It’s that time of the year again! It’s time to wreck my brain at Google Translate because my German is really really bad! But who cares right – because this is important stuff. 

The results for 2016 ADAC child car seat crash testing are in and I must say I am actually very happy with the results! As always I will cover the ERF options on the list but I’ll add the links so that you can have a browse yourself if you are looking for other options like a high back booster and so forth. There was in total 26 car seats that were tested but I’ll only cover a few of the popular infant car seats and the ERF range. :D 

ADAC car seat results are in! @ERFmama is educating me! #CRS #crashtest #ADACresults #ERF #iSize plz RT Share on X

Before we start I just want to point out that YES that is a new Hauck Varioguard you can see there (Varioguard Plus) and YES I am sure you remember or have by now had someone point out to you what happened to the “older” version. (Note that I don’t think the Plus is out yet for sale but I’ll check around for a date).
If you haven’t heard what happened to the older version (and is probably the reason why they have re-launched it with a couple of changes) I’ll quickly catch you up right….now…

You might have noticed a number of posts regarding the WHICH? review and testing of the Hauck Varioguard and it’s failed forward facing test using seat belt.
(http://www.which.co.uk/news/2015/05/which-advice-dont-buy-hauck-varioguard-car-seat-404405/)

I would like to point out to people who though it’s appreciated that people wants to give everyone a heads up – this only happened when using belted install for forward facing group 1 and that Hauck has now rectified this by adding a tether strap to the seat (you do not need a top tether anchor point in your car!).
The car seat performed perfectly well when using ISOfix both rear and forward facing!

If you have this seat and wish to use it forward facing using seat belt – please contact Hauck direct and they will send you the tether strap if it is approved for your car.

The instructions for the top tether strap is located here (.pdf):

I would also like to point out that the car seat passed ECE R44.04 crash testing which is the legal standard for it – but that ADAC crash testing is done at a higher speed.

The new Varioguard Plus does come with a top tether as I understand it and there have been some other small changes made. I wish I could tell you more but sadly I can’t as I am only going from descriptions and what I can see on an image. I haven’t seen the product description.

Now that I’ve covered that I hope we can move on! :D

 

The Babies (0-13kg)

 

I’ll quickly just make a few notes here regarding the baby section and that is because of a couple of seats that are very popular were included so I wanted to point them out. So let’s see here I’ll go “best” results and then work “down” though it’s not really down because they all did quite well. We have to remember that ADAC’s ending score does take into account EVERYTHING – and does not differentiate between safety score and “comfort” score. So I’ll only focus on the safety aspect and safety score because if you are in an accident that is what is going to matter at the end of the day!

• Kiddi Evo-Luna i-Size (Safety Score: 1,3)
  So this is the iSize version of the Evo-Lunafix. It uses an ISOfix base and is usable from a tiny 45cm newborn to 83cm & has a 13kg weight limit. It has an integrated harness so you don’t need to “re-thread” which is a relief for any parent and also just like the Lunafix it can “lie flat” in the car – it’s not totally flat like a carry cot flat – but it’s pretty nice and Kiddi pride themselves on this as it means that long car journeys and a time limit in the seat are, according to Kiddi – no longer an issue.

This is what they had to say about its safety: 
*Very low risk of injury during frontal and side crashes.

• BeSafe izi Go Modular i-Size (Safety Score: 1,4 – incl. ISOfix base: 1,7)
  BeSafe’s new baby. This car seat fits on the new iSize Modular ISOfix base which it shares with its older brother for older children the izi Modular ERF seat. They tested the infant car seat both on and off the base and funnily enough it scored better off the base – though marginally so. The izi Go Modular iSize is usable from tiny newborn of 40cm -75cm (approx 9 months) and it would be a seat you buy if you are planning on using the next seat up from this one – not really something you buy on its own because of the low height limit. But perfect I think if you have a small preemie baby. It has a 13kg weight limit.

This is what they had to say about its safety without using the base/with base:
* Very low risk of injury during frontal and side crashes/Very low risk of injury during a frontal crash. Low risk of injury in a side impact.

• Joie iGemm (Safety Score: 1,5 – incl. ISOfix base: 1,7)
  Joie Baby’s new iSize infant car seat that goes on the same base as the new iAnchor Advance. Usable from a tiny 45cm newborn to 85cm & has a 13kg weight limit. This is one of the bigger iSize infant car seats on the market as it goes all the way up to 85 cm. It’s a really lush seat as well. Integrated harness and a nice headrest.

