Maxi-Cosi Fero

Easy to fit and transfer between cars.
It offers good neck support and side protection.

Excellent!

I too was selected for the consumer trial of the Maxi Cosi Ferofix.

I previously has 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.

Excellent!

I 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. Don't bother with neck pillows, even children's ones, as they tend to be too full at the back of the neck and they end up slumping forward anyway (why doesn't 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 wasn't 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 aren't 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 hasn't complained yet; and believe me she would if she wasn't 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.

Pros:
Good safety features - air protect side impact technology gives my children extra protection.
Very light and manageable so easy to handle and swap between cars.
Quick and easy to fasten the seat belt correctly.
Very comfortable for both older and younger children. The seat is streamlined and slim so older, taller children still have plenty of room.
Very stylish.
Excellent quality and will last for many years as it is able to grow with your child.

Cons:
None

I have two children aged 4 and 6, who both use the Fero, although it is mainly for my youngest daughter. She always looks very safe and protected when sitting in the seat. The backrest can be adjusted in both height and width so I can adjust it to fit her perfectly, keeping her as safe as possible.

The Fero is very quick to fit and the seat belt threading system is brilliant. A one way clip allows you to slide the seat belt into place at the shoulder. This is quick to use and keeps the seat belt securely in place. Across the lap, the seat belt sits in two wide indents on either side of the seat. These are wider than normal and make it much easier to see the belt buckle when fastening the seat belt. They also help you position the seat belt so it stays in a safe, comfortable position across your child's lap.

Both my children find the Fero very comfortable. So comfortable that my youngest daughter often falls asleep in it on long journeys! It's very quick to adjust the seat for different size children as an easily-accessible button on the top of the seat allows you to slide the back rest up and down so that you can easily adjust the seat once your child is sitting in it. Perfect if you need to use the seat for different children.

The Fero also looks great. It has a simple circle pattern which is stylish and appeals to children. My daughters both refer to the Fero as their 'bubble seat'!

I would definitely recommend the Fero to others - we are certainly very impressed with ours.

We have been using this seat now for nearly a month and I love it! It has been very well thought out with several unique features and so far I am having trouble faulting it! To summarise my thoughts on it:

Comfort - The first thing I noticed about this seat is the plush material it is made of compared to other seats - it is very soft and padded, so it both looks good and feels very comfortable for my 3 ½ year old daughter.
• A unique feature of this seat is that it grows both height and width ways so will suit all sizes and shapes of children upto the age of 12 - it is very easy to adjust unlike some other seats.
• It has a 2 position recline which is very unusual in this class of childseat - great for longer journeys and when you are trying to get them to sleep! The recline stops the child's head dropping forward when sleeping so they are far more comfortable. It is slightly stiff however and works best when the seat is empty.

Safety - They have put a lot of thought into this element of the FeroFix - something that isn't so considered normally in this class of child seat (often just booster seats with a slightly padded back/head rest).
• The head rest has AirProtect Technology which although has the primary purpose of providing safety, also plays a big part in why the headrest is so comfortable.
• Having Isofix is also a great benefit as holds the seat firmly in place (unlike our old seat which would often move around on a journey especially going round tight corners) - it is very easy to fix in the car, literally takes seconds of time so could be moved around cars with no trouble.
• There are also red markings on the seat which shows where it is best to lie the seat belt.

Ease of Use - this is very important and keeps a busy Mum sane (especially if battling with a second child at the same time!).
• What I love most is that the seat unit isn't too wide so it is very easy to reach over and plug the belt in - also easy for the child to do themselves. With my old seat I was always struggling to find the socket to plug the belt into as the seat was a little wider.
• There are very user friendly belt hooks which keeps the buckle handy at all times - another time saver! They also stop the belt cutting into the child's neck which has happened with some other seats - and obviously leads to a lot of moaning!

All in all this is a great seat with many unique and well thought out features. The price is obviously higher than many others in this class of seat but I feel it can be justified as you can't put a price on safety and when you think it lasts for over 8 years you will definitely get your money's worth!!

I was sent a Maxi-Cosi Ferofix as a trial product for the company, and although granted, I have not had to pay for the car seat, I was quite sceptical as to if a car seat would be worth this price.

Firstly, my child, who is 6 3/4 (quite important that 3/4!!), had a bog standard seat which she previously used.
We originally did buy her a cheaper version of this car seat, one with a high back, adjustable headrest etc, but within a year, she moaned about how uncomfortable it was, and so we took the back off the old one as it converted to a normal booster seat etc and that is what we have been using up until now.

