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Can anyone recommend car seats that are easily removable? I need to put two in my Audi Q2..

(19 Posts)
Ebeth63 Thu 12-Feb-26 09:43:10

Good morning! I am the gran of five month old twin boys and am just trying to source some car seats for them. I bought some Graco 360 swivel ones but when installed in my Audi Q2 they need the front seats to be too far forward for my husband to be able to drive or ride comfortably. Also, they are too cumbersome for me to take in and out of the car very easily at all. Can anyone recommend an alternative make or design? I’m thinking that I might need separate Isofix bases which could remain in situ, but with easily removable seats… Does anyone have any experience or recommendations?

GrannyGravy13 Thu 12-Feb-26 09:45:29

Go to your nearest Halfords, they will advise you and let you try different seats in your car.

fancythat Thu 12-Feb-26 10:15:59

Oh crumbs.
Just been involved in all that myself[not personally].

You need advice. like GG13 says.

I am presuming your car is not a 7 seater?[a whole new ball game-new rules out as I understand it].

I think there are new rules about Isofix? Though that may just be with 7 seater cars.

Witzend Thu 12-Feb-26 10:24:43

Ditto to Halfords! I once needed a baby seat in a real emergency - i. e. within an hour or two - zoomed down to Halfords, they provided and fitted it for me.

Visgir1 Thu 12-Feb-26 11:39:24

Yes you need advice.. As you have to buy the Isofix as well.
This is going to be expensive for twins.
Luckily the Isofix suits as they get bigger. After a certain weight /hight you have to upgrade the baby seats.

We have now got seats from birth to boosters with direct fix. But they are still a bit of a pain to get in and out of the car.
Our youngest GC is nearly 2, so hoping she will go into the next size soon.
Good luck

silverlining48 Thu 12-Feb-26 16:33:16

Children’s car seats that are easily removable …. probably don’t exist. We fought and struggled with ours.
Wish you well though.

Greyduster Thu 12-Feb-26 16:49:08

Gosh I remember all that with GS! Suddenly, when you bought a new car, the first thing you had to ask was “does it have the Isofix system?” Agree Halfords were very helpful back in the day.

Ebeth63 Sat 14-Feb-26 09:37:09

Thank you for your responses. Investigations are on-going!

Sue65 Sat 14-Feb-26 14:06:58

I have the swivel ones you mentioned
I only have a small car but as they are isofixed its no problem for driving
But as others have said go to Halfords
The swivel ones are expensive if you have already bought them though ?

ballie Sat 14-Feb-26 14:35:27

Seems rather drastic to take two of the seats out of your Audi. If it is the driver and passenger seats, my advice would be to approach an Audi dealership.

SaxonGrace Sat 14-Feb-26 16:23:49

Isofix all the way and please please ensure that the babies are not put in forward facing seats too early, many parents do this and it’s so dangerous, rule of thumb is baby must be able to not only sit up unaided, also a good test is putbaby on the floor sitting up , stand at least a metre behind slightly offset and call baby, if they can turn their head around still keeping balanced they’ve passed the test. I’ve 20 years experience of selling and installing car seats as well as nine grandchildren.

Plunger Sat 14-Feb-26 16:25:40

Defined Halfords but if possible get swivel seats. You don't say how old you are but once the babies get to a certain weight it makes getting them in and out so much easier- especially it they start refusing to go in! You can easily 'do your back'

FranP Sat 14-Feb-26 17:17:50

I would go for an Isofix base. It is a real pain with the click in clips under the back seat - you need strong fingers.

Halfords or Smyth's Toy shops, or your Audi dealer. Did you buy these for the parents? You only need one base for each if you have the fittings for parents' seats

SueDonim Sat 14-Feb-26 18:17:11

We had an absolute nightmare with the 9mths+ plus cars seats for our GC. Lots didn’t fit at all because the rear seat of my car is quite contoured. We had Isofix Joie swivel seats eventually but neither Dh nor I could install or remove them.

Arthritic hands meant we didn’t have the strength to unclick the Isofix fitments plus for me the huge weight was more than I could lift out. We used to have to get our SIL to remove/install them, whenever I wanted to offer a lift to someone or our older GC were here. I’m so glad we’re onto the high back booster stage now.

If there was a next time, I’d go for the separate base and seat option, I think.

NotSpaghetti Sat 14-Feb-26 19:22:15

We had an Isofix Joie swivel seat too eventually - and like you, neither of us could install or remove them either.

It was quite a nuisance when we needed to give someone (other than one of the small grandchildren) a lift!
If we knew ahead of time we'd drive over to get our daughter in law to take it out!

SueDonim Sat 14-Feb-26 21:23:24

Sounds familiar, notspaghetti! I used to pray my SIL was about when it needed to come out.

NotSpaghetti Sun 15-Feb-26 10:19:19

I'm sure it's not just the joie ones either- I notice lots of grandparents never take the child seats out and make you squash in next to them!

Georgesgran Sun 15-Feb-26 10:44:13

I think you’ve misread the OP ballie but I had visions of Ebeth63 driving from the back seat (long arms) or the GPs in the back while the infants drove from their car seats!

Most of us have been there Ebeth63. Take heart - it gets easier as they get older!

LOUISA1523 Sun 15-Feb-26 14:50:17

I used to just swap cars with my DD when we had GDs when yhey had isofix seats....for the day...for a few hours...however long I had the kids for....as they are very expensive..
I wouldn't pay it....not for the privilege of looking after my GDs!!

Now I have 3 x ten pound boosters which is fine