Buying a Car Seat – The Blonde Collective

Buying a baby’s car seat can be so stressful, it’s a mine field out there with so many different brands, types and sizes to choose from, that it can be so intimidating knowing where to start.

I have always favoured Maxi Cosi for their excellent products and ease of use. With my first baby I had the Cabriofix as I wanted to be able to use it as a travel system with my Quinny Buzz and absolutely loved how easy it was to use and the features it came with that I got another one with my second baby as I couldn’t be totting around my baby boy in a pink car seat! This time round I also had isofix in my car and had got the Easyfix base which is an absolute gamechanger, it makes putting the car seat in and out of the car a doddle not to mention the safety aspect of it. I had watched a video where they had tested car seats fitted with seat belts in a controlled crash scenario and on impact the car seat had flung up to the ceiling of the car and crashed down again so having isofix installed was a necessity for me.

When it came to getting the next stage of car seat which is Group 1 for Ella, I purchased the Maxi Cosi Priori XP which was a fantastic car seat at the time. However, seven years on and with the laws changing and every new vehicle being fitted with isofix I wanted to get something that would be even more safer and also would abide by the new laws.

Having looked at every car seat in the Maxi Cosi range, I had narrowed it down to either the Maxi Cosi 2 WayPearl or the Axissfix. The 2 way pearl requires the Family Fix base to fit it in the car to be used with the isofix anchor points, however, the Axissfix comes with the isofix points already attached to it. Retailing at £375 in most retailers you may think the Axissfix is pricey but when you consider the 2 WayPearl retails for around £210 and the Family Fix base is an additional £150 there isn’t much different in price. Another thing to consider is that from September this year the law is changing and isize legislation requires that every car that has isofix installed must be used in conjunction with an isofix child seat. Eventually the law will also require that all children will have to be rearward facing until they are 2 years old. If I ever have another baby I would then have a car seat that can be rearward facing and also forward facing that will save me money in the long run. This is definitely something you want to consider when making your purchase for a Group 1 and upwards car seat if you are planning on extending your family and peace of mind that you do not have to go through further expense as legislation changes as you will have a car seat which meets any requirements.

So with that in mind I decided to go with the Axissfix in Black Lines but there are so many other colours readily available along with separate covers should you decide you want a different colour or to protect the car seat from any spills or wear and tear.

The Maxi Cosi Axissfix is a toddler car seat which is for 4 months to 4 years. It grows with your child and is rearward and forward facing travel. It has an amazing 360 degree swivelling feature. This makes getting your child in and out of the car super easy. No straining and bending to try and unbuckle your child. It has a very simple lever to swivel and means you can use it on either side of the car seat. This has been fantastic when I have been feeding Cameron a snack or lunch on the go, I have been able to sit in the back seat and have him turned round to face me and I have been able to feed him with ease.

You may be thinking that it will be a nightmare to install as usually all baby products require parents to be NASA trained to understand their instructions, but fitting is so simple. There is a brilliant indicator that tells you when the seat is locked in place and safe to use. Maxi Cosi have really thought everything through with this car seat to give you peace of mind. I purchased my seat from Mothercare who offer a free installation service and most retailers are required to install the seats for you, so it’s worth asking in case you are still wary of fitting it yourself.

The seat itself has a reclining position so perfect for long journeys or if your baby is sleeping you can tilt it. The seat is very well padded and all the buckles, restraints and clips are very easy to adjust and clip together. They even have a belt hook on either side of the seat to place the harness straps onto when taking your child in and out so it doesn’t get in the way.

We have been using the Axissfix for a few weeks now and there isn’t one fault that I could find with it. I know that Cameron is in a super safe seat that is comfortable, adaptable and so easy to use and I would definitely recommend it to any parent.