Statistics show that when car accidents Even minor accidents, among the passengers most often affected are children. The reason is that the seats, as well as safety features, are designed for the height, proportions and physiological characteristics of an adult.

In this regard, the rules traffic requirements were introduced to equip cars with special removable seats for children. In Russia, a fine for their absence has been introduced into traffic rules since 2007.

There are the following gradations of child seats: 0; 0+; 1; 2 and 3. They correspond to:

1. “0” - children under six months, weighing up to 10 kg.
2. “0+” - up to one year and 13 kg.
3. “1” - from 9 months. up to 13 years old and weighing up to 18 kg.
4. 2 and 3 assume the child’s weight is 15-25 kg and 22-36 kg, respectively, with ages from 3 to 7 and from 6 to 13 years.

Initially, child seats in the car were secured with regular seat belts. By the end of the 90s, a special isofix mount was created. In the Russian Federation, the mandatory use of this system was confirmed by the edition of the traffic rules dated June 28, 2017 (clause 22.9)

The name is a combination of several concepts. The first syllable is an abbreviation of the name of the European standard ISO (in full “International Standards Organization” or international standardization organization). The second is an abbreviation for the English “fixation” - fixation.

The mechanism consists of two rigid brackets with latches. Fastening occurs automatically, detachment using a button located at the base of the bracket.

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.

Reliable connection of the latches with the car body is ensured by two steel brackets. On most new cars, this is part of the body itself, mounted to the power frame during assembly. It is possible to install brackets and how individual element, for which holes are left for the mounting bolts.

About the advantages of the system

When fastening with seat belts, it often turned out that the belts were twisted and not secured securely enough. This led to serious consequences: the chairs were torn off, injuring the child, even with mild shocks. Such cases were observed even during normal car braking.

The isofix child seat mounting system provides reliable installation, creating a number of additional benefits:

• preventing the chair from shifting under lateral load, when the impact occurs not in the direction of travel, but from the side;
• rigid fixation directly to the vehicle's powertrain;
• convenient installation and removal of the chair in a matter of minutes;
• the presence of a control indication that excludes failure of the latches.
• the ability to carry a child directly in a cradle, which is fixed on the seat (chairs with a separate base)

The latter option provides an additional retractable support that reliably insures child seat from capsizing.

Are there any disadvantages to the isofix system?

Just as there is no magnet with only one pole, so the advantages of the most best systems have on the other side limitations and disadvantages. The isofix mount is no exception; it also has disadvantages:

1. Weight limit 18 kg. Accordingly, fastenings of this type for categories from the second and higher are not allowed as independent ones.
2. High cost, especially for systems with a separate base.
3. When installing the chair, you must be careful to push in the brackets as carefully as possible. An awkward movement leads to damage to the seat upholstery.
4. Inability to install Isofix on front seat cars. This is prevented by the very principle of a rigidly fixed bracket. If the retainer is still made by the owner himself, front seat loses the ability to adjust.

The last point is relevant for systems like cradles, categories 0, 0+, etc. The installation of regular seats in the front seats is not permitted by traffic regulations.

Good to know

Bassinets for babies with Isofix fastenings can be placed in the front seats if necessary. They are secured with standard seat belts in the reverse position. At the same time, traffic regulations require turning off the airbags for the passenger seat.

Some experts tend to attribute their own weight to the disadvantages of Isofix seats. Indeed, for systems with a separate base it can exceed 10 kg. However, it is obvious that the weight of an adult exceeds the weight of any child seats; including the weight of the child himself.

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, to do such a responsible and expensive purchase It’s better to go to 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 high level security.

Please note the following. The seat belt for children can be secured at three or five points. The latter type is less convenient, but distributes the load over a larger area. Which is preferable, especially for children under two or three years old.

How to use Isofix in a car

The isofix seat mounting system presents some complexity only at first acquaintance.

Before you begin installation, you need to find the mounting locations for the brackets. They can be located either completely openly or hidden behind plugs or decorative overlays with a symbolic image child seat.

Before installing the isofix mount, the plugs are removed. Then, pulling out the brackets with latches, insert them into the grooves. When doing this, be careful not to pinch the seat belt buckle or strap. rear seat.

