Kaos - the ultimate family backpack
Let’s start with the fact that this product is Scandinavian. Maybe I don’t need to say anymore…
But I will (because I’m so keen to share this one with you). If you’ve read any of my other features you’ll know that being half Swedish, I’m a huge fan of all things Scandi as 9.9 times out of 10, the products are superior to pretty much anything else you’ll find on the market. Quality, durability, design - this bag from Norwegian brand - Kaos - ticks all of the boxes.
I’ve been searching for the ultimate family backpack for a while and I think this is currently the front runner. My challenges stem the fact that I often travel solo with both of my children and it’s hard to strike the balance between packing enough of what you need vs maneuverability: I’ve got to have a few sets of hands ideally…pushing the buggy, wrestling a toddler, carrying luggage and keeping an eye on an enthusiastic 6 year old.
If you’re on the hunt for a bag that is versatile enough to be your main luggage for a weekend getaway, as well as for outings, day trips and everyday use - Kaos have you covered. Crafted with durability and convenience in mind, this backpack boasts a sleek design that seamlessly blends style with functionality.
Capacity
One of the standout features is its spacious interior, which offers ample room to accommodate all your essentials and more. The bag cleverly splits into three compartments, which are also optional and interchangeable to one large main space. It opens via a sturdy, hard wearing zip around the front panel of the bag and via a clip from the top - so depending on how skilled a packer you are - it’s access all areas with ease.
Having three compartments (one larger and two smaller) is pretty much the ideal scenario for one adult and two children for a couple of nights away.
I was intiially surprised by how compact it was when it arrived but once you’ve started adding your items to it, you realise how much capacity you have to work with.
Dimensions: 28x50x28 cm (Cabin size)
Capacity: 40L
Weight: 1.5 kg
Features
In addition, this bag boasts an inside zip pocket, a hidden laptop pocket at the back, a side carry handle and passport pouch to one side.
Comfort
I found it incredibly comfortable to carry (padded straps) and due to the multiple handles, easy to grab from wherever it was. It is available in a variety of neutral unisex colourways (we have the olive green), is made from recycled PET-bottles, has details in premium vegan leather and features custom fitted hardware.
Final Thoughts
This bag recently won Bronze in ‘Best Travel Product For Parents’ at the Junior Design Awards 2023. Overall - I’d give it a solid 9/10 and at the price point (£169) it’s an investment but for the quality, you’ll get a huge amount of life out of it.
Tried & Tested: Pure Earth Collection - Swimwear Range
I first came across Pure Earth Collection a couple of years ago and have since become an avid fan of many of their products. This is not only because they are incredibly good quality, wash well and have proved so useful for travel - but they are one of my most trusted when it comes to organic, plastic free fabrics, ethical manufacturing and true sustainability, which is at the heart of the brand.
Before I give you the lowdown on their newest launch, can we please discuss one of my absolute travel staples which forms part of their range…
The Best Blackout Blinds for Travelling
Are you looking for the best pair of blackout blinds available? Then RUSH over to their website to buy these right now, HONESTLY! We use these daily and having tried various cheap versions of black out blinds in the past (which have swifty fallen apart or failed to do the job), these have revolutionised travelling with our baby. Not only are they a fantastic size (130cm x 200cm when opened up, folded in travel bag they condense to 32cm x 43cm and weigh approximately 1kg) but they have versatility in the shape of window they cover due to the multiple, sturdy suction cups which can be easily moved between the eyelets.
These travel blackout blinds are 100% organic and non toxic - so for hot windows this has been such a reassuring factor - knowing microplastics are not leaching into my daughters sleep environment.
Organic Bamboo Sleeping Bags for Babies
While we’re here - let’s also talk about Pure Earth Collection organic bamboo sleeping bags for babies. We have two of these and unlike many on the market - these are all season and due to the design and fabric, assist with temperature control. We certainly noticed a marked difference in our baby's sleep since using them but the key selling point for me was again, the fact that they don’t contain polyester like most others.
Sleeping bags come with a little pop on and off comforter toy too which means our daughter never loses it in her sleep, but it can also be removed to use elsewhere. Spares can be purchased separately if you, like us, are always losing things that our baby deposits when we’re on the move!
