baby seat that doesnt ruin leaster seats?

[tony8028]

while the birth of a baby is all well and good, I am worried about the marks that a baby seat will leave on the leather seats in my 147!

I have seen cars that have had baby seats removed that have left the seat damaged for life.

can anyone offer some guidance here?

baby due in June.

This will be my second (with the 147 being my first).

[shiny_car]

I've added a seat protector into our 159. On the cheap, you can use an old towel, or else by a 'proper' protector (glorified version!).

http://www.babybunting.com.au/index.php/car-safety/47116.html

It has protected out seat perfectly. Of course, if the is wobbly and/or repeatedly installed/removed, you increase the chance of scuffing the leather.

[colcol]

When carrying Babies and Children marks on the leather seats caused by a seat is the least of your problems, car sickness springs to mind, always carry plenty of towels, material ones and disposibles, sorry about that, Colin.

[AikenDrum105]

Towel is a great idea - most if not all the SafenSound seats come with a 'protector' that sits under the seat and overlaps around the front as well to catch dirty shoes.  

As Shiny says - if it's loose it may scuff,  the professional seat fitters have a three-bar gated slide (little metal clip) they use to keep the tension on the car seatbelt holding the seat in - a lot of the child seats now have a red clamp in the seatbelt path that does this in￿￿￿￿￿stead.

The towel can spread the load over the seat better, particularly if you vary the thickness of the towel layer so the seat has an even contact point across the base - if the seat angle in your car isn't the same as the child seat.   Then you can get the seat in and tight enough that it does￿￿￿￿￿n't flop around￿￿￿￿￿, without pressing a permanent seat base shaped mark into the leather.

It's actually all the biscuit crumbs, goop, snot and other unmentionables that get down there that do the bulk of the damage  

[tony8028]

all good advice folks! Many thanks!

[dehne]

safe'n'sound seats have a seat protecter that goes inbetween the babyseat and your car seat, get the seat fitted by someone authorised and when you do buy a cheap towel try for you seat colour, they will pyt the protecter down then use the towel to level the seat out (mostly for when rearward facing) Ive had a car seat in my 156 for 6 years now and when we pull it out to clean the seat looks as if it was never there

[alfagtv58]

All good advice above.  But AikenDrum105 hit the nail on the head with this.

It's actually all the biscuit crumbs, goop, snot and other unmentionables that get down there that do the bulk of the damage  

I usually discover a lifetime supply of sultanas every time I pull the seats out to give them a clean.

[shiny_car]

The solution is banning food in the car! 

Though my wife obviously ignores that, because whenever I vacuum, there's crumbs everywhere! 

[alfagtv58]

The solution is banning food in the car! 

Though my wife obviously ignores that, because whenever I vacuum, there's crumbs everywhere! 

I tried that one too shiny, it lasted about as long as my temper does with a hungry and bored child in the car.

BTW - congrats Tony.  A fellow club member told me when we were expecting our first, there are just three things you need to know about having a child,
1. You are not ready for it
2. You can't afford it
3. You'll love every second of it

He was correct on all three counts, and I have discovered that the same applies for the second child too 

[Beatle]

Fit a full seat protector then cut a section off a thin cheap camping mat to protect the seat.  But remember to remove and clean the protector occasionally.  Dried vomit/juice/milk will weld a plastic-backed protector to a leather seat.

The other thing to remember is that the child seat doesn't need to be strapped in so tight as to tear the seat  

Best solution is to stay home for five years then put them onto the train to boarding school.................

[tony8028]

Best solution is to stay home for five years then put them onto the train to boarding school.................

Possibly the most sensible advice I have seen so far in these forums!