... I have my reservations about the Maxi-Cosi Tobi, which is the Car Seat I currently have for my 26 month old boy.
We had to buy a second Car Seat as my husband drops our son at nursery and I collect him, and due to lack of space the nursery cannot accommodate the seat in my husband's car ... Read review
Innovative easy-out harness, the harness belts and belt buckle won't get in the way Easy ... more
adjustment of the headrest and harness belts at front of product with one hand(7 positions) Side Protection System offers optimal protection against side impact Co...
Postage & Packaging: Check Site. Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Innovative easy-out harness, the harness belts and belt buckle won't get in the way Easy ... more
adjustment of the headrest and harness belts at front of product with one hand(7 positions) Side Protection System offers optimal protection against side impact Co...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Innovative easy-out harness, the harness belts and belt buckle won't get in the way Easy ... more
adjustment of the headrest and harness belts at front of product with one hand(7 positions) Side Protection System offers optimal protection against side impact Co...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 4 to 6 weeks...
Innovative easy-out harness, the harness belts and belt buckle won't get in the way Easy ... more
adjustment of the headrest and harness belts at front of product with one hand(7 positions) Side Protection System offers optimal protection against side impact Co...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Innovative easy-out harness, the harness belts and belt buckle won't get in the way Easy ... more
adjustment of the headrest and harness belts at front of product with one hand(7 positions) Side Protection System offers optimal protection against side impact Co...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
This Maxi Cosi Tobi Car Seat has an innovative harness system meaning you can strap your ... more
child in the seat in double-quick time. It includes a colour indicator which shows that your child is secured properly. This chair can recline in 5 positions and comes with an adjustable head rest. The Maxi Cosi Tobi car seat has a user weight of 9 - 18 kg.
Postage & Packaging:from £4.85 Availability:refer to website
Advantages: It looks good. It has essentially got good features Disadvantages: It just doesn't live up to promises
Firstly, I have to say it really puzzles me why there are so many great reviews out there on the net for this Car Seat. Usually when I review a baby product it is because I am raving about how great it is. But this is different. I have my reservations about the Maxi-Cosi Tobi, which is the Car Seat I currently have for my 26 month old boy.
We had to buy a second Car Seat as my husband drops our son at nursery and I collect him, and ... ...seat in my husband's car if he were to take it out and leave it there for me to collect when I lift our son. And if I am honest I would rather have two car seats for convenience as much as anything else. So when I returned to work and our son was ready for a Group 1 seat I trusted the reviews about the Tobi (Its lightweight selling point and ease of routing were what sold it to me)
I can fit Car Seats. I have been trained through work, ... more
Firstly, I have to say it really puzzles me why there are so many great reviews out there on the net for this Car Seat. Usually when I review a baby product it is because I am raving about how great it is. But this is different. I have my reservations about the Maxi-Cosi Tobi, which is the Car Seat I currently have for my 26 month old boy.
We had to buy a second Car Seat as my husband drops our son at nursery and I collect him, and due to lack of space the nursery cannot accommodate the seat in my husband's car if he were to take it out and leave it there for me to collect when I lift our son. And if I am honest I would rather have two car seats for convenience as much as anything else. So when I returned to work and our son was ready for a Group 1 seat I trusted the reviews about the Tobi (Its lightweight selling point and ease of routing were what sold it to me)
I can fit Car Seats. I have been trained through work, so happy with the general fit of the seat in my Land Rover I got the Tobi. We've always been delighted with the previous Maxi-Cosi seats we have had- the Cabriofix and the Priori XP, so I assumed I would be as happy with the Tobi. The fact is, I hate it and have been dithering over buying something else to suit us until he can go into a High Back Booster. I could literally write a "10 things I hate about you" review about this seat. If I had never had another seat before this I possibly would have thought it was ok. But I do have a bit of experience with Seats and this is one Id avoid like the plague if purchasing again.
I know Maxi-Cosi is popular with a lot of parents and many times it comes down to deciding between the Maxi-Cosi Priori XP or the Maxi-Cosi Tobi. I have both of them so perhaps this review may be useful. I cant rave enough about the Priori XP. The Tobi is, at best, OK.
The Maxi-Cosi Tobi Blurb +++++++++++++++++++
The Tobi is a Group 1 Car Seat so is deemed appropriate for children 9-18kgs. This is roughly from nine months until about 4 years.
