holiday to the UK - car seat questions

**SammyRo** · February 25th, 2015, 09:21 PM

Hi, we're off to the UK in June, and will have three kids in car seats. DD1 and DS are in boosters, so we have two collapsible boosters that don't need a top tether that we will take for them. We were planning on hiring a car seat for DD2, who is still rearfacing, but its going to be about $300 to hire one (which is ridiculous, since we just bought one for $115!!!) anyway, we're thinking we are going to take the one we just bought. I know in the UK it is either a seatbelt only that fastens the seats in, or isofix. Can we take ours with a top tether? Do we just not use the top tether?

**Ca Plane Pour Moi** · February 25th, 2015, 10:36 PM

What's a top tether? As you don't know how rhe seat will be treated on the flight, I'd buy ndw in the uk. You can buy a good baby car seat for under £100 then donate it afterwards if you like. Or borrow from friends.

**SammyRo** · February 26th, 2015, 09:25 AM

Aussie seats are attached with a top tether strap - it comes from the top of the seat, and attaches onto the back of the actual car seat. We would need the car seat when we pick up the hire car, so won't be able to go buy one.

What's a top tether? As you don't know how rhe seat will be treated on the flight, I'd buy ndw in the uk. You can buy a good baby car seat for under £100 then donate it afterwards if you like. Or borrow from friends.

**krysalyss** · February 26th, 2015, 04:34 PM

We had the same situation when we went on holiday to the UK. We ended up driving straight from the airport to Tesco to pick up a booster seat as it was going to cost around 200 pounds and the booster was 10 pounds. DS was a lot older though and not too far from being out of the booster all together. The car seat hire is a wrought frankly. But I think different companies have different car seat policies. Now we live in Scotland and usually book our hires through Arnold Clark (we didn't bother buying a car). They only charge 1 pound per day for a baby seat. So my advice would be to look around the car hire companies to see the best deal once you add in the seat.

**Ca Plane Pour Moi** · February 26th, 2015, 05:17 PM

Ok. Sounds safer than the removable backs we have. But you can get a cheap seat from supermarkets or halfords, so one parent does the car pickup and gets the seat while the other does the luggage. Or check other hires, as that is extortionate. Where are you flying into?

**krysalyss** · February 26th, 2015, 06:14 PM

That's a good idea - for one of you to pick up the car and go and grab a seat. You could pre-order it in some places (e.g. Argos). Depends which airport you are flying into.

**SammyRo** · February 28th, 2015, 01:03 PM

We're flying into Manchester.
What age do kids need to be in booster seats too? My older daughter will be 7, (and as tall as an 8 year old already) - will she need a booster? For DS, we have a fold up booster, so will be taking that from here. Not sure if we need to take one for the eldest though.

**krysalyss** · February 28th, 2015, 04:49 PM

It is 135cm or 12 years so they do need to be quite tall. My DS is 7 and out of a seat but he is close to 140cm. So if she is shorter than that she will need a booster. Pity you are not flying into Edinburgh or Glasgow as you could have had ours!

**SammyRo** · March 1st, 2015, 07:37 PM

It is 135cm or 12 years so they do need to be quite tall. My DS is 7 and out of a seat but he is close to 140cm. So if she is shorter than that she will need a booster. Pity you are not flying into Edinburgh or Glasgow as you could have had ours!

Thanks! We have two fold up booster seats, so will take those, and my friend is going to borrow one for the baby and meet us at the airport with it. So all sorted!