Rear-facing car seat: until what age? What i-Size and the experts say

From the shop

The products featured in this guide

The models compared in this guide, available in our online shop and at our Maârif showroom.

• Bébé ConfortBébé Confort Demeter 360 i-Size Mineral Black rotating car seat2 266 DHSee price / Order
• Maxi-CosiMaxi-Cosi Pebble S Tonal Graphite car seat2 184 DHSee price / Order
• Maxi-CosiMaxi-Cosi Citi Essential Black car seat737 DHSee price / Order
• Maxi-CosiMaxi-Cosi Titan S i-Size Tonal Black car seat3 436 DHSee price / Order
• JovikidsJovikids Angela 360° Isofix 0-36 kg pink rotating car seat1 500 DHSee price / Order
• The whole aisle · Car seatsDelivered anywhere in Morocco, free from 300 DH.Open the aisle

Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Please check price and availability on the product page.

Quick answer: with an i-Size seat (UN Regulation R129), your child rides rear-facing until at least 15 months, and forward-facing is only allowed from 76 cm. Experts advise going well beyond that: Maxi-Cosi recommends at least 2 years, the Swedish road safety association NTF at least 4 years, and the US agency NHTSA staying rear-facing until the seat's height or weight limit. Bent legs against the vehicle seat are not a reason to turn your child around.

"He's one, his feet touch the backrest, can we turn him forward-facing?" It is one of the questions we hear most often in our Maârif store. Here is what the regulation and road safety specialists say, and which Maxi-Cosi and Bébé Confort seats in our range let your child stay rear-facing for longer.

What the i-Size standard (R129) says

UN Regulation No. 129, known as i-Size, classifies seats by the child's height. It requires rear-facing until at least 15 months and only allows forward-facing from 76 cm: that is why forward-facing convertible seats such as the Maxi-Cosi Titan S i-Size 3 436 DHSee price / Order start at "76 cm, from 15 months".

The old R44 standard allowed forward-facing from 9 kg in group 1, sometimes around 9 months. Many parents still use that benchmark, but it is no longer the reference. In Morocco, decree no. 2-10-420 (article 8) bars children under 10 from the front seats; the text we consulted sets no age for the direction of the seat. We therefore follow R129 and the safety bodies. The full stage table is in our article which car seat by age and height.

15 months is a minimum for approval, not the date you have to turn the seat around.

Why rear-facing protects better

In a frontal crash, the whole body is thrown forward. Facing forward, the harness holds the torso but the head, heavy in a toddler, is thrown forward and pulls on the neck. Rear-facing, the seat's shell takes the load: according to NHTSA, a rear-facing seat "cradles and moves with" the child in a crash and reduces stress on the still-fragile neck and spinal cord.

That is why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) removed the age limit from its recommendations in 2018: all infants and toddlers should ride rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the highest height or weight allowed by their seat. In Sweden, where extended rear-facing is widespread, the road safety association NTF recommends rear-facing until at least age 4, and ideally longer.

Common myths about rear-facing

"His legs are too long, he's uncomfortable"

This is the number-one argument, and it does not hold. Sweden's NTF puts it simply: sitting with bent legs is not dangerous. Children are flexible, they cross their legs or rest them on the backrest, and according to Cincinnati Children's Hospital a forward-facing child is, if anything, more likely to suffer a foot or leg injury in a crash. The real signal is your seat's rear-facing height limit, or a head above the top of the shell as described in the manual.

"He can't see anything and gets bored"

Rear-facing, your child sees the rear window, the side windows and the adult sitting next to them. On a Casablanca–Marrakech drive, boredom is handled with a break about every two hours and an attached toy, not by turning the seat around.

"I can't keep an eye on him"

A baby mirror fixed to the rear headrest lets you see your baby; make sure it is firmly attached so it cannot become a projectile.

"It's too awkward to put him in every day"

With a standard seat, you have to lean into the car and lift your child over the shell. This is where a rotating seat changes everything.

The rotating seat: rear-facing without hurting your back

A rotating seat turns on its base towards the door: you sit your child facing you, buckle them in calmly, then turn the seat back to rear-facing. For a mother recovering from a C-section, in a small city car or in a supermarket car park in midsummer, this is the difference between "we'll turn him soon" and "we'll stay rear-facing".

