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Original poster

jane auto carrycot/matrix

23 replies

sazm · 12/04/2008 10:12

hi all,
i have a nurse hello which when i bought it said it was suitable from birth,however it now says 6months as its a 'bucket' type seat.
i've just found out im expecting again so will need either the carrycot or a matrix.
bubby will be born in december,so plan is to use the carrycot/matrix in the car lying flat and then fit it on the buggy as we go into toddler group every morning,saves having to disturb bubby by taking it out of car seat and putting it into pram.
really need it to double up as a moses basket too.
i also need a new carseat so maybe the matrix would be the best bet?
but,
can the matrix be used for overnight sleeping? how easy is it to fit in the car (my sister had one a few years ago and it never felt safe to me,never seemed very secure)do you need REALLY long seatbelts to fit it in rearfacing?
any opinions good/bad on the carrycot?

OP posts:

dizzydixies · 12/04/2008 10:17

i had the matrix dor dd1 and used it as a lie flat all the time, I do 2hr+ drives and hate seeing them with their wee neck bent and head falling forwards

the matrix isn't as big as a carry cot although we did use it for sleeping overnight on occassion and it didn't bother either dd.

its quite a lot bigger than a normal stge one car seat as its longer so make sure it fits in car before you buy it

LOVED it as a rear facing seat once they were a bit bigger as they could sit up high on pram looking at you and it could be dropped down to lie flat for sleeping in

never had the carrycot sorry

tab · 12/04/2008 10:41

Hi sazm. This might be a bit of a garbled long message but hope its of help.

I had the jane Carerra pushchair and the lie flat Matrix that converts from lie flat car seat to upright rear-facing and can clip on to the chassis. I think that the reason they have started calling it a bucket seat is that they are no longer advertising it as a lie flat car seat, although it still does that (well Im presuming it still has the same attachment clips at either end). I presume that the reason is due to the slating re safety that it recieved when Which lastlooked at it as a lie flat car seat. B y the time that report came out I had used it lie flat in the car for two children. Now expecting third it is going to take up far too much space like that. I didnt like it in the car when it was in rear facing mode as it was very upright. In our first car - a Nissan Micra the seat belts were not long enough to go right round the back of it when upright although there was an alternative belting system for seat belt to go underneath which we used.

re fixing/taking it in and out of car - I found the lie-flat attachment clips very very tricky and remember standing with my bum out of the door swearing a lot but that might just have been that ours were very tricky!!. WE ended up buying an extra matrix which we used inside and also kept in the back of the car for just attaching to the chassis of pushchair (that bit was no prob) and Yes we did use it quite a lot for babes to sleep especially if visiting someone and used it overnight when staying with relatives a couple of times. I dont think they're that big though and I wouldnt have used it as a subsititute crib all the time (ie at home). I think that its quite narrow.
I did use the second one as a little seat inside sometimes when baby sitting.
I think it is a much better option for a baby to lie flat and they can sleep if they want to and yes as long as you can get it out the car you wont disturb babe. The safety issue is worrying tho.

Like dizzyd says - as a lie flat it is pretty long in terms of space along the back seat of your car. If you have a toddler already then you will really need to test for space and I think its mainly independent dealers that sell the matrix. We had a Zafira and just about squeezed it in with a stage 2 car seat (2 1/2 year old at time) I think you must have a shoulder belt in the middle too and really you should probably have three full seats rather than the 2 1/2 we had in Zafira.

I'll stop here - sorry for garble but hope its of some help!!

AitchTwoOh · 12/04/2008 10:45

i had the matrix and loved the lie flat aspect but wouldn't/couldn't in all conscience use it again after the DO NOT BUY it got from the which mag.

dizzydixies · 12/04/2008 10:46

am pretty sure the which magazine was about the matrix lie flat and jane have brought out a new version?

not saying its any better but would double check before writing it off again completely

AitchTwoOh · 12/04/2008 11:02

what has which said about the new one, if there is one? i'd wait for a verdict.

dizzydixies · 12/04/2008 11:04

aitch am not sure, I hadn't looked into it as no use for me as wouldn't fit in car with dds

Original poster

sazm · 12/04/2008 11:30

hi thanks,
thanx everyone, tabs its the pushchair thats not suitable from birth now, not the matrix,if that makes sense?!
theres a new matrix pro out which is safer in the safety tests.
i really want to be able to use whichever i buy for night time sleeping,so i dont have to get a moses basket as well.
i love my nurse hello,but need to be able to use it from birth.i need a new carseat and the matching one for the nurse hello is only £59 so i will prob buy it anyway.
so should i just buy a 2nd hand pilko prammette to use for the first few months and borrow(my friend has one) a moses basket? or should i go for the carrycot(£100)???
thanx sarahxx

OP posts:

AitchTwoOh · 12/04/2008 11:45

i thought it was the matrix pro that bombed in the which tests. tbh i wouldn't trust what jane reps say now...

Original poster

sazm · 12/04/2008 12:23

hmm,i read it was the older first matrix seats (which was what my sister had) that were bad but that the pro were the new improved version.
hmm,maybe to be avoided anyway.
do you think an autocarry cot (not just the jane ones but any other makes too) is as safe as a proper seat?
would i be best just buying the rearfacing seat,and getting a prammette to usuntil lo is big enough to use the buggy i already have???
thanks all
sarahx

OP posts:

MrsMattie · 12/04/2008 12:27

I had the Matrix with my son and abandoned it after 3 frustrating months. It was heavy, fiddly and I never thought it felt secure in the car. It was without a doubt the worst purchase we made!