Not only are these suitable for room temperatures from 13C-27C, but the bags themselves are cleverly designed to fit from 3m – 3y, providing an economical and environmentally sustainable purchase. They are a true investment and can be passed on for years to come. If this wasn’t a reason enough to buy, the company have a cleaner Ocean pledge, with every bag sold they will remove 33 grams of plastic from our shores and oceans on your behalf. That’s around 3 plastic bottles or 110 plastic straws.
Since first writing about these around a year ago, we have used them consistently and they have washed and worn incredibly well.
Pure Earth Collection offer a 30 day money back guarantee on these so there is literally nothing to lose by giving them a try.
Swimwear
Pure Earth Collection have recently launched a very unique product - plastic free swimwear, made from organic cotton, using ocean safe, non-toxic dyes.
I’ll be honest, I didn't ever really consider the fact that swimming costumes contained plastic, but of course, they are all made with nylon and polyester and this is now very much on my radar. Conventional commercial swimwear contributes to microplastic pollution, a number of health complications and they shed thousands of plastic particles into the water.
The designs are incredibly sweet and come in two patterns and colourways - green with a palm tree print and yellow with a turtle print. My girls have the green version - I absolutely adore the ruffled back and bow.
Sizing is generous and made to last, with sizing in 3 yearly increments - 2-4y. 5-7y and 8-10y. My 6yo has the 8-10y version as she's on the taller side, so if you have a leggy little one I’d recommend sizing up.
If you’re off somewhere very hot on holiday, note that these swimming costumes won’t provide sun protection so should ideally be used in shady areas. I’ve written a piece on sun safety here which gives a few more tips and ideas on how to stay sun safe.
Although I can’t profess to be 100% to the letter when it comes to being environmentally friendly, I do my absolute best and these gorgeous products feel a step closer.
Enjoy FREE SHIPPING using code SPYSHIP at www.pureearthcollection.com
The whizzer - Kids Travel Friendly Portable eco-Toilet
I have very clear memories from when we potty trained my first daughter aged 2. It was the Summer and we were lucky enough to be spending a few weeks in rural Sweden with my family. We opted for the ‘Go Wild’ technique. This is an entirely made up technique, which essentially entails your child being predominantly naked 12 hours per day (apart from her sun hat - it was warm of course and she was slathered in sun cream too), placing multiple potties all over the house and garden and reading her body language and cues for when she wanted to go to the toilet. She picked it up fairly quickly - however when we returned home to a less naked norm, it was trickier to maintain the progress we’d made.
I recall one instance - heading off for a family day trip to a child friendly farm, which was on a guided loop - making it challenging to turn around and exit because of all the other families behind us. At the mid point when we were truly cornered, she of course needed a wee - so on the narrow path I whipped out the enormous plastic potty I’d been lugging around and popped her on it. It felt less than ideal and didn’t really offer up any privacy - with the addition of the potty walk of shame as I balanced a precarious slippery device back to the toilets trying not to spill it, because it felt too embarrassing to decant in the middle of the walkway.
With all of this in mind, I was delighted to road test the Kids Whizzer by Kiddiwhizz. Since it’s launch in 2020 and with an appearance on Dragons Den, female entrepreneur and founder Zoe Chapman has taken the company from strength to strength and it’s become a household favourite amongst parents.
The concept of this compact and discreet portable eco toilet has also found it’s use elsewhere with adults. Whether you are on the go travelling, camping, at a festival, suffer from medical conditions or are on a long journey without suitable facilities, this is an ideal solution. In the past I have not been shy about my fandom for the original Shewee - the Whizzer feels like a huge step up as it actually contains the fluid and can be used anywhere.
The Kids Whizzer
My girls tried out the glow in the dark kids whizzer. This comes in five detachable parts and is very easy to assemble and user friendly. Accessories include a carry strap (which is super to loop on to a bag or hang in the car) and a water resistant bag for you to pop it into after use (once emptied of course).
The unisex soft silicone spout is designed to provide privacy and cover your child as they go to the toilet. It is also shaped to reduce any splashing or spillage. Once finished, simply remove the entirity of the top pieces and pour away discreetly. Theres a knack to this!