Triggering is confirmed by a characteristic click, as well as a change in the color of the indicator curtain.

In most models of chairs, the brackets extend. This is done by rotating a special drum, moving the chair itself, pressing the corresponding lever, etc. Using the method specified in the instructions, move the chair towards the back of the seat until it stops. In this case, the latch buttons are blocked from accidental pressing. Chair installation is complete.

Features of fastening a chair up to 13 kg

The type of seats belonging to 0 or 0+ provide for placing the child in a removable cradle. To secure it in the rear seat, a separate base is provided.

The base has a folding support post, with which the isofix system fixes the seat in the rear seats at three points

The fixation of the latches on the brackets and the folding leg of the base, just as when attaching a regular chair, is confirmed by the appearance of a green curtain on the mechanism indicators.

The chair is placed on a fixed base. In this case, the child may already be in it. The latch is activated, after which the lever is turned, which also serves to carry the cradle. This will lock the latch, which will again be confirmed by the green indicator.

To remove the seat, you need to unfold the handle again, release the latch by pressing the special handle and remove the crib.

The video gives an idea of ​​how to install the base:

Designs from 9 to 18 kg

This type of seat can be made with or without a base. In the second case, the anchor belt serves as an additional fixation of the chair. On one side it is attached to the back of the child seat, on the other it clings to a latch located at the headrest car seat, on his backrest, or in luggage compartment cars.

This video can tell you more about this:

During sudden braking, including head-on collision, the belt will not allow the chair to tip over, even if the latches on the bottom cannot withstand the load.

Car seats from 9 to 36 kg

By law, the fastening of seats designed for such a child’s weight must be accompanied by additional fixation. As a rule, standard seat belts in the rear seat of the car are used for this.

It's easy to do. Once the isofix pins are engaged with the brackets, the chair is raised. The straps are wound behind the back, secured in locks and tightened, securely pressing the child seat to the seat.

Car seats from 15 to 36 kg

This type of seat belongs to the third load category. Along with the regular chairs, the installation of which we talked about above, this category includes the so-called “boosters”. This special kind child seats with isofix mountings for children whose height exceeds 95 cm.

Boosters are mounted on isofix, without any additional devices. But the small passenger is insured using standard rear seat belts. The chair solves two safety problems:

1. Insures the passenger against lateral displacement during an impact.
2. Provides optimal positioning of the child's body relative to the seat belts designed for an adult passenger.

The second point is designed to prevent the child from “slipping” out of the belts, which often leads to tragic consequences.

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.

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.

Conclusion

Child safety is not a value category that can be taken lightly. Along with the described systems, there are many others that are much cheaper. When choosing them, you need to remember that by doing so you are reducing your baby’s chances of a successful outcome in the event of force majeure.

You may have already come across the concept of isofix. We will try to explain in detail and clearly what this type of fastening is, what its advantages and disadvantages are.

Location of the isofix mount in the car

The isofix mount in a car consists of two metal brackets located between the back and seat of a car sofa. The brackets are located at the standard width for all car seats. With their help baby car seat, which has reciprocal built-in fasteners, is rigidly attached to the car body. Isofix fasteners included basic equipment most modern cars.

Typically, the two outer rear seats are equipped with isofix mounts, but there are cars that have mounts on all passenger seats. As a rule, the locations of fasteners in cars are indicated by plastic guides, or a flag with the inscription isofix, or a plastic icon. Sometimes the isofix mount is not marked in any way and is hidden under the upholstery of the car sofa. In this case, you can find it yourself or study the instructions for your car.

Location of isofix mounts in child car seats

In all age groups of children's car seats there are various ways fastenings Some seats are attached only using a car seat belt, and they do not provide isofix fastening; others combine fastening with a belt and isofix; infant carriers of group 0+ can be attached both with a car seat belt and on an appropriate base. There are car seats that can only be attached using an isofix base.

Some manufacturers produce bases for car seats of group 0+, and a car seat of the next age group can be attached to the same base. Group 1 car seats (from 9 months to 4 years) have built-in isofix mounting and mandatory additional elements: floor support or Top Tether anchorage. The exception is some car seats that can only be secured with an isofix mount.