AitchTwoOh · 12/04/2008 12:27

tbh i think you'll probably be able to pick up an old non-pro fixings seat on ebay since the which report and you could use that? the pro model has been around since 2005, that's when i got mine, so i'm pretty sure it's the one that got a kicking in which. disappointing, though, as i always felt dd was v happy in it.

MrsBadger · 12/04/2008 12:32

Any carseat that lies flat across the back seats is less safe than a rear-facing one because of the way they behave in an accident.

So the Auto Carrycot and the Matrix used flat are both pretty bad.

The Matrix isn't recommended for use overnight either

buy a cheap moses basket (£30) and a decent rear-facing carseat.

Original poster

sazm · 12/04/2008 12:40

aitchTwoOh - i was sure there was a new model out last yr?maybe i am wrong?but wouldnt use one of the old ones as thats what was slated on which.

mrsbadger - i plan to buy the rearfacing seat anyway as i will need it at somepoint,
if the matrix is no good for overnight sleeping i wont be buying it anyways.(thanks for letting me know that!)
my problem is that although my buggy is great its only suitable from 4/6months and not for a newborn,and the only way of making it suitable for a newborn is with the matrix or autocarrycot.but if neither is very safe in the car then i wont want them either!!!

i think the best option is a 2nd hand pramette??as they seem to go for £80 ish on ebay,then i can use it for a few months until lo is big enough for my nurse hello?
what do u all think???

thanks xx
sarahxx

OP posts:

AitchTwoOh · 12/04/2008 12:45

get it, you can always resell it anyway.
i'm not understanding, saz, if you have a nurse hello wouldn't that mean that all the new pro and beyond models wouldn't fit anyway?

Original poster

sazm · 12/04/2008 12:47

aitch - hmm im not sure the pro one does fit it, i think its the new matrix cup one im thinking of that i read about? im not sure,but it doesnt fit my buggy.
which was it you think i should get???
lol
sarahx

OP posts:

fruitymum · 12/04/2008 12:52

I had a matrix pro slalom - never used it flat in the car but just as a rear facing car seat then flat when attached to the chassis. I loved it! I think you can get a free months subscription to online Which to check out their latest tests - well worth doing. I never used the slalom for overnight but found a very cheap moses basket online.
what's a nurse hello?

AitchTwoOh · 12/04/2008 12:57

oh, gotcha, the nurse hello is the newer one that looks like a bugaboo. ignore me, i thought it was an old model.

Original poster

sazm · 12/04/2008 13:55

lol yep it is,
i bought it for my 16mo,but have now found out im expecting again,i want to use it for this baby as it is still like new. the problem with it, is that its suitable from 4/6months as it doesnt lie totally flat.to make it from birth you need to add the matrix or the carrycot.
i dont have room in my car to put the carrycot in the boot,thats why i thought i could use it as the carseat until lo is big enough for the buggy,but if its not safe then i wouldnt want to do that.
does anyone know if the matrix is safe in the rearfacing position?is it just lying flat that it didnt do well in the which tests??
thanx all
sarahxx

OP posts:

tab · 12/04/2008 22:01

I think that the Matrix Cup is a new version of the Pro. The Matrix Pro which presumably was the original scores a mere 10% in the which report last summer which is an overall score for front, side, overall safety, ease of use, comfort etc and recommends not to buy it. This appears to have been updated by the Matrix cup which I presume does exactly the same thing ie dual positions but scores 38% in the same report- no recommendation not to buy!. It scores lower than most on comfort for child and ease of use and fitting in car.To give you an idea, the recommended seats on the which review ie what they call best buys would be something like 75 or 80%. Ie the Maxi cosi cabriofix scored 82% in june 2007 and has been rerated similarly in 2008 I think. There is another car seat a Jane rebel but might be no good as does not lie flat. It also fits onto the Jane chassis' but I couldnt find a which rating for this. The Jane product site ie suppliers for UK and Ireland are Johnstonprams.co.uk. I dont think I would use it as a lie flat in the car but would consider just buying it for the chassis. If you're anywhere near south london I have two in the attic!!

tab · 12/04/2008 22:02

For clarification I mean two lie flat Matrix Pros

AitchTwoOh · 12/04/2008 23:04

tab, would you use them in the lie-flat position again, do you think? (should the situation arise, obv).

Waytmi · 12/04/2008 23:19

Can I make a suggestion? Get a Matrix Pro to use lying flat or upright on the buggy but use it in the upright position in the car.

That way it's easier to fix in car and safer if you were involved in an accident and it only takes up one seat. HTH

Original poster

sazm · 12/04/2008 23:25

thanks again all, i was thinking of going for the matrix and using it as waytmi said,BUT its a lot of money to spend when i would only use it on the buggy for 3/4months. the buggy faces rearward anyway so i wouldnt use it at al after a few months.

the carseat which goes with my buggy is the jane rebel(under a different name as its made by nurse)and its only £60 so i will be buying it,
TBH if the matrix only scored 38% in the which test, then i wont be buying it,
maybe i will need to get a bigger car (for a few months lol) and get the carrycot,either that or it will be the pramette!
thanks again all

OP posts:

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