Maxi Cosi Rock or Cabriofix?

[Mirta11]

Hello everyone, I wonder if you could help as I understand nothing of car seats. We are looking for a baby car seat compatible with our Bugaboo Fox and both the Rock and Cabriofix seem to be options. We do not have a car at the moment so we're only looking for something to use when taking Ubers. They don't seem massively different and I'm stuck. Which of the two would you recommend? Many thanks

Hi OP.

The main difference between these two seats is that the Cabriofix is approved to R44 whereas the Rock is approved to R129.

The differences mean that the Rock has a bit better safety testing and side impact protection as it's a bit more up to date. It also has a bit better of an insert which cradles younger babies better. However because R129 requires a height restriction, it's only allowed to be used up to 75cm, which is an average of 10 months. The weight limit on it is 12kg.

The Cabriofix is an older seat and gets good safety scores for frontal impacts but not as good for side impact protection. However, it doesn't have a height limit which means you can use it until your baby's head reaches the edge of the shell, which is usually about 18-24 months on average. The weight limit is also slightly higher at 13kg.

IME, as a non-driver, having a portable car seat that's compatible with your pushchair is absolutely brilliant in terms of practicality, and the next (toddler) stage of seat is a pain in the arse in terms of portability, so I'd probably go for the Cabriofix so you'll be able to use it for as long as possible. If you happen to travel in a car that has a 3-point seatbelt in the middle, you could always fit it in the middle seat to help with the side impact protection (distance helps).

Thank you so much @BertieBotts for your detailed answer, it's helpful to understand the differences a bit more! I noticed the Cabriofix seems to be very popular still from the reviews I have read around.

The Cabriofix is popular mainly because it has been around for so long - it's the seat everyone had when my now 12yo was born :) Whereas the Rock was quickly joined by the Pebble and other versions so the customer loyalty is a bit more spread there.

The Cabriofix is basic but it's well made and will do the job. It's ideal really if you don't have your own car as it's so easy to fit with a seatbelt, lightweight and compatible with loads of pushchairs. The main downside of it is that side impact protection not being as up to date and the lack of much of a newborn insert. But it's likely you'll just stay at home as much as possible for the first few days/weeks anyway, so this isn't a huge problem.