The Pearl 360 is the next stage i-Size baby and toddler car seat in the new 360 Family from Maxi-Cosi. The FlexiSpin technology in the compatible FamilyFix 360 Base, means that Pearl 360 can be easily rotated 360° from any reclined position. Featuring an easy-in harness, and unique ClimaFlow and G-Cell technologies this car seat provides total comfort and safety. What's more, the Pearl 360 is made to evolve with families, as it provides extended rearward-facing travel up to 4 years old.
www.maxi-cosi.co.uk
We spoke to these real parent testers to get their review..
How did this product make your life easier?
Hannah: We absolutely love the rotating seat, it makes life a lot easier getting our child in and out of the car. He also enjoyed the fact that it moved and swiveled when we were getting him placed in it! We found the mechanism to rotate the seat easy to use in comparison to our childs other car seat - I found I only needed one hand free in order to use the seat as opposed to the need for two with our other car seat - also helpful when you have an energetic toddler and hands full! We first used the car seat on the way to a planned holiday (2 hours drive) and the weather was very hot, I found the seat kept my son cool (i.e. on his back) and there were no visible signs of sweating or becoming hot. My son also didn't complain about being uncomfortable whilst in the seat which he usually does on long journeys. Overall, we are very happy with this product (both my husband and I), and now use this over my son's other car seat.
Holly: I loved how it was easy to set up. I had my child in the garden playing and I was on the drive setting up the car seat. It was set up in 10 minutes so we could get back to playing. The swivel feature also really helped me to put my child in the car seat without hurting my back, I could swivel the seat to face me, put my little boy in and then face him the right way, and the same for getting him out! Also, when the chest straps are released from the buckle, the straps stay up in place so when I put my child back in the same, they don’t get caught under his bum or back.
Caitlin: The 360 function makes it much easier to get my little one in and out of the car. Easy harness for simple fastening and sits well on legs. Easy to fix into different cars and change between cars if needed. Little one is happy in the seat which makes journeys much easier as she is comfortable in her seat.
Would you recommend this to other parents?
Amanda: I would totally recommend this car seat to mum's as it has so many benefits to it and I have found it to be so convenient and easy to use for our toddler. No more bending over the seat to get her strapped in. The swivel lever is such a simple design and the straps are easy to find as they are on some sort of spring motion so they are up until you need to use them, so I'm no longer digging under my daughter to find the buckles. I did leave my husband to assemble and install the isofix base into his car and he complained about its bulkiness, but after having to move it in and out the car a few times since he can put it in easily. I would say it's not that easy to store outside of the car as it's big and bulky, especially with the isofix base. Only other thing that needs to be mentioned is that due to its being big when in the forward facing position our toddlers feet reached right to the back of the passenger seat
Hannah: I would recommend this to my friends mainly due to the comfort of it for my son. He has struggled in two previous seats on long journeys (often complaining of being hot/uncomfy) but did not express any discomfort in this seat. It felt well padded, soft and supportive of my son’s body. The ease of use is probably the second reason I would recommend it. I only needed one hand to use it, the swivel seat makes it very easy to use and get my son in and out of the car with ease especially with full hands.
Laura: It fills me with reassurance and confidence that my little one is safe in the car seat. It is also good because I know it will last until around the age of 4 years old so I don’t have to keep thinking and saving money to buy another car seat, saving me time and money. It is so easy to use, very easy to make the straps tighter when you have put them in the car seat and loosen when you are going to take them out. The fact that it does turn is an extra bonus feature, as this makes life so much easier, no bumped heads or anything as you can just turn the seat to face me, put the baby in and turn back instead of putting arms over the seat trying to tighten the straps without being able to see properly.
Would you choose this product above all others on the market?
Laura: I absolutely love this product. It is rather pricey compared to others but it is so easy to use. Although the price, I will be using this for many years so it will save getting another seat until about 4 years old so you’re paying for something that will last. Can you really put a price on knowing and feeling that your baby is safe, protected, comfortable and happy whilst travelling on any journey?
Holly: I probably would not choose this car seat as much as I love it. I also have a Joie and prefer that as it has a wider age range from birth to 12 years so it grows with my child and has a lot more room for him. The Maxi Cosi Pearl 360 is quite small and my child won’t last in it as long as the Joie. The Maxi Cosi would have to be runner up though as there are so many handy features that I just love. The swivel, the easy set up of the isofix and the chest straps that stay up so they don’t get trapped under baby when you want to strap them in.
Hannah: I feel I would choose this product over others and would now be more likely to purchase this brand over others in the future. I felt the design features were really helpful for both myself and my child, making life much easier. The swivel chair makes this stand out from the rest along with the comfortability elements for my son. The design looks robust and strong as well as supportive for my child's body when driving.
What changes would you make to this product?
Hannah: With my son being 3 years old he is used to having a drink next to him in the car. There is usually a cup holder on the car seat and this did not have one. He was left holding it and would often drop it, given that the seat is for up to age 4, I felt this was a necessary part of the car seat which it didn't have.
Samantha: The downsides of the Maxi-Cosi Pearl 360° car seat really are minimal. One downside might be fitting this car seat, not because it is difficult to fit, but the seat weighs 7.9kg and the base weighs 7.6kg, so initially positioning them in the car was a lift, but no more lifting after that. Obviously the main concern for this product is safety, so unfortunately that means some weight to the car seat is required. Additional things might be a detachable mirror included that could be positioned for the rearview mirror. They aren't expensive and Maxi-Cosi could team up with another brand to provide them. A detachable mirror is better than constantly wanting to twist around and see the baby. A mirror makes this easy, just a quick glance.
Holly: Purely the size of the seat. My little boy looks big for it and he’s only 22 months and average sized. If the seat was just a little bit wider and longer then it would be perfect. If I was being really picky, I would say to make the red/green indicators a little bigger and when the car seat is on, it’s a little harder to see them.