Joie Stages Car Seat 0+/1/2 review

The Joie Stages car seat is one that constantly tops our awards list – it’s durable and comfortable, lightweight enough to swap between cars, and gives you peace of mind your tot is safe. That said, it’s not the smallest car seat, and recline positions need to be selected before you get the seat in the car.

What they say:

“The Joie Stages ISOFIX Group 0+/1/2 Car seat is suitable from birth and can be used up to the age of 7 years old and converts to a group 2 booster from 15-25kg. A travel champion to grow with your child, the Joie Stages features an extended rearward-facing position that is suitable right up until 18kg (approx. 4 years old).”

Would you recommend this to other parents?

Frances: "Yes, I would definitely recommend this car seat to fellow mums! It’s very comfortable and easy to use once you have worked out how to get it in the car properly. It's very padded for comfort and my baby actually enjoys being in it! I would recommend this car seat to any mum that wants an easy life when travelling with young babies or children. It’s an excellent product – thanks Joie!"

Stephanie: "This car seat is certainly one I would recommend to friends and family members with young children. I found it was easy to install and easy to use, compared to other car seats on the market. The main selling point for me was that this car seat gave me peace of mind that my baby was safe and secure in the back of the car, as well as being comfortable and snug."

Joanne: "Yes, I would definitely recommend the Joie Stages car seat as it was very easy to get in and out of my car, it looked attractive and it is clearly very well-made. I liked how easy it was to take the cover off to clean – an important factor in something designed for daily use. I also loved that it can be rear-facing until my baby is four years old, as this is rare with car seats on the market at the moment. I feel the extended rear-facing option allows my child to be safer, which is a factor any mum would love. The seat is also light and not at all bulky, which makes it easy to get in and out of the car."

Ralph: "This product looks like it's really good quality and I particularly liked the colour of it, which was different to the usual reds and blacks. I would recommend this as a car seat to others, and I liked the fact that the sea tipped back quite a way, which is important for kids on long journeys."

Tom: "I think this is a very good car seat.  It looks really comfortable and both my kids were really happy in the seat.  It is really nice and wide and there is lots of room in the seat for them. It isn't restrictive at all which I think is wonderful. It sits easily in the car and is easy to secure.  The headrest and cushions can be removed and adjusted easily to accommodate all ages.  The cushions look comfortable and can be wiped down.  It is a nice simple design, without branding screaming at you.  It is a reasonable price as well given that it looks like a high-quality product, I thought it could have been more money than it is. I rate this seat very highly and would definitely recommend it to a friend."

Charlie: "I would recommend this product to my friends with a young family. The product feels robust and secure once fitted. The padding within the seat is supportive and provides comfort for my child during journeys in the car. The seat fits in the car well and does not take up more than one seat in the car leaving the other seats free. The pockets on each side of the seat are useful storage areas and the colour scheme is eye-catching. The harness is secure although the 5 points seem a little excessive."

How did this product make your life easier?

Frances: "This car seat was very easy to use in general, the only bit that was hard was installing it into the car in the first place, as it seemed quite complicated. Otherwise, my little girl fitted in well and was comfortable in the padded material. We went to the seaside for the day and she slept the whole way there and back! Usually she would cry in our regular car seat, so this seat made a massive difference."

Stephanie: "We have enjoyed testing this car seat – it was so quick and easy to install, which made life a lot easier. Being a mum of two, with a third on the way, this was exactly what we needed! Getting my toddler in and out was really easy, as she was clearly very comfortable and happy to sit in this car seat."

Joanne: "The Isofix mechanism makes installation so much easier, which is a great advantage of this car seat. The seat is also quite high up, which my little girl loves as she can peer out the window and the straps were comfortable and easy to adjust."

Ralph: "It was really easy to adjust the headrest and the straps on this car seat as they should be. Some seats can be very awkward but this was dead simple."

Tom: "A nice comfortable seat, that isn't too enclosed.  It has a brilliant recline position.  My daughter’s head used to always flop forward in her old seat, but not at all in this one.  A godsend for long journeys. She also uses the side pockets to fill it with the many tiny toys she wants to take everywhere with her.  This is a very comfortable seat with a great recline position, which means a happy traveller."

Charlie: "It is a comfortable and secure car seat that my child is at ease inside. They fall asleep 5 minutes into a journey and therefore not causing me any issues during the trips. The seat is relatively easy to fit into the car and light to handle meaning that it takes little time."

Would you choose this product to win?

Frances: "Yes, I would choose for this car seat to win a Mother & Baby award due to the sheer comfort of the seat. We have never come across a car seat that our little girl could sleep so well in. It's also easy to use and well worth the money as it lasts a long time and makes long car journeys a doddle!"

Stephanie: "Even though I loved this product, I’m not sure it would be the one I would buy myself, only because of the price! It is slightly out of my budget and even though it does last until the child is twelve, I still feel it would be cheaper to buy two car seats over time and be well under this price point."

Joanne: "Yes, I think this product should win a Mother & Baby award, mainly because of the extended rear-facing aspect and also how simple and easy it is to install, how easy it is to clean and how light it is to transport. Car seats have come on so much since my twelve-year-old used one and I love this product – thank you Joie!"

What changes would you make to this product?

Frances: "Maybe just make it easier to put in the car, as I found the instructions very confusing."

Stephanie: "For us, the footrest needs to be adapted for the seat to be a complete winner! Although this is great for toddlers and little legs, I found when using the seat with my six-year-old, it dug into his legs. A soft-top cushion or some way to change the height of the footrest would really improve the chair for older children."

Joanne: "I don't think I would change anything about this car seat, I have really enjoyed trialling it and have actually recommended it to a few friends in my Facebook baby group. If Joie could add a cup holder it would be even better!"

Ralph: "The car seat has little pockets on either side of it, but I think that if it had an actual cup holder it would make it even better than it already is."

Tom: "I think a cup holder is a good feature especially for the other kids.  My daughter complained because when I adjusted the headrest so it wasn't fully pulled up but not in the lowest position it meant the cushion behind her back doubled up and I think pushed into her back.  It meant it wasn't smooth on her back, so I had to have the headrest in the full height position to avoid this."