Reboarder and i-size – the new child safety seat law

You’ve heard about i-size, the new EU safety standard for child seats, but you don’t know exactly what it means and whether it affects you? We explain the new i-size safety regulation and show you what will change in the future.

Why there is a new law on child safety?

In recent decades, there have been many different types of child safety devices in cars. Maybe you know from photos or stories that you used to be put in the back seat of the stroller, unbuckled, in a car seat or carrycot. Few thought about rear-facing child seats. Today this is unthinkable and above all life-threatening for your child in the car!

For this reason, these requirements and obligations are constantly being improved and optimized in line with the latest findings. child seats have been compulsory for 20 years, and experts now know that small children can be even better protected and secured in the car by driving backwards for as long as possible, preferably with isofix. you have also heard about reboarder seats? you want to know what a reboarder is in the first place? Find out all about reboarder and why riding backwards is safer in our guide: reboarder- or not? Answers to all questions on the subject.

What exactly is i-size?

I-size is the designation for the new EU regulation ECE R129. So it has directly something to do with the reboarder-obligation. In november 2012, the members of the uN Economic commission for europe (uNECe) adopted this regulation, and since 09.07.2013 it is in force.

According to the new law, all new i-size approved child seats will have to meet even stricter requirements in the future until they are allowed to market a new i-size approved child seat. In a transitional period until 2018, manufacturers can still choose whether they want to approve their new child seats according to the (still) current ECE R44/04 regulation or already according to the new i-size standard.

A significant change and regulation with i-size is the classification according to the size of the child and no longer according to weight. The change from a baby car seat to a group I child seat is often made too early, z. B. If the child has already reached the 9 kg limit or the baby car seat is getting too tight. The new i-size law states that your child must ride backwards until at least 15 months- parents must ensure that the baby can ride backwards in its child seat for as long as possible. Experts even recommend reboarding up to 24 months or longer.

i-size also promotes the use of isofix only. Many children are injured in accidents, despite safe child seats, because they are not properly secured. With isofix, misinstallation is virtually eliminated.

Since summer 2013, car manufacturers have also been able to have their models classified according to i-size. This means a new and further simplification in the future. In theory, you will no longer need to test-fit the child seat, because any i-size seat will fit any i-size classified car. In order to be able to use an i-size child seat, your car must only have isofix and appear in the type list of the child seat.

My car has no isofix. Do i have to buy a new car?

The previous ECE R44/04 regulation remains in force. This means that the old child seats that are approved according to this regulation or ECE R44/03 can still be sold and used with the introduction of i-size. The i-size law will be introduced in parallel in the first step and will replace the old regulation for manufacturers from 2018 onwards.

Are there already i-size child seats?

Reboarders have been on the market for a long time and demand is growing. But not every reboarder is an i-size seat, because the reboarder obligation initially only applies in parallel to the previous law. The popular reboarder cybex sirona is for example close to the i-size standard, but approved according to the old ECE R44/04 regulation.

Maxi cosi 2waypearl

First child seat according to i-size law was the maxi-cosi 2waypearl. This is approved for children between ca. 67 cm and 105 cm and must be used backwards for at least 15 months after i-size. After that, you are free to continue using it forwards or backwards. But we recommend you to let your child travel backwards until at least two years, even better until four years. For ca. 630€ get the complete package from birth to ca. Four years, consisting of the maxi-cosi 2wayfix base, the baby car seat pebble and the maxi-cosi 2waypearl.

Conclusion:

The ECE R 44 regulation has already been successful, many lives have been protected and saved by it and it provides a good basis for safety. I-size law or ECE R 44 or not- the experts agree that reboarding is the safest for your child and a unified regulation is coming. With i-size, the safety level of our children will definitely increase even further. That’s why we strongly advise you to buy a reboarder for your car already today.

I hope I could inspire you a little bit. If you liked this article and want to read more like it, register now and don’t miss any more information!