What is better to choose - isofix car seats or simple designs with ordinary belts? The presented question most often worries responsible parents who are in search of the safest way to transport their child in a car. We will try to clarify this situation by considering the main advantages and disadvantages of car seats with Isofix mounts.
What are isofix car seats?
Isofix technology complies with generally accepted European standards for securing child seats in cars. During installation, the latter are connected directly to the vehicle body. This eliminates the need for
seat belts. To ensure the kids are completely safe during movement, it is enough to fix the car seats with isofix with the help of a special mounting device located on the rear seat.
In recent years, technology is increasingly being adopted by domestic vehicle manufacturers. Therefore, today such systems can be seen in the basic configuration of the most numerous machines.
Reliability
The car seat up to 36 kg isofix is fixedly connected to the rigid frame of the car, providing reliable fixation of the user in a static position. Thus, when the car stops abruptly, the child seat can be pulled out in the front direction and the risk of injuries is accordingly reduced.
Additional fixation
Users who find it difficult to connect the seat with the car frame are offered hard stops that provide the possibility of additional fixation of the structure to the floor. The mount is a kind of "leg" that connects to the chair at the base and limits its movement in any direction.
Easy installation
The next advantage that isofix car seats differ in (9-36 kg) is the absence of installation problems. As practice shows, the bulk of the injuries that children receive in the event of an accident are caused by the displacement of the seat secured by the base belts.
Installation of a car seat with an isofix eliminates errors and, as a result, incorrect operation of elements that are responsible for safety in extreme situations. Correct installation of structures of this type is possible for 90% of users who encounter such systems for the first time. The remaining 10% of cases of improper installation occur in consumers who had to deal with counterfeit products.
Driver safety
Since the seats with the isofix system automatically snap into the mounts, the driver does not have to remember whether he fastened the child seat before the trip or not. This moment is extremely important, because even the lightest, empty seat that flies into the head of the car owner in the event of an accident can cause serious injuries.
Design
Before turning to the disadvantages of car seats with the isofix fastening system, it is worth noting that most of them look more like capsules that are used by Formula 1 racers than designs for children. In addition to connecting to the frame of the machine, there are its own seat belts. Therefore, the child is fixed directly to the chair. And this helps to dissipate energy, which occurs in the event of a sharp braking and, accordingly, reduces the loads that a young passenger has to experience.
Disadvantages of seats with the Isofix system
Like any other product, an isofix car seat (9-36 kg) has its drawbacks:
- Isofix acts as a rigid mount. Therefore, any serious collision causes a sufficiently high load on the cervical spine of the baby, fixed in a chair.
- In the presence of such a seat, the motorist is forced to endure unnecessary inconvenience if it is necessary to change the car.
- If the family has several vehicles, you have to resort to additional waste for their equipment with Isofix mounts.
- Any car seat (15-36) isofix is heavier by about 25-30% of ordinary seats with belt mounts.
- An obvious minus of the constructions of this type is a rather high cost. The price of such products compared to seats where there are no Isofix mounts is 50-60% higher. Therefore, highly reliable European-style systems are not affordable for every interested consumer.
Finally
As you can see, the disadvantages of child car seats with the Isofix system are much less than the advantages that the user receives when operating such structures. The most important advantage of such systems is the highest level of security that is provided to the child while traveling by car.