The harness in the Tobi automatically springs open so you can put the child in trouble-free.
They have what they call the "Traffic Light" tension indicator which goes green when the harness is correctly tightened.
The straps adjust in height by moving the head rest.
Tensioners lock immediately in the event of an accident.
My Personal Experience +++++++++++++++++
If you read all the above features you will thing that the seat sounds super, and indeed it does very well in the Which? Reports but from my own point of view the above features are not wonderful for an inquizitive toddler. While the seat is easy to fit, it just never seems safe when you look around and find your toddler squeezing their arms out of the straps with no resistance at all. Yes, they may lock in place in event of an accident, but they don't lock when a child is pulling on them slowly to make themselves have some room.
If you are familiar with most Group 1 Car Seats you will be familiar with the fact that you need to push on a button quite hard to loosen the straps. With my Tobi I have found that enough wriggling can loosen the straps on its own. He cannot do this on the Priori. He can wriggle out of the Priori, but he cannot actually loosen the straps.
With regards to fitting the seat, you follow the red coloured routing which is quite simple. Then you snap a lock forward at the bottom for an extra little tautness. It does fit securely and a quick jiggle side to side makes it seem steady and strong. I cannot deny this, it is a good fit. But, the tensioner has ruined the rear seat belt in my car by leaving creases and folds that just wont come out. It isn't incorrectly fitted, it ust has obviously not agreed with the belts I have. It is a good job that my car is only a run-a-round. My husband wont even let the seat be fitted in his car as his car is his pride and joy.
It is a very high seat, perfect for children at the smaller end of its age range, but a nightmare for my toddler who is very tall for his age. Lifting him in and out to the seat often leads to a bang on the head, and he is a heavy lift now, which was also a nightmare while I was pregnant. The Priori is lower and he clamber in to it himself from floor level and only needs help to put his belts put on.
The "Traffic Light" system doesn't really work that well, Sometimes one strap is cutting off his blood supply when the other is slack. I have had to take the car seat out and adjust the straps from behind a couple of times, something that I don't really think I should have to do so regularly.
Recently it appeared that the straps were too low for my son and I took the car seat in to my house and I certainly didn't find the headrest adjust as simple as it sounded. A lot of jiggling and poking and I eventually got it up, it should be a lot more simple in my opinion.
Also, the recline on this seat is nowhere near as good as it's relation the Priori. I think this may be to do with the height of the seat, but our son certainly has a much better recline on the Priori XP. He doesn't look uncomfortable in the Tobi, but if he falls asleep in it while it is in its straight position then his head tends to hang forward until we stop and push his head back and recline the seat. In the Priori his head doesn't go forward due to the angle that the straight setting is at. We've never had him fall forward in that seat.
My Concluding Words ++++++++++++++++
I do not like to be overly harsh on anything I review but the Tobi really gets on my goat. I have tried to swap it with my husbands Priori but he dislikes the Tobi as much as I do. There are no mechanical faults with my Car Seat, I just am very particular about Car Safety, and I do not always trust the Which? Reports as they can be misleading... Recently they had entirely inaccurate information about a particular pushchair which really made me wonder if it was really put to the test. I would be interested to see exactly how much better it coped in a smash over the Priori XP because in my mind it really could not have been by any overpowering amount.
I really do feel as if the Tobi is not worth the extra money that you have to pay over the price of a Priori XP.
There has been clever marketing of the Tobi and people trust the name, but for me this was not a good buy. I wish Id bought another version of the seat I knew and trusted.
Pros: Easy to Fit Looks very appealing Comfortable for the child while sitting straight
Cons: Most of my review!
Am I hard to please? Yes I certainly am when it comes to child safety.
Advantages: Good Quality, sturdy, comfortable, looks great, and very easy to use. Disadvantages: Harness can spring open quickly - can startle child if sleeping whilst being taken out.
Our baby son has always been on the tall side. He was born at 9.7lbs and grew out of his rear facing infant carrier seat pretty quickly. So when it came to buying a seat the next size up (all of which were forward facing), at first we were extremely reluctant. For fear that it wouldn't be safe, as he was only around eight months and could only just about manage to sit on his own for about twenty seconds. However, we had no choice but to buy something ... ...For anyone that has used a Mamas and Papas Primo Viaggio seat as their first seat (as we did for our son), you will know how easy it is to use. Naturally, we wanted something that would be just as easy, stylish, safe and easy to use. We trawled around plenty of shops and searched the internet and still couldn't find anything that we liked. This is until we came across the Tobi.