The Bébé Confort Demeter 360 i-Size 2 266 DHSee price / Order (2 266 DH) is our go-to seat for extended rear-facing:

• Rear-facing from 40 to 105 cm, that is from birth to about 4 years according to the ANWB specification sheet.
• Forward-facing with harness possible from 76 to 105 cm, from 15 months, if you wish or if space is tight.
• Booster with the car's belt from 100 to 150 cm: one seat up to about 12 years.
• 360° rotation, Isofix installation with top tether, base included, R129 approval.

The Jovikids Angela 360° 1 500 DHSee price / Order (1 500 DH), a 0–36 kg Isofix rotating seat, is a budget alternative; check its exact rear-facing limits on the product page.

Which seats in our range for rear-facing?

The Pebble S 2 184 DHSee price / Order and Citi 737 DHSee price / Order infant carriers are rear-facing only, but children outgrow them at around 12–15 months. The question then becomes: which seat next? To keep going rear-facing, move to a seat like the Demeter 360 i-Size. The Titan S i-Size and Titan Pro, forward-facing only, are excellent seats for later, but we recommend them once your child has outgrown the rear-facing limit of their previous seat, or when your car does not allow anything better.

Two possible routes: Pebble S infant carrier then Demeter 360 (a practical carrier at first, then rear-facing up to about 4 years), or Demeter 360 from birth if you only want to buy one seat.

Rear-facing in practice in Morocco

• Small car: a rear-facing seat pushes the front passenger seat forward. Come and try it in your car at the Maârif showroom; also check the manufacturer's vehicle fitting list.
• Never in front of an active airbag: a rear-facing seat goes in the back, which is in any case the rule in Morocco for under-10s.
• Heat: rear-facing, your child may get less direct air from the air conditioning. Use window sunshades, take breaks in the shade and offer drinks regularly; see baby in the car: heat and long journeys.
• Installation: a badly fitted rear-facing seat loses its advantage; follow our guide installing a car seat without mistakes.

To compare all our models, read the Maxi-Cosi and Bébé Confort comparison, the car seat buying guide and, for later, our article on booster seats and the law in Morocco.

Why buy your car seat from La Maison du Bébé

• Authentic products from Maxi-Cosi and Bébé Confort, with the manufacturer's warranty.
• Showroom in Maârif: try a rear-facing seat in your car with our advice.
• Delivery anywhere in Morocco, free from 300 DH; cash on delivery or card payment.
• Exchange within 7 days, under our conditions, if the seat does not suit your car.
• Advice on WhatsApp and videos on Facebook and Instagram.

Our selection

• Bébé Confort Demeter 360 i-Size Mineral Black rotating car seat 2 266 DHSee price / Order – 2 266 DH: rear-facing up to 105 cm, 360° rotation.
• Maxi-Cosi Pebble S Tonal Graphite car seat 2 184 DHSee price / Order – 2 184 DH: rear-facing i-Size infant carrier, 40 to 83 cm.
• Maxi-Cosi Citi Essential Black car seat 737 DHSee price / Order – 737 DH: belt-fitted rear-facing infant carrier.
• Maxi-Cosi Titan S i-Size Tonal Black car seat 3 436 DHSee price / Order – 3 436 DH: for later, forward-facing from 15 months and 76 cm.
• Jovikids Angela 360° Isofix 0-36 kg pink rotating car seat 1 500 DHSee price / Order – 1 500 DH: budget Isofix rotating seat.

Buy a rear-facing car seat in Morocco

Send us your child's age and height and your car model on WhatsApp: we will tell you which seat keeps your child rear-facing the longest in your car. La Maison du Bébé, 93 rue Brahim Nakhai, Maârif, Casablanca, is open Monday to Saturday, 9:30 am to 8 pm.

• Delivery anywhere in Morocco (Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Tangier, Fez, Agadir…), usually within 24 to 48 hours depending on the city, as an indication only (delivery options); free from 300 DH, or free pick-up at the showroom.
• Cash on delivery or card payment (secure payment).
• Exchange within 7 days: see Satisfied or refunded.
• Contact: WhatsApp +212 6 62 80 07 15, phone +212 5 22 23 35 34, contact form.

Departments: car seats, group 0+ infant carriers, booster seats, car seat adapters. Videos on our YouTube channel.