This is what they had to say about its safety without using the base/with base:
*Very low risk of injury during a frontal crash. Low risk of injury in a side-impact/Low risk of injury during frontal and side crashes.

• Kiddi Evo-Lunafix (Safety Score: 2,1)
  Basically, the same seat as it’s iSize sister – but it does not have a height limit in CM. It is outgrown at 13kg or when the top of baby’s head has reached the top of the seat shell. It uses an ISOfix base & it has an integrated harness so you don’t need to “re-thread” which is a relief for any parent and also just like the Lunafix it can “lie flat” in the car – it’s not totally flat like a carry cot flat – but it’s pretty nice and Kiddi pride themselves on this as it means that long car journeys and a time limit in the seat are, according to Kiddi – no longer an issue.

This is what they had to say about its safety:
*Very low risk of injury during frontal and side crashes.

 

The Extended Rear Facing Seats (From birth & From 6m old):

Off we go to the important ERF section.

• BeSafe izi Kid x2 i-Size (Safety Score: 1,1)
  The upgraded izi Kid x3. And still the exact same seat as the izi Combi x4 in many ways (hehe, apart from not being forward facing at all!). The seat has height maximums and minimums making the seat usable from 61cm to 105cm with a max weight limit of 18kg. It’s an ERF seat indeed – but personally, I would just go for the Combi x4 and only use the seat rear facing because I’m funny like that. It could also be because I have tall children so a 105cm height limit won’t do it for me when the seat shell is the same as the x4 that doesn’t have a height CM limit. The Kid x2 iSize does have a really nice safety score though!

This is what they had to say about its safety:
*Very low risk of injury during frontal and side crashes.

• Concord Reverso Plus (Safety Score: 1,4)
  Concord’s ‘Swedish PLUS tested’ Reverso…yum yum! Suitable from a tiny 40cm baby to 105 cm and with a high weight limit of 23 kg it’s a good seat for children who are short/average and stocky. The seat comes with a new-born part which is quite funky looking. You might ask now how on earth an ISOfix car seat is up to 23 kg – well the answer is that ISOfix has a max weight limit of 33kg for child + seat. The Reverso (Plus) only weighs 10 kg! So that makes this possible. Another thing that makes this seat different from the other ERF seats is that it has a 3-point harness instead of a 5-point harness. But that in no way effects it’s safety because hey…PLUS tested baby!

This is what they had to say about its safety:
*Very low risk of injury during a frontal crash. Low risk of injury in a side impact.

 

• BeSafe izi Modular i-Size (Safety Score: 1,8)
  Your next step car seat into ERF when you own the infant car seat izi Go Modular. Usable from 61cm to 105cm which is approximately 1-year-old to 4 years old. The seat has a max weight limit of 18 kg. Now the Modular can also forward face so I would like to point out that this is not under any circumstances legal to do before the child is 15 months old, and also with this particular seat the child has to be 88cm tall to forward face. But as always – the seat is ERF…use it ERF come on…
  The other thing to point out which I know too many people don’t follow (please read the manual!! p.10-11) is that when used rear facing the car seat can only use the two most reclined positions which are 5 & 6.

This is what they had to say about its safety:
*Low risk of injury during a frontal crash. Very low risk of injury in a side impact.

• Hauck Varioguard Plus (Safety Score ISOfix: 2.2)
  The Varioguard Plus is the upgraded version of the “older” Varioguard. (Please see notes at beginning of post)
  Usable from birth to 18 kg rear facing using ISOfix, it’s on the list of affordable ERF ISOfix seats. It’s light weight, comes with a base (which you don’t have to buy separate huzzaah!) and is very simple to install and fast to plunk the seat on the base. The seat doesn’t offer a lot of leg room though – not that it really matters but I’m putting it out there. This is because it doesn’t have a rebound bar, it’s inside the seat so the seat is installed on full recline when rear facing (that’s not as bad as it sounds though) which makes the tip of the end of the car seat press against the back vehicle seat – which then works as a rebound bar. Kind of what you see on an infant car seat. That’s the easiest way I can explain it I think…so hope you understood it.
  The seat can be installed rear facing using seat belt up to 13 kg. When front facing using seat belt it can be used from 9-18kg and there is a tether strap that connects to the seat and the base which comes with the seat. But as it’s ERF use it rear facing!

This is what they had to say about its safety:
*Low risk of injury during frontal and side crashes.

 

 

All the 26 seats can be viewed from the report here(.pdf) & here

 

 

 

 

I’m Joining the linky love!