Many caring parents who are looking for car seats for their children to travel together in the car must have at least briefly heard about models installed using the Isofix system. Most often, the ability to install it is an additional advantage, so all sellers must mention this characteristic. What is the Isofix system, and in what cars is it used? Does installing it really provide benefits when traveling with a baby? And is it safe? Learn more about this!
What is Isofix, why is it needed and what are the misconceptions about it?
When young parents are faced with the problem of choosing a child car seat, they read a lot of strange and “scary” words, the meaning of which they know nothing about, but they begin to believe that it is very necessary. I'm talking about terms such as Isofix (in various interpretations and with various additions such as Plus and others), anchor fastening, “leg” and others. Without understanding the need, they begin their selection with a strict decision that the name of the chair should contain the word “Isofix”. Therefore, I decided that I need to understand in more detail what it is and tell you.
If your car doesn't have isofix
If the car is not equipped with isofix child seats, you can still install the brackets yourself or at a car repair shop. To do this, you need to purchase a set of appropriate spare parts, which includes a strip with brackets, mounting bolts and nuts.
Seats equipped with Isofix can be secured with standard seat belts. For this purpose, special guides are installed on their frame. They are usually a different color from the rest of the set for ease of use.
Obviously, there is no point in purchasing Isofix chairs and then securing them with belts. But this opportunity will be useful if for some reason you are traveling with your baby in someone else’s car. For example - taxi.
What is Isofix?
This is a method (system) of rigidly attaching a child car seat to a car. Isofix is considered an international standard for manufacturers of cars and car seats. The main advantage of this system is that it reduces the likelihood of incorrect installation of the seat, and also increases the degree of protection for the child. Without Isofix, about 70% of incorrect seat installations occur. With the Isofix system, you just need to correctly direct and click the locks on the brackets that are in the car.
This system has two so-called brackets, which are located at the base of the child seat. They cling to the car's brackets, which are located between the back and seat of the car seat. Most often these are the seats in the back of the car and are located on the right and left of the sofa.
How does the ISOFIX mount work?
To explain it in simple terms, the ISOFIX mount is two slides (runners with locks) at the base of the car seat, which, using special rods, snap around the brackets in the car, located between the back and seat of the car seat. The car seat is fastened automatically when the slide with locks is pressed onto the bracket brackets, and detached using buttons located at the base of the slide. The fact of engagement is confirmed by a characteristic click; in addition, additional confirmation is provided in the form of a change in the red curtain indicator window to green.
Which child car seats can be found with Isofix?
This system is used for car seats of groups 0+ and 1. Also, universal seats suitable for use by these age groups are also equipped with Isofix. This includes transporting a child up to approximately 3-3.5 years old and weighing up to 18 kg. And most importantly, such a chair should have its own built-in internal seat belts. This is all taken into account by strict standards and there cannot be any other variations.
In these groups of car seats, you can find real Isofix, which absorbs the full force of the impact in an accident and holds the seat and child in place. It offers great benefits in security and installation.
Benefits of the ISOFIX system
1. According to experts, with the ISOFIX fastening system, child car seats are installed correctly in 96% of cases. When compared with conventional seat belts, with their help only in 30% of cases, motorists independently install the restraint system correctly. 2. Installing a car seat does not take much time. Fixation occurs quickly and easily in a few simple movements. Also, if necessary, the car seat can be removed in a matter of seconds. 3. High level of safety - fastening occurs to the power frame of the vehicle. The rigid coupling does not allow the chair to move in different directions. In the event of a side impact, it will not budge and will take most of the load on itself. 4. Isofix provides peace of mind for the safety of the child when traveling both around the city and over long distances. A chair with such a fastening system will reliably protect the baby in the event of an accident or impact. Crash tests have proven that this system is the most reliable and safe.
Let's look at Isofix for each individual group.
– group 0+ (from 0 to 13 kg). Basically, Isofix is not located in the cradle-car seat itself, but in the base on which this seat is placed. With this, manufacturers try to achieve maximum convenience for parents and baby, because... you don’t have to take your sleeping child out of the chair; they simply remove it from the base and carry the child home in the cradle-car seat. This gives a great advantage over fastening the chair with belts; you don’t have to deal with installing the chair again and again every time, you just put it on the base and also remove it using a handle or button.
