Have to add, mine was only a problem with the protective cover with the pearl 2way fix

I think it's something to do with the Isofix base for our current seat, the catches are quite bulky.

Thanks for all your suggestions. We spend a few hours in Mothercare and Halfords looking at car seats and thought that the Joie suited what we wanted (Isofix, rear facing), only to be told by the shop assistant that it "hadn't been tested with that year car, only from 2003 onwards. We'll have to call them on Monday and get back to you"

They called back to say exactly what they said in-store, so we've decided not to bother with that and have ordered a Besafe Izi Kid X3 and a seat protector online at a better price. It has good reviews too, just hope the little one likes it!

I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of isofix approvals for older models. Unless they're i-size seats they will fit but the angles and support may not be quite right so you have to make a judgement.

Isofix was supposed to be universal, but ended up as 'semi-universal' or completely incomprehensible depending on your point of view! Our Maxicosi was never approved for the s8 or A6 we had at the time. I worked on isofix during its development and it does cut down significantly on the risk of an incorrect fit, as well as being more secure in the vehicle.

The BeSafe is bloody well made - when you look at high back boosters when you get to that stage the quality is light years ahead of most of the rest. We have the izi up fix for our son, so is nearly 6 and has been in it on weight grounds since he hit the 18kg weight limit on his old seat way before he hit 3!