After some research my wife and I bought a Jane Slalom Pro Matrix travel system for our baby daughter (born November 2005).
This review concentrates on the Matrix seat, I'll do another one for the pushchair/chassis so that I can be more specific in each.
Why did we go for this seat?
- ... Read review
Advantages: Baby can lie flat, adjustable positions, versatile, good quality finish Disadvantages: Adjustment/fitting to car can be tricky, takes up the whole rear seat when flat
...wife and I bought a Jane Slalom Pro Matrix travel system for our baby daughter (born November 2005).
This review concentrates on the Matrix seat, I'll do another one for the pushchair/chassis so that I can be more specific in each.
Why did we go for this seat?
- We liked the chassis
- We wanted something that our little girl could sleep in on long journeys (London - Scotland), having read about the recommendations ... ...final point, we got the Jane raincover designed for the seat. I'd recommend this over generic ones as the price isn't much more and you will benefit from a flap to get at the unlocking button on the handle and a couple of rainproofed vents.
In summary;
This seat is a compromise, but a good one. It serves as a travel cot (though I don't think it's intended for sleeping in overnight), pram, group 0-1 car seat and a couple ... more
After some research my wife and I bought a Jane Slalom Pro Matrix travel system for our baby daughter (born November 2005). This review concentrates on the Matrix seat, I'll do another one for the pushchair/chassis so that I can be more specific in each.
Why did we go for this seat?
- We liked the chassis - We wanted something that our little girl could sleep in on long journeys (London - Scotland), having read about the recommendations about small babies in car seats - We liked the idea that it would later serve as a group 1 car seat - We thought it made for a nice, traditional type pram on the chassis - It does the above without having to buy a somewhat more expensive pushchair+car seat+carrycot system
Our model is the 2006 "ProFix", something to bear in mind as the specifications do seem to have changed a bit. The UK importer site (johnstonprams,co.uk) is quite out of date (and I can't find the fitting guide mentioned in another review), the manufacturers site (jane.es) is much better for information (look under the "car safety" link, then click the little"i" next to the seat).
What you get;
The seat comes with a removable pad which serves as a headhugger for smaller babies. There is also a pad under the harness catch at the crotch and padding on the shoulder straps. In addition to the normal 3-point harness there's a wide velcro chest strap for use in the lying down position. This model has a removable, padded "apron" which fits over the bottom as a cover/blanket and a hood which fits around the top edge and then onto the handle using velcro ties. The back of the hood can be rolled back and tied up, leaving a mesh insect net for extra ventilation (NB - it doesn't come with a net to cover the opening in front of the hood). The hood can be removed completely. All of the upholstery is colour co-ordinated and can be removed for washing. We got dark blue (thinking it would show dirt less) and this features retro-reflective piping and dots on the fabric, the other colours seem to have this piping at least.
The seat can be adjusted to 4 positions from flat (group 0 car seat) to 138 degrees (group 1 car seat). This is simple to do using a single handle on the back to unlock it and can be done "on the fly" whilst the seat is fixed in the chassis and the baby is inside it. The handle is likewise adjustable to 4 positions with an unlocking lever on the top. One of these positions is for impact protection when used as a group 1 car seat.
How have we got on with it?
