I-size Regulation

[Kathrine Selvage]

i-size' is a new EU safety regulation for child car seats (ECE R129). It was introduced in July 2013 to make child car seats easier to fit, provide better protection from side impacts and keep children rearward-facing for longer. UK legislation has been amended to allow i-size seats to be used.

R129 and R44 run side by side, so parents can choose whether to buy and use child car seats that meet R44.04 or R129 (i-size seats). You do not need to swap your current seat(s) for i-size ones, unless you wish to do so. At some point (no date has been set) the law will probably only allow R129 seats to be sold, but even then parents will still be allowed to use their existing R44 seats for some time (probably a few years) afterwards.

i-size child car seats fit in cars that have Isofix fitting points, but you still need to check if the seat is approved for your car. Contact your car manufacturer and/or the child seat manufacturer, or visit our Child Car Seat Compatibility page.

However, with R-129 this is not the case, and children must be rearward facing until 15 months in i-Size seats. This is because it is a safer way to travel, and it is recommend to keep your child rear facing for as long as possible.

This is because young children are at most risk of neck and spinal injuries in the event of a collision due to the size of their head in relation to their body and their developing muscles and bones. This makes them much more vulnerable to serious injury than older children and adults.

From July 2013, car manufacturers were able to have i-Size seating locations approved. Although in the first few years only a few cars had this feature, today nearly all newly designed cars have i-Size seating positions. You can identify i-Size seating locations by the label on the vehicle seat or in the vehicle handbook.

The Britax Rmer Trifix i-Size conforms to the ECE R129/01 car seat regulation (i-Size) and is suitable for children from 76 cm to 105 cm tall (15 months up to approx. four years), making it the perfect follow up to your infant carrier.

i-Size is a certification norm for child seats that applies in addition to ECE R44/04. The goal of the i-Size norm is to make parents' search for a suitable child seat easier. i-Size is a part of the UN directive ECE R129. This is a UN regulation for all countries, designed to improve child restraint systems and developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The regulations and norms define the standards for child safety.

Until further notice, ECE R129 shall run in parallel with ECE R44/04. There are significant differences between the two norms:

Why i-Size?

Parents often switch from an infant carrier to a larger child seat model too soon. The risk of head and neck injuries for small children increases as a result of this premature change from a rear- to a forward-facing child seat. i-Size supports the use of ISOFIX systems and stipulates that children must face away from the direction of travel until 15 months of age. In addition, the norm specifies a higher standard for protection from side collisions, which is not covered by ECE R44/04. We at RECARO recommend rear-facing travel for your child for as long as possible. In this way, you are providing your child with the highest level of protection in the event of an accident in the car.

Phase 2

In the second phase, the norm ECE R129 was expanded and has permitted the use of booster seats since 2017. This concerns booster seats installed using the vehicle's own 3 point seatbelt system and optionally using ISOFIX. However, booster seats are still approved under ECE R44/04 and can be used without hesitation. Phase 2 relates to children who are between 100 and 150 cm tall.

Phase 3

The third phase of i-Size regulates precisely how child seats must be secured in the respective vehicle using an integrated harness system, and without ISOFIX. This regulation concerns children from birth to a height of 105 cm. Booster seats without a backrest are only permissible for children weighing 22 kg and over, and measuring 1.25 m in height or more.

What does i-Size mean for RECARO child seats?

All RECARO child seats were developed in accordance with extremely high safety standards. Our very good results from the Stiftung Warentest (German consumer and goods testing organisation) and the ADAC show that fulfilment of ECE R129 is not absolutely essential for maximum safety. Nevertheless, RECARO explicitly supports the i-Size regulation. Our seats are equipped with advanced side protection (ASP). Our seats regularly remain well under the critical thresholds during side crash tests. With the RECARO infant carriers or reboarders, children can be transported facing away from the direction of travel until 15 months of age. When buying a child seat, parents have the choice between seats approved by i-Size (ECE R129) or by ECE R44/04.

