REVIEW – Maxi Cosi RodiFix Air Protect Car Seat
AD- Maxi Cosi RodiFix Air Protect Car Seat gifted for review
Children grow up pretty quickly, and before you know it the baby carseats are being handed down to expectant friends, and they are progressing to ‘big girl’ car seats. Blink and you miss it.
With two family cars and two children, we now require four car seats between us. Erin is now 5, and now that her baby sister is getting bigger, we decided to pass down Erin’s old seat to Neve and treat Erin to a new stage 2/3 car seat; one which in theory would see her out until she no longer requires a car seat at all. Quite a sobering thought!
We have always been huge fans of Maxi-Cosi, a brand that we know and trust. We were given the opportunity to put the Maxi-Cosi RodiFix AirProtect to the test – here’s how we got on!
About the Product
In the words of Maxi-Cosi – Travelling is about the fun of taking your child to see places and create memories. The Maxi-Cosi RodiFix Air Protect® is about getting you there safely and back, without a worry.
The AirProtect® technology is specially designed to provide your child with the best side protection possible, so that if you were unlucky enough to be involved in a car accident, the risk of your child suffering head and neck injury is reduced by 20%. With a one-click ISOFIX installation system and unique belt guide, installing the RodiFix AirProtect and securing your child is super quick and easy. Additionally, the Maxi-Cosi RodiFix AirProtect has simultaneous height and width adjustment and 2 recline positions meaning your child will always be comfortable and safe as they grow.
Key Benefits include:
- Isofix Installation – isofix anchorage for safe and easy installation in the car.
- Extra protection of your child’s head using patented AirProtect technology
- Quick and Easy buckle up – using the cars seatbelt system to fasten your child.
- Seat reclines for additional comfort
- Adjustable in height, with an easy to adjust head rest to adapt to your growing child (suitable from 3.5 years up to age 12)
Our RodiFix review
We reviewed the Maxi Cosi RodiFix Air Protect in the Nomad Grey – with 11 different colours and deisgns to chose from (including a special edition Star Wars one) this is the hardest part of making our choice. We felt that the Nomad Grey was the most practical and matched our car’s interior, without being as simple as a plain black design.
My first impressions of the seat were very positive- the car seat looks very comfortable, appears sturdy and solid, and even on first sight it is clear that the seat would offer high quality side impact for Erin’s head and neck in the event of a collision.
Installation of Maxi Cosi RodiFix
The Maxi Cosi RodiFix Air Protect comes with isofix installation, making it incredibly easy to install. It simply clips into the isofix ports in your car, and then it is a simple as threading the seatbelt through a safety catch to hold the belt into place and securely away from your child’s neck. The whole process of installing took less than 10 minutes, and unlike some seats, I would be reasonably confident doing this unassisted. There is another version of this seat available for those who don’t have isofix ports in their car, although most modern cars now have them. There is also a car checker tool on the Maxi-Cosi website so that you can check whether your car is compatible with the seat, and on which seats of your car you are able to secure it.
The Maxi-Cosi RodiFix Air Protect is also very lightweight (weighing just 6.2kg), meaning that I was comfortable to carry it to and from my car myself. I am far from the strongest person in the world, but found this very comfortable, so believe the majority of people would find this very portable and straightforward.
Securing Erin
Erin looked happy and comfortable in the seat, and we were able to raise and lower the headrest using a small button – simply pressing and pulling up, with the head rest adjusting accordingly. This was very simple and straightforward to do, and it was great peace of mind to know that the height of the head support could always be adapted to meet her current height. Rather than some seats that are limited to particular age groups, this feature makes the Maxi-Cosi RidiFix AirProtect something which can easily grow with your child.
The Maxi-Cosi RodiFix Air Protect uses the cars built in seatbelts to secure your child. The seatbelt is securely clipped in to a hook behind the headrest to the right of her neck, so there is no snagging or agitating her skin, and to fasten her in her seat, I simply have to lean across and plug her seatbelt in to the central seat belt clips in the middle of the car. This is probably the most fiddly part, but I am a bit height challenged, if I was a little taller this would be no issue what so ever!
Recline Positions
The Maxi-Cosi RodiFix Air Protect has two recline settings, and although Erin no longer sleeps in the car (or very very rarely) it is reassuring to know that I can recline the seat to make her more comfortable, particularly on longer car journeys where she may be worn out from a busy day. It is easy to alternative between the two inclines, and Erin looked very comfortable when the back was tilted even trying to convince me that she had nodded off (she quite clearly hadn’t!!).
Size
Whilst the carseat may look big outside of the car, it was great that it didn’t take up too much space, unlike some other seats that come with large isofix bases. This is always a positive for drivers who have long legs and like to have their own seats a little further back.
Overall we are really pleased with the Maxi-Cosi RodiFix AirProtect – it is easy to fit, comfortable, portable, and fully adjustable, offering great peace of mind when we travel.
Pros:
- Very straight forward to fit using isofix ports.
- Lightweight and easy to transport if you need to swap vehicles.
- Offers good support around the neck and torso.
- Very easy to adjust as your child grows, with the head rest being easily raised (or lowered as necessary) using a small handle on the back.
Cons:
- No obvious negatives at this stage – with the exception of too many colours to choose from!!
The Maxi Cosi RodiFix AirProtect retails at £180 and is available at Mothercare (currently on offer for £150).
*Disclosure – We were sent a Maxi Cosi RodiFix AirProtect free of charge in return for our honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own*