For its purpose as a pram/long journey car seat the Matrix has been brilliant. In pram mode it looks really smart (very important when your child is wowing old ladies...) and you have the added benefit of being able to sit your baby up or lie them down as required. This is coming to the fore as she gets older and wants to look at things on the move or while we're stopped to eat. The handle is simple to adjust to get it (and the hood) out of the way when sitting up/wowing old ladies or to put toys hanging from it in the right position. The "ProFix" system makes it a doddle to remove from the frame. A single button on the top of the handle unlocks it, replacing it is a simple "drop in". There are no additional clips or adaptors required. Whilst the Matrix is on the Slalom chassis the pushchair can still be folded almost completely. The locking catch won't quite engage, but it still makes it more compact for "parking" in a corner. (I have made use of this to get it through tight spaces, with the baby strapped in & grinning!) As a car seat it can be fiddly. This is the main reason for deducting a star, I think that some of the nuisance points could be designed out fairly easily. Lying flat it will probably take up all of the rear seat unless you have a VERY wide car. This is because of how it fixes to two seatbelts rather than its actual length (in case you wondered). It fixes to the belts using clips which can be left on them. Getting your head around which way to point them on the belt can be confusing (it got me) - look at the last picture in the manual. They're quite simple to fit to the seatbelts and allow them to be used normally. In theory they're quick & simple to fit to the seat. In practice I've found the one at the foot of the seat to be a *&^%$£@ (tip - line the straight edge of the clip up with the lip of the seat to give yourself a fighting chance and remember to loosen off at least one of the belts before fitting) - designers fault entirely. I've spoken to one person who just leaves the clips on the seat and fits them to the seatbelt each time. Bear in mind it's quite large & heavy (especially with a baby fitted) if you are of smaller stature. On the plus side it looks like it should fit to just about any rear seat with belts at either side (I wait for someone to find a really extreme bucket arrangement that proves me wrong...). Our baby sleeps in the seat this way as happily as she does when it's a pram. We haven't used it as a group 1 seat yet but it's easy to convert. Also worth noting is that you don't need the clips for this - you just fit a seatbelt around it. This could be handy for getting lifts back from long walks. The harness adjusts in the usual way (push a lever by the catch and pull the straps). I found this difficult with it laid flat, but you're not supposed to use the harness for that position.
As a final point, we got the Jane raincover designed for the seat. I'd recommend this over generic ones as the price isn't much more and you will benefit from a flap to get at the unlocking button on the handle and a couple of rainproofed vents.
In summary;
This seat is a compromise, but a good one. It serves as a travel cot (though I don't think it's intended for sleeping in overnight), pram, group 0-1 car seat and a couple of stages in between. Fixing it into the car could definitely be improved and the harness adjustment could probably be tweaked a bit but the overall value in comparison to the competition seems good. We like ours a lot, as part of an overall package - if it was a standalone car seat I wouldn't rate it so highly for value.
Advantages: stylish, better for babies health Disadvantages: Takes up rear seat, takes some getting used to fitting
The Matrix by the Spanish manufacturer Jane, is a unique infant carrier that can be used both in the traditional upright position and also horizontally in the rear of the car. This car seat is much larger than most infant carriers and can be used for up to 18 months. ( 9 months in the horizontal position) This means that, unlike some infant carriers, you will not be in the position of having your baby outgrow their infant carrier before they are ... ...common problem. The seat addresses the growing concerns of health professionals over the use of infant carriers, paticularly as part of a travel system. Lying flat is the best way for young babies to be transported, it promotes correct neck and spinal development, and aids digestion, reducing "sickiness". A recent report from the US showed that infants who spent 1 hour in an upright infant carrier showed lower blood oxygen levels and decreased respiratory ...
Helenlamb 30.05.2002 (10.09.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Jane Matrix
Advantages: Lie flat position for Baby, very well padded, very secure fit in the car Disadvantages: takes a bit longer than some to install
...I decided to use the Jane Matrix cup for our latest arrival who was born at 29 weeks. Having read all the research about the lie flat position for babies in car seats and being well aware that we would be using the seat for periods well in excess of half an hour stretches we felt that this was the safest way to go. The test done at the special care unit confirmed this for us. Our little one averaged 100% oxygen saturation during the hour long test ... ...and you can't get better than that!!
The seat itself is really well padded and cozy with good harness strap pads and buckle pad to ensure our little one is comfortable. The covers are all washable on a hand or machine delicate wash and are fairly straightforward to put on and take off. The seat is a really good size, in fact when it's in the upright position it is much bigger than other infant carriers on the market which meant that we did not get ...
