In a nutshell

A great, comfy and easy to use car seat with several positions and plenty of room for growth

What we tested

  • Ease of installing
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
  • Comfort
    A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.
  • Safety features
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
  • Style
    A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.
  • Durability
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
  • Worth the money
    A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
Overall Rating
A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Pros

  • Easy to get baby in and out, easy to install, five recline positions, safety indicator turns green when straps are tight enough

Cons

  • Protective cover around the buckle can make belting up tricky

Stylish without compromising on comfort, the award-winning Maxi-Cosi Tobi offers a range of features that take the stress out of driving your toddler safely around in a car.

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Maxi-Cosi produces some of the best-selling and most award-winning car seats in the UK market and with the Tobi, it’s easy to see why. The Tobi has many well thought out features, that add up to making a really user-friendly and ultra-safe car seat. It’s clear that the company responds to feedback from parents, as it seems to have thought of everything.

As a Group 1 car seat, this is suitable from around the age of 9 months, depending on the size of your baby. It’s a forward facing seat, which will last until your child is around 4.

What we love

One of the best features about this seat is the straps. Rather than just hanging down once your tot is taken out of the seat, they stay in position as though they are still round your child’s shoulders, which makes getting him back in again so simple – no battles to prevent him sitting on the straps.

The straps are also very easy to adjust – you just pull and they become longer or shorter, and a safety indicator at the base of the seat turns green when the straps are tight enough, so you know your child is safe.

But remember, here at MFM we always think it's better to get an expert to show you how to safely install a car seat in your vehicle before you buy it.

With five recline positions that are simple to switch between with just one hand, it means your tot can be comfortable sitting up looking through the window or having a sleep.

There is also plenty of room for growth in this well-padded seat, but unlike some it’s snug and comfy-looking for smaller babies who have outgrown their first seats.

An added bonus is the fact it has removable, washable covers, which makes it easy to clean – pretty useful with a messy toddler on board! You can also buy extra covers, and the belt pads are easy to remove for washing purposes too.

Click here to buy the Maxi-Cosi Tobi on Amazon

As your tot grows it’s easy to adjust the position of the headrest and straps, which means it can grow with him. Although most of us will keep a Group 1 car seat in the car most of the time (unless you have to keep moving it from one vehicle to another), if you do have to remove it, it's actually very easy to take in and out and fits most models of car too.

The best thing about this is that the back of the seat has labelled seat routing for the seatbelt, which means it shows you exactly where to thread the seatbelt to keep it firmly in place.

What to watch out for

If pushed to name one downside, it would be the small issue of the protective cover round the seatbelt buckle, which sometimes slips and gets in the way of doing the seatbelt up, but this is only a minor issue.

It also isn’t ISOFIX compatible, so it’s important that you carefully follow the instructions when you fit it in your car. However, fixing is an easy process.

Who is the Maxi-Cosi Tobi best for?

All parents, but particularly those frequently moving seats from one car to another.

MadeForMums verdict

With its clever functionality and ease of use, it’s clear when you first install this seat in your car why it has won so many awards. Although price-wise it’s at the higher end of the market, it’s still cheaper than many others, and worth the expense.

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First reviewed 2009. Updated 20/07/2015.

Product Specifications

Product
BrandMaxi-Cosi
ModelTobi
Price£199.00
Suitable for
Child age (approx)9 months to 4 years
Dimensions & Weight
Weight8.9kg
Features
Removeable cover for washingYes
Recline positions5
Height adjustible headrestYes
Accessories
Optional extrasReplacement seat cover (£60),summer cover in ecru,navy or aqua (£25)
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