A Big Boy car seat is one of those big milestone purchases that’s just as exciting for parents as for your child. Much like a first bed, first shoes, and first mobile phone, it involves lots of research and some head-scratching, it’s definitely a sign that they’re growing up!

Dexter was in a Maxi Cosi baby car seat for his first 13 months. Although it served us well, when tufts of his hair began to creep over the top of the headrest, we knew it was time to upgrade! But choosing a car seat is not an easy thing and Craig and I just couldn’t decide which car seat to buy. One of my most embarrassing parenting moments to date came when I mistakenly thought you had to weigh your child naked on Mothercare’s scales to see which car seat they are best suited to. Shoppers and sales assistants weren’t quite sure how to react when Dex got stage fright and wee’ed in the scales!

When BRITAX offered to take away the stress and select a car seat on our behalf, I was relieved and eternally grateful. Craig has OCD when it comes to research and I was getting car seat fatigue. We just needed something safe, comfortable and that fits in our Ford Focus. I have to say that their suggested model (The BRITAX MAX-FIX rearward facing ISOFIX Group 0+ & 1 car seat... just try and say that after a few drinks!!!) was spot on and we couldn’t be happier.

So what makes this über sexy car seat so special?

• It’s suitable from birth up until 18kg (approx aged 4)
• It’s rearward facing which is considered the safest way for under 4′s to travel
• It has a 5 point harness (with one pull adjustment) - If you’re scratching your head on this, check out why 5 point harnesses are so important
• It has an ISOFIX system that allows direct connection to the car’s ISOFIX anchorage points (this bad boy won’t be moving anywhere!)
• There are multiple recline positions for ultimate comfort - it’s supremely easy to adjust without disrupting a sleepy child
• It’s ideal for small cars as it’s not as bulky as other seats on the market
• It has deep, softly padded side wings to provide optimum side impact protection
• It’s fully height adjustable with 5 different settings so it can grow with your child.

I’ve taken some piccies outside of the car so you can best appreciate just how roomy this seat is. There’s plenty of depth to accommodate his bum and legs, and whilst being contoured around his tummy and back, there’s still plenty of wriggle room for my fidgety tot. When you make the upgrade you definitely appreciate how cooped up they’ve been in their baby seat - we’ve never had so many smiles on photo shoot before (we’re talking full-blown giggles)!

We took our seat to our local Mothercare to have it fitted. This isn’t necessary but I’d recommend it for total pice of mind. This installation video shows how simple it is if you are confident enough to pop it in yourself. I was really impressed that there were several green indicators to show that the foot prop and ISOFIX were fully secure and engaged. As we’d hold our hands up to being clueless first-time parents, this made us feel better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv164J6Kx8k

Once in, adjusting it to fit Dexter was simple.

As regards transferring Dex to and from the seat, there are handy little harness holders at each side of the seat. You basically thread the shoulder harness through these whenever you plunk him in. This means you aren’t scrambling to find all the all the different components of the harness when you come to plug him in. Once the 5 point harness is locked, there’s a one pull adjuster to tighten (found near baby’s feet).

To recline baby, you simply twist a knob at the base of the seat. This is fabulous as you can do it when they’re asleep without them even realising. Better still, there are knobs on each side so it doesn’t matter whether baby rides behind the driver or passenger seat.

Adjusting the headrest is easy peasy too. You flip open the console at the back of the chair, and can set the height with just one hand (recommendation is that the highest visible part of the seat belt should be in line with the top of baby’s shoulder).

The verdict? Dexter LOVES it. He’s always been a brilliant traveller and we’re yet to experience a meltdown, but he seems even happier now he has room to stretch his legs. We went ahead and bought a baby seat mirror from JoJo Maman Bebe that allows us to check in on him throughout the journey. When he’s not sleeping away, he’s watching the world slide by out of the window (as car seats give children a natural boost he’s able to see much more than before). I must admit I was looking forward to having him face us when we upgraded, but you can’t beat a rearward facing seat for promoting sleep on long journeys. As he can’t see us, he’s learning to entertain himself and get in those zzz’s!

At £275, it’s unbeatable value for money. As it will last you from birth to approx age 4, you simply won’t find a first class car seat any cheaper. Although there is always to temptation to buy car seats secondhand on eBay - if there’s one piece of advice you take from this post, I hope it will be that you don’t buy a pre-loved car seat. You can’t be sure they haven’t been involved in an accident and that all is in perfect working order - it’s not worth the risk.

In terms of features, safety and comfort, I’d give the BRITAX MAX-FIX a 5/5. Having researched all about shield protection alternatives, I’m utterly convinced children are safest in a BRITAX and I’m delighted Dexter is now in one.

BRITAX are all over the web! It’s well worth following them on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for all the latest news and tutorials. Don’t forget you can also buy direct from the BRITAX online store too with free delivery!

DISCLAIMER: I was sent a BRITAX MAX-FIX for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.