Mother & Baby Magazine Reviews

Eeek!! Eeeek!! EEEEEEEEEK!!!

In case y'all hadn't noticed, in like pretty much new to all this reviewing and blogging stuff. It seems a majority prefer to Vlog, but if I'm honest, that's my idea of hell - mumbling pointless crap whilst looking akward on camera....

Anyway! I applied to review some car seats after I saw an advert on Facebook asking for testers to try out 0+ carseats, and send over what we look for when purchasing a carseat. Originally I had no Idea. A car seat is a car seat, right? We brought one before our son was born and it adapted to our travel system frame, and thought that was all we really needed, as well as obviously fitting into the car and being safe. However, after testing the 6 new seats, what we actually need in a  car seat is vastly different to what I thought we needed...

For starters, a car seat needs to be practical. I prefer the infant carrier style car seats, especially those that work on a travel system frame – its quick and convenient for local trips to town and popping to the shops without having to unbuckle and transfer a snug sleeping baby, which results in an awake, alert and usually crying from being rudely awoken from his sleep.

We are a two car family, and so do swap the car seat that we currently have from one vehicle to the other, as well as the isofix base which when the seat is placed on becomes and extra piece of security. Therefore the seat, for me, needs to be lightweight and easy to install and remove from the car without feeling like your breaking your back. Also preferable to fit onto a general isofix base.

It also needs to be comfortable for my son to, as s we often travel on long journeys to visit family in Wales. I get leg cramp and back ache myself, so I cant imagine how uncomfortable it must be for a baby to be squished in a car seat for the best part of 6+ hours (although we do stop at service stations to stretch our legs).

I've been asked to specifically test 6 of the best up and coming car seats, suitable from birth - 1.5 years, including the UK's first fully reclineable carseat that works whilst on a journey - which really appeals to me, as having a 8 week old baby who adores his moses basket and sleeping in it. Combined with family based in Wales - for those long distance trips it would and could be perfect.

So far it's been narrowed down to the following 6:

* The Cosatto Hold

* Cybex Cloud Q Aton

* Jane Matrix Light 2

* Maxi Cosi Pebble Plus

* The Concord

* The Casualplay SONO

All have been tried and tested by myself and my son in our MPV and also in our small KA. Due to publishing rights of the magazine, i cant post my own reviews until they have been published in the magazine, so watch this space for my Good, Bad & The Ugly reviews of the above, of which snippets will be included in June's edition of Mother & Baby Magazine.