We use cookies to help improve our sites. If you continue, we'll assume that you're happy to accept our cookies. Find out more about cookies Safety warning: Argos recalls Mamas & Papas car seats Find out whether your car seat is affected Argos has issued a product recall for five of their exclusive Mamas & Papas car seats after identifying a potential safety concern. Argos says that in the event of an accident the car seat shell may crack, meaning your child may not be as protected as intended. Use our table below to check whether you have one of the five affected car seat models, manufactured by Mamas & Papas but sold exclusively by Argos, and read on below to find out what to do if you do. Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1 Black Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1 Grey Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1-2-3 Black Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1, 2, 3 Grey Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 2-3 Black and Grey What to do if your car seat is affected If you have purchased one of the recalled car seats Argos says you should stop using it immediately.
You can return the car seat to Argos for a full refund. If you have any questions you can call the Argos customer service team on 0345 600 5388. A Mamas & Papas spokesperson commented: ‘We would like to assure customers that there have been no reports of any incidents involving any of the recalled car seats.’ If you have been affected and want to buy a new car seat our child seat reviews and video guide to buying a child car seat will help you find the safest one for your child.child car seat tests We crash test each car seat we review multiple times – in a front impact crash (equivalent to a head-on collision at around 40mph) and a side-impact crash test (equivalent to two cars crashing into each other at 30mph). The crash tests are specially designed to replicate real life crashes. We test all car seats, whether they are installed via Isofix or the adult seat-belt, at speeds and forces higher than the legal minimum standards require. State-of-the-art crash test dummies are wired with sensors to record the crash forces on key areas of the dummies bodies, and indicate how high the risk of injury would be in a real situation.
We’ve found big differences between good and bad child car seats, including Don’t Buys that have scored 0%, even thought they have passed the regulatory UK tests. You can discover exactly how much further we go in our how we test child car seats guide. Top 10 best baby car seats – the best baby car seats for newborns Choosing the best child car seat – begin your buying journey with our expect advice 10 essential child car seat fitting checks – ensure your car seat is fitted correctlyDoing the big pre-university shop is a rite of passage for any new student. While you might be able to nab some things from home, your mum won’t want to lose all the bed linen and, ultimately, it's much nicer starting adult life with new stuff. Ikea is the usual destination for students; a one-stop shop for everything from frying pans to posters (and, of course, meatballs). To help produce the ultimate guide to tackling Ikea, I went to the Wembley store to have a go at a practice run and get answers from the experts.
The aim was simple: to get everything needed to start life at university – aside from a few specific items – as quickly and cheaply as possible. Photo: Yinyin Wong There are, of course, other retailers available who are worth considering, where you can also find some great bargains. A selection of these, and items that you should look elsewhere to buy, are listed below. For the sake of realism, I was initially going to drag my mother around with me, so we could argue over the appropriate number of tea towels to buy and the benefits of investing in a quality vegetable peeler. However, as she had better plans than pretending to shop with me (something about a holiday), I found a stand-in who was willing to debate the finer points of lamps. The shopping experience was predictably an emotional rollercoaster; a set of 17 pieces of Tupperware for £3.50 was a definite high, being told off for trying to sneak an unnecessary pot plant into the trolley, a serious low. Our first error was walking into the one way showroom section to start with.
You can save a good 15 minutes of meandering through perfect kitchens by skipping all of this. As the layout of the store matched the sections of our pre-prepared checklist, it was easy to keep track of what we still needed. Before leaving any section, we checked thoroughly over the bullet points, heading back in for any items that might have escaped our attention. Photo: Yinyin Wong We didn’t presume that the first reasonably priced item we saw in a section was the cheapest, asking staff if we were unsure. In general, keep an eye out for yellow and red stickers, as these are the bargain basement prices. The sheer number of colours on offer is well worth considering too, as if you’re grabbing things left, right and centre (like we were), you could end up with a collection of items in colours vaguely reminiscent of a child's finger painting. You have to be brutal if you want to keep it cheap; whoever you bring along, make sure it is someone who is willing to say 'no' to you. It’s easy to pile in loads of extra items because they seem cheap, but, when added together, these items can quickly take you way over budget.