In addition to i-Size child seats, vehicles with i-Size seating are being developed and offered by the automotive industry. However, in contrast to ISOFIX, i-Size is not obligatory for vehicle manufacturers. The installation of i-Size child seats in vehicles with i-Size seating is immediately possible; in other vehicles without i-Size but with ISOFIX, installation information can be found in the RECARO type list.

In July 2013, phase 1 of the i-Size car seats regulation took effect, and they were very happy about that at our car seat brand BeSafe. BeSafe has been carrying out pioneering work in the field of car safety for children for more than 30 years. Car seats that can be used rear-facing for as long as possible play an important role in improving car safety.

And that is also what the new i-Size regulations focus on, as it forces car seat manufacturers to make car seats which children up to age 15 months can sit in while facing backward. This rear-facing trend is a huge step forward compared to the current requirement of 9kg (approx. 9 months).

BeSafe is a real i-Size pioneer, and we can be proud of that!

Find out more about the i-Size Modular Family of car seats for newborns to children aged 4 here.

The i-Size rotational car seats, suitable for new-borns to children aged 4, can be found here.

Are you looking for a group 2/3 car seat that meets the i-Size standard? Look at the iZi Flex Fix i-Size! It is the first car seat in the world for larger children that is i-Size approved. And you can fit up to three car seats side by side on the back seat!

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No. Although this law and new car seat regulation has now come in effect, it is running concurrently with the older car seat regulations UNECE Regulation 44 / ECE44/04. This regulation has been running since 1982. It is illegal to sell a car seat that does not conform to this regulation and in 2008 it became illegal to use a car seat that does not conform to this.

Most people are unaware that car seats have an expiration date. You can find this date on one of the car seats labels but the rule of thumb if you can not find this date, is that car seats expire 6 years after manufacture.

He still comfortably and happily rear-faces in my car. Please excuse the car full of junk, but this is him, last week, on the way home from a day at the beach. His legs are crossed comfortably and he can see the outside world and relax.

His car seat is the Britax Multitech and can be used until he reaches 25kg. I am hoping that he will grow slow enough to allow him to stay rear facing until at least 4-5yrs old. However, the average age of a child at 25kg is between 6yrs and 8yrs and the seat is sold with an age range of 9 months to 6 years.

Extended rear facing or keeping your child rear facing for as long as possible has been steadily growing in popularity in the UK, USA and other European countries in the last few years but if you think it is a new fad, you will be mistaken.

Below I have included a video made by the family of a child who suffered catastrophic injuries in a forward facing car crash. The family believe that if he had been rear facing, he would not have been so badly injured. Some viewers may find the video upsetting as it shows pictures of Joel after his injuries. He has lived though and there are no pictures showing blood.

i-size is a new EU safety regulation for child car seats (ECE R129). It was introduced in July 2013 to make child car seats easier to fit, provide better protection from side impacts and keep children rearward-facing for longer. i-size only applies to Isofix seats. UK legislation has been amended to allow i-size seats to be used.

R129 and R44 run side by side, so parents can choose whether to buy and use child car seats that meet R44.04 or R129 (i-size seats). You do not need to swap your current seat(s) for i-size ones, unless you wish to do so. At some point (no date has been set) the law will probably only allow R129 seats to be sold, but even then parents will still be allowed to use their existing R44 seats for some time (probably a few years) afterwards.

The abbreviation "i-Size" indicates the latest approval standard for car seats for children. Approval standards for car seats regulate which safety standards and technical specifications these car seats must meet in order to be approved for sale.

The i-Size standard is part of the latest test standard UN R129, or officially: "EU Safety Regulation for Child Restraint Systems UN Regulation 129". This regulation, which came into force in July 2013, sets tougher requirements for the approval of car seats for children than the previous standards.

The revolutionary system is designed for life on-the-go, allowing you to easily move from car seat to stroller in seconds.

From running errands to traveling by car, train, or plane, Doona is the ideal solution for exploring the world with an infant, with freedom and flexibility.

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