ne1044 15.05.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Jane Matrix
Advantages: Stylish Looking, Better design for babies, washable covers Disadvantages: Quite expensive, quite bulky and heavy, Doesn't fit on shopping trolleys
...us thay was a UK Jane Dealer. We Paid them a visit and gave the travel system a test drive and decided it was just what we where looking for! We ended up getting the Jane carrera with the Matrix to fit on it. All in all we have been very happy with the Matrix, Its very sturdy, looks incredibly stylish and our baby was always happy when in it, whether in the car or on the carrera. The major downside for us was that by 6 months our son was already ... ...in it any longer so we had to upgrade to a fixed next stage car seat. Other downsides are it is quite fiddly to attach in the car (easy to clip on to the travel system though), is quite heavy and by the time darling son was 4 months old I was struggling to lift it further than from the car onto the travel system. Also it doesn't fit on shopping trolleys like other first stage carseats do. A couple of other good points is that the cover comes off ...
Uptowngirl1981 09.03.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Jane Matrix
Advantages: Very Safte, Easy to manouver, stylish Disadvantages: quite heavy, cost
...buy we opted for the Jane Power Track 360 with the Matrix. I was a bit concerned that we were getting value for money at first, and that the Matrix would last well for our baby in the lying down position. However, once our baby arrived and we started using the system we were really happy with it.
The Matrix car seat can be used as lie flat or upright. So far we have only used as lie flat, following the recommendation of health professionals (for ... ...your monies worth.
The Jane is solid built, but light and easy to manouver, particularly if you have the 360 swivel wheel on front (great for nipping round the shops, or in the house). Adjustable handle which is good if you and other people pushing the pram are different heights. The suspension is soft too which makes any off road walks comfortable.
The covers can be washed (but they do take a while to dry out). We have used the matrix on the upright ...
mandybryson 20.01.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Jane Matrix
Advantages: feels safe, can go flat, solid build, part of travel system Disadvantages: awkward fitting, big
A solid built and innovative design that gives you flexibility and a feeling that your baby is in a safe place.
The seat can go flat, which I am told, is important in the early months, and can adjust through several positions to an upright position.
We use ours as part of a travel system and it is excellent. Our baby slept in the seat in the flat position on a four hour car jurney up the M6, and we felt she was as safe as she could be the whole ...
Grebe 04.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Jane Matrix
Padded
Ease of cleaning
Safety
Ease of installation
Value for Money
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Advantages: Light portable frame, Easy to steer, Good safe flat positoned car seat Disadvantages: Difficult to assemble, heavy oversized car seat.
I bought the Jane Carrera Pro Matrix system as a new mum and after much research. Although it does handle beautifully to steer and looks good it is a right pain to assemble/disemble. The flat car seat is brilliant for baby and once you get the hang on installing it is relatively easy but it is sooo heavy and big that its not portable as a carry cot. It is also very tempermental to lock into the pram frame and a completely nightmare to then unlock and lift back out of the frame due to its weight and size and the rubbish pram mechanism.
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Advantages: Easy ride, very manoeverable and stylish! Disadvantages: Heavy car seat + tricky to attach to chassis
Considering no pushchair is going to be all things to all people, this one is pretty fantastic!
On the positive side, first and foremost, it's a dream to push. Really lightweight and steers extremely well to get around towns and shops. The wheels ride any surface superbly - we've taken it off road and it held really well and it's similarly good just on bumpy pavements. My daughter finds the car seat lying down (used as a pram) a really comfy bed and sleeps very well in it when moving and at home.
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lizzielongstocking2 19.12.2003
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Advantages: Lay flat car seat, good manouvreability, large shopping basket Disadvantages: Heavy carry cot, fiddly car seat fittings
We purchased the Jane Slalom Matrix Pro for our son on the grounds that it fitted all criteria we were after, namely it had a lie flat car seat, it converted from pram to pushchair and it looked good. We have just moved him into the front facing pushchair (he is 5 months) as he was out growing the carry cot and was wanting to be more upright. Overall I have been happy with the Slalom, the main reasons being:
* the frame is relatively light and fits into the boot of my Clio
* it is very easy to manouevre and even the tightest of corners can be navigated one handed
* the ability to move sleeping baby from house to car to buggy etc has proved indespensible
* changing from pram to pushchair has been easy to do
My bug bears would be that the carry cot is heavy to lift especially when baby is getting bigger although it is easy to ...
