Car Seat with isofix: advantages and disadvantages

Which is better to choose - car seats with isofix or simple designs with conventional belts? The presented question most often excites responsible parents who are in search of the safest way to transport a child in a car. We will try to clarify this situation by considering the main advantages and disadvantages of car seats with Isofix anchors.

What is a car seat with an isofix?

Isofix technology corresponds to the generally accepted European standards for securing child seats in cars. During installation, the latter are connected directly to the body of the vehicle. This eliminates the need for seat belts. To ensure the kids complete safety during the movement, it is enough to fix the car seat with the isofix by using a special fastening device located in the backseat.

In recent years, technology is increasingly being adopted by domestic manufacturers of vehicles. Therefore today such systems can be seen in the basic equipment of the most numerous machines.

Reliability

Car seat up to 36 kg isofix is fixedly connected to the rigid carcass of the car, providing reliable fixation of the user in a static position. Thus, when the car is suddenly stopped, the child seat in the frontal direction is completely ruled out and the risk of injury is reduced accordingly.

Additional fixation

Users who have little connection with the carcass of the car, are offered hard stops, which provide the possibility of additional fixation of the structure in the floor. The mount is a kind of "leg" that connects to the seat at the base and limits its movement in any directions.

Easy installation

The next advantage, which distinguish the car seat isofix (9-36 kg), there is no problem with the installation. As practice shows, most of the injuries that children receive in the event of an accident are caused by the displacement of the seat fixed by the base belts.

Installation of an autoarmchair with an isofix excludes the assumption of 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 fall on consumers who had to deal with counterfeit products.

Driver safety

Since the chairs with the isofix system automatically snap into the mounts, the driver does not have to remember whether he zipped the baby seat before the trip or not. This moment is extremely important, because even the lightest, empty chair, which flies in the head of the car owner in the event of an accident, can cause the most serious injuries.

Design

Before proceeding to the shortcomings of car seats with the isofix attachment system, it is worth noting that outwardly most of them resemble capsules that are used by Formula 1 racers rather than designs for children. In addition to the connection to the frame of the machine, there are own seat belts. Therefore, the child's fixation occurs directly to the chair. And this contributes to the dissipation of energy, which occurs in the case of sudden braking and, accordingly, reduces the load that the young passenger must experience.

Disadvantages of armchairs with the Isofix system

Like any other product, a car seat with an isofix (9-36 kg) has its drawbacks:

1. Isofix acts as a rigid mount. Therefore, any serious collision causes quite high loads on the cervical spine of the baby, fixed in the chair.
2. In the presence of such an armchair car enthusiast is forced to endure unnecessary inconveniences when it is necessary to change the car.
3. If the family has several vehicles, it is necessary to resort to additional waste for their equipment with Isofix anchorages.
4. Any car seat (15-36) isophyx is heavier by about 25-30% of conventional saddles with belt fasteners.
5. The obvious disadvantage of this type of construction is a fairly high cost. The price of such products compared to the seats where there are no fixings Isofix, 50-60% higher. Therefore, highly reliable systems of the European model are not affordable for every interested consumer.

Finally

As can be seen, the disadvantages of children's car seats with the Isofix system are significantly less than the advantages that the user receives when using such structures. The most important advantage of such systems is the highest level of safety that is provided to the child while traveling by road.