AxKid and Klippan seats question

So I have seen that lots of kids ride in these brands of seats. I have never heard of them, can someone tell me more about them? What is so great about them, can you get them in the US, etc. Thanks!

They are not legal to use in the US, but it is possible to get them. I don't know much about the Klippan ones, but I do know the Axkid seats have a 55 lb rear facing weight limit, which is higher than any US seat. They have some nifty looking features. I have a hopeless car seat crush on the Axkid Minikid, personally. But for now, I love it from afar and hope my Radians don't find out. *sigh*

Brigala said:

They are not legal to use in the US, but it is possible to get them. I don't know much about the Klippan ones, but I do know the Axkid seats have a 55 lb rear facing weight limit, which is higher than any US seat. They have some nifty looking features. I have a hopeless car seat crush on the Axkid Minikid, personally. But for now, I love it from afar and hope my Radians don't find out. *sigh*

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So why are they not "legal" to use in the US? How can you get them here then if they are not legal? Would it just be a parerental decision then to use I guess? They do look like they have some really cool looking features, but the one thing I noticed, was the fact that they do not have a chest clip. But maybe something else they have is in place OR there is a reason they dont have them. I like them and would SO get one, but if they arent legal, I dont know if I could/would use them. How wide of a seat are they? I just like looking at everyones "signatures" that attach to all their messages and seeing pictures/what seats their kids are in (btw how do you make a signature).

It's not illegal to import them.


And they're not tested to US testing standards. They have different testing in other countries.

They are European seats. There are no seats that are certified for use on both continents. The reason there is no chest clip is bc EU regulation requires a one-movement release for first responders. The chest clip on American seats has no crash function AFAIK. It's basically to curtail escaping the harness.

You can buy them from European retailers who will globally ship them. It is not illegal to import into the US (it is into Canada), but it IS illegal to use them in most states, including mine. The same fine that people get for not using a car seat could be applied to me for using an illegal car seat. The penalties are different in other states.

They cannot be tested here because they rely on a foot prop/load leg (or bracing) to reduce downward rotation and dual tethers to reduce rebound, and the North American testing sled has no floor.

The lack of chest clip is due to the emergency provision in the ECE R44/04 standard, where the harness must be able to be released in 1 step. Chest clips are more for parents who don't tighten the harness properly; some US/CDN manufacturers used to allow removing them.

I LOVE my Swedish seats. My kid won't ever need the 55lb limits, but they are designed extremely well and are very solid. (I've owned most US seats at one time or another.) I'm willing to take the risk for MY kid, MY family. It's expensive to import, though, and fines/consequences vary from state to state and probably aren't worth it for the average parent.