The “anchor mount”, or Top Tether, is the third bracket (in addition to the isofix mounts), which, depending on the body type, is located on the rear parcel shelf of the car behind the headrest, or in the backs of the rear seats, or in the trunk floor or on the ceiling. The presence of this mount in a car is indicated by a picture of a child in a child restraint with an anchor behind the back of the seat.

Emphasis on the floor

The floor support is usually built into the base of a child car seat or special base. For some chairs it is purchased separately. Attaching car seats with a support leg is more universal, since not all cars are equipped with an anchor fastening.

The main task of the floor support and Top Tether is to reduce the load on the main fastening elements of the child restraint system, to eliminate the nodding of the chair when frontal collision vehicle and improve safety.

As for securing group 2/3 car seats (from 15 to 36 kg), here the main load lies on car belt, which secures the child together with the seat, and isofix is ​​an auxiliary fastening, and its use is optional.

Isofix mount analogues

The isofix mount has analogues, for example, the American LATCH. In a car these are the same two brackets, and in a chair these are straps with carabiners that are attached to the brackets.

4.6 / 16

Every parent planning to buy a child car seat faces a problem not only directly a certain model(design, functionality), but also the method of fastening it - with standard seat belts or special system Isofix. Some people, following fashion, choose the latter, some save money, so they buy cheaper chairs, while others prefer to make an informed choice, so they first find out what Isofix is, why this fastening is better/worse than the one with belts, and only then decide which option to entrust the safety of their child to. If you are one of the latter, this article is for you.

Isofix is...

Isofix (abbreviation for International Standards Organization FIX) – European standard for all manufacturers of car seats and cars, which is a system for rigidly attaching the seat to the car body. Externally this system looks like 2 metal slides (brackets) with a lock at the base of the car seat, with the help of which it “snaps” onto special brackets mounted in the car body between the seat and backrest car seat. The car manufacturer decides which seat to install these brackets on; it can be anything, but most often the Isofix fastening system can be found on the back seat, on the right and left.

The main components of the Isofix fastening.

1. A frame with special hooks is most often a metal structure, but there are also plastic options.

In group 1 car seats, designed for children 9-18 kg, this frame is built into the L-shaped base of the child seat itself, although sometimes there are options structurally identical to this mount in group 0+ seats (for passengers weighing up to 13 kg). Here, this frame is a separate element, a special base for installing a carrying cradle, the release and fastening of which is carried out in just one movement: to fix the cradle on the base, you just need to press it a little, to remove it, pull a special handle or press a button.

1. Rigidly installed “anchors” (loops) - the hooks cling to them, creating a reliable connection. As a rule, their locations in the car body are indicated by special icons.

1. An anchor strap (bracket) is an element that holds the upper part of the back of the car seat from “nodding” and at the same time reduces the load on the base anchorage.

In which car seats is this system used?

Isofix is ​​used only in chairs:

• 0+ and 1 groups, as well as in their combination, that is Weight Limit that he can withstand is 18 kg (about how much a 3-3.5 year old child weighs);
• equipped with internal straps.

Only if these two conditions are met will the named rigid fastening system in an accident, securely holding the car seat and the child secured in it, take on all the impact energy.

Advantages and disadvantages.

1. ease of use;
2. guaranteed reliability and safety, confirmed by many crash tests;
3. ease of removal and installation, eliminating the possibility of doing something wrong.

1. heavy weight of the chair (for group 1);
2. the inapplicability of this system for children heavier than 18 kg;
3. high price;
4. less comfort for the child - with a rigid fastening, all shocks and vibrations of the car are transferred to the car seat;
5. the need for “trying on” - due to the fact that each child seat has its own size, angle of inclination, number/thickness of cushions, etc. characteristics, they should be selected individually for a car with the Isofix system - either by carefully reading the recommendations of the car seat manufacturer (in the documentation for children seats with Isofix, you can always find a list of car models to which it fits), or by direct fitting before purchase.

Isofix in car seats of groups 2-3 and 1-2-3.