We don't have an ISOFIX ready car (ours is around three years old) and ...
commie 08.07.2006 (06.05.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Maxi Cosi Tobi
Advantages: Excellent in safety tests, comfortable for children, sturdy, easy to fit Disadvantages: Expensive and large.
...choice was between Britax and Maxi Cosi who are the bit two manufacturers when it comes to child carseats. From looks alone we really liked the Maxi Cosi Tobi as it looked well padded for a comfortable ride.
We tried a number of different seats in the back of the car and the Tobi seemed to be the easiest to fit and also the one that appeared the most secure once fitted. Unlike some of the other carseats, the seatbelt on the Tobi also goes around ... ...altered correctly.
From the Maxi Cosi website:
- Optimum safety; test winner!
- Fasten your child in the seat in no time with the innovative harness system, the harness belts and belt buckle no longer get in the way
- Colour indicator confirms that your child is secured properly at departure
- The height of the head rest and harness belts can be adjusted at the same time at the front, so that the Maxi-Cosi Tobi grows with your child
- Reclinable, ...
Wysiwyg78 03.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Maxi Cosi Tobi
I absolutely love this car seat. It is lovely and comfortable for your child, with a nice high seat position so that they can see everything. They are surrounded by padding and cusioning so you know they are not going to get a numb bum! The harness is so easy to use as you can just pull it to tighten it without having to press any buttons, and it stays out of the way when you are getting baby into the car. The straps do not get tangled or twisted ... ...my other car seat. Another great thing is the adjustable headrest which when lowered or raised also adjusts the height of the straps so when your child grows you don't have to take the whole car seat out to raise the straps up. I found it very easy to install and once it is in it doesn't move even a mm. I found this car seat excellent value for money and would definately recommend it as a safe and comfortable seat for your baby. ...
Advantages: made from very good material, easy installation, not heavy, comfortable Disadvantages: none
...tests is ADAC. In 2006 Maxi Cosi Tobi was one of the best car seats and still it is. It got 4/5 points in security, operation, comfort, cleaning and finishing.So I decided buy it andI do not regret.
This car seat looks really nice. It is not heavy. Installation is easy and fast. Can be installed by using a 3-point car belt system. It has got "intelligent" seat belt system. If you have "naughty" child this car set is for you. You can quick fasten ... ...anything about cleaning this car seat because my is still neat. But a producer said the cover is easy to remove and washable. I believe him. A car seat is made from very good material - "breathing material". Your baby does not sweat. Child has got a good view of the outside car. When you are driving car your child can watch everything behind the window. I am sure it is not bored. It is possible sitting position and lying. If your child is sleepy ...
agalas 08.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Maxi Cosi Tobi
Advantages: Looks good and comfy for your child Disadvantages: Harness gets jammed
I have had this car seat for six weeks now. One of the clips to hold the seat belt in on top of the car seat keeps popping up. The harness has jammed and i can't release it. Maybe i have been unlucky and have purchased a dud one, but worst of all as my daughter wriggles in the car seat the harness kept coming loose even when it was working. I thought I was buying a good quality car seat for the price a paid, but i think it is seriously unsafe. I ...
leon2468 08.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Maxi Cosi Tobi
Padded
Ease of cleaning
Safety
Ease of installation
Value for Money
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Advantages: Fab design, Universal Fitting Disadvantages: you need to try this in your car before buying!!!!
, and use one of the red clips (depends which side of the car you have put the car seat on) to clasp the upper part of the belt in place. Check that there is no buckle crunch- this is when the clasp of the 3 point seat-belt is resting against the frame of the carseat. It can be dangerous in an accident.
And that?s how simple it is to fit the Priori. (The Maxi-CosiTobi is even easier, but it didn?t fit my car well so that was another reason why the Priori was a good buy for us)
There is a great video here to advice users how to fit the seat:
http://www.maxi-cosi.com/maxicosi/instructions.aspx?id=12
+++ Adjusting the Straps +++
There is a tensioner in the middle of the seat unit, you simply push this in and tug gently on the straps. To tighten the straps you tug lightly on the excess strap until desired tautness is achieved. It is ...