When I first opened the Maxi-Cosi Ferofix, I was quite impressed with how sturdy it looked and how padded the whole seat seemed to be. Compared to her usual booster seat, that was a hard bit of plastic with a bit of foam, this seat seemed to look alot more comfortable.

We do have Isofix in the car, and the seat was very easy to fix into place. It was as simple as clicking into place.

I was concerned about if I used it in a different car, how would I use the Isofix points etc....
No problems there at all. Maxi Cosi has thought of this already with the Ferofix, and so you can use the Isofix points in your car, or you can also use the normal seatbelt!! Very versatile, and so I can use in other cars if needed with a 3 point seat belt. Very handy if you are going in nans car etc.

The Ferofix does need to be fixed with either Isofix or a 3 point seatbelt, ie ones that go over the shoulder. You cannot use the seat if you only have a normal lapbelt in the middle, it must have a strap to go over the shoulder and through the clips.

With my daughters "booster" seat, she wiggles and worms around, and could nearly lay down on the back seat.She has hooked her arms out of her usual seat several times. Not at all great if you are on a long journey with 2 children, as you have to keep watching her and remind her to sit up and put the belt over her etc. The seat also moved around as it was not fixed to anything, it just sat on the seat with her on top.

The true test of this seat was when I took her out in the car. Firstly, she said about how nice it felt. She said that the seat was alot more comfortable than her previous one. The Maxi-Cosi Ferofix is certainly more padded than alot of other cheaper seats on the market.

My little one is not a slight girl, and I was concerned about the side "bumper" bars etc, but they do move and can adjust to the size of the child. She was not at all worried about having the side bits back on her car seat!!

I asked her to do her seat up by herself, to see if she was able to manage this, and she done so quite easily and the side impact bars were not too cumbersome for her to do this. I had clipped the straps into the slots, and she clicked the rest into place.

The seat belt straps are held into place by the head rest with slots, and you click the belt into place.
You are reassured that the belt is always in the correct place and that your child will not be able to wiggle and worm out of their belts, like she had managed to do before!!

For the journeys that we have done since having the seat, I can honestly say that I can now relax with her in the car!! Before I was always checking she had her belt on properly and her arms were though the belt, that she had not moved the seat, was not laying down etc.
This seat is fabulous, as it cannot move anywhere!! It is fixed by the Isofix points, and so even if she wiggled a lot, it cannot move about.

She was nicely sat in her seat, and still had enough room to move around. No laying down, or puling her arms out of the straps. Fantastic.

The other advantage of the Maxi-Cosi Ferofix, is that it does actually recline. This is quite rare in an older childs seat, and something you certainly cannot do with a bog standard booster seat. It does not recline a lot, but just enough to help if your child wants to relax a bit.

The adjustable headrest means that you can adjust and adapt the seat for your child, and as the clips for the seatbelt is attached to the headrest, you can be assured at all times they are in the correct place etc. Maxi-Cosi recommend a gap of 1cm from the belt holder to the shoulder of the child, and is easy enough to correct to the right height for your child.

I would advise that if you do have headrests in the back, then it is easier to take these off when fixing the seat and Maxi-Cosi also recommend this when using the Ferofix carseat.

In the seat, there is also a compartment to hold the user manual, this is good as then if you need to check anything out, it is always there and not lost in a draw somewhere!!

The seat covers are removable and washable by hand, which is good for when the seat gets grubby.

The instruction manual is very good, nice pictures that are easy to follow and so you do not need A levels to fix the seat into the car.


So overall, my opinion of this seat........

Very good. It can take your child from a young age (3.5) to 12 years of age. The price worked out over these years makes the car seat good value for money overall, as if you was to buy cheap seats every couple of years, then it will work out the same in the long run.

Comfort - 5 stars. Very nicely padded, and the recline part is handy for your child to relax a bit.
Style - 5 stars. Very nice style, nice colours to suit everyone, nicely thought out regarding the seat belt holder clips, and flexible side bars.
Price - 4 stars. Is quite expensive, but like above, worth it for the 9 years you can use it !!

Worth it ?? Yes, I am very happy that she now has a comfortable seat, with protection, that she cannot wiggle out off, and so I can relax more now. It is adaptable for years to come, and she loves how the seat feels. It has changed my opinion of "expensive" car seats, but you can see the difference in the quality, and I can see that this seat will last for years to come.

I was selected to review the Maxi Cosi FeroFix Group 2/3 car seat in intense red fabric for my son who is 6.5 years old, weighs 18kg and 120cm in height.

When the car seat first arrived the first thing that struck me was the quality and the colour of it. I LOVE the red and it looked really comfy. It comes in a choice of 5 colours, intense red, deep blue, marble pink, steel grey and total black.

