[BreezaH]

We hired one when we went to QLD last year for 2wks. It was probably better than our seat! Looked brand new, properly installed etc. We'll be hiring another 2 when we go interstate for Xmas this year.

[emma~woodhouse]

Yes, we've hired car seats along with a rental car before - with two small kids and two car seats, we couldn't have managed all of our luggage. When we had just one child, we took our own seat from home.

The seats were not the same quality as ours at home, but met the legal requirements and we judged them safe enough for the few short days we used them. We specially chose a car hire company that had multiple kinds of seats available for babies/toddlers/kids. If in doubt, call the hire company and ask about the child restraints they offer.

[sueb31]

I have had some shockers and some brilliant ones. I've also turned up and been refused one (this was for a one-way rental though).

In an ideal world, I'd always prefer to take my own or hire from a baby company. However it isn't an ideal world and I tend to compromise. I will take my own for a baby under 12 months and hire one for older children sometimes. The smaller the child, the more important it is.

I have been known to wash the hire car seat covers sometimes too, if they are gross.

For 4 days - I'd be tempted to hire and would take details of a local baby pllce I could call and arrange hire if unhappy (if that makes sense).

Sue

[Silver Girl]

I just remembered that the hire company left some other hire items that we'd requested in the boot - a porta cot and pram. That made things easier also.

[Jekaho]

We've done both - bring our own and hire one. And really, hiring one is SO much easier - we had no issue with it being grotty, although we did have to install it ourselves.
When you've already got suitcases and a portacot and this and that, one less bulky thing is always good!

[Shanski]

Yes we've hired car seats from the car rental company.

Some have been older looking but still clean and non smelly and some have looked fairly new.

Definitely double check the installation. Last week we were in Sydney and had two forward faciing seats installed, both had the safety harness strap in the wrong position at the back. Also they generally set the straps at the highest shoulder mark so you need to adjust.

When we only had 1 child we would take our own seat as we liked knowing it was easy to use but do be careful as the seats just get thrown in the cargo hold with the rest of the bags and ours came out with grease and dust all over it after one trip even though I had put a cover on it.

This post has been edited by Shanski: 18/04/2012, 02:22 PM

[SomeAussieChick]

Yes I have. When we moved up to the NT a couple of years ago we had to pick up a hire car from the airport to drive to our new town and keep it for a couple of weeks till our car arrived by truck. Not only had they given us a sedan which I specifically asked not to get as we had 5 big suitcases and a massive pram but the carseat was not even installed properly!

I was p*ssed off beyond words. I was dripping with sweat as I had come from Perth where it was freezing and then I was in Darwin which was boiling hot with my butt hanging out of the door swearing my box off reinstalling the stupid car seat. Hubby had gone to find someone to complain and he came back with a useless fellow who just stood there and shrugged and said he thought that carseat was secure. It was only attached to the anchor point. I pointed out the seat belt needs to be put through the back of the seat.

I also got him to look at the expiry date on it and I pointed out that it had expired 2 years previously. I said we weren't putting my son in the said seat and he had better go get one that hadn't expired. Took us a hour and a half to get out of the stupid car park at the Darwin airport.

I was sh*tting bricks after that encounter and dripping with sweat.