The car seat. An essential for most families but trying to find the right one is like navigating a car seat minefield. So many brands, stages and styles to choose from, although of course safety is always the top priority.
We were beyond excited to be given the opportunity to test out and review the Britax Römer KIDFIX III S for Willow, which was impeccable timing as she had outgrown her old one. When looking at car seats I'm always drawn to the more well known brands such as Britax and it is a brand that I have used before with Cub so already I felt confident in the seats capabilities.
It's a stage 2/3 high backed booster seat, suitable for children between 15kg - 36kg, that's around 3.5yrs right up to around 12yrs. Sounds like a massive difference, right? Well the KIDFIX III S features a large seating area with a v-shaped backrest, allowing it to grow with the child. The seat is also beautifully padded and automatically adjusts to match the angle of the vehicle seat, so combined with the ergonomic shape it provides the ultimate comfort, and I think you'll agree that Willow looks very comfortable in it!
It's 54cm wide, 43cm deep and ranges between 67 - 85cm tall. As you can see from the measurements and the pictures, it allows all of that comfortable space for the child without being big and bulky.. Cub can still fit in the middle seat of our Vauxhall zafira without being squished, although he is still prone to pokes and prods from Willow. It's also pretty lightweight so swapping it between cars is easy, a big plus for us as we're always going between our own car, my mams and even my next door neighbours!
It is so easy to install that there's practically no installation other than chucking it {not literally} into the car, plus it's isofix compatible which I love. Now I'd never used isofix before, Albies car seat is isofix but I was on lockdown hospital so Jack and my mam had to take it to be fitted. Luckily this seat comes with very clear instructions and between me and Jack we managed to get it all secured into the car. You don't have to use it with isofix so if your car doesn't have it it's not an issue, you can simply use the actual car seat belt. But as we do have the option to use isofix, that extra protection is just invaluable.
Now I can't lie I've never been a fan of booster seats, you know the ones with no backs on them at all. But being a highbacked booster seat I have peace of mind knowing that Willow is protected from her head to her hips. Her head and neck is supported and protected by a padded headrest, which is something that's incredibly important to me. It also provides comfort for those sleepy car journeys where little eyes can't quite stay open and heads begin to nod. I've been there before with both Cub and Willow, that sick feeling you get in your stomach when you see their heads flopped over! But we've had none of that in this seat, it's magic! The first ever trip we made with it was a three and a half hour drive down to Weymouth, so it has well and truly been put to the test and I'm beyond happy to report there hasn't been a single head flop. The headrest is also very easy to adjust; it can be done with one hand {pretty handy if you've got one of the babes cradled in the other} whether the childs already sitting in it or not.
Willow used to be a nightmare strapping her into her car seat. She hated the harness in it and so every time we wanted to go out I'd have to wrestle her into the car kicking and screaming. Now with this little beauty, you just use the actual cars seatbelt which goes through the booster seat itself and the belt guides {I'll come to those in a second} and then just clips in as normal.
Something else particularly clever that this seat boasts is the SecureGuard Feature. This adds extra security by keeping the lap belt in the correct position over the child's chest and pelvis to protect their little tummies in the event of a frontal collision. It also has a shock absorbing pad which, in an accident, works as a buffer to prevent the impact from childs chin onto their chest. It also provides a little extra cushioning around the seatbelt itself.. brilliant!
And that's not even all of its security features! Let's talk about the SICT - the advanced side impact protection. This perfectly thought of little device reduces the impact by bringing the seat closer to the door, and will absorb the impact energy should there be a side collision. How ingenious! This is possibly one of my favourite features as it takes away that side vulnerability.
It's available in a range of colours, we opted for grey so that it would still look nice without exposing too many crumbs and marks. I always start off saying absolutely no food or drinks in the car seats but let's be honest there's nothing like a food bribe when the "are we there yets" start ten minutes into an hour long journey. The seat covers are of course removable and washable, and you can also purchase spare covers online.
Having the knowledge that my babe is not only comfortable but safe and secure whilst making any journey, particularly long ones, is a huge weight lifted. Willow also absolutely loves her "big girls seat" and is now excited to go in the car, rather than the usual meltdown that we used to have. I would absolutely, without a single doubt, recommend this booster to anyone and everyone who is looking for a 2/3 stage seat!