My eldest loved the fact that this Whizzer was truly glow in the dark (so many glow in the dark products fall short!) and found it simple and easy to use. My toddler was curious and found it good fun to play around with, which was all I wanted from her just now - it’s a gentle introduction with no pressure! It does of course look quite different to a standard potty so I’m glad I can introduce this to her from the get go, at the same time as a larger potty - so that she’s familiar with both before we require it out and about.
The only element that could potentially improve this product is if it had been able to be totally sealed and leak proof once your child has had a wee - in the rare instance you are unable to decant the waste straight away and need to carry it around. Saying this, it IS splash proof so won’t pour out easily and it’s a minor point as I don’t know if I’d ever trust any device that claims to be leakproof, having experienced too many water bottles soak through my bag in the past.
The Adult Whizzer
My husband of course found it highly amusing that I tried out the Whizzer (I am always FULLY committed to product testing!). My adult brain had to take a moment here but actually - if you trust the device and go for it - it’s really straight forward and neat to use. I WISH I’d had this when I was pregnant as I was in constant need of the toilet in awkward places, so I’m late to the party. We do however regularly go on long car journeys and camping trips, so this is going to be so useful.
It is of course larger than the Kids Whizzer and comfortably holds up to 500ml. How many ml is the average adult wee? It can be anywhere between 250-400ml so you’re very much in the safe zone.
The adult Whizzer folds down inside itself making it slightly wider but shorter in height than the Kids version. Just don’t confuse it with your coffee keep cup if you’re a tired parent on the go!
Verdict
These products are a bit of a no-brainer for travelling with children. It’s such a small item that can save you so much angst - we ALL go through those hair raising emergency loo situations with our children, so to have back up on our person feels like a fantastic use of packing space. The handy strap means you can hang it off a backpack so it doesn’t even need to take up room inside your hand luggage.
I’d recommend having more than one as it’s been useful having one in our car permanently and one in our bag. I would also probably have separate whizzers for each child too for hygiene reasons. At a price point of £19.99 I feel this is reasonable for how much use you’d get out of it over the years. They feel sturdy and built to last and come in a variety of colour ways aside from the Glow in The Dark version.
The Whizzer will be added to our packing list from now on!
Get 10% off here or use code FSC10 at checkout.
Product Review: KURA Organic Baby Wrap
In my ultimate downloadable packing list I mention a carseat wrap as a great addition to your family holiday with a baby. Never heard of one? Well here’s all you need to know…
Whether you’re travelling by car all the way to your destination, driving to the airport, or perhaps hiring a vehicle on the other side - car journeys with children can be a challenge. In fact, if I’m being totally honest, it’s something I’ve always found pretty stressful. My eldest daughter had awful reflux when she was a baby and we lived in the countryside, around a twenty minute drive from anything I’d categorise as civilisation. (Ok this is a slight exaggeration, we had a corner shop, but I’m a DFL [Down from London] and used to instant convenience, so the rural move was a culture shock of sorts) This meant I often endured journeys consisting of multiple stops in laybys, whilst I panicked, watching her in the rear mirror to check she wasn’t being sick and frantically singing “Alice the Camel” 746 times to soothe her cries.
Aside from the reflux, car journeys can still be hairy. We’ve all experienced those danger naps - when we’re driving for less than half an hour and desperate for our tiny one NOT to fall asleep so we don’t throw off their carefully orchestrated schedule, but within seconds they are nodding off. OR we’re faced with the alternative: we smugly set off during a designated nap time, confident in the thought of peaceful drive ahead, and sleep eludes them the entire way. Until, of course, you pull in at your destination, fatigued and hoarse (from singing) and turn to find them soundly snoozing, meaning you are left sitting on the driveway for the next forty minutes.
As you can tell, I love (snort) travelling by car with my children. Ok, I’m the problem - it’s me.
The Kura Organic Baby Wrap
One thing I never worry about anymore, is snuggling my littlest up in her car seat. I have the Cybex Priam travel system which includes the ZI carseat and Isofix base. This clips off the base directly to my Priam frame - so I can move her from car to buggy seamlessly without waking her if necessary. The game changer with baby #2 was my gorgeous organic cotton, Kura carseat wrap. No more did I battle with blankets tucked in around her little legs as she vigorously wriggled and kicked them off. Blankets and babys are much like socks and babys, they never, ever, stay put for long.