The only drawback and inconvenience of this variation is that the base is purchased separately and, as a rule, it costs the same as the chair, or even more. After the child has grown up and there is a need to buy a car seat of the next group, the base for the new seat is no longer suitable (there is, of course, an exception, Maxi Cosi Pebble for example).
-group 1 (from 9 to 18 kg). In this group, Isofix is built into the base of the chair itself (with the exception of the example written above).
– universal chairs 0+/1. There are more options here. Isofix is also located in the base of the chair. But due to the fact that such a car seat must be installed in the direction and vice versa, there are nuances. Isofix can only be used for group 0+, or the chair can be rotated to change the direction of installation, or the chair can generally be rotated a full 180 degrees, which also makes it possible to conveniently get the child in and out (for example, this Romer Dualfix chair).
There are also several additional fastenings that increase safety. But many do not understand what they are and why they are needed and whether they are needed at all. Let's figure out what a “leg” and Top Tether are.
Due to the fact that Isofix is a fastening at two points along one axis, in some cases of an accident there is a need for a third point of support so that the seat does not move forward. To do this, we came up with two types of additional support:
- "Leg". This is a retractable floor support (telescopic “leg”), which is located in the front of the chair. It reduces the load on the isofix and prevents the seat from moving when the car rotates.
- Top Tether anchorage. It looks like an additional original belt that comes out from the back of the car seat. It has a carabiner at the end, which is attached to a bracket in the car (it is either in the trunk floor or behind the second row of seats in the car). Nowadays new cars are produced with a special place for this mount.
By the way, I have a review of the Nania I-Max SP chair, which uses the Top Tether “leg”.
Since Isofix takes on heavy loads, it is not allowed to be used if the child weighs more than 18 kg. Also, the chair itself with this system should not weigh more than 15 kg.
There are car seats that can be installed with Isofix without a third support point, but only with specific cars (the list is usually included with the child seat and is quite large).
What is the Isofix fastening system, why is it needed and how reliable is it?
A special feature of the Isofix fastening system is the ability to secure a child car seat without using standard seat belts. The design consists of two parts:
- metal guides with locks on the holding device, which snap into place as soon as the seat is installed in the car;
- loops built into the car between the seat and back, to which the device is attached.
All cars produced in Europe after 2011 have an Isofix fastening system.
The Isofix fastening system securely fixes the car seat to the car seat
Isofix performs a protective function during an accident only in car seats designed for a child weighing less than 18 kg (group 0+ and 1). But stores sell restraints of groups 2 and 3 with a similar type of fastening. In such chairs it is simply a system similar in installation method. It will not protect the baby in the event of a collision, but is intended solely for ease of use of the device. Thanks to this non-power isofix (also called kidfix, sitfix, isophyte, etc.), the device does not need to be fastened with a seat belt when you are not carrying a child in it, it is easier to put a passenger in and out of it. And at the time of an accident, it is the standard car belt that takes on the entire functional load.
There is another popular system for attaching child car seats in the world - Latch. It is used mainly in the USA, similar to Isofix, but instead of metal guides with locks, strong elastic belts are installed on the body of the chair, which also snap onto brackets in the car seat.
The Latch car seat mounting system is similar in many ways to Isofix and is used primarily in the USA
Isofix in a car seat of groups 2 and 3—video
Advantages and disadvantages of using the Isofix system compared to a standard seat belt
Isofix has many advantages:
- easy to install. When attaching the car seat, two characteristic clicks should be heard. This is an indicator that the device is installed correctly. Some models of restraint systems have indicators that turn green if the system's locks are connected correctly;
- the car seat is securely fastened, so it does not move during an impact, which ensures the safety of the child;
- installation of the restraint device does not take much time;
- The material from which the fastening system is made is metal, which increases the reliability of fixing the car seat in the car.
According to statistics, about 80% of parents incorrectly secure car seats using standard car seat belts, which is very dangerous, because during a collision or heavy braking, the device can move or roll over. At the same time, in almost 97% of cases, a child restraint system equipped with the Isofix system is installed correctly.
The green color of the indicator indicates the correct installation of the car seat.
