My Girls And Their Kiddy Car Seats

It is now only a matter of weeks until the Mellow household embark on an epic driving trip across Europe and Kiddy car seats will be joining us on our travels. Kiddy have sent both Lara and Holly car seats from their new summer releases to put to the test on our travels.

Lara is now 3 years old and is tall for her age but her weight and age mean that she should still be sitting in a Group 1 car seat like the brand new, top-of-the-range Kiddy Phoenixfix Pro. The Phoenixfix is the next step up from the extremely popular Kiddy Energy Pro but with a few new tweaks, not least the optional Isofix fitting which twang out so that you can fit the seat securely to your car's Isofix mounting points.

As with all Kiddy group 1 car seats, the Kiddy Phoenixfix pro features the iconic impact shield; a new and improved design to give added protection around the core of Lara's body in the event of an accident. The seat of the Phoenixfix has a noticeably wider and more padded seat base than Lara's current Group 1,2,3 car seat - this means that for a smaller child or toddler towards the lower age and weight range of a group 1 seat it offers a lot of support and is super-comfy.

The back of the Phoenixfix pro moves easily up and down to provide support for head and neck at the right height for your child. Lara is just at the very edge of growing too tall for the head supports for the Phoenixfix pro (they are resting on her shoulders) - I don't think it will be long before she needs to move into a Group 2,3 seat (we have our Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro waiting in the sidelines for the day we need it!)

The Phoenixfix Pro is available in a limited set of colours - Lara's is a Rumba red.



Holly is now 10 weeks old and is looking very comfy in her Kiddy Nest group 0+ car seat. It is a very very comfy looking seat and she always seems happy in it.

The Kiddy Nest is the brand new infant carrier by Kiddy and it is at the opposite end of the scale to the Phoenixfix pro - a great quality bargain first car seat for your baby. At less than £50 I think the Kiddy Nest is an awesomely good value car seat.

The Nest has no fancy fixtures or fittings (I have become far too accustomed to my current easy-release Isofix infant carrier... sigh) but it has everything you realistically need of a group 0+ car seat. You fit the seat in a rear-facing direction using the car's 3-point seat belt. I find this a bit tricky compared to my current car seat but maybe I'm just out of practice.

The fabrics of the kiddy Nest feel really good quality, especially on the sun-visor hood which provides really good coverage and protection from sun, wind and rain. It is easily removable too which is handy because it does tend to get in the way of the belt when fitting.

I love the fact that the handle can be used at home for putting the seat into a rocking position or into a very stable sleeping position on the floor. I also love the fact that the straps and buckle are very easy to fit and release. But, my absolute favourite thing about the Kiddy Nest is the weight - it is incredibly light for an infant carrier and this makes it far easier for me to rush too and from with Holly in the seat; I've even managed a supermarket shop while carrying her which I wouldn't have dared attempt in my existing infant carrier.

You can keep up-to-date with new products from Kiddy on their UK facebook page. Stay tuned to Parentwheels over the coming weeks for more detailed product reviews of the Kiddy Nest and Kiddy Phoenixfix Pro.

Disclosure: We were sent the two car seats for the purposes of review and will continue to test them before giving our brutally honest feedback on ParentWheels in a few weeks.