ECE R44/04 rules strictly regulate permissible weight children for whom car seats with the Isofix system can be used are 18 kg, therefore, everything that does not fit into this criterion cannot be called Isofix! Therefore, chairs of groups 2-3 (for children weighing 15-36 kg) with a rigid fastening system, as a rule, have slightly changed names (like Kidfix, Isofit, Sitfix, etc.) and in addition to the fastening, “guides with “locks” - anchors" are additionally fixed with the usual seat belt, which bears the main burden in the event of an accident.

And even if you see Isofix in the characteristics of group 2-3 seats, you should know that this is only a system similar in the method of fastening, only with the ability to move/pull forward the car seat under load. No additional security it does not carry (only slightly limits the lateral shift of the chair when side impact), simply makes it easier for a small passenger to get in and out (it stands more stable) and eliminates the need to secure the seat with belts when the child is not in the car.

As for “universal” car seats of group 1-2-3 (from 9 to 36 kg), you won’t find the Isofix system in them in its “pure” form either. And don’t be fooled by transformers with tables; the main load in them also goes to the belt, which is passed through these very tables.

Important!

Even if your chair is in the desired weight group and is equipped with a real Isofix fastening, still be sure to read the instructions before using it, since some models, for example, Inglesina Prime Miglia I-Fix, require additional fixation with a belt, regardless of whether how firmly they are attached to the body. We hope there is no need to explain the dire consequences of non-compliance with this recommendation.

Reviews.

Alice:

“We bought a car seat for our child with Isofix - Recaro Monza. After a while, I don’t regret the choice I made - I don’t need to think about whether I placed it correctly or not, I don’t need to be afraid for my son’s safety, when turning the chair doesn’t sway from side to side, my child feels good in it and doesn’t get capricious.”

Alyona:

“I have a Hover3. I really wanted to buy a seat with Isofix, but I couldn’t find the model that would suit me - in all car seats the distance between the locks is greater than that in my car between the brackets. As a result, tired of endless “trying on”, I bought a regular child seat, fastened with a belt. When traveling long distances, the child sleeps in it, but in my opinion, it is not very comfortable for him.”

Pauline:

“Due to inexperience, I bought a regular 9-36 kg chair without Isofix and almost immediately regretted it - it was kind of flimsy, like I couldn’t stretch the belt, the chair was constantly dangling, my daughter was uncomfortable, she was capricious. In general, I decided to replace it with another one - with an inclined back and Isofix, albeit less universal (by 9-18 kg) - Isofix Nania Cosmo SP Luxe. God, how comfortable it is, no more problems either with fastening the child’s seat belt or falling asleep in the long road. And, by the way, you can’t call it expensive either.”

Irina:

“We chose the most reliable seat based on crash tests and ended up buying Romer. The backrest is inclined, the chair itself is attached rigidly (there is an Isofix system), we are not afraid for the safety of our baby, so we recommend it to others.”

Valentina:

“But it seems to me that the child either sleeps in the car or doesn’t, and the rigidity of the seat’s installation does not affect this in any way, so I bought my Lisa an ordinary cheap seat. He sleeps and doesn't complain. I quickly got used to all the manipulations with the belt. As for safety, I hope you will never have to check the reliability of the car seat in this regard, but even if it suddenly happens, I don’t think that the belt and side airbags will not be enough, otherwise I saw a couple of tests where Isofix did not work and the child flew out altogether out of the car along with the chair like a traffic jam. This won’t happen with a belt, at least somehow, but it will hold it back.”

Video.

According to the law of the Russian Federation, children can be transported in a car only in special restraints, the level of safety of which is influenced not only by their quality, but also by the reliability of the fixation. Usually the device is attached using a seat belt, but there is a chance that parents will install it incorrectly. In the event of a collision or sudden braking, this threatens the health and life of the child. This is why Isofix was developed and has been used worldwide since 1997. What are the advantages of such a system and are all car seats equipped with it?

What is the Isofix fastening system, why is it needed and how reliable is it?

Feature of the system Isofix fastenings 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.

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 (it is 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 car’s standard belt that takes on the entire functional load.