The Kura wrap is a product I now ALWAYS recommend to anyone looking for the perfect gift for new parents or parents-to-be as a baby shower gift. I was gifted mine and it got non-stop use and tonnes of comments from passers by. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your pregnant friend or colleague - this is a great choice.
Sizing and Fit
The Kura Baby Wrap is versatile, perfect for your buggy as well as the car seat and has universal fit, being 3 and 5 point harness friendly. It is attached using velcro, so very manoeuvrable between car seat and pushchair (If you didn’t have a travel system.) There are two size options currently, 0-6 months (up to 8kg) and 6-12 months (up to 10kg). I found the 6-12 month size generous (in a good way for longevity) but of course it depends on how tall and leggy your little babe is as to whether toes start to poke out the bottom as they grow.
Design, Material and Care
Kura products are made using 100% GOTS Organic Cotton ~ this is always music to my ears as it’s a planet friendly brand. The outer fabric is a beautiful woven knit and the lining fabric is a super buttery soft, brushed interlock jersey fabric, which is non-toxic and uses baby safe OEKO-TEX standard inks, meaning it is safe to be worn directly against your baby’s delicate skin.
My favourite part? Poppers - with natural, coconut shell buttons. Popper buttons offer up a quick and easy fastening, securing baby into snuggle mode quickly and effortlessly. They are also pretty firm poppers which didn’t come undone whilst my daughter was moving around.
I’m pleased to share these are also machine washable at 30C - I’ve washed mine quite a few times and it has not lost it’s softness or quality.
You’ll find these come in an array of lovely natural colours - many of which are unisex, which is another reason they make a great pregnancy gift.
Verdict
If you’ve got this far, you’ll have realised I’m a big fan of this product. Since I got my wrap, the range has expanded so do have a browse…
I’d give it a 9/10 - only because I wish they did some bigger sizes for the toddler stage!
If you’re looking for some guidance around how long is safe for your baby to travel in their carseat - read my article here which has advice from the experts.
Shop the KURA wrap or anything else sitewide with 20% off using the code COSY at checkout.
Not an ad, genuinely love this product!
Bundle Bed: Family Spy Club Review
We are constantly on the move at the moment - I think having been locked down for so long we have made the most of visiting friends, family and taking all opportunities for grandparents to take care of our small person (night off anyone?!)
We first came across Bundle Beds via a friend and they had come highly recommended - I had been curious to try one for my daughter (4yrs old) and see if it solved the usual dilemma of - where should she sleep when we are away.
Options usually consist of:
Bed in another room (often meant a challenging bedtime of her telling us she’s scared in a new bed / room and one of us having to camp on the floor until she was asleep - slightly dampens the evening…plus the legitimate “will she fall out” query - which she often did…)
Cushions from the sofa dragged upstairs and pieced together with a sheet on top (usually these part ways in the middle of the night courtesy of a wriggling child, leaving a crevice and child waking up with their bottom stuck down the gap. In addition to this the adults have no sofa cushions for the duration of their stay)
Third option is drag mattress from option 1 into our bedroom. Generally heavy / won’t fit and frankly a colossal hassle)
Bundle Bed Assembly
The bundle bed arrived and assembly was pretty straight forward. At one point I contacted owner Lucy, who was super helpful and quick to reply - as I went into full baby brain and couldn’t get my mattress to slot in the mattress sleeve. Two easily resolved errors and good to know for anyone else who is as inept at self assembly as me - un-Velcro the top sheet to make space, and make sure you fully inflate the mattress. This way it fits super snug - and ta da! It even came with a little cardboard box as part of the packaging that doubled up as a castle which my daughter loved. I personally appreciated that all packaging for the bed, including the plastic cover, was fully recyclable.
We opted for a “Tot to Ten” bed with bumpers (negates the falling out the side, which my child is well versed in!) This is suitable for toddlers through to age 12 so it has a huge amount of mileage in it.
Bundle Bed Bedding
The sheets it came with are incredibly soft 100% jersey cotton. No expense has been spared here in manufacture as it would have been easy to put in cheap scratchy bedding. I LOVE this about the brand, no corners have been cut and you’re getting a great quality product.
One thing to note is you only have one set of bedding included with purchase - but you can buy extras separately, and I’d probably recommend this as if your little one has a night time wet accident while away you’ve got back up. There is also a waterproof sheet available to add on which is a big bonus and my experience was that the bedding washed well and stayed really soft (all bedding is machine washable).
