When you’re expecting a baby their are so many things you have to buy, some of which are essentials, many of which are not. For me, this is the absolute most important thing you will purchase for your tiny bundle. The car seat! If you have a car and intend to take your baby out in it then safety is paramount.
Although some hospitals will allow you to collect your baby in numerous ways the majority like to see you have a suitable car seat before letting you leave, whether it be by car taxi or train if you want to take your newborn home in the safest way possible you’ll be wanting one of these.
Before Taylor was born I spent months looking at car seats, surely theirs not that much to them? New flash, their is so much to learn. First off they have expiration dates, seriously. It’s also advised to buy new as you may not know if a pre-owned seat has been in an accident and become weak. You’ll want your seat to be rear-facing, behind the passenger seat, with no active air bags. Where possible an iso-fix base is the wisest option making it easy to put the seat in and out of the car.
Car seats range from cheaper basic models to more technical and pricier models. We opted for the Cybex Aton-Q in Autumn Gold and it delivered in all areas. Retailing at £175.00 it was certainly one of the more high-end seats we’d come across and it ticked all of the safety boxes for us. Cybex are also a brand we had heard countless praise for in the car seat industry. Who knew it was possible to love a car seat so much. The Aton Q is a Group 0+ seat from birth up to approximately 18 months featuring an Energy absorbing shell and extra wide Y straps to ensure your baby is safe.
My two favourite features of this seat are the L.S.P System and the Height-Adjustable Headrest. The L.S.P System (Telescopic Linear Side-Impact Protection) is telescopic poles that slide out on either side. In the event of an accident they absorb pressure from a side impact. The height-adjustable head rest adds to baby’s safety and comfort moving as they grow. These features for me really add to the safety aspect of this product when compared to others we looked at which really lacked in these areas.
You also have a large sun canopy hood with UVP50 protection, an integrated harness guide and removable seat insert. I love how the instruction manual is stored on the seat itself, this has come in handy before now when I took the car seat in a relatives car and fitted it using the seat belt instead of an isofix base, having never done this before I’d have been lost without the handy hidden manual.
We’ve done everything from 10 minute journeys to 12 hour journeys (with breaks every two hours for Taylor to have a stretch) and had no troubles. I’ve also used it on our pram when we go shopping and found the hood to be useful.
Taylor is still comfortable in his Aton Q, his head is cushioned perfectly in the adjustable headrest, and the padded straps keep him safe and secure.
Overall the Cybex Aton Q has an array of safety features which made it easy for us to choose what we felt was the best car seat for our unborn baby at the time.
