The Maxi Cosi Euro has lower shoulder height markers compared to Britax and Infa. The Isofix system doesn’t work effectively, and may not be as tight as a seat belt installation. Many families have found this seat genuinely challenging to install properly.
โ ๏ธ Can the Maxi Cosi Euro be trusted?
Maxi Cosi released a child restraint that wasn’t certified by SAI Global, and kept repeating that it was “just paperwork.” SAI Global eventually confirmed the seats weren’t certified, and the ACCC issued a formal recall notice.
In our opinion, we would not trust Maxi Cosi again after this.
๐ Maxi Cosi Euro car seats recalled โ update June 2015
On 15 March 2015, information was released that new Maxi Cosi Euro A4 child restraints had been released, called the Maxi Cosi Euro NXT.
On 15 June 2015, Dorel finally admitted their A4 Euro car seats were not certified by SAI Global, following a public question from a customer named David George.
Faulty A2 restraint: on 11 June, a customer posted a video on the Maxi Cosi Facebook page showing the harness loosening after being tightened โ another factor in the ACCC recall.
๐ง Maxi Cosi ISOGO (Isofix)
Don’t buy the Maxi Cosi Euro just for the Isofix โ you’ll likely be disappointed with the performance and difficulty of installing it this way.
Because you need to tension the Isofix connectors toward the centre of the seat, achieving a solid green indication can be genuinely difficult.
Turning it forward-facing to use the Isofix connectors can feel futile โ even with the tightening strap now inline, securing a proper fit is still difficult on some cars. BMW and Mercedes complicate things further.
For seat belt installation forward-facing, you need to remove the Isofix connectors from their pocket first, before threading the seat belt through the approved path.
There’s no longer an option to buy a Maxi Cosi Euro without Isofix.
โฉ๏ธ Rear-facing Maxi Cosi Euro
The Maxi Cosi Euro is a convertible seat suitable from birth to approximately 4 years of age โ a long-term investment for families.
Rear-facing is the safest way to travel, and combined with Maxi Cosi’s Air Protect side impact protection, it’s the best way to protect the head and neck.
With the Maxi Cosi Euro, your baby can travel rear-facing for up to 12 months. Once their shoulders reach the lower height marker, you can turn the seat around.
A4 Maxi Cosi Euro (updated July 2015)
The Euro now comes as an A4, meaning extended rear-facing until an average of 24 months (based on parent feedback). All A4 extended rear-facing restraints have three height markers: the first is the minimum torso length before turning the child around, best practice is to stay rear-facing until the second marker, and the third is the 4-year height marker.
๐ฝ Harness issues
Loosening the harness
The first thing you’ll notice is that the harness pads aren’t loose โ they’re fixed at the top of the harness. This might not seem like an issue in the shop, but when you try to loosen the harness to fit around your child’s shoulders, you need to pull forward and from the bottom of the harness, not the top. This isn’t obvious, and many parents have spent years pulling from the top out of habit.
Secure harness
The shoulder pads being attached at the top makes it difficult for anyone without much arm strength to tighten the harness properly. This is a genuine safety concern โ potentially even a recall-level issue โ if there wasn’t a workaround. If a parent can’t tighten the harness sufficiently, they may leave it loose, compromising the restraint’s integrity.
The workaround: disconnect the shoulder pads from the fabric โ they’re attached by Velcro on the back of the cover.
Update โ shoulder pads: the Euro NXT no longer has the shoulder pads attached to the seat fabric. We can only assume Maxi Cosi realised this was causing real problems for parents trying to tighten the harness.
Plastic on harness adjustment levers
There’s a tendency for the plastic to slide off the harness adjustment levers at the top of the seat if a parent presses upwards and inward. Once it’s come off, it’s almost impossible to get the plastic back on.
Not recommended
The wicking fabric is the Euro’s biggest asset, along with the easy harness adjustment once you understand it โ but given the recall history, Isofix problems, and harness tightening issues, we feel there are better alternatives on the market for the money. Being only a 0โ4 restraint makes it a somewhat disappointing pick overall.
โ Frequently asked questions
Is the Maxi Cosi Euro recommended? ๏ผ
Why was the Maxi Cosi Euro recalled? ๏ผ
Does the Isofix system work well on this seat? ๏ผ
How do I loosen the harness correctly? ๏ผ
Has the shoulder pad issue been fixed? ๏ผ
What age range does the Euro suit? ๏ผ
Maxi Cosi Car Seat Installation
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