Advantages: Fits Bugaboo Frog Pushchair, Mid-Range Price, Easy to install.
Disadvantages: Strap for tightening harness can be tricky when fitted in car.

...The Maxi Cosi Cabrio is a Group0 (0-13kg) rear facing baby seat which is easy to install and not too heavy. The handle bar has three positions - upright for carrying and travelling in the car, midway so the seat can rock when not in the car and fully down behind so the seat does not rock when on the floor. The imminent arrival of twins and a day trip to John Lewis faced us with a bewildering choice of baby seats, which I had basically decided on pre purchase research was going to be a Britax seat of sorts. All the pre purchase research was binned when my wife decided on the day that we were going to buy a (did I say "a"?, sorry should have been "some") Bugaboo Frog pushchair system (see review elsewhere), and this system's car seat solution was(exclusively) a Maxi Cosi car seat and adaptor. So the only decision was then "What colour... Read review

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Advantages: Ease of fitting,ratchet tensioner,5 point harness,harness clips and padding,3 recline positions,Cost.
Disadvantages: Difficult to clean,quite bulky to move.

...WHY? Our son grew out of his 'infant' rear facing seat very quickly,before the recommended age,so support and comfort was key. As with all car seats,you should have them professionally fitted the first time to make sure they fit your car,because the manufacturers compatability car model list is not always accurate.Our car is on the list as 'compatible' with a number of car seats,but as our model of car has slightly bucket seats,it meant that the information was inaccurate. However,we found the Maxi Cosi Priori XP,which attracted us initially to the comfy and supportive shape and the sturdy frame. THE SPEC? It has 3 recline positions,the first is almost lying down,which was perfect for our 'young' boy. It has a five point safety harness,which is well padded over... Read review

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Advantages: Reclines, Easy to fit
Disadvantages: Quite chunky

...This car seat is fantastic for a few basic and simple reasons... read on... It is really easy to fit, simply feed the seat belt through, clip it in and pull to tighten then clip to rear of seat, can be done in seconds. It reclines so easily, it has a leaver down low between the infants feet, lift the leaver and the chair glids into I believe, 4 different positions making your little one as comfy as can be. It has nice deep sides which leads me to believe it would protect my daughter well in the case of an accident. It has padded traps for more comfort. It has a five point harness which is easy to use, we also own a britax car seat which is really awkward to do up and everything seems back to front on it, the maxi cosi though is great, really simple, quick and easy to use. On the down side, it is quite chunky so if you... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to fit, easy to clean, compatible with some Quinny systems
Disadvantages: Baby sweats more easily

...We bought the Maxi-Cosi carseat to use with our Quinny Zapp travel system - lucky for us as otherwise we probably wouldn't have looked at it! Initially this carseat seemed more expensive than some others, but as soon as we investigated in the shops I could certainly see why. It seems to be a higher quality than other, cheaper carseats on the market, with an interesting design that I've never seen elsewhere. There is no assembly or fiddling required - all you need to do when you get this home is have a browse through the instructions, then off you go! Fixing the carseat into your vehicle using a seatbelt is very easy - I tend to be very easily confused (embarrassing but true) but even I find this very straightforward and obvious. The seat comes complete with a cushion insert so that younger babies can lie in a more horizontal... Read review

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Advantages: Safety, comfort, ease of use
Disadvantages: Quite expensive

...Wow how easy and versatile is this car seat. I bought this seat for my daughter when she was aged 11 months. It has been one of the best buys for my baby to date. The maxi cosi car seat is a forward facing group/stage 1 car seat, but can hold a child up to the age of approx 4 years. You arre recommended not to put your baby in a forward facing car seat until they are over 20Lbs in weight. We waited for this but were desperate to get our little one out of her rear facing car seat and into this one, she was getting too alert and was finding the rear facing seat boring by now. Anyway off we went shopping and what a shock it was, so much choice and not knowing which way to jump. Top of our list was safety, comfort and easy of use. Probably the same as most parents. The seat itself is easy to install and the instructions it comes... Read review

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Advantages: Stylish, Easy to Install, Easy to get baby in and out.
Disadvantages: Straps can be hard to loosen/tighten.