There are two colour ways, the Adventurer and the Space theme. Space was a big hit for us (coincided well with learning our planets, so lots of squeals of joy for Saturn when the duvet was unveiled.)
Bundle Bed - First Night
Bundle Bed - is it worth it?
The first night we road tested the bed was at home which tiny person was delighted about. Our house is not the warmest at night but the 15 tog duvet was fantastically warm and I did check her late into the evening and she was toasty. This is great to know for those chillier camping trips - but equally, a summer duvet is available to purchase separately during the hotter months.
One thing to note is my child is generally not a great sleeper, and usually gets up once or twice a night. I’ll state my disclaimer here as a bed does not guarantee a child to sleep through the night - but we were pretty chuffed to wake up in the morning having realised we got through a whole 11.5 hours with no wake ups while she was in the bundle bed. I won’t count my eggs before they’ve hatched but the second time the bed got rolled out during a sleepover with her grandmother, we had reports of the same - a full nights sleep. I’ll leave that there…but it’s worth a whirl if you’re short on shut eye!
Four year old feedback
I asked my daughter what she liked about the bed and she told me:
“I like the planets and how many there are.”
“I like the squashy side to snuggle.” (Bumpers!)
“I want to take this to wonderland when I visit the princesses.” (She refers to Disneyland here, which seems to be advertised on a loop in our household - so looks like we’re going!)
All in all she seemed to give it a big thumbs up.
Bundle Beds - Worth it?
This bed retails at £200, plus extras - bumpers for instance were an additional £50. This feels an investment to me - the fact that we have 8 more years use of this plus a second child will use it, means it certainly offers value for money. Something to point out too is that often European holidays will charge per additional bed in your room - the bundle bed totally negates this so if you add up those costs for holidays over 8 years +, you are certainly breaking even, if not saving.
Mostly though - it’s the total convenience of literally rolling up a bed, and rolling back up. I’m very impressed with it and would certainly recommend to any families who are out and about regularly. The next time it will make an appearance is dinner with friends in a weeks time, when we will be putting her to bed in the evening before the stealth transfer into the car later on….sadly the bundle bed can’t help with that nail biting manoeuvre but for everything else, go wild 🙌
Ocado Baby Christmas Gifts -family spy club review
Well Halloween is officially over and Christmas is very much next up on the agenda. My five year old has of course discussed Christmas since her birthday in June, and Halloween had simply bought me a little more time. The present requests are now in full swing and despite wishing I was one of those people who (I am SO envious of) had the foresight to buy Christmas decorations and gifts whilst they were on sale in January – that was of course an utter pipe dream. Next year I vow (again) to be that person.
This year we welcome a new addition to the family. My second daughter was born in July and as promised by other parents with more than one child, you do become savvier the second time around. Read: Frugal.
Sadly though, I also find it comes with a certain slap dash approach of ‘Nooo they don’t need that / Oh I did that last time and it took ages / I’m not going to bother with *insert gift or activity* again. Maybe this is just me… but I’m almost saddened by my own laissez faire attitude with her and now worried the poor girl will miss out on all the things that were cute and exciting (for me mostly) the first time around.
One example of this is, I’ve already been asked by godparents and friends what the baby would like for Christmas. Well the answer up until recently has been: ‘Nothing, as she won’t know either way’. Even writing that feels a bit mean. This coupled with the fact that we have everything we ‘need’ for her from the first time around.
I was delighted when asked by bloss to review some of Ocado’s goodies for the festive period. It meant some gift inspiration for both girls and of course meant I clawed back some semblance of decency with my parenting.
Stocking fillers
I’m a sucker for Christmas themed items and one of the first little treats was a ‘My First Christmas’ Bib from M&S which is super sweet and will definitely bring some Christmas cheer to the dinner table!
My five year old daughter is also in for some fab stocking fillers, with Janet & Allan Ahlbergs classic book “Funny Bones’ in the mix (my husband is in the medical profession so this is an ode to him!) as well as 1001 Encanto Stickers and a Frozen themed memory game.
Rainbow Stacker / Thats Not My Dinosaur Book
My littlest is only four months old but this is the fun time when babies start to really be interested in things, specifically grabbing. I discovered she was at this stage the hard way as she grabbed my bowl of cereal one morning recently and it flew across the room, five minutes before leaving for the school run.
