Tested: This is the best child car seat with Isofix | Family

Children up to 135 cm tall (approximately 9 years old) are required to use a car seat in the car within the Netherlands. A child naturally grows considerably in nine years. There are also different sizes of car seats for the different phases of your child. You have baby seats, toddler seats and children’s seats, among other things.

The Consumers’ Association tests different types of car seats for safety and ease of use, among other things. The Consumers’ Association test is more extensive than the legal admission test. In total, more than 195 car seats have been tested that are reasonably to well available.

The child seats category is suitable for children from about 3 to 12 years old. That is an average length between 100 and 135 cm or a weight of 15 to 36 kg. With these seats, the viewing direction is always with the direction of travel. Children are too big to sit in the car looking backwards. Only seats that meet the stricter R129 standard (i-Size) are eligible for Best in Test or Best Buy.

Among the 24 tested child seats with Isofix attachment, a Cybex seat comes out as Best in the Test. A Maxi-Cosi seat is the Best Buy.

This Cybex chair scores above average on many points. Safety is good. The seat offers good protection for your child and is stable in the car. You can easily adjust the seat to the height of your child.

You simply lift your child in and out of the seat and the buckle is very simple. The included instructions are clear. The chances of you doing something wrong here are very slim. The seat itself is easy to secure in the car and is comfortable for your child. The legs are well supported and your child has enough space.

The seat cover can be removed and can be washed in the washing machine. But it is a difficult job to take the cover off or put it back on. Another disadvantage is that the seat takes up quite a bit of space in the back seat.

This Maxi-Cosi seat is a lot cheaper than the Cybex. You do sacrifice something, but the difference in performance is not too bad. The Maxi-Cosi scores slightly lower on safety than the Cybex, but certainly not unsatisfactory. The seat is stable in the car and offers sufficient protection for your child in the event of a collision.

Just like the Cybex, this chair is easy to use. You can easily lift your child in or out of the seat and the buckle is also easy. The manual is clear and the chance of an error is small.

The comfort for your child is good. Your child has sufficient support and sits comfortably. The seat is not very large and takes up relatively little space in the back seat. The seat cover can be washed in the washing machine, but just like with the Cybex, it is difficult to remove or put the cover back on.

In this column we write weekly about household and technological appliances that have been tested by the Consumers’ Association. This is a collaboration between the independent editors of this site and the Consumers’ Association.

The Consumers’ Association tests thousands of products every year, together with qualified technicians in specialized laboratories at home and abroad. The products being tested are store bought so they are not pre-manipulated by manufacturers.

New models are tested as soon as possible after introduction. How fast that is varies per product. The Best in Test is the product with the best test rating, which is readily available. This can also be a somewhat older model, because a newer model is not always better. The Best Buy is the product with the best value for money.

The stated price of a product is the lowest retail price at the moment, as far as the Consumers’ Association is aware. But prices can vary per day. If no recent retail price is known, the target price is quoted.