Priori Convertible Car Seat - Penguin
by Maxi-Cosi
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Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Priori Convertible Car Seat - Penguin
Customer Review: There are better options
Summary: 3 Stars
The Priori is an ok seat. The construction and design are both good. The seat cover is well-made and nicely cushioned. The seat makes good use of EPS foam in the head area. And the independent recline is a nice feature. We returned our seat, though, because although this is a good car seat, there are better car seats available (namely, the Britax Roundabout, which is now our main car seat for our 8 month old).
When we compared the Priori to the Roundabout, we found that the Priori has a lot of minor but still irritating deficiencies. Here's what we didn't like about the Priori: (a) the crotch buckle doesn't release smoothly, (b) the shoulder straps seem too narrow and appear to squash my son's neck (especially around the shoulder strap pads), (c) the recline adjustor's main component is a cheap-looking spring (exactly like a spring you would expect to find on a Cosco or Safety 1st seat), (d) the plastic seat frame is black and thus will get hot (we live in Atlanta), (e) out of the box, the plastic base had an ugly white stretch mark, which can be a sign of cheap plastic, (f) the seat doesn't come with a level (neither does the Roundabout), (g) the seat is not designed to use its top tether in the rear-facing position, (h) the seat was manufactured eight months ago (that's a long time when you consider these car seats "expire" in five years), (i) the seat doesn't clearly state where it was made, (j) the warning label that is sewn into the cover is paper not cloth, (k) the seat was made on a Saturday (September 22, 2007) (how good can a car seat made on a weekend be?), and (l) the Priori's straps are not as silky smooth as the Roundabout's straps.
In sum, the Priori is a good but not excellent car seat. If you can find one reasonably priced, it might be a good secondary car seat for your child. But with gas prices where they are now, I'm pretty sure that my driving volume won't be high enough anymore to necessitate anything but a primary car seat. If gas prices drop or if I'm wrong about needing a secondary seat, I will probably buy a reasonably priced Graco or splurge on another Roundabout.
Customer Review: Our daughter loves it!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
My daughter is very small for her age. She is 13 months and only 15 pounds 10 oz.. She was nearly too tall for her infant seat...graco snugride...so we needed one that could be rear-facing for her but last a decent amount of time.
I rarely write reviews but always read them before I purchase anything big like this. We went with this one because of a review I read on Target regarding the size. I was very concerned about how much space this (or any convertable seat) would take up rear-facing. We have a Chevy uplander mini van but my parents have an impala and it needed to fit in there as well. It fits perfectly in both cars with plenty of room to spare for the driver and passenger in the front seats.
We are also thrilled that our daughter doesn't cry anymore when we are in the car. She falls asleep most of the time now and if she isn't sleeping she is happy. She used to cry often in her infant seat.
As for the problem I read regarding the straps. We've had no problems. I know that they recommend that you don't put heavy coats on your kids when they are in their car seats but we live in Central NY and warm jackets aren't an option....with temperatures below zero just a blanket won't due going from the car to the store. We are able to adjust the straps without a problem to ensure that she is snug in there with or without her coat.
The set-up was easy too. I admit that my husband did it the first time but just the other day I needed to move it to my parents car and he was able to explain over the phone what to do. It was simple.
I love this seat. I only wish we had gotten it sooner for her. We are planning to get another one if we are fortunate enough to have another child. My guess is that our daughter will be in this for some time. I plan to keep her rear-facing as long as possible and since we are trying now to get pregnant again it looks like we will need another one. we are even debating just using this from the very beginning instead of an infant seat.
I would highly recommend this to anyone!!!!
Customer Review: Looks great, but hard to buckle!
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this carseat after agonizing for weeks and reading all good and bad reviews. I also considered the Britax Marathon and Roundabout but ended up going with the Maxi Cosi in the Chili Pepper color.
The Pros:
The seat looks really nice. The color is definitely girly pink but I loved that for my little girl. The fabic is soft enough, and fairly plush.
I also like that you able to recline the seat while your child is in it however it did not recline as far as I expected it to, it was enough to allow for more comfortable napping. I have not used this feature yet as my daughter is still rear facing (and the upright to fully reclined feature is only used forward facing).
I did not find that it was all that difficult to adjust the strap height or to install it in the car. Reading the instructions was helpful and I probably could not have done it without them.
The cons:
I have found that it is difficult to tighten the straps once my child is seated. I'm hoping that as the seat gets more "broken in" it will get easier. It takes a lot of pulling and adjusting the chest clip. It never seems to get as tight as her infant seat did.
The biggest con is definitely the buckle. It takes just about all my strength and sometimes more than one try to unbuckle this thing!! My thumbs actually hurt after a day of practicing a few times. I discovered that if you put one thumb over the other and press with all your might you can dislodge those things, but it's not easy. It almost makes me miss my Snug Ride! I guess the positive side of it is that I don't have to worry about my baby releasing herself and getting loose in my backseat.
I have had some second thoughts about purchasing this seat and probably would have gone with the Marathon if I had a chance to do it over again. In all it is a very nice looking seat but the buckle is frustrating and it takes a little more effort to make sure the harness is adjusted tighly.
Customer Review: This seat has it all!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this carseat for my 2-year-old daughter as a replacement for a seat we had been loaned. We bought it this afternoon and were able to adjust the harness straps and install it using the LATCH system in less than 1/2 hour. My daughter went right in and the first thing she said was, "It's soft!"
The one thing I was looking for in a new carseat that we did not have with the Britax Roundabout we had been loaned was substantial sides so that when my daughter falls asleep in the car (as she does often) that her head would be supported. The Priori has wide enough sides without being too big. The added bonus of this seat is that it has not only a bottom base but also a back base so it reclines on its own track and doesn't have to be removed from the LATCH or seatbelt.
Well, we got to test it out right away because sure enough my daughter fell asleep in the car for our 1/2 hour drive home from my parents' house. I reached behind me at a red light, reclined the seat with one hand, and her head stayed against the side and she was soooo comfortable the whole way home, she didn't move once! Usually as her head droops, she startles and wakes a few times. But there was no head drooping at all!
I really think we are going to enjoy this car seat for many reasons. It's a nice subtle pattern, soft and comfortable, safe, easy to install and use, and the recline is a great feature. We are very happy we bought this seat!
Customer Review: Nice Car Seat but terrible material
Summary: 3 Stars
I own the Maxi-Cosi Priori car seat and although it is very safe, and has some great features the fabric does not hold up well and is very hard to effectively clean. The directions say to just spot clean, but when you are dealing with normal toddler activities like drinking, eating, or the occasional diaper accident it never seems to get clean just by spot cleaning it. My car seat is in the cream and blue color so all stains and dirt show very easily and even with wiping it down it still looks very dirty. Also the foam padding underneath the fabric collects a lot of dirt and crumbs and is impossible to clean. It is like a complete germ haven in my opinion. The seams of the cover are also coming loose. I called Maxi-Cosi customer service to see if I could get a replacement fabric cover since I intended on using this seat for my second child and was told it only has a 12 month warranty (I purchased this seat from Babies R Us about 16 months ago.) The representative was not very nice and told me that I should expect wear on the fabric. I'm sorry but seams ripping is NOT normal wear after less than a year and a half of use. This is the second Maxi-Cosi car seat I have purchased that had the same issues with ripping apart at the seams of the fabric and I only purchase them for their safety . I WILL NOT be purchasing another Maxi-Cosi product after their terrible customer service and them not honoring their faulty products.