The Car Seat Emporium

💡 Even though it is legal to turn your child from Rear Facing to Forward Facing once their age EXCEEDS 15 months old, we strongly recommend to keep children Rear Facing as long as possible while staying within the weight / height harness limit of the seat. Many toddler and multi-stage car seats have a 105cm / 18kg (whichever comes first) Rear Facing harness limit - max it out, but never exceed the seat's limits! Always refer to the labels on the car seat and the instruction manual to determine the weight / height limit of your particular car seat model in a particular mode e.g. some seats can only Rear Face harnessed to 13kg, but can Forward Face harnessed to 18kg before converting to booster mode where the child is restrained with the vehicle's 3-point seat belt to 36kg / 150cm 👧🏾👇🏻

https://youtu.be/tuZFVPv3Rpk?feature=shared

Rear-facing vs. Forward-facing Parents are always excited to watch their little ones reach the nex...

📌 Here's a comparison table of some of the different independent tests that car seats undergo.

💡The old, but still legal to sell, buy and use, ECE R44.04 and the new ECE R129 are mandatory (compulsory) independent testing, while ADAC, The Swedish Plus Test & Which? are examples of voluntary / additional (non-compulsory) independent testing.

✅ Thus, a car seat with "only an orange ECE sticker" has been independently tested and has undergone crash testing.

👉🏻 Only the ECE conducts a Rear impact test

👉🏻 Which? conducts a Side impact test at 60km/h

👉🏻 The Swedish Plus Test tests only pure Rear Facing car seats (non-rotating or 180° rotating).
🚫 Any car seat that can rotate 360° can Forward Face too will not be Plus tested.

🔵 What is the Swedish Plus Test?
The Plus Test is one of the most stringent and respected crash tests for child car seats — and it's the only one that measures neck loads during a frontal impact in pure Rear Facing car seats only.

💥 Unlike other tests, the Plus Test ensures your child avoids life-threatening neck injuries during a frontal collision.

Key facts:
✔️ Conducted by VTI in Sweden
✔️ Only tests pure Rear Facing seats (no seat that offers optional Forward Facing mode can be tested - since 2023)
✔️ Neck load must remain under a strict limit
✔️ Uses Q3 & Q6 dummies (32 sensors)
✔️ Only Front impact tested at 56km/h (no side or rear impact testing; no roll-over simulation)
✔️ Only seats that pass are listed - results are NOT published

❓How do consumers know for sure that a car seat has indeed been Plus Tested?

• The gold & blue Plus label with a unique number MUST be visible on the car seat itself and

• The car seat (EXACT model name) must be listed on the VTI's website under this unique number i. e. VTI - 0040 Besafe Stretch. https://www.vti.se/en/services/laboratory-and-testing/crash-safety-testing/child-restraint-systems/the-plus-test/plus-tested-models

⚠️ NO gold & blue Plus sticker on the seat itself = the seat has NOT been Plus Tested ➕🚫

❗Make very sure about the EXACT model name of a specific car seat, e.g. the Thule “Elm” vs “Elm RWF” and Besafe “Beyond” vs “Beyond 360” are distinctly different models with different testing results and some, although they have very similar names, are NOT available on the South African market.

⚠️ Rear facing really is the safest way to travel, regardless of whether the car seat is Plus tested or not! 💙💜

🧠 Did you know? Car seats can be crash-tested AND back-tested!
Let’s talk about the AGR seal – a back-friendly certification that looks after more than just safety! 🙌

💺 What is AGR?
AGR (Aktion Gesunder Rücken) is an independent body in Germany that tests whether car seats are ergonomically designed and back-friendly for both kids and caregivers.

👶 Back support matters for:
• Babies and toddlers sitting for long periods
• Parents carrying, lifting and installing car seats
• Ensuring long-term posture and comfort for your child

🔍 What does the testing involve?
• Conducted by medical & ergonomic professionals
• Strict testing process over multiple days
• Only seats that meet the highest comfort standards get the AGR seal

🛒 Some seats from Maxi-Cosi, Cybex, and BeSafe with AGR certification are available locally!