However, with all the advantages of this fastening system, there are a number of disadvantages that need to be taken into account when choosing a car seat for your baby:
- not all cars have isofix hinges;
Parents often leave reviews that it is inconvenient to fix the car seat using Isofix, since the design of the rear seat and the backrest angle may differ in different car models. In this case, specialists need to adjust the position of the locks so that the retaining device is attached correctly.
- weight of the car seat: the restraint itself weighs a lot, but if it is equipped with isofix, its weight increases by an average of 30%;
- price: car seats vary in price category depending on the manufacturer, design and model. However, they are not cheap. If parents want to purchase a restraint device equipped with Isofix, the cost will rise at least one and a half times. Not all families can afford such expenses;
- weight restrictions: Isofix is designed for children weighing up to 18 kg. Experts explain this by the fact that in the event of an impact or collision, the load on the fastening itself increases many times. And if the child weighs more, the locks may simply not hold up and break. In this case, the car seat will move or tip over, which can lead to serious injury to the little passenger.
What does an Isofix mount look like in a car?
In the car, between the back and the seat, two metal brackets are installed at a distance of 28 cm from each other, to which the system locks are secured. Usually, these places have symbols. They can be in the form of a circle or square with a picture of a child in a car seat or the inscription “Isofix”; sometimes they are covered with plastic plugs. Basically, these fastenings are only on the back seat of the car, but in some models of certain brands they are also on the front seat.
Isofix in a car is often indicated by a corresponding icon or inscription
In some machines, Isofix is a metal bracket without any symbols or inscriptions. In older models they may be hidden between the backrest and seat and not immediately visible. Their presence is checked by hand.
Isofix in the form of metal brackets
What does the Isofix mount look like on a child car seat?
On the car seat, Isofix is presented in the form of locks that snap onto metal brackets.
Isofix locks on car seats
Isofix can also be supplemented with a Top tether belt to create a third support point for the restraint device. It is equipped with a carabiner that attaches to a loop behind the seat or in the trunk of the car. This provides even greater reliability when fixing the car seat.
Experts note that using the Isofix system with a Top tether belt is more reliable: in the event of a frontal impact, it is this that keeps the seat from sharply tilting forward.
Top tether increases safety for children during an accident
"Isofix" and group 2-3 (for children from 3 years old, 15-36 kg)
In this age group, this is not the “Isofix” that I described above. Due to the fact that real Isofix cannot be used after reaching a certain weight, the child is fastened with a group 2-3 car seat using standard belts, and the so-called “isofix” is called other derivative words - “isophyte”, “kidfix”, etc. .
It is considered a compatible mounting method, since the main safety function is performed by a standard belt. Therefore, the seat must be able to move forward under heavy braking in order for the belt to engage and keep the child in place. But Isofix would not have given such an opportunity, so they came up with other special designs that allow the chair to move forward. And it is for this same reason that the “leg” and the Top-tether belt are not found in this group.
What's the point of this then? Yes, this system does not bear a special security burden in groups 2-3. But there are also positive aspects: it limits the displacement of the seat in a side collision; it is more convenient to seat the child, as the chair is more stable; There is no need to fasten the seat belts if you are eating without a child.
Where to buy and how to choose a car seat with isofix
When purchasing a chair, find out if the car has Isofix; for example, Hyundai Solaris produced before 2004 does not have such fastenings. If this is your case, the purchased chair will not be able to be installed.
Be extremely careful when purchasing a car seat. Unfortunately, not all stores offer high-quality goods. Therefore, it is better to make such an important and expensive purchase in specialized reputable retail outlets.
When purchasing goods through an online store, ideally you should contact the company’s warehouse or showroom directly. Here you can independently verify that the device corresponds to the declared parameters and its mechanisms work normally.
In this case, preference should be given to certified devices with appropriate markings. It must indicate the number, as well as the country that issued the certificate. Its presence implies mandatory crash testing of the model and a high level of safety.
How does Isofix work for universal group 1-2-3 car seats?
Many people want to buy a super-universal option that will last a long time, be economical and convenient, and must be equipped with Isofix. But there is a “catch” in this group with such a system. Isofix cannot work on all groups at once, for the same reason as described above. There were attempts to create such a universal chair at Romer, but, alas, it did not work out. For group 1, in such a chair, isofix performs its function, but for groups 2 and 3 it has an exclusively decorative function.