There is another popular system for securing 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.

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 restraint models have indicators that show green color if the system 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.

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, because different models Cars rear seat design, backrest angle may vary. 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 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.

In some Isofix machines It 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.

What does the Isofix mount look like on a child car seat?

On Isofix car seat presented in the form of locks that snap onto metal brackets.

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 more greater reliability while securing the car seat.

Experts note that using the Isofix system with a Top tether belt is more reliable: when frontal impact It is he who keeps the chair from sharply tilting forward.

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.

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.

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.

Instructions for installing a car seat using the Isofix system - video

How to make Isofix hinges in a car with your own hands

Not all cars are equipped with the Isofix system, so some drivers install special hinges themselves. But where to attach them?

But before installing a child car seat on metal hinges welded with your own hands, experts insist that you think twice. A car that is released on the world market undergoes all kinds of tests and studies for safety and others. specifications. The same applies to the Isofix fastening system.

It is impossible to independently check how firmly you have welded the hinges, so they may not withstand an impact or collision. In this case, it is recommended to increase the reliability of fixing the car seat: secure it additionally with a Top tether belt or install it on a base supported on the floor, and also secure it using the car’s standard seat belts. But it is better to use mounts that are installed in the car at the manufacturer’s factory.

Sooner or later, all parents are faced with the problem of safely transporting their child in a car. And here questions arise regarding the selection, reliability and installation of a car seat. What is the Isofix system and how safe is this mounting option?

ISOFIX - a reliable and necessary system for attaching a child car seat

ISOFIX is a system for rigidly attaching a child car seat to a car seat. It was developed by ISO, an international standardization organization whose priority goal is to make the installation process of the chair as simple and reliable as possible.

It is worth distinguishing between two types of ISOFIX:

• power, which, in fact, is designed to completely stabilize and fix the chair when emergency situations. It is used in device categories 0+ and 1;
• non-power, used in car seats of senior categories.

If the device has the designations kidfix, seatfix or isifix, it means that it is a non-power ISOFIX, or more precisely, its analogue, which in emergency situations can only partially slow down the movement of the seat during a side impact, but nothing more.

When using ISOFIX analogues, the device for transporting a child is additionally secured with a standard seat belt, which takes on the entire load.

Error-free installation

Most often, it is the installation of a child seat that causes difficulties, despite the developed instructions. For example, a system that involves fastening with a seat belt has such disadvantages as missing it in the wrong groove, twisting, weak fixation, which can reduce all protection to zero.

Research shows that approximately 70% of car seats using a harness are not secured correctly.

With the ISOFIX system, standard belts are not required during installation. The chair is attached using two runners (brackets) with locks located at its base to steel brackets located inside the car seat.

Most cars are equipped with ISOFIX brackets, but it's best to make sure they are available before purchasing a child carrier. They are located on both sides of the rear car seat between the seat and backrest, but can be hidden by a zipper or a plug, which is indicated by a special symbol (an image of the silhouette of a child in a car seat). ISOFIX is not located in front except in certain cases (for example, self installation) because the back seat is safer than the front seat.

ISOFIX for maximum safety and use of standard belt

The brackets to which the child car seat is attached are firmly welded to the car body. This allows the device to be stabilized as much as possible in the event of a collision, skid and other emergency situations. Some consumers are afraid that the rigidity of the system may harm the child. Various experiments refute this. For example, a crash test with Hybrid III dummies demonstrated that ISOFIX reduces pressure on the cervical region at the moment of impact.

It is no secret that the level of safety in a seat during a collision directly depends on the speed of action of the fastening systems. The faster it stabilizes, the more reliably the baby will be protected. Rigidity external fastenings is leveled out (reduced to nothing) with the help of the belts of the car seat itself, designed for this. ISOFIX can only be harmful if a category 2 or 3 device is attached to it, which will exceed the permissible weight and lead to an unreasonable increase in the load on the system.

Also, the load on the brackets and the entire system as a whole is reduced by using additional support points. There are two types:

• retractable leg, which is located at the base of the chair and, if necessary, is installed on the floor of the car;
• Top Tether anchor, which is a belt with a carabiner lock at the end, installed on the back surface of the car seat. It is attached to a hook welded in the trunk or behind the rear seat headrest. This anchor mount is universal and is available in most vehicles.

