# Front or Back Child Seat



## drhill77 (3 Apr 2016)

I am looking to get a child seat for my bike and I'm after a bit of advice as I cannot decide whether to go for either a front or rear mounted child seat. Has anyone had experience of using either and if so what would you recommend or advise as best to get? My little boy is 15 months old and i really want him to come out on my bike with me!!

Thanks in advance


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## Elswick Cotterpin (3 Apr 2016)

Front; I think the child probably feels safer, too, that way, and it's got to be more fun than staring at the adults butt all day!


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## hatler (4 Apr 2016)

[QUOTE 4221460, member: 45"]I prefer front seats - It's far more interactive. The boy can see where you're going and you can chat, rather than him trying to look around you all the time and you not being able to hear each other properly.

The downsides to a front seat (we had a Weeride) are that the size/weight limit is lower so they grow out of them more quickly, and you have to develop a bit of a knees out riding style.

If I was back there again I'd get a front seat without hesitation.[/QUOTE]
This. Absolutely.


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## SavageHoutkop (4 Apr 2016)

We have a Yepp Mini (front) and it's great. We need to move to the next thing up now as he's almost 3.5 and is nearing the weight limit. 
I find having him on front is nice as you can talk to him, he can see, and you can see if he's awake / asleep / whatever. 
We have a very large upright bike for taking him out so the knees out thing didn't apply to us and we could always see over his head (other potential issue). If your bike is such that you are in 'racing pose' rather than upright you'd need to check clearances etc and it's also worth checking how they mount; as I know a friend of ours couldn't use our seat on his bike as there wasn't enough ?stem? (I'm not too great with bike part names). 
In NL most seats are Bobike or Yepp. (Had a fruitful nosey at every bike with a bike seat when we visited when my boy was c. 4 months old!)
We also have the front windscreen and a cushiony-thing for his head when he falls asleep although he inevitability falls off the edge anyway.


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## SavageHoutkop (4 Apr 2016)

Also feel sorry for the kids I see on the back who have their parent's backpack millimeters away from their noses!


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## Sixmile (4 Apr 2016)

I now have a Croozer Kid for 2 trailer but still occasionally take the kids out the odd time on the rear seat. I toyed with the idea of getting a Yepp mini or the WeeRide but the standard rear mounted Hamax was what I settled for first. There are definitely benefits for front mount but also negatives. I found that when my girls were young that they wouldn't keep sunglasses on. Being in front exposes them to more flies, bugs, wind and rain which is especially an issue if they won't wear glasses. Of course there is the windscreen option too but they are dear enough. With my daughter behind, I take the flack!

If you live somewhere which is completely flat then fine, but if like me, you need to get out of your seat once in a while for a climb then this is made more difficult, if not nigh impossible. I have never had any issue hearing or talking to my daughter while she is behind me. We're not going at break neck speed (most of the time anyway!) so this is non issue. Her forward vision is blocked for sure but it's not a total eclipse. See is still regularly pointing out everything we pass. There is a bit of movement to how high or close you want the seat to be to you. I have never felt that having the rear seat has compromised my childs safety. Also when it comes to snoozing, she does it much better without getting buffeted by wind or getting blue bottles smashing off her head every few minutes. Also about the backpack comment above, I put her backpack on the back of her seat so neither of us are wearing it.

One thing is for sure, your child will absolutely love being on the bike. I actually feel sorry for kids who don't get to experience it as my 2 love it so much.


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## SavageHoutkop (4 Apr 2016)

Sixmile said:


> Of course there is the windscreen option too but they are dear enough.


Mine was €29 for the windscreen, so not very expensive. Total seat including delivery to UK, windscreen and pillow thingy was €142.


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## Sixmile (4 Apr 2016)

SavageHoutkop said:


> Mine was €29 for the windscreen, so not very expensive. Total seat including delivery to UK, windscreen and pillow thingy was €142.


 
What mount came with the seat? I noticed when researching that one of the mounts doesn't work with the windscreen. The Yepp seats are the best of the fronts I reckon though. I'd reserved one in Halfords a few times but never took the plunge.

[QUOTE 4223218, member: 45"]I'd pick somewhere else to ride if you're getting smashed by bluebottles every few minutes.[/QUOTE]

One thing I've learnt is not to sing when cycling. Caught a bluebottle one day and couldn't get it back up! One of our favourite rides follows a river for miles downstream and although not the big boys, there are always clusters of those may flies or whatever, not pleasant!


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## SavageHoutkop (4 Apr 2016)

Like so


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## SavageHoutkop (4 Apr 2016)

Better mounting pic here but without the windscreen http://www.cyclemiles.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/prod-child-yepp-mini-1-wr.jpg


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## drhill77 (6 Apr 2016)

Thanks for all the comments, decided to go for the Hamax Carress, got it from Halfords as it was cheaper than everywhere else and I also got an extra 20% off due to a C2W card that I have. Took him out on Sunday and he loved every minute of it. Didn't go far but far enough for his first trip.


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## Sixmile (6 Apr 2016)

drhill77 said:


> View attachment 123951
> Thanks for all the comments, decided to go for the Hamax Carress, got it from Halfords as it was cheaper than everywhere else and I also got an extra 20% off due to a C2W card that I have. Took him out on Sunday and he loved every minute of it. Didn't go far but far enough for his first trip.


 
Good choice imho! The reclining feature will be a godsend. Here's to many great memories together!


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## evo456 (23 Jun 2016)

I plumped for Hamax Caress (rack mount) too after trying the Weeride front seat and a Topeak rear seat. The Hamax is the quality product out the 3, and surprisingly fitted on my Topeak Super tourist DX rack (When the Topeak seat couldn't). The Weeride compromised my riding position and controls too much for pro-longed stints, the Topeak look to be the safest as the seat more or less cocoons the occupant and a hand bar for hands to rest on.


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