won't be covered by insurance if you have an accident because the seat hasn't been approved by Standards Australia. There is a way to get around this...something to do with having a medical need or something or other but it requires a lot of paperwork and lots of money (a couple of $K from memory).

[Ben&Jake&SamanthasMum]

Is Isofix the same as the LATCH system in the US and Canada?
I have a seat imported from the US because it harnesses up to 30kg (no debates please, I am a canadian and know it's "illegal" here but I trust the seat 100%) Anyway, I sold my other US seat here and a lady with an American husband bought it because they already had one and loved it. Both seats are fitted with the LATCH system but I didn't think cars here had it. She said she has a newer Toyota and it has the LATCH system and she is using the Britax with it.
So, my question, is LATCH the same as Isofix and is it available in Australian cars even though the seats don't have it?

Jaime