It’s an early Christmas present (that I’ll be wrapping up and re-gifting her as she won’t remember) but the wooden Rainbow Stacker has gone down a storm. I love the fact it has some longevity too over the next 12 months as I understand it’s great for children's motor skills and coordination.
Another sensory treat, and a super gift is the very sweet “That’s Not My Dinosaur' book. We’re such a fan of this touch and feel book series in our house. My eldest daughter loves dinosaurs, so it’s proven to be a really special little book for them to read together.
Calpol Vapour Plug-In
Something that has been useful for both girls during this delightful cough-and-cold season is the Calpol Vapour Plug-In. I’d not actually used these before and simply relied on oral calpol when they were poorly. However, the struggle (especially with a baby who relies on a dummy) is the blocked nose which makes sleep elusive, pretty much non-existent.
The plug-in worked much better than I’d expected and definitely took the edge off congestion for both of them. It lasts around eight hours, so it’s perfect for overnight. Refill tablets are available to buy so it's one to hang on to for the winter months!
Weleda Body Wash & Shampoo / Childs Farm
I’m a bit of a stickler for bathtime in our house. I am quite picky about the products I use for the children and mindful of the ingredients (many products claim to be natural but the extracts are minimal!).
Although Weleda Body Wash & Shampoo doesn’t tick EVERY box, it is one of the more natural products. It’s great for sensitive skin and I have used it for bathtime bubbles, shampoo and body wash so it’s very versatile. I equally love the Childs Farm range. Their fragrance-free body wash is a lovely all rounder, as buying the super everything-free-ultra natural brands does get expensive when you’re bathing two every night! I like how affordable this was.
Oral B Junior Electric Toothbrush
My eldest daughter will also be receiving a toothbrush upgrade this Christmas from Ocado. The Oral B Junior Electric Toothbrush comes in purple which I already know means it will go down well. This has a useful timer on it and is similar enough to our adult toothbrushes that I know she’ll get the hang of it quickly watching and brushing her teeth at the same time as us.
Professional Dentists apparently suggest you continue to help your child with teeth brushing until age six or seven to make sure they have fully cleaned their teeth. But I’m hoping this will take some of the leg work out for us! I don’t know about other parents but getting my child to stand still for long enough to get a toothbrush around her mouth is nigh on impossible!
Halo Swaddle
Up until recently, my baby daughter was swaddled for all naps and at night. Something we did when our first was little too. But babies are crafty and despite numerous attempts with different products, she always managed to break free and inevitably woke herself up.
I LOVED using the Halo Sleep Sack this time around. It took the fuss out of swaddling and gave options for her arms to be in or out, hands to face. Plus, because of the design, it didn’t inhibit her hip development. This product is actually recognised by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute for peace of mind.
I also appreciated the zip at the bottom for easy nappy changes when she was in that half-asleep state! We have the Halo Cot so I like this brand and would certainly recommend the swaddle.
DryNites - Huggies
Although she will be upset in years to come for me mentioning this, my older daughter is still in nappies overnight currently (age 4). Having researched this thoroughly and speaking to a couple of experts, I understand this is a hormone related symptom. It is in fact very normal / common for children to still wet the bed overnight up until age seven with no concerns.
She has however asked me herself now if she can stop using nappies. Which is fine except we need to manage the inevitable accidents that are bound to occur. I’ve already bought waterproof duvet covers and sheets, one great hack from another parent was to have multiple layers of sheets and waterproofs so you can literally whip one layer off in the night and have a clean one underneath! Genius!
I wanted to transition her into ‘Nappy Pants’ and the Huggies DryNites have been ideal. Mainly because they are Frozen themed, so she was excited to wear them. But they also have the feel of pants whilst maintaining the absorbancy. This is still a work in progress but so far so good!
Overall, what I came to find having shopped and reviewed Ocado’s childrens range, is that the gifts and goodies available pleasantly surprised me. There was a perfect balance between necessity and fun. Even some of the gifts came with a side helping of developmental learning! Win-Win…
If you’re looking to get your Christmas gifts, kids necessities and groceries all in one place for a very fuss-free festive period, I’d thoroughly recommend checking out what Ocado has to offer.
