When shopping for your little one, car seats come on top of the must-buy list. They are crucial in keeping your baby safe and secure while being on the road. For new parents especially, all the jargon and regulations can make the whole process of researching and shopping a little hard.
One of the many terms you may have encountered whilst doing the child car seat research is ISOFIX.
What is an ISOFIX car seat?
ISOFIX is short for International Standards Organisation Fix. It is a universal system for fixing child car seats that uses attachment points built into the car rather than a seat belt which makes it easier to attach the car seat securely and reduces the risk of errors. ISOFIX car seats are the top-class level of car seat safety in the market due to their ability to secure car seats safely and properly.
It is also important to know that ISOFIX child car seats cover Group 0+ and Group 1 chairs, which is from birth to 4 years old, 0-18kg. Meanwhile, Group 2/3 car seats, from 4 - 12 years, fall under the ISOFIT category.
How does ISOFIX work?
To be able to install an ISOFIX child car seat, your car needs to have ISOFIX points built. While not all cars are compatible with ISOFIX, do check on your car model manual for compatibility before purchasing an ISOFIX child car seat.
The basis of the creation of ISOFIX child car seats was due to the statistics that two-thirds of child car seats are fixed incorrectly. Hence, to reduce the risk of wrongly installed car seats, ISOFIX car seats are created to increase your little one's safety.
Though it sounds foreign to you, fret not, ISOFIX car seats are simple to install. All you have to do is to connect the anchoring points on the base of the child car seat to the anchorage points of a compatible car.
Pros & cons of ISOFIX car seats
The main advantage of ISOFIX car seats is it decreases the risk of faulty fixation with its quick and easy-breezy installation process. ISOFIX creates a tight connection between the child car seat and the anchoring points in the vehicle itself, thus giving parents a sense of comfort and reducing the chances of your child getting hurt in an accident due to the child car seat being improperly installed.
The downside, however, they are not compatible with every car model. This could cause problems for families with multiple cars exchanging the car seats between cars. Hence, it is very important for you to thoroughly do your research before purchasing one.
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