Maxi-Cosi Priori Convertible Car Seat: A La-Z-Boy for your car and toddler
Maxi-Cosi, already a huge brand in Europe, is taking over our shores — thanks to the Dorel Juvenile Group (who also imported the fab Quinny strollers, click here to read my recent review of the Buzz). Their Mico Infant Car Seat is becoming very popular (if I didn’t already own an infant car seat from my toddler, I would have bought one!) I was so excited to review their new Priori Convertible Car Seat ($199). Designed to support your child from birth to 4 years (up to 40 lbs) this convertible car seat has a RECLINE feature (actually 4 settings for the seat).
Click continue reading below for the entire Maxi-Cosi Priori Convertible Car Seat review.
Features of the Priori:
- 4 independent recline positions are adjustable while your child’s in the car seat
- Energy absorbing EPP foam
- Harness holders keep harness straps out of the way
- Easy to install with 3-point seat belt or LATCH
- Rear-facing 5-35 lbs, 19”–36” · Forward-facing 22-40 lbs, 34-43”
This car seat was tough for me to install, so my brother-in-law came over to help. He was able to figure it out quickly and he adjusted the harness in a matter of minutes. My toddler was comfortable in it and had plenty of room.
Pros
Besides the cool reclining aspect (I do not know of any other car seats that have that feature), the harness holders were great for when you need to keep the straps out of the way (for instance, when you are trying to extricate your struggling little darling out of the car seat and into the house). But my favorite thing about this car seat is that it rear-faces until 35 pounds!!! Some people have larger size toddlers and this way, they don’t have to worry about turning them forward facing too young.
Cons
Only goes up to 40 lbs (but for people with light toddlers like me, I don’t really consider it much of a con – but if you have a heavier toddler, you might!).
We also own a Britax Roundabout ($200), which I love, and it has the same forward facing weight max of 40 lbs, at pretty much the same price point. But one thing it doesn’t have is the recline feature!! And yes, we will have to buy a higher weight limit convertible car seat or booster seat, when my son outgrows it — but we knew that anyway.
We kept my toddler rear facing until he was about 16 months (he was about 19 pounds then). I am sure my 6 week old infant daughter, who will most likely outweigh him, will probably be kept rear-facing longer. With the Priori’s higher weight limits for rear-facing use, even if she’s 20 or 25 pounds at 18 months or so, we can keep her rear-facing longer. I can’t wait for her to start using it – we rarely take the infant car seat out of the car anyway. Hopefully she will get some use out of that wonderful recline feature!
Click here to shop for the Maxi-Cosi Priori or go to Maxi-Cosi.com to find a dealer.
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