This is the first car seat in Europe to comply with the new iSize regulations.
It allows children to remain rear-facing until four years of age, although the seat can also be positioned to face forwards from 15 months.
It can only be secured with the ISOFIX 2wayFix base (an extra £175), which features a light and sound indicator to confirm that the seat is correctly installed.
Four recline settings make it ideal for naptime and the headrest is easily adjusted. Unlike standard Group 1 seats, this is suitable from six months old, or 67cm (iSize rules are based on length, not weight).
Tested by mum Stacey Sills for the M&B Awards 2017:
Would you recommend the Maxi-Cosi 2Way Pearl to other mums?
I would recommend this to other mummies, I loved the car seat, the colour was lovely, the car seat looked very comfortable and my son seemed comfy sat in the car seat, it looks smart and the design is good. It sits in the car great and you feel so safe as you are made aware if the car seat is not in properly and fitted correctly. This made me feel at ease that my son was secure when I was driving. The car seat is heavy but as long as it's not being transported from one car to another it is manageable.
How did this product make your life easier?
The Maxi-Cosi 2Way Pearl is easy to fit into the car and sits very securely. I wouldn't say it has made my life easier in any way but my son loves the car seat and is very comfortable in the seat. The seat is spacious and the straps are easy to tighten and loosen, which is better when trying to get a moody kicking and screaming toddler in the car. It's definitely quicker to sort and amend the straps on this seat compared to my own car seat, it's easy to adjust when my son falls asleep and it is quite wasy to fit into other cars.
Would you choose this product to win?
The only thing I would change about the Maxi-Cosi 2Way Pearl would be to make it 360 rotating as it does make life a lot easier with the rotating seat but apart from that there is nothing I would say needs to be improved on the car seat. It is a great car seat as it is. Comfortable and great design,
Tested by mum Angela Thomas for the M&B Awards 2017:
Would you recommend the Maxi-Cosi 2Way Pearl to other mums?
I would recommend this to any of my friends, it's very easy to fit and i love the fact it beeps if the arm is not in place. It may not be the cheapest on the market but with the ability to face forward and back it should last for a few years. The straps can be a little difficult to adjust but when tightening and loosening but after a few goes it does get easier. It is very heavy so wouldn't recommend moving it from car to car very often. Very strong and durable car and loved the red colour it came in.
How did this product make your life easier?
The seat was really easy to fit into the car and once the leg has stopped beeping you know it's secure, so no need to double check anything. Seat has a nice deep sitting position so once the baby is in it's easy to pop the straps on before they start arching backs and kicking legs. Child is nice and high in the chair so is able to see mum / dad and can have a nice view out the window. Seat cover is easy to wipe over if any spills and the head is well supported so no need for extra support if little one falls asleep.
Would you choose this product to win?
This car seat does have difficult straps which do take some mastering and if you were swapping this seat between cars it is very heavy and if you're not careful the arm of the seat does have a tendency to slam into your leg.
What changes would you make to this product?
Not too many changes to this product, if possible it could be make lighter for parents that need to swap it between cars. The arm of the support leg needs to have a locking device so when moving it doesn't slam into your leg. The straps need to be made easier to adjust when putting child in and out, trying to loosen the strap can be hard when little one wants to get going and you're trying to tighten the straps. Making the chair swivel would also help especially when parking in tight parking spaces.
Tested by mum Rachel Keenan for the M&B Awards 2017:
Would you recommend the Maxi-Cosi 2Way Pearl to other mums?
This car seat was extremely easy to fit. My partner and I both loved the fact that you have a visual and audio sound to confirm this seat is correctly fitted, as like all parents your child's safety is of upmost importance. The seat itself was padded and provided comfort enabling my little one to be extremely supported in both sitting and tilted napping positions. It also provided plenty of room for growth within the seat.
How did this product make your life easier?
I found this car seat extremely easy to fit and the visual and audio features on this seat to show it had been fitted correctly were brilliant as I didn't find my self worrying or double checking that the seat was safe for my little one. I also found the harness really easy to fasten and unfasten making to quick and easy to strap my little one in as like most little ones sometime he doesn't like to be strapped down and the longer it takes the worse he is. Also the harness has a one strap adjuster which is so much easier then previous car seats I have used where individual straps need adjusting.
Would you choose this product to win?
I did like this Maxi-Cosi 2Way Pearl especially for the fitting features having the visual and audio beeps that the base and seat had been fitted correctly was really reassuring and my little one seemed supported and comfy in the seat itself. However I found the padding wasn't as comfy as the previous seat I had tried and the swivel motion of the previous seat I had tried I found extremely useful which this seat didn't have that feature.
What changes would you make to this product?
If I could change one thing it would be how bulky and heaving the car seat and base were. As I have grandparents collect my little one from nursery who use my car seat this is not easy to move from one vehicle to another all the time. Also although the car seat can be removed from the actual base it cannot be fitted into a vehicle that doesn't have the ISO fix feature.
Tester Nadine-Johanna Stewart, from London, mum to Max (13 months), said:
Very easy to install, and I like that it was rearward as well as forward facing. Comfortable, and great quality, but takes up lots of space in the car.
Tester Rabab Kane, from Co. Antrim, mum to Patrice, 9, Alesha, 6, Matthew, 5, and Sophia, 2¾, said:
The safety indicator is an excellent feature but the base’s support leg restricts access for other passengers, which I found a real drawback with four children in the vehicle.
Tester Dorian Spackman, from Cornwall, dad to Max (23 months), said:
The perfect mix of value for money, design and practicality. Tricky to install but easy to adjust, with good visibility. Max and I loved it!
Product Information
Maxi-Cosi 2Way Pearl Group 1 car seat
Weighs: 7kg