19 replies to this topic

[Katie]

Hi, Im new here and I am looking to buy a Mini Cooper the age of about 2003, I have a niece that is 18 months that i take care of most weekends and take out for day trips, what i was wondering is can a child seat fit in the back of a mini?
I've heard they dont fit in the rear seats properly and if this is the case I wont be able to buy 1!

Please can someone help or give me some advice!!!!!

Thank you

[yorkshirechris]

Hey. There's a mini forum specifically for the BMW Mini, I think it's mini2.com? This place is mainly for the classic mini, not being funny about it like, just not many people on here will be able to help so you may be better on that other one.

[Dan]

just not many people on here will be able to help

Especially if you jump in with that when the question has only been posted for 5 minutes Chris! There are many members on here with new MINIs now and only recently a thread about child seat options got many positive responses before the 'go to Mini2' posts started. I'm sure someone will reply with information soon enough.

[biggav]

yes child seats fit in a mini!!!! Like any car though, you need to check the car and seat for compatibility... ie take your seat along when looking at cars or buy a car and then go to mothercare/toysRus who will test fit seats and advise you which fits best/safest. Sites like BRITAX also usually have details of which of their seats fit in which cars.

If you have the seat already, go for a cheeky test drive at a mini dealer and mention that you need to make sure your child seats fit and they will happily let you test fit them and check.

Many cars built for the UK Market have ISOFIX whereby there are access points in the rear and front seat where an ISOFIX seat will anchor to the car seat without using a seatbelt. These are far safer than most seatbelt fixed seats and you don't need to adjust them each time you put the child in the seat.

I am a firefighter and have been trained on fitting child seats and booster seats, I have 4 children aged 5 and under and i worked for Rover/BMW for seven years and have driven about 15,000 BMW mini's.

[Bungle]

i can't see it being a problem

baby bungle and his car seat can fit in the back of our real mini with no problems, but as gav sugested go for a test drive with your current baby seat

[TrialsLife]

Many cars built for the UK Market have ISOFIX whereby there are access points in the rear and front seat where an ISOFIX seat will anchor to the car seat without using a seatbelt. These are far safer than most seatbelt fixed seats and you don't need to adjust them each time you put the child in the seat.

It is very important to check your child seat before EVERY journey weather it uses the seatbelt or ISOFix. I know that once you put an ISOFix seat in a car and push it right back into the seat it shouldn't really move anywhere but you still should check your child seat before every journey.

Also I wouldn't say that ISOFix are far safer than most seatbelt fixed seats (I'll probabbly be beaten by statsistics here). All I'd say about ISOFix is that they cancel out human error as they are easier to fit. So people are less likely to fit them incorectly, which is the biggest problem when it comes to child seat. People not fitting them properlly.

Out of the couple of hundread of seats I've fitted I've always found seatbelt mounted seats to be sturdier. The ISOFix seats always have a tendancy to lean forward a little, which can be fixed by using a teather which will fit on some cars or using the seatbelt aswell (as I belive all ISOFix seats can be fitted with the seatbelt too).


I think the main problem I had with fitting child seats into New Minis whas the shape of the bottom of the seats in the rear, I found that a child seat with a narrower bottom fitted nicer. When buying a seat please don't go happy shopper (not saying you will). As the majority of seats that are under £80 are poorley designed (yes they past the tests which ATM have terrible standards and are being changed I belive).

Seats I've always found to be the best 1st being the best.

1.) Maxi Cosi
2.) Britax
3.) Recaro

Also, the Mamas And Papas range of seats I found to be terrible. At the moment I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

[biggav]

to clarify, i was refering to the anchoring, not the adjustment of the child restraint straps which require adjustment and best fit tests on each and every use. When installing isofix seats, i use my knee in the base of the seat and get it solidly in until it goes no further . never had one move yet.. but as you rightly point out, this doesn't mean it can't happen.

and i completely agree that incorect fitment of seats can be as dangerous as not using one at all!!

[minicooper1.3i]

Hi

Can anyone recommend makes and models for car seats to fit in the back of my '98 Cooper? I've got an 18mnth old and a 3yr old. The car seat for the eldest only fits in the front with the seat slid right back because the rear belts are too short, and the little 'uns one fits in the back but, because i'm over 6ft, i have to have the drivers seat all the way back so his little feet get squashed.

Are there any 'slimline' seats out there suitable for the classic mini?

Cheers!

[Natalie]

I think I've seen a thread on here before and I'm sure one of the issues of mini magazine I've got had an article about child seats... I'll have a looksy for you

[minicooper1.3i]

I think I've seen a thread on here before and I'm sure one of the issues of mini magazine I've got had an article about child seats... I'll have a looksy for you

Thanks very much! I really appreciate it!

[biggav]

i found booster seats worked best for my 4 and 5 year old (who were 3 and 4 last year) when sitting in the back, and i put the youngest who was 1 in the front in a proper seat.

[Bungle]

Hi

Can anyone recommend makes and models for car seats to fit in the back of my '98 Cooper? I've got an 18mnth old and a 3yr old. The car seat for the eldest only fits in the front with the seat slid right back because the rear belts are too short, and the little 'uns one fits in the back but, because i'm over 6ft, i have to have the drivers seat all the way back so his little feet get squashed.

Are there any 'slimline' seats out there suitable for the classic mini?

Cheers!

baby bungle sits in a Maxi Cosi

[taffy1967]

There was a question about this on the Mini Cooper Register a while back: -

MCR link

But since Mrs Taffy is now expecting another baby, it looks like we'll be after a suitable baby seat for the rear of our 1990 Mainstream Mini Cooper!

And I thought I was getting too old for this sort of thing!

[minicooper1.3i]

There was a question about this on the Mini Cooper Register a while back: -

MCR link

But since Mrs Taffy is now expecting another baby, it looks like we'll be after a suitable baby seat for the rear of our 1990 Mainstream Mini Cooper!

And I thought I was getting too old for this sort of thing!

Nice one Taffy! Hope it all goes well for you both!

That link was great. Didn't know you could get belt extensioners. Like a lot of people (by the looks of it) I also spent a stressful hour squashed up in the back, trying to stretch the rear belt that extra 2 inches > !

So if the littlest one isn't reclined at all, and the biggun goes behind the missus and she slides forward a tad, we miight be sorted! Will have to sit him in the back and see if he can kick her in the head or not

Cheers!

[Bungle]

Didn't know you could get belt extensioners.

clicky