Your child will be travelling in the car seat for a long time, especially in the rear-facing seat. Therefore, it is important to choose a rear-facing car seat that lasts for the entire recommended period (up to at least 4 years of age, but preferably longer) and that is suitable for your family and your needs.
We are all different and so are our children. Some grow a little faster, others may be a little heavier, and so on. It is good to know that today there are options on the market that accommodate children up to the age of 6-7, given the length and weight range of each car seat, to travel safe and rear-facing.
What is an approved car seat?
A car seat can either be approved for length or for weight depending on regulations. When installing with ISOFIX, there is always a weight limit, which is a total of 33 kg for car seat + child. This means that the lighter the car seat is, the more the child can weigh. The majority of the rear-facing car seats with ISOFIX are today approved up to a maximum weight for children of 18kg. However, there are car seats with ISOFIX that give the child the opportunity to travel rear-facing up to 23kg and 125cm.
For a seat belt attached car seat, it is also good to try to find alternatives with high limits. The most common is this type of car seat is approved up to 125cm or 25kg.
Different car seats have different limits for weight and length. A recommendation is therefore to choose a rear-facing car seat that has high maximum limits, such as up to 125cm and 23kg for ISOFIX and 125cm or 25kg for seat belt attached car seats. Also look for features that allow your child to reach these maximum limits with a high comfort and ample legroom. A car seat that can be used over a longer period needs to have high maximum limits and be able to adapt to a growing child in your car.