Because safety isn’t just about crashes — it’s about everyday comfort too 💜

🧐 Heard of the Which? test for car seats?
It’s one of the toughest, most unbiased independent safety tests out there — and here’s why it matters 👇

💥 What is Which?
A UK-based consumer organisation that purchases car seats independently (no sponsorships or influence!) and pushes them through rigorous crash testing beyond basic ECE standards.

🚘 Crash Conditions:
• Frontal crash at 50km/h
• Side impact at nearly 60km/h — both into another moving vehicle
• Tests are repeated in all modes, with up to 15 samples used to ensure accuracy!

📊 Scores are published — but a subscription is needed to see the full reports.

💬 Looking for a seat that performs well across multiple tests? Check for strong Which?, ADAC, and Plus Test results before buying!

🟡 What is ADAC testing and why does it matter?

The Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) conducts independent crash testing on child car seats — and unlike ECE testing, this is non-compulsory. These tests are done at higher speeds than the ECE test and the results are published for the public to view. This allows parents the opportunity to see how well car seats fare during testing.

💥 ADAC uses real vehicle chassis (not test sleds) for crash tests and evaluates seats in three key areas:
🔸 Safety (50%)
🔸 Operation (40%)
🔸 Ergonomics (10%)

💡 ADAC combines the scores of the above three criteria to come up with one overall score.

🔍 A lower score = better performance. For example, the Joie i-Spin XL scores a "satisfactory" (average) Overall score of 3.0, but a "good" Safety score of 2.4.

🌎 ADAC only tests car seats available on the European market, as such many of the car seats available on the South African market will never be in a position to undergo ADAC testing because the seats are not sold under the same brand name as in Europe.

🧡 What is the ECE?

💪The ECE are an INDEPENDENT testing body. They do the mandatory (compulsory) testing for all car seats that are made for the European car seat market (56 countries world wide, including RSA, use this standard)

🧡 What do those orange car seat stickers mean? Let’s break it down!

🚨 ECE R44.04 vs ECE R129 — both are European safety standards, but they're not equal.

🧠 ECE R129 is a newer, more advanced regulation designed to increase child safety in real-world crashes.

💥 Why is R129 more stringent?
✅ Includes side-impact testing (not required under R44.04)
✅ Uses Q-dummies with 32 sensors (vs 4 sensors in older P-dummies)
✅ Rear-facing required until at least 15 months (vs 9 kg in R44.04)
✅ Based on height, not just weight
✅ Simulates rollover crashes
✅ Improved test benches that better mimic modern vehicles

⚠R44.04 car seats are still legal to sell/purchase and use but are no longer made by any car seat manufacturer or tested by the ECE.

💡If possible choose R129 over R44.04

✋if you child is in an ECE R44.04 car seat - they are safe. As long as your car seat is installed correctly and used correctly every single time, then your kiddo is as safe as possible and YOU are a good parent. Correct installation and correct use is integral for a safe seat, regardless of its testing.

GRAND OPENING GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the opening of our new Wheel Well showroom, our incredible partners at Supa Quick are sponsoring the donation of the **next 20 child car seats** that leave our showroom this week!

If your child needs a car seat and cost has been a barrier, this is your opportunity to get the protection they deserve.

Shop 7, Greenhills Centre
40 North Reef Road, Bedfordview

Contact us on 073 393 7356 to check availability.
Strictly first come, first served
Valid from 9 June 2026 – 13 June 2026

Every child deserves to travel safely. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to keep your little one protected on the road.

A huge thank you to Supa Quick for helping us make child road safety more accessible to families in our community. ❤️

Parents strive to keep their children safe and healthy - from baby proofing homes, covering electrical plug sockets, doing baby CPR & choking prevention courses, taking them for swimming lessons to be water safe and even various measurements to keep them safe online... Yet, one critical area of safety often gets neglected or ignored altogether: children's safety in vehicles.

Children need to be restrained in the appropriate car seat, and later in a high back booster, until they meet the minimum criteria to use the vehicle seat belt alone which most average sized children only reach between 10 - 12 years old.

Did you know that a moving vehicle is one of the most dangerous places a parent can put their child into? No matter how tightly you're holding them, it is not possible to stop an unrestrained child from being ejected from the vehicle during a collision.

Protecting your child in a vehicle by correctly buckling them up, is non-negotiable and required by law. It is a life-saving measurement that deserves the attention and compliance of every parent.