The instruction booklet that came with the car seat was very easy to follow with clear pictures and wording, this made it very easy and quick to install in the car. You can either use the 3 point seat belt or it has retractable isofix points, so as it is such a lightweight car seat you can move it from car to car and use it in different modes to suit each car.

The first time my son sat in it, he was very impressed!! He loved how comfy it was, the seat is padded all over so make it very comfy to sit in, the seat has 'AirProtect technology' which is why it is so padded. The headrests and sides are very padded and makes me feel that my son would be well protected.

On long journeys, this car seat reclines which many of this stage car seats do not. This really appeals to me as there have been many car journeys where my son has fallen asleep and his head has fallen forward throughout. As this car seat reclines it helps stop this and my son could sleep much better.

The new belt hook system works great, there is a seat belt shoulder slot which keeps the seat belt from rubbing against my sons neck, keeps it sitting in the correct position on this shoulder and also stops it from slipping off his shoulder, but has a easy push button so you can get the seat belt out quickly. The seat belt sits comfortably around his waist, the seat belt clip is clearly visible so make it easy for my son to clip himself in easily.

The car seat will grow with your child as you can use it from the age of 3.5yrs (15kg+) to approx 12 yrs (36kg). It grows in height and width, so you would never need another car seat! Sounds like good value to me!

Overall I would highly recommend this car seat, although it does have a slightly higher price tag than the other car seats on the market, it has the quality that you would expect from Maxi-Cosi, the extra features that do really make a difference when using day to day and it will last you until they are approx 12 yrs old.

Hi I have recently been asked to test/review the Maxi Cosi Ferofix car seat with my 5 year old daughter. I hope this helps anyone who is looking to purchase a car seat for children aged 3.5 to 12 years old!!

The pros to this seat are....

•Easy installation- I fitted this car seat with no trouble . The instruction manual is simple and easy to follow but there is also a label on the side of the seat for extra help if needed. The main thing I noticed was how light the seat was and how easy it was to carry to the car. The seat is so light and simple to install that I have used it in both mine and my husband's car; it transferred so effortlessly.

•Stylish- We have the intense red car seat which is such a vivid colour with a lovely circle motif. The fabric feels so supple and luxurious. My daughter loved getting into her seat for the first time and continues to love her 'cool' car seat. I also love how appealing it looks in my car!

•Retractable isofix connectors- The seat clicks into the isofix points simply and the car seat feels fitted well and secure. The connectors retract so the seat can also just be fitted with a 3 point seatbelt system.

•Safety- The head rest has air protect technology which helps to protect the most vulnrable part of your child (head) . This seat works on 'precise release of air' helping to protect your little one on an impact. This offers me extra peace of mind when travelling with my child.

•Recline- The seat has a slight recline position which is a great feature. I have used this a few times with my little one when she has been tired. The seat reclines easily and is something that I will take more advantage of during long journeys.

•Well designed - Ths seat is not oversized or bulky and sits well in the car. It has a belt hook system so the seat belt goes in easily and runs smoothly. The belt doesnt rub and sits nicely across the little one. I particulary like how it promotes independance in my child as the shape of seat allows her to reach the buckle to fasten/un fasten herself. The head rest adjusts effortlessly using the handle on the top but the seat also expands width wise as well. This for me is one of its key features as it will grow with my child.

The cons ( kind of )....
• Cost- The seat retails at about £175 which is not in everyones budget. However with this car seat I feel you get a lot for your money. It is definately a high quality product and I would probably look at it as a sound investment for my child as it should last up to around 12 yrs old.

All in all this is an excellent car seat, it ticks both the aesthetic and safety boxes for me. I feel my child is secure and safe in the seat and its really user friendly which is a big plus in busy day life.

Many thanksx

Hi I have recently been asked to test/review the Maxi Cosi Ferofix car seat with my 5 year old daughter. I hope this helps anyone who is looking to purchase a car seat for children aged 3.5 to 12 years old!!

The pros to this seat are....

•Easy installation- I fitted this car seat with no trouble . The instruction manual is simple and easy to follow but there is also a label on the side of the seat for extra help if needed. The main thing I noticed was how light the seat was and how easy it was to carry to the car. The seat is so light and simple to install that I have used it in both mine and my husband's car; it transferred so effortlessly.

•Stylish- We have the intense red car seat which is such a vivid colour with a lovely circle motif. The fabric feels so supple and luxurious. My daughter loved getting into her seat for the first time and continues to love her 'cool' car seat. I also love how appealing it looks in my car!

•Retractable isofix connectors- The seat clicks into the isofix points simply and the car seat feels fitted well and secure. The connectors retract so the seat can also just be fitted with a 3 point seatbelt system.