December 2022
Car Seat Review: The CYBEX Solution G i-Fix High Back Booster Seat
We realised we needed a car seat upgrade when we spotted that our 4 year old, Rudy, was suddenly taller than the headrest of his toddler car seat. How did that happen? It feels like only yesterday that we transitioned him from his newborn seat!
With relatives and friends dotted all over the country, we go on lots of road trips as a family. Safety is obviously our number one priority for a car seat, but we also wanted something that was comfortable for Rudy on long journeys and wouldn’t need replacing after the next growth spurt.
Cue the CYBEX Solution G i-Fix High Back Booster, which ticks all the boxes in terms of safety and comfort and is suitable from 3 years (or 100cm) up to 12 years old – so no future upgrades needed for a while!
Why we love the CYBEX Solution G carseat
1. A car seat with top safety features
It feels like a big step going from a toddler car seat to a booster seat, but the added safety features of the Solution G make the transition feel very reassuring.
When compared to a backless booster, a high back booster seat significantly reduces the risk of injury to a child because of its winged side protection.
In the event of a collision, the Solution G’s linear side-impact protection system can divert up to 20% of side impact forces away from your child and comes with an energy-absorbing shell to neutralise the force.
The seat also has shoulder belt routing which can be adjusted to your child’s size to ensure the correct seatbelt position at all times and further improve their comfort and safety when travelling.
2. No complaints when it comes to comfort
Car journeys with children can be stressful enough without them complaining about being uncomfortable. Rudy wasn't keen on being strapped into his toddler seat and would often complain that the straps were too tight after long periods of time in the car.
He absolutely loves the comfort of the Solution G and described himself as ‘a king on a throne’ when he first sank into the seat! The cushioning and fabric are very soft, with a plush look and feel you’d expect from a premium product.
The 3-point seatbelt harnessing allows him to feel less restricted in the high back booster compared with his toddler car seat, but the guided seatbelt routing gives me the peace of mind that the seatbelt is secure and in the right position at all times.
There’s also an in-built air ventilation system that directs heat away from the seat to help keep your little one cool. We’ll be grateful for this during long Summer road trips!
One of the best features of the Solution G is the reclining headrest with 3 adjustable positions, which prevents your child’s head from dropping forwards into a vulnerable position when they fall asleep.
There’s also a one-handed seat recline lever to allow you to adjust their sleeping position if they doze off. This can be done without removing the seatbelt so you’re able to switch between the two when on the move.
3. A car seat to grow with your child
Being a parent can be expensive, so it comes as a welcome relief to find a reliable product that really grows with your child - from 3 to 12 years old.
The headrest is height adjustable, with scope to see your child through their primary school years and beyond, and the flexible side wings allow plenty of room to accommodate their rapid growth spurts.
And, as the Solution G is likely to do plenty of mileage over the years, you’ll be pleased to know that the covers are machine washable too!
How to install the Cybex Solution G i-FIX High Back Booster
The Solution G comes in one piece, so no fiddly assembly is required. The car seat is equipped with an ISOFIX System which clicks directly into the ISOFOX anchorage points already in your car and makes installation really easy.
I didn’t know this was a feature of our car until I started looking for the anchorage points, handily marked with a small circular button labelled ‘ISOFIX’. Check the passenger seats in your car if you are unsure, although it can also be installed using the seatbelt alone if you don’t have the anchorage points.
The product manual is hidden inside a compartment under the backrest (which would have been tricky to find had I not watched an installation video online) and it details everything you need to know about finding the correct headrest position and how to secure your child in the seat itself.
Click here to check if your car is compatible, and if so, in which seats the Solution G can be installed.
The Verdict:
The Solution G ticks all the boxes for us and gets road-tested approval from Rudy and me. I love the enhanced safety features, easy installation and value for money, especially considering it will last us such a long time.
Rudy loves feeling like royalty when sitting back in the comfy padding but the absolute cherry on the cake for him was that it is red - his favourite colour!
Product Specifications:
UN R129/03
Height: 100 cm - 150 cm
Weight: From approx. 15 kg up to 50 kg
Age: From approx 3 up to 12 years
The chief car seat tester for this review is 4 years old, 102cm and weighs 16kg. The vehicle is a Renault Captur.
Katy Rigg
