I too was selected for the consumer trial of the Maxi Cosi Ferofix.
I previously had the Maxi Cosi Rodi Air Protect as I have been a big Maxi Cosi fan since I had their Cabriofix (Group 0) when my babies were tiny. I then upgraded to Group 1 seat Priorifix which was also excellent so naturally I looked at Maxi Cosi for my Group 2/3. Unfortunately at that time there was no Group 2/3 from Maxi Cosi with Isofix so I bought The Rodi but was disappointed.
The Ferofix solves all of the problems I had with the Rodi Air Protect.
Recline. The recline is good and easy to operate, albeit not when the child is in the seat, though not quite enough for a deep sleeping 3.5 year old - I understand this is still one of the largest reclines in this Group. I would recommend the use of a seat belt pillow (e.g. Mothercare or Sunshine Kids) which attaches to the seat belt and gives the child a head rest to one side. Dont bother with neck pillows, even childrens ones, as they tend to be too full at the back of the neck and they end up slumping forward anyway (why doesnt someone make a neck pillow that is flat at the back for children in car seats?).
Isofix. Despite expert advice that car seats with seat belt only are perfectly safe, I feel so much better now the seat is anchored to the Isofix points. I actually didnt even read the instructions and still found it very easy to install and move between cars as it doesnt weigh very much. Better still, with Isofix you dont have to strap the car seat in with the seat belt even if there is no child in it, as it is safely anchored and would not move in the event of an accident.
Fabric. On the Rodi I found the fabric to be very thin and was concerned for how well it would wear, but on the Ferofix the black fabric is much more substantial and can take a good rubbing with a damp cloth to get the inevitable marks off it. The Total Black seat has an odd bubble design on the side which I'm not bothered about (prefer plain) but other than that its very chic and simple.
Seat belt shoulder strap holder. One thing I hated once my daughter went into the Group 2/3 car seat was that she could easily move the shoulder strap down so wasnt restrained properly. On the Ferofix where the shoulder strap comes down from the car pillar and through the slot, there is a little one way clip which means (unless they figure it out) they cant move the shoulder strap from its safe position...brilliant. Once kids are older they would probably figure out the catch but by then they probably understand the whole safety thing and wouldnt try to take the strap off. I would certainly prefer to still have a 5 point harness built into the seat, especially for children at the bottom end of the Group 2/3 band as they are still so tiny to strap in with an adult seat belt, but there arent many of those on the market. The only potential problem with the shoulder strap holder is that (obviously) it is on both sides and sticks out from the back of the seat a little. I believe I have the head rest in the right position for my daughters height but it seems these hard plastic bits are right behind her shoulders. She hasnt complained yet; and believe me she would if she wasnt comfortable; so I assume its not a problem.
Head Rest. As with most seats in this Group the head rest moves up and down and is easy to operate. Its also aids with any naps the younger ones in this group take.
All in all a great seat, and given that it fits from 3.5 to 12 years, £175 seems like a great investment to me. I got this one for free as part of the trial but I will be buying a second one for the other car now and to use for my son (currently 19 months) later on.
I previously had the Maxi Cosi Rodi Air Protect as I have been a big Maxi Cosi fan since I had their Cabriofix (Group 0) when my babies were tiny. I then upgraded to Group 1 seat Priorifix which was also excellent so naturally I looked at Maxi Cosi for my Group 2/3. Unfortunately at that time there was no Group 2/3 from Maxi Cosi with Isofix so I bought The Rodi but was disappointed.
The Ferofix solves all of the problems I had with the Rodi Air Protect.
Recline. The recline is good and easy to operate, albeit not when the child is in the seat, though not quite enough for a deep sleeping 3.5 year old - I understand this is still one of the largest reclines in this Group. I would recommend the use of a seat belt pillow (e.g. Mothercare or Sunshine Kids) which attaches to the seat belt and gives the child a head rest to one side. Dont bother with neck pillows, even childrens ones, as they tend to be too full at the back of the neck and they end up slumping forward anyway (why doesnt someone make a neck pillow that is flat at the back for children in car seats?).
Isofix. Despite expert advice that car seats with seat belt only are perfectly safe, I feel so much better now the seat is anchored to the Isofix points. I actually didnt even read the instructions and still found it very easy to install and move between cars as it doesnt weigh very much. Better still, with Isofix you dont have to strap the car seat in with the seat belt even if there is no child in it, as it is safely anchored and would not move in the event of an accident.
Fabric. On the Rodi I found the fabric to be very thin and was concerned for how well it would wear, but on the Ferofix the black fabric is much more substantial and can take a good rubbing with a damp cloth to get the inevitable marks off it. The Total Black seat has an odd bubble design on the side which I'm not bothered about (prefer plain) but other than that its very chic and simple.
Seat belt shoulder strap holder. One thing I hated once my daughter went into the Group 2/3 car seat was that she could easily move the shoulder strap down so wasnt restrained properly. On the Ferofix where the shoulder strap comes down from the car pillar and through the slot, there is a little one way clip which means (unless they figure it out) they cant move the shoulder strap from its safe position...brilliant. Once kids are older they would probably figure out the catch but by then they probably understand the whole safety thing and wouldnt try to take the strap off. I would certainly prefer to still have a 5 point harness built into the seat, especially for children at the bottom end of the Group 2/3 band as they are still so tiny to strap in with an adult seat belt, but there arent many of those on the market. The only potential problem with the shoulder strap holder is that (obviously) it is on both sides and sticks out from the back of the seat a little. I believe I have the head rest in the right position for my daughters height but it seems these hard plastic bits are right behind her shoulders. She hasnt complained yet; and believe me she would if she wasnt comfortable; so I assume its not a problem.
Head Rest. As with most seats in this Group the head rest moves up and down and is easy to operate. Its also aids with any naps the younger ones in this group take.
All in all a great seat, and given that it fits from 3.5 to 12 years, £175 seems like a great investment to me. I got this one for free as part of the trial but I will be buying a second one for the other car now and to use for my son (currently 19 months) later on.
