[Rakey]

Thought that some of you parents out there might be interested in this.

For a while now there has been lots of talk about how infants shouldn't be left in car seats for a long period of time due to possible detrimental effects to the infants development, and effects to spinal and respiratory development.

Lie flat - lie flat car seats - car seats - babyworld - car safety

Well of course there are a few options out there already that try to help keep the infant lying flat in the car, but many which were condemned by 'Which?' as not performing to the same levels of protection of an infant carrier, well that was until now.

Just launched this weekend at a trade show is the 'Britax Babysafe Sleeper', which is a full lieflat carry cot which can be installed in the rear of the car using the seat belts, and also used in the home for overnight sleeping. I managed to get a few photos of it and thought I'd share them with you so if any parents are worried about this kind of thing then you know there is an alternative to a car seat coming out soon.

[NeuroBeaker]

The presumed margin of additional safety with this particular product is seems to compare the chronic effects in a traditional seat with those of the new revolutionary seat in static conditions.

But what happens if you have an accident with a baby lying horizontally in the seat? If facing head-forwards, presumably the baby would break its neck. If facing feet-forwards, presumably leg fractures and lower spine trouble would ensue. The primary function of a car seat should be to protect in a crash - if it doesn't do that it's a bit like:

"Apart from that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"

I could be missing something, but at the moment I'm not so sure this is a good idea...

All the best,
Andrew.

[Rakey]

The way it works Andrew is that the child can only lie with the head intowards the centre of the rear bench, there is no way to anchor the item with the childs head or feet facing forwards or rearwards.

The child is harnessed into the Babysafe sleeper which can only used in the full lie flat system in the car, even though when in use as a carry cot out of the car there is an option to life the baby up as in all other carry cots, this reclining system has a patented system that prevents it from being used in the vehicle in the upright position too, so there is no risk of misuse, which was one of the main failings of other items on the current market and something which the 'Which?' report slated them on.

The other difference with the Britax Babysafe sleeper is that it has a full integrated roll cage with across the vertical and horizontal axis. During impact most other lie flat items rotate forwards towards the driver, but this is designed so that during impact the carry cot rotates towards the seat, reducing the and controlling the forces on the child, and then internally there is a full surrounding area of impact absorption unlike most other items.

All of this is what gives better testing results than anything else available, and ensures that the child is as protected as they are in a tradition infant carrier, as otherwise Britax wouldn't have launched it

[NeuroBeaker]

Ah ok - so I was missing something.

Sounds pretty good, then.

Many thanks,
Andrew.

[NeuroBeaker]

Just had a thought... what happens with this seat in a side impact?

All the best,
Andrew.

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by ARCrawford (original)

Just had a thought... what happens with this seat in a side impact?

All the best,
Andrew.

Think about it, it moves in the same direction as an infant carrier would in a front impact or rearward impact, and keeps the child enclosed and protected just as much as they would be in an infant carrier

[mikeythemini]

Interesting - looking at the pic the seatbelts dont look attached??
Will there be an isofix version?

[mini-millie-n-dan]

Looks good, but don't think I would buy one!
Well done to Britax, do these also clip onto a pushchair?
We have never bought a 'travel system' as I don't like the idea of babies being stuck in a car seat for hours on end, as Rakey says it's not good for development of the backs.

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by mikeythemini (original)

Interesting - looking at the pic the seatbelts dont look attached??
Will there be an isofix version?

Correct, the seat belt is not locked into the buckle, as the tension is applied by the attachment part and tensions against the bottom section of the belt which is a fixed position rather than against the upper part which runs through the reel

There might be an Isofix version, but not right now, but it wouldn't be really adding much ease of use as its already really simple to use

Quote: Originally Posted by mini-millie-n-dan (original)

Looks good, but don't think I would buy one!
Well done to Britax, do these also clip onto a pushchair?
We have never bought a 'travel system' as I don't like the idea of babies being stuck in a car seat for hours on end, as Rakey says it's not good for development of the backs.

Yes they do fit onto pushchairs, well the Britax Visio, or the Vigour 3+ or the Vigour 4+, more models coming soon, and not just from Britax, were working with a number of other companies to get this to fit so that this option is available to more people

[Dawn]

looks interesting, and its a brilliant post rakey
Somehow i just dont think i could trust it
I had a travel system and they are brilliant !... but to be honest, Ollie never spent hours on end cooped up in the carry seat ( when he was tiny and it matered anyway ) so that side of things was never an issue with me...
Id have to see it fully operational, in the flesh, before i made proper judgement tho i think

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dawn (original)

looks interesting, and its a brilliant post rakey
Somehow i just dont think i could trust it
I had a travel system and they are brilliant !... but to be honest, Ollie never spent hours on end cooped up in the carry seat ( when he was tiny and it matered anyway ) so that side of things was never an issue with me...
Id have to see it fully operational, in the flesh, before i made proper judgement tho i think

Wish I could share the crash test films, but I'd trust and use it

[mikeythemini]

Thanks for the helpful info
Not that I'm planning to need one now (however the wife has other ideas)

[Shamster]

If you can sort out the isofix version it could be a winner - the seatbelt is the weakest link, at least with isofix it's effectively secured to the car body and won't have to rely on an inertia system.

[Smurfn]

Looks interesting. Hopefully I won't be needing one.

[RCS]

Looking at these things at the mo for a september arrival.

Jane (spanish company) have been doing one for a while - the matrix cup (i think thats the name). it mixes lie flat with a traditional position baby seat as its fully adjustable.

We went to see this in mothercare over the weekend and the official mothercare line is that they dont recommend lie flat seats.