There is a chair in this group with safety tables and isofix. In this case, for group 1, Isofix fixes the seat in the car, but the main safety is provided by the table, and for groups 2-3, the safety is provided by regular seat belts, which fasten the child and the seat, and here Isofix again does not bear the active load.
Options for universal car seats with built-in seat belts and Isofix are starting to appear, which are suitable for all groups at once. But for the most part, test drives have not been carried out on these models.
There is, of course, also an option from America, the so-called LATCH. It differs from Isofix in that instead of metal car seat brackets, the seat is attached with straps with latches. But the necessary tests have not been carried out on them, so you can only rely on the tests of the manufacturers themselves at your own peril and risk.
Which cars have isofix mount?
A system for fastening child seats using rigid latches was created at the end of the last century. However, it belongs to the European standard, so it is still not used on all car models.
Below is a table, a list of which cars have isofix and which do not have this mount.
Let's dispel some misconceptions about Isofix:
- The first and most common misconception is “Isofix car seats are safer.”
I think many people already understand from the article that for groups 0+ and 1 this is true, but for other groups it is not so. For them, Isofix does not bear any safety burden.
Of course, group 0+ and 1 seats with Isofix show high results in crash tests, although there are exceptions. And we must not forget that the quality of safety depends not only on the use of this system, but also on a number of other qualities inherent in the car seat, which can provide additional protection.
- The second misconception is that some believe that Isofix is more dangerous due to its rigid fastening than fastening a car with a seat belt, since the belt does not operate abruptly and can stretch a little, therefore, there is less load on the child.
Many tests have been carried out on this matter and they show absolutely the opposite result. Therefore this is a big misconception.
Here I also want to add that if the seat has a good belt tensioner, then the seat shows better results in tests, since there is less load on the child.
How to properly secure different types of restraints using Isofix
Despite the fact that using the Isofix fastening system you can quickly install a car seat, you need to know how to do it correctly. First of all, it all depends on the type of holding device.
How should a car carrier for a newborn be attached?
For some car seats of groups 0+ and 1, a special base has been developed, equipped with the Isofix system. It must have an additional fixation point, which is a support leg resting on the floor of the car, or a seat belt. This is necessary to ensure that the restraint device does not overturn in the event of a collision or impact.
Not all child car seats are compatible with bases. When choosing a device, ask your consultant whether this model is suitable for a base with a support and the Isofix system.
Attaching infant carriers to a base with Isofix is more convenient than fixing it using standard car seat belts
When the baby grows up, the 0+ car carrier can be replaced with a group 1 car seat and also installed on the base, which, according to experts and crash test estimates, is more reliable than if the restraint is secured only with Isofix locks. The fact is that in the event of a strong collision, the child’s body weight, to which the weight of the car seat is added, increases tens of times and creates a load on the elements of the fastening system. And the support, like an additional belt, protects the device when it is turned over or tilted during a strong impact.
- Determine where the metal hinges are located in the car.
Guides make it easier to insert brackets into hinges - Align the base brackets to the hinges and press until they click, or check the base indicator to see if the base is installed correctly. Fix the support leg.
The base is first installed in the car, and the carrier is fixed to it. This is very convenient because you do not need to remove the baby from the device to attach or remove it.
- Take the auto carrier and place it on the base. Usually it is also attached until it clicks.
Indicators for correct installation ensure that the car seat is securely fastened
How to install and unfasten a car carrier with the Isofix system - video
How to install and remove an Isofix car seat
For restraints that are not compatible with the base, the third precise support is the Top tether. But parents should pay attention to whether there is a place to mount it in the car. This design is much more reliable than installing a chair simply using locks and metal hinges.
- Locate the metal brackets that secure the car seat.
- Pull out the brackets and guide them towards the brackets. Press until you hear a click. If the locks have a proper installation indicator, make sure it shows green.
To install a car seat using Isofix, you must first extend the brackets and then snap them onto the brackets
- If the kit comes with a Top tether, secure the chair using it to the mating loop. Adjust the tension.
- If it becomes necessary to remove the car seat, first unfasten the Top tether belt, and then, by pressing the special levers, unlock the Isofix locks.
