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Maxi-Cosi Rodifix Air Review by Best Buggy

We bought our Maxi-Cosi Rodifix, which is a Group 2/3 car seat, originally for Master BB. There was one big selling point, and that was that there was a recline. It is very difficult to find a Group 2/3 high backed booster which has a recline, and Master BB always fell asleep in the car; so this seat stood out for us. However, we discovered later that Master BB still needed a 5 point harness beyond 18kg, so Little Miss BB ended up using the Rodifix instead.

Little Miss BB moved from a Britax Evolva 1-2-3, which is a very chunky feeling seat. The Rodifix feels much sleeker, slimmer but also feels less protective and open. However, we must stress that this is our impression, because actually the Rodifix does very well in independent crash tests by ADAC, Which? etc. and because of this safety certification, we have continued to use this seat for around 4 years.

The base is very narrow, and therefore it is a seat which we often recommend people to try if they are trying to get three car seats across the back of their car. However, the seat does widen considerably at the top. There are two protective ‘wings’ which rise up from the arms, to the shoulders. These flatten out as the child grows, but also as the child moves, which to us gave Little Miss BB far too much movement. You can see how car she can move forwards in the 3rd image above. We had to constantly tell Little Miss BB to stop leaning sideways and to sit up straight. To be honest, it drove me bonkers, and eventually led to the seat being removed from the car.

We loved the shoulder clip which always held the car seat belt firmly in position. We never had an issue with the belt tangling at all which was great especially as Little Miss BB liked to do her own seat belt up. The red guides show clearly where the seat belt needs to go, and there are no arms to confuse the routing at the base. Due to the narrow width, Little Miss BB could do her seat belt up herself from a very young age, but could also undo it (which is a negative for Master BB who has no concept of safety!).

The seat doesn’t feel like it has a lot of padding, but Little Miss BB has never complained, although she has stated that she prefers other car seats better because they are more comfy. The recline was a godsend on long journeys home from visiting relatives. The recline is done using buttons on each side of the seat, at the front. You need two hands to do them, and it is easiest done when the child is not in the seat.

The Rodifix attaches easily using the ISOFIX fixings in the car. The ISOFIX arms can be easily retracted, using the slider buttons on each side, so that the seat can be used without the ISOFIX fixings. However, we prefer ISOFIX fittings on a Group 2/3 seat, because this is the age that you are most likely to drop the child off, and then drive home with an empty seat (eg school or a party). Having the seat secured, when empty, protects the other passengers in the even of hard braking or an accident. A loose car seat in the event of an impact is like being hit from behind by 7 washing machines!

We loved how light and manageable the Rodifix has been to lift and carry. It doesn’t have the bulk of many car seats. This is really refreshing to find. It is easy to store too.

The height adjusts easily using a button on the top of the seat. This extends the headrest upwards. Although the seat height appears to be good, our new car seat has a substantially higher height range, so this is worth checking out before buying. Little Miss BB is around 120cm in these photos. As mentioned earlier, the child simply widens the side ‘wings’ as they grow, which to us doesn’t seem very protective for an older child, especially as the shoulders are left exposed as the child grows. The empty seat photo shows this clearly.

We don’t believe we have ever washed the covers on this seat (sorry if that sounds bad) but the seat and covers still look as new today as they did 4 years ago. There is no bobbling or wear. This is good testament to the quality of the fabrics, because we can not say this about any of our other seats (so far).

Suitable for a child age 3 and a half to approx 12; 15-36kg, the Rodifix is a great choice. We would recommend it especially if you need to move seats between cars or space is at a premium.

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