•Safety- The head rest has air protect technology which helps to protect the most vulnrable part of your child (head) . This seat works on 'precise release of air' helping to protect your little one on an impact. This offers me extra peace of mind when travelling with my child.

•Recline- The seat has a slight recline position which is a great feature. I have used this a few times with my little one when she has been tired. The seat reclines easily and is something that I will take more advantage of during long journeys.

•Well designed - Ths seat is not oversized or bulky and sits well in the car. It has a belt hook system so the seat belt goes in easily and runs smoothly. The belt doesnt rub and sits nicely across the little one. I particulary like how it promotes independance in my child as the shape of seat allows her to reach the buckle to fasten/un fasten herself. The head rest adjusts effortlessly using the handle on the top but the seat also expands width wise as well. This for me is one of its key features as it will grow with my child.

The cons ( kind of )....
• Cost- The seat retails at about £175 which is not in everyones budget. However with this car seat I feel you get a lot for your money. It is definately a high quality product and I would probably look at it as a sound investment for my child as it should last up to around 12 yrs old.

All in all this is an excellent car seat, it ticks both the aesthetic and safety boxes for me. I feel my child is secure and safe in the seat and its really user friendly which is a big plus in busy day life.

Many thanksx

I am taking part in consumer testing for the Maxi-Cosi Ferofix car seat for 4 - 12 year olds, on behalf of Dorel UK. The seat arrived at my workplace and immediately my colleagues who have children/grandchildren gathered round to see the new seat I had been talking about for a week. The steel grey colour got many admiring looks and the embroidered circles give that little extra touch. The seat cover fabric is lovely and soft and is cotton rather than some of the nylon/polyester seat covers I have had which click and go bobbly. I had various people asking me if I really wanted it and wouldn't I like to give it them instead. I was adamant that yes I did want it, yes it is a car seat but it just looks lovely even in the box.
This was my first experience of an Isofix seat, and fitting it into my Ford Fiesta (2009 model), onto the Isofix points was simple, it was done in seconds, and then the seat belt passes through an easily accessible guide just under the headrest, there is a little hook that falls into place to keep it there and when removing the seat belt you lift this and the seat belt easily slides out, not at all fiddly like one seat I have used.
I am testing the seat with a just 4 year old, who weighs just over 15kg, so she is at the bottom of the age/size range for this seat and therefore the headrest is in its lowest position. Despite this of course I have had a play and the adjustment is easy, press the button on the top of the headrest and pull upwards, as you pull upwards the side wings expand outwards - genius. This is amazing and I have demonstrated this feature to everyone who will let me. It is just as easy to return to the original position, press the button in again and push down to the required height and the side wings go back in again.
The seat has two positions, upright and recline, the reclined position is achieved by pressing in two buttons at the front corners of the seat and pulling toward you. This appears to give a good relaxing position but I have not actually used it as yet.
My little tester was reluctant at first to make the transition from her Maxi-Cosi Axiss to her new "big girl seat"; but once tempted into it she commented that she liked it because it was comfy and soft and she does look very comfortable sitting in it.
At £175 it is not at the cheaper end of the price range for this category of seat but you can tell that the quality is good and whilst being robust it is lightweight and will, I imagine, last the years it is needed.
Not that I want to ever take it out of my car but, for the purposes of testing, I have tried it in friends cars and in all cases it has been just as simple to fit as in my own. Some of my friends have older children so a few of different ages have tried it and the comments have all been very positive. Obviously a seat with a backrest is safer than just the booster cushion type but one size doesn't fit all unless you have a Ferofix. Older children begin to resent being in a seat when their friends aren't and peer pressure may make you give in and tell them they don't have to use a seat anymore - all the children that have tried my Ferofix (ranging from 4 to 11) have said that they like the seat and would be happy to travel in it, even to school.
Everyone who transports children in a vehicle needs one (or more) of these seats. My 4 year old has asked when she is getting one for the other car!

This is a great sturdy car seat. Allows you to adjust height and sides as your child grows. Gives your child a good comfortable seat so they are able to see out the window. You can adjust the seat to a recline position, great if your toddler falls asleep but keeps their head supported with great sides both at head and legs. Fabric is great, I have it in red, easy to wipe clean and take off and wash if you need to. Not too heavy or difficult to fit into the car. Only problem is if you need to put more than one child seat across the back of your car, I have three and with this seat it is difficult to access the seatbelt for the child. Yet the seat belt is held by clips which means the child doesn't feel as though they are being choked. Overall my child found this seat really comfortable, a bit expensive but would be a good investment if you knew you would use it for a longtime and perhaps for a second child.