Types of additional support points - photo gallery

The extendable leg creates a third fulcrum in the ISOFIX system. The Top Tether anchor, like the leg, creates a third fulcrum in the ISOFIX system.
The Top Tether anchor attaches to a hook in the trunk or behind the rear seat headrest

Disadvantages of the ISOFIX system

1. In groups 2 and 3 ISOFIX is used simply for convenience, without any protective function in emergency situations, since in this case they are performed by the car’s seat belt, and the system only provides additional fixation. It only applies to devices age category 0+ and 1, or on chairs where these are combined:
   • in group 0+, the runners are built into a special base, on which the cradle is placed and automatically fixed against the movement of the car;
   • in group 1, the runners are built into the lower part of the chair or also into the base.
2. The weight of the child should not exceed 18 kilograms, and the ECE R 44/04 standard limits the weight of the chair itself to 15 kilograms. This is explained by the fact that during strong impacts, colossal loads are placed on the system, but its strength is still not unlimited.
3. Equipping the ISOFIX system makes the chair heavier by 25–30% of its original weight. The cost of the product also increases by about 1.5 times.
4. Since there are no uniform standards for the back seat of a car, when choosing a child car seat, you need to check whether it fits your car, whether the angle of inclination and height are the same.

Isofix with car seats of different weight categories - photo gallery

The car seat is installed on special base, which is built into ISOFIX system In category 2 and 3 car seats, ISOFIX does not perform a protective function
A child in a category 2.3 car seat is fastened with a standard seat belt

How to install and remove a car seat: instructions, photos and videos

1. Determine the location of the brackets on the car seat and, if necessary, install plastic extenders on them to avoid damage to the car seat upholstery.
2. Pull out the brackets from the car seat and install it on the car seat.
3. Connect the brackets to the brackets by moving the chair close to the back of the seat. In this case, a characteristic click should be heard, which indicates that the locks have latched.
4. Locate where the Top Tether is located (in the trunk or behind the seat headrest) and snap the carabiner into place.
5. Check how securely everything is fastened.
6. To remove the car seat, simply unlock the locks.

How to secure a child car seat in a car - video

Where and how to attach isofix yourself

The ISOFIX system in the car can:

• installed by the manufacturer;
• be provided as an additional option;
• completely absent.

In the second case, for installation you need to purchase additional spare parts and secure them yourself or entrust this to an experienced car mechanic.

Post-factory installation - photo gallery

ISOFIX bracket for post-factory installation Holes for post-factory installation of brackets in the floor between the passenger compartment and trunk ISOFIX brackets installed

Is it possible to make isofix hinges with your own hands?

But even if you have an old-style car and there are no fastenings for ISOFIX in it, you can make them yourself. However, in this case, it is impossible to predict how the seat will behave in an accident; all responsibility for the child’s health lies entirely with the parents.

Homemade ISOFIX mount - photo gallery

A homemade bar for ISOFIX fastening is made by hand The bar is installed by attaching it to the car body The finished fastening is not noticeable and does not interfere with reclining the seat back

Opinions on whether it is necessary to install homemade Isofix in the car

Install a homemade isofix mount? It’s better to buy a regular chair that is secured with a standard belt.

https://www.u-mama.ru/forum/hobby/auto/635027/index.html

As I understand it, there is no difficulty in installing it - you apply it to the body, make marks at the fastening points, and drill. You put bolts on the inside and nuts on the outside. Nuts - with large washers and sealant, and bolts not made from OMA - and there will be happiness.

Yura 80

You can fasten it with both a belt and IsoFix at the same time, I was personally convinced of this (category 1). But the fact is that when the child grows up, he will have to be secured with a belt himself, and the chair under him will fidget. Personally, my opinion is that it is better to let the seat be secured with a “homemade” IsoFix than to simply dangle under the child, and in addition to this, the child will also be secured with a belt.

Hinstein

http://www.audi-belarus.by/forum/viewtopic.php?t=57318