The summer holidays flew by, and the new school year is well and truly in full swing! On top of the fresh uniforms and new shoes, every parent wants to make the school run as smooth as possible.
At Halfords, we’re here to help. That’s why we’ve teamed up with car seat experts Joie to give you the low-down on everything you need to know about child travel, so you can take on the school run with confidence every day.
When to use a child car seat
When it comes to the school run, your main priority is undoubtedly your child’s safety. But do you know if their car seat is right for their age, height, or weight?
In the UK, it’s a legal requirement for any child up to around 12 years old or 135cm in height (150cm in the Republic of Ireland) / 36kg in weight to use a car seat. So, if your child falls within this range, the right seat will help keep them safe and comfortable on the school run.
Of course, children grow at different rates – we’ve all bought a new uniform only for them to shoot up a size overnight. That’s why we recommend judging whether your child still needs a car seat based mainly on their height and weight.
Choosing the right child car seat
So, you know your little one needs a car seat for the school run, but which one do they need? There are so many car seats available; things can be a little confusing. And even if you already have a car seat, knowing when it needs upgrading to a bigger size is tricky too.
But don’t worry, as choosing a car seat is easier than you might think. The main thing to consider is the size and weight.
R129 is the updated safety standard and uses height-based sizing while the previous R44 standard was weight-based. The most important thing is getting the right size car seat for your child. You’ll then need to upgrade the seat once they’ve outgrown it.
You can find a size guide for R129 seats here.
You may also see options for i-Size car seats – these are not the same as R129, although many people use the terms interchangeably. Both R129 car seats and i-Size car seats experience similar safety testing, but they are not the same thing. i-Size is an enhancement of R129 and focuses on ensuring that car seats fit safely into vehicles using ISOFIX anchor points. Therefore, while all i-Size car seats must comply with the R129 safety standards, not all R129 car seats may be i-Size compatible.
What about multi-stage child car seats?
Don’t want the stress of replacing your child’s car seat every few years? No problem! A multi-stage seat can be the perfect solution.
Multi-stage seats span multiple sizes, meaning they don’t need to be replaced as regularly. Halfords and Joie recently teamed up to create the new Joie for Halfords Transfix i-Size Group 2/3 and Joie for Halfords Idyll car seats. They’re both packed with market-leading technology and, when used together, they’ll protect your child from birth all the way through to approximately 12 years of age.
It’s even possible to buy all-stage seats that cover every size like the Joie Every Stage R129 Car Seat – so you can arrive in September every year safe in the knowledge you have a car seat ready for the school run.
Child car seat technology
Once you know which sized seat your child needs, you can start to consider what features and technology you’d like your new seat to have too.
If you have a small car that’s tight on space, it’s worth considering a spinning car seat for ease of access. This will save you wrestling with the seat and car every time you try to fasten your little one in – not something you want to contend with every school run!
Comfort is also important. Many seats like those in the Joie for Halfords range have adjustable headrests and the Joie for Halfords Idyll also has an adjustable harness to help maximise comfort.
And, finally, do you want an ISOFIX seat? ISOFIX is the name given to the anchor mechanism that comes pre-built into cars. Any ISOFIX-compatible seats are designed to easily click into this anchor point, securing the seat without using the seat belt. It makes life much easier when you need to regularly swap a seat between cars.
But do all cars have ISOFIX? ISOFIX has been growing as an increasingly popular feature since 2006, and as of 2014, it’s mandatory for all new cars in the EU to have it. So, if your car is quite old, you may not have ISOFIX. Otherwise, your good to go!
Top tips for the school run
We all know how chaotic the school run can be. Here are a couple of simple child travel tips that can help make the school run that little bit smoother:
- Take a blanket – The colder months are just around the corner, so your little one will soon be going to school in a big, warm coat. However, your child shouldn’t travel in their car seat in large clothing as the seat won’t offer the same level of protection. Therefore, take their coat off before strapping them in and leave a blanket in the car in case they get cold.
- Travel in the back seat – Although it’s perfectly legal for a car seat to be used in the passenger seat, we’d generally advise using it in a backseat wherever possible. This is further away from any airbags and is considered a safer spot. However, if they do travel in the front seat, make sure you deactivate all the front airbags before setting off.
Free child car seat consultation
Still not sure on the right car seat? You can always take advantage of our free child car seat consultation! Simply book an appointment online at your local store and we’ll assess your needs and provide the best car seat recommendation for you.
With the right car seat, you can help make the school run more manageable. And if you need to upgrade or buy a new car seat, you can find Joie’s full range of car seats over at Halfords.com.
Keep your little ones safe on the school run with Halfords!
Introducing the Halfords Motoring Club
Don’t miss out! Join the Halfords Motoring Club today to access a range of amazing benefits and discounts that are designed to keep you moving, keep you safe and keep you saving.
It’s free to join and you’ll receive money off your MOT, a free car health check and a welcome voucher that can be spent on any Halfords product or service.
Or choose our Premium membership for a monthly fee of £5.49 (£65.88) or £54 annually to unlock exclusive member pricing on all motoring products and services online and across our stores, garages and Halfords Mobile Experts, as well as a variety of other benefits that will help you to keep moving for less.
With so much to enjoy, this is too good an opportunity to miss!
Join the Halfords Motoring Club today at www.halfords.com/motoring-club.