The most common test quoted by consumers is EUROTEST and this is a comparison test used by WHICH? magazine and based on procedures used by the European New Car Assesment Programme (EuroNCAP).
The problem with this test is unlike R44 which bases its results on a "average car" Eurotest bases its results on a single model of car, for example in 2007 Eurotest used a Opel model.
And this is where everything becomes controversial because NOT ALL CAR SEAT FITS ALL CARS so a car seat could get a great crash test in a Opel and a differing result in Ford.
Eurotest do test for side impact but this too is controversial as these results will vary dependant on if a car is 3 or 5 door and where the "feed" is for the seat belt.
Again these vary from car to car...high, low, level with the rear seat, behind the rear seat ...............the seat belt feed position makes a significant difference to side impact tests to the point that current test results are not allways accurate.
The "positive" from Eurotest is that the speed of simulated crash is higher something we believe R44 should incorporate.
Elsewhere on this web site we make the point that the ONLY test to trust is R44 but we welcome NPACS because unlike Eurotest they to will test correctly by using a "average" car. To do this NPACS has taken criteria from a huge number of cars and worked out cushion densities, angles, heights, pitch etc so to ensure the testing procedures are both known and fair.
Hopefully all consumer magazines will switch to NPACS and the editors of those magazines will engage informed journalists who will know how to publish the results wisely.........something that has not always occured regularly in the past.
For more information on "NPACS" simply enter these letters into your search engine and all will be revealed! As a quick P.S. we fully accept procedures for EuroNcap are first class but a Carseatinfo we are interested in child car seats not cars so we promote R44 and the new NPACS testing procedures as being best for consumers.
September 2008 Update: It now appears that the UK will be the first European country to adopt NPACS and that the crash tests results will be available for all consumers. The UK's top selling consumer magazine currently adapt crash test results from tests made in Germany and it is because of the concern about these type of tests (across Europe) that NPACS's exist. A UK date has yet to be set... but NPACS promises to give accurate (and free) information to consumers. June 2010 Update: Well now we are not so sure NPAC's will ever be launched due to financial issues. ....watch this space!
THE NEW JANE EXO
Now available in UK the new "Jane Exo" is a car seat that will take children’s in car safety to new levels.
The Jane Exo is a universal ISOfix car seat suitable for children 9-18kg. Whilst ISOfix car seats have the great advantage that they are more likely to be fitted correctly the problem with ISOfix car seats is that they are more likely to cause injury to children because unlike seat belt models the accident forces are absorbed by the child. The Jane Exo overcomes this problem by incorporating a shock absorbing piston in the base of the seat. The Exo also boasts a new (electronic) method of checking that the ISOfix brackets are fitted correctly making it even easier to fit than conventional ISOfix car seats. Jane experts agree that it will be almost impossible to fit the Exo incorrectly.
Additionally the Jane Exo has a new design harness to ensure that children are very secure. Uniquely it tightens from the waist and this makes using Exo a breeze. More importantly Exo's crutch strap deepens as the harness/headrest is raised meaning the Exo grows with your child.
Exo was unveiled at the recent Cologne nursery fair and one UK expert described Exo as "fantastic, simply in a different league"
Exo will be available in several colour-ways and be priced at about £229.
For further details of the Jane range go to www.jane.es or www.johnstonprams.co.uk
For more details of Exo please see our page "Best Buy Stage 2 Seats". Additionally you can now see crash tests and a video demonstration of the Exo (via Youtube) uploaded by the UK distributor and one of our recommended retailers Baby2k.com
BRITAX:
Just to confuse us Britax has changed the names of some of their car seats so to keep them uniform with the Germans. With many car seats coming from Britax Romer (the German equivalent to our "Britax") we suspect it is only a matter of time before more "UK" companies go this route.
JANE:
The new model of the Indy Plus was recently launched in Spain. Called the "Jane Montecarlo" this car seat seems to retain all the Indy Plus's virtues plus be far more comfortable for little one. To date the Indy Plus remains the only ISOfix group 2/3 which has two recline positions which can be easily activated with the child still sitting in the seat. Montecarlo is due in the UK in the spring of 2009.
KIDDY:
In late 2008 Kiddy a long established car seat supplier from Germany launched into the UK with two models "Infinity Pro" a stage 2 car seat (suitable for children 9 - 18 kgs) and "Comfort Pro" concieved as a stage 3 car seat (15-36 kg) but with the ability to also be used as a stage 2. Both seats will use "impact shield" technology which has been used in the United States for some time with very impressive crash test results.
If you need help finding information on baby products why not try www.babyproductinfo.co.uk or mumsnet. These web sites are packed with helpful hints for new parents and really easy to navigate. If buying on the web ALLWAYS review the retailer you intend to use by visiting "ciao" or "review centre" web sites........THERE ARE SOME VERY POOR WEB RETAILERS IN THE UK.....NONE OF WHOM ARE RECOMMENDED RETAILERS ON THIS WEB SITE.
DO YOUR "HOMEWORK" BEFORE BUYING!!!!
UPDATE JUNE 2010: Sadly evidence has been found that suggests that some "consumer reviews" (both positive & negative) on other web sites are being being written by unknown third parties. This is illegal but goes on because it's so difficult for Trading Standard Officers to prove. BE WARNED.
