Tried & Tested
On trial: Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro i-Size
A sliding car seat that’s about to save your back
As a new parent, I was overwhelmed with the sheer amount of car seat options out there. What exactly was I looking for apart from the obvious: a safe way to transport my baby from A to B? A slide, that’s what. Intrigued? Keep reading…
What is it?
The Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro i-Size car seat is a Group 0+ car seat, meaning you’ll need it from the newborn stage until your baby is approximately 15 months old (or 87cm). It will fit in most cars, although if you’re unsure head to a John Lewis store near you for advice from our Partners. The seat is best used with the FamilyFix 360 Isofix base (sold separately) and is also compatible with Maxi-Cosi strollers as well as a few other brands – you can get more advice on this at your local John Lewis.
It comes in three colours: Essential Black, Essential Graphite and Essential Green, and is built for comfort with a sun canopy, an adjustable headrest, newborn inlay, ClimaFlow panels and high-performance, 100% recycled breathable fabrics that maximise air circulation to ensure your child is always at the right temperature.
Safety is at its core: the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro i-Size features Maxi-Cosi’s integrated G-Cell side impact protection and it’s TÜV certified for use on planes so your baby can travel safely in all recline positions (though it’s always good to check with your airline first).
I can’t mention the seat without highlighting its quite frankly revolutionary SlideTech™ technology, which makes getting baby in and out of the seat so much easier. With the FamilyFix 360 Pro base, you can simply rotate and slide the seat towards you and back again at the click of a button and you’re ready to go.
11-month-old Clémentine delighted to be road testing the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro i-Size.
How easy is it to use?
If there is such a thing as an easiness rating then I would rate the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro i-Size as a solid 10/10. It’s easy to clip on and off the Isofix base, but that’s not its main appeal. The stars of the show are the one-hand rotation clip and SlideTech™, which lets you swivel the car seat and slide it towards you and back, crucially avoiding backache and head bangs. Another key detail: the harness stays out of the way so that you can easily place your child into the seat with minimal struggle (from both myself and the baby) and it clips in super easily too. The straps can be easily adjusted at the click of a button.
If you want to transfer the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro i-Size into your stroller, that’s easy too. All you need to do is press the memory buttons to lift up the handle, then pull the release button to lift the car seat off its base and you can then click it onto your stroller.
Clémentine getting comfortable in her new Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro i-Size.
What I love about it
Maxi-Cosi is all about making parenting easier by removing the daily challenges and with this seat it delivers. It’s safe, stylish and ridiculously easy to use. The slide feature is a gamechanger – if you’ve just had a C-section it’ll avoid any uncomfortable reaching and twisting, and if you’ve generally got a bad back from carrying a baby around a lot, then this won’t make it worse. I did my back in when I was pregnant and was worried about it happening again, so this was a big deciding factor for me.
The metrics that matter
Ease of useWhen you’re constantly carrying a baby around, anything you can use one-handed is a dream come true. I can easily slide the seat towards me using just one hand, meaning no awkward contorting or head bashing (mine or the baby’s). Then strapping the baby in and sliding the seat back is – if you’ll forgive the pun – child’s play.
ComfortNot a lot of car seats offer a full lie-flat position but the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro i-Size is one of them. If I’m driving a longer distance and I want my daughter to nap in the car, I just recline the seat to the max and it works like magic. The lie-flat offers a more natural sleep position as it helps keep the baby’s airways more open, so I’m safe in the knowledge that she’s breathing easily.
Value for moneyThere’s no point sugar-coating it, having a baby is an expensive business and car seats are one of the pricier items you’ll have to pay for, but you can’t put a price on safety. The car seat is £259.99 and lasts until your baby is around 15 months old, which works out at £17 a month – excellent value for such a safe and stylish seat. It also comes with a two-year warranty so you’re fully covered in case of any unlikely mishaps. The game-changing FamilyFix 360 Pro base comes in at £219.99, and with that you have the ability to swivel the car seat and slide it towards you - an innovative feature I couldn't be without.