...We chose this seat as we had the maxi cosi cabriofix when our son was newborn and got on really well with it. Installed in about 10 minutes - I wouldn't want to move it from car to car a lot but I think that relates to all forward facing seats not just this one. Baby loves facing forward as there is so much more to see and its really easy getting him in and out. The mechanism to loosen and tighten the straps can be a bit tricky to use, but I think this was the same with our other seat and loosened after time. We tried baby in a more padded seat at a shop and he looked rather restricted and uncomfortable. This seat feels safe (reassuring manufacturer name) but also seems to give baby a bit of freedom. The recline is really smooth and although he's only been out in in three times he has fallen asleep twice ! The other good thing... Read review

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Advantages: solid well padded car seat
Disadvantages: poor support in middle seat

...My son was a petite ten month old weighing only 18lb when he learned to get out of his first stage seat and was found to be pulling himself up by the main seat belt. I stopped and put him back in his seat, adding reins to keep him in then proceeded directly to a local independent shop with a very good reputation for knowing what fits which car. After some considerable argument about the fact that he was safer in a seat thats slightly too large and he can't get out of than one he finds it funny to get out of, I was advised that for safety from side impact all 2nd stage car seats should be put in the middle of the back seat as first preference [ie. for the first child] and chose the maxi cosi as a seat able to go on a lap belt but that would not obscure the rear view of my Nissan Micra. I was prepared also to pay the extra... Read review

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Advantages: Safe and comfortable for baby. Easy to fit, use and carry for parents.
Disadvantages: Only suitable for up to 13 kg (1 year approximately)

...As a proud and excited first-time grandmother, I promised my daughter a pram and car seat as my initial contribution to the phenomenal expense that the new baby would bring. As any one who is familiar with my daughter (l0bsterquadrille) could guess, she did not choose a popular brand of buggy but opted instead for the somewhat unusual Stokke Xplory. One of our first considerations then was a car seat that would fit effortlessly onto the Xplory making the transition between car and buggy as smooth and easy as possible. One of the options was the Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix. Adapters fitted to the side of the buggy enable the seat to be fitted. The safety and comfort specifications of the seat were enough to sway us. The seat itself has a RRP of £105 however is available at a range of prices at different venues. We paid £84.99 at a local... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Lightweight; Excellent Safety Features; Easy to Install; Looks Smart
Disadvantages: None

...I bought this seat online, having read the earlier reviews on Ciao and then looked at in the baby shops. It can only be used with a 3 point seatbealt so is not suitable for use with a lap-belt. It comes in 3 colours, Henri (Blue), Levi (Black) and Aubergine. First Impressions: Smart and well made with plenty of padding and certainly looks like it offers great security. Ease of Installation: Maxi Cosi provide you with a CD to play on your computer which shows you step by step instructions on how to fit the seat. I watched this and this helped me then decipher the slightly confusing picture based paper instructions. The first time I put the car seat in, I found it quite difficult. There are some great features like a spring based clamp for the seat belt but trying to pull the belt tightly, ensuring it is aligned correctly... Read review

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Advantages: Secure fit
Disadvantages: Could not think of any

...could tell he wasn't over-enamoured. after telling me that the maxi-cosi priori was one of the seats that fits most cars, he tried it and was, i can only say overjoyed! at the fit. suffice to say, i spent the money - so what if it wasn't the cheapest seat? it was cheaper than buying another car that would accept different seats!! i had it fitted in the centre, with the lap belt. very tight, rock solid, no movement. (i also felt the middle was the best, safer from side impact) whilst the best position in my car (honda concerto) was the middle, with the lap belt, it was still secure with the lap and diagonal, and very easy to move to other cars using the three point. i felt my son was very safe in the seat, and was very sad when i had to change it to a bigger one. things i thought made this an outstanding seat? the fit... Read review

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