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Since the change in children's car seat legislation, naturally we have had quite a few enquiries about our BoostApak, so we thought we would put together a little blog post to give you the correct facts - its a bit of a minefield out there, and some false information has been released thats causing quite a bit of confusion!
In essence, the main question is - under the new laws, is BoostApak still ok to use?
...and the answer, in short, is yes absolutely!
The new laws come into effect in March 2017, and this new legislation only relates to new product launches. Here is the official statement:
"The regulations about booster cushions are being reviewed and will change so that booster cushions will only be approved for use for children taller than 125cm and weighing more than 22kg.
The changes will only apply to new types of booster cushions, not ones which are already on the market and meet existing safety standards. So, parents who use old booster cushions that comply with the existing regulations will not be breaking the law if they continue to use them after any rule change. They will not be required to buy new booster seats to meet any rule change"
This means that, as BoostApak is already on the market and meets existing safety standards, it is perfectly fine to use, and will remain fine after the new laws take effect in March. All children's car seats must conform to the United Nations standard, ECE Regulation 44.04 (or R 44.03) or to the new i-size regulation, R129 - BoostApak conforms to UN standard ECE Regulation 44.04 and this is checked every two years by the independent European authority who originally issued the EC type-approval for our design.
Ultimately, the choice of car seat is down to you. BoostApak is a convenient booster cushion and backpack combination. It is designed to save time and money when travelling (on holiday for instance) with children where a full car seat and isofix base is not available or convenient. Of course, a full car seat with side impact protection and an isofix base connected to the chassis of the car is fundamentally safer than anything which relies on the seatbelt alone for protection. The purpose of a booster cushion is to raise a child higher in the seat so that the seatbelt can do its job effectively.
All of the official information regarding these law changes can be found here, if you would like to read in a little more detail:
www.childcarseats.org.uk/types-of-seat
Thanks everyone, don't let these confusing new laws stop you from buying one of our BoostApak's - we assure you they remain within all safety regulations!
