Recommended – The Britax Maxi guard is an extended harnessing car seat; which will take your child from roughly 12 months of age through to at least 7/8 years of age. The Maxi Guard is easy to loosen and tighten the harness; with a great recline allowing your child to sleep in the car seat without head-flop. The Britax Maxi Guard will be the last seat you will need.
Out of the Box
When you unpack your new Britax Maxi Guard it will have still have all the marketing attached, and setup in the upright position, with the small child insert still in. Step one; cut off all the tags and remove the insert (loosen harness and lift out) . The insert is intended for smaller children. Despite being labelled as 6 months to 8 years, best practice is to keep children rear facing for at least 12 – 14 months before turning them forward facing and using the Maxi Guard
Installation
The Maxi Guard will be set to upright position when out of the box. It is recommended to set the maxi guard to recline before installing the car seat. To set the recline; pull the pedestal down, move the pedestal to the recline position and push into place.. Lastly remove the tether strap from the pouch on the side, remove the anchor bolt and lengthen the tether strap for easier connection.
It is recommended to use a good car seat protector before placing the Britax Maxi Guard onto the seat. Attach the tether strap to the anchor point and tension to 90%. Thread the seat belt through and pull the lap section of the belt so that it is taut. plug in seat-belt and pull from sash section to tension it. Tighten the tether strap. When you have any doubt about the installation seek out a ACRI Certified professional car seat installe
Which Maxi Guard
Since the introduction of the original Safe n Sound Maxi Guard; the Britax Maxi Guard now comes in three variations, Basic, Pro and Pro+.
Basic Maxi Guard
The Basic maxi guard retails for around $379; and is the cheapest offering narrow width and the safe 15 mm harness adjustment, keeping your child safer. The basic maxi guard; is the seat that you use when trying to fit three car seats across the back seat.
Maxi Guard Pro
The Britax Maxi Guard PRO comes with a number of safety improvements over the basic version. The first noticable change is the SICT on the body and the headrest; making the width of the pro; 2 – 3 cm wider than the basic version. The Pro version also comes with its own neoprene car seat protector; thermo fabric (keeping bubs cool), and cup holders (designed for tetra packs). The maxi Guard Pro is best when you have only one or two children.
Maxi Guard Pro+
The Britax Maxi Guard Pro+; is the same as the maxi guard pro with minimal difference; with the exception of using memory foam in the seat. Not worth the extra cost.
Conclusion
The Maxi Guard is the last seat you will need, it is the best and safest extended harnessing seat available. Out of the three variations only 2 can be recommended, The basic version is recommended as the first choice and especially when you needs three car seats across the back seat. The Pro version is recommended when you want additional comfort and protection and when you only have a maximum of two children.