Our trolley very nearly ran out of space, leaving no room for storage boxes. It is worth anticipating this from the start, so maybe consider taking two trolleys, even if it seems excessive. At the checkout grab a couple of extra bags, as these will be immeasurably useful when moving all your stuff into uni. Photo: Yinyin Wong Our shop (with all mishaps included) Time: Just over an hour Total: £149.20 • 8 x Ikea bags •Table lamp • Rug • Bath mat (x2) (keep track of what you put in the trolley) • Throw • Pillows (x2) • Duvet • Mirror (wall suction attachment) • Duvet and pillow cover set • Fitted sheet • Body scrubber (3 pack) • Sealing clips (set of 30) • Cutlery set (24 piece set) • Mattress topper • Bowl (x2) • Deep plate • Plate • Small storage box • Baking tray • Set of 17 food containers • Flexible chopping boards (set of 2) • Mugs (x2) • Glasses (x2) • Saucepans (set of 3) • Extension cords (set of two, four plugs each) • Dustpan and brush • Cheese grater • Scissors (set of 3) • Potato masher • Can opener • Frying pans (set of 2) • Wok • Vegetable peeler (x2) (don't forget to put items back if you switch) • Corkscrew/bottle opener • Kitchen knives (set of three) • Wooden spoon • Kitchen utensil rack • Tea towels (set of 4) • Oven glove • Dish scrubbing brush • Clothes hangers (three
x sets of four) • Five piece kitchen utensil set • Washcloths (two different kinds by accident) • Bath towel • Cushion If you didn’t make the same mistakes we did you could feasibly get all of this for £135 – or under £100, if you plan to take a number of items from home. Similarly, a sub one hour time would certainly be possible if you miss the showroom section altogether. Please also bear in mind that items may well be cheaper elsewhere. Photo: Yinyin Wong Things missing that we should have got: • Clothes horse – we didn’t pre-plan for this item and struggled with the in store computer to find one. • Storage boxes – partly left out due to a lack of trolley space, these are something well worth picking up. Things to get elsewhere: • Stationery • Any electronic items such as a kettle, toaster or otherwise • Folders, files, diaries etc • First aid kit • Bathroom items such as nail clippers and a wash bag • Computer or technology accessories Other retailers to consider: • Argos • Superstores with homeware departments such as Tesco or Sainsburys • John Lewis/ Debenhams • WHSmith • Staples • Charity stores, especially for kitchen stuff Tips from the expert Emelie Sandberg
, a local marketing specialist at the Wembley store, provided the low down on getting the most out of Ikea as a student. Photo: Yinyin Wong “I think the main way of getting in and out as quickly as you can is to come prepared. There’s a few things that can really ease up your shopping experience. Make sure you know your budget, and make sure you know what your needs are. Ask yourself, 'do I need three frying pans or will one do?' “ Emelie’s top tips: • Check out the bargain corner for reduced price items • Bring a friend and come midweek to avoid crowds • Use the Ikea catalogue and in store apps to plan ahead so you know exactly where everything is • Know your budget and what you really need • Colour coordinate with people you live with to keep things easily identifiable • Have something to eat beforehand • Know what space and measurements you have to work with (don’t forget ceiling height) • Check stock in advance, and order larger items for home delivery Emelie’s top 5 items for students: 1. Pruter food containers (set of 17) £3.50 – cheap and helps avoid food waste.
2. Malin Rund quilt and pillow case set (£15.00) or a nice mattress topper – bedding is the place to spend if you have some extra money. 3. Stugvik wall suction hooks (four pack) £5.50 Useful, versatile and won't damage the wall. 4. Hajdeby vacuum bags (two pack) £2.00 – Store items safe from the damp, and double your storage capacity. 5. Scented candles £0.50 to £10 – Cheap and can make a uni room much more homely. The student perspective Minna Gabbertas, a second year French and Italian student at UCL, has a few tips based on her own experience. "I would say a good 50 per cent of the things I've bought have been major mistakes. It's so easy to walk past the bins of useless things that absolutely no one needs but still buy something because it's only 70p. Photo: Yinyin Wong "Take your more practical parent – you need someone to remind you to buy the stuff you actually need rather than someone (my Dad) who shares in your excitement and encourages you to buy random items that will get thrown in the bin as soon as you get home. "