Graco Junior Maxi City

When we were looking for a car seat for our son, he was 4 at the time, and we wanted something that would support his head as he had a tendency to fall asleep on long journeys and his head would loll. This came recommended as the best of a decent bunch of car seats, and although I can't remember exactly how much it cost, I remember it was very reasonable at the time.

The car seat basically comes in two units. The first is the seat, which acts as a booster seat, with two low arm rests on it. This seat unit has two retractable holders, one on either side, which are a good size for holding pretty much any drink you would give your 4 year old in the car, be it Fruit Shoots or your own bottle from home, or anything else to be honest. They're just as good as little storage units for pieces of Lego and the like, or other toys, ready for the journey.

The seat itself is well padded, soft enough to provide comfort for long journeys. He's now 6, and we've probably had it for about 2 and a half years. The seat still has its cushioned padding that it had to start with. It works very well with safety, as it has the facility to hook the seatbelt through the gap between the armrests and the actual seat, securing the bottom strap through here and in front of the child in the seat.

The top half of the car seat is more for when they're younger, and we're at the stage now where we're considering removing this part and getting him used to just the bottom part. It attaches onto the bottom part, and locks forward in two angles, to fit various seat angles in cars. At this point, it's worth mentioning that attaching and detaching the two parts can be a right pain, with three curved lugs needing to slot into the opposing slots. Once attached, it's very secure as you fold it, but it can take a bit of getting used to. This second back bit has two stages as it goes up, with both sides having outward curving supports for if they loll from side to side. Younger kids don't quite have the established strength in their necks and backs to support themselves, and this helps very much.

The very top part is adjustable, and you can extend it if the child's head protrudes above the top, to ensure constant support. As with the seat, the back and side pads are well padded, and the quality has remained for the time we have had it. You can use it on either side of the car, as there is a slot on either side of the top part of the seat for hooking the seatbelt into. This, combined with the bottom half of the carseat, makes for extra protection, and means that the seatbelt isn't cutting into the child's neck, only allowing it to cross the body once it has reached the slot on the upper part of the carseat.

It looks really comfortable to sit in, and my son is very happy sitting in there. As I said earlier, we're thinking of taking the top part off to get him used to having a more regular seat, with essentially just the booster seat underneath him and nothing at his back. This would reduce the aid when he falls asleep, but at 6, he's a bit more able to support himself in the car, and it would be a matter of getting used to not having the back there. As a note to add here, ciao requires selection of age group from a drop menu, for which I have selected 3 to 5 years, as this is the lower age group of those it's suitable for. In truth, it's just as suitable for the 6-8 and 9 or over ranges as well, but the selection box restricts you to just one option. This booster seat will last us now until he doesn't even need it in there any more.

The covers for the carseat are removeable, washable, and ultimately, replaceable. I know you can get various themed ones, with Toy Story seeming to be the latest favourite one. We just have a rather plain pattern on the one we have, but then he's sitting on it nearly all the time and any kind of themed seat would be a bit of a waste of time.

Overall, I do highly recommend this carseat. It's currently available for anywhere between the £30 and £40 mark, it seems, which appears to be a good price. Padded seats, with good protection and of a sturdy build and quality. Recommended.