Chicco Neptune review

What we love

The Chicco Neptune is full of surprises. On first sight I thought it looked a bit sporty for a girl but once my daughter Tippi was in it she looked so pleased with herself I couldn’t help but explore it further, and the stylish design grew on me.

The seat itself looks rather large because it’s tall, and I thought it might be heavy. But, this isn’t so. At just 4kg the seat is actually very light and easy to move from car to car, helped by the ‘easy to install’ system. The seat belt attaches through the back of the chair and loops round the front, which makes it feel secure.

As it is quite lightweight and not as padded as some other car seats I was concerned about the comfort. But, yet again, the Chicco Neptune surprised me. Tippi was very comfortable once strapped in, and the seat hugged her in all the right places. The straps were just right in terms of size, not too bulky or padded and sat nicely round her body. The headrest is well cushioned and easily adjustable, with an ergonomic knob that moves it up and down.

For use as a Group 3 car seat it’s easy to detach the backrest, leaving you with a booster seat. And for easy cleaning you can remove the covers without detaching the harness. Any mum who’s battled with pushing and pulling harness straps through seat covers knows this is a real selling point.

The Chicco Neptune is one simple, versatile chair.

What to watch out for

It’s hard not to like this car seat for its value and practicality, but being lightweight the Chicco Neptune has a slight disadvantage in terms of comfort cushioning. Though it is comfortable, it’s not as luxurious as other car seats on the market. After a prolonged time in the car it may not be as soft on the bottom.

Also, on those longer journeys when you baby may need a little snooze, there’s no recline, so again comfort is slightly compromised.

Although the Chicco Neptune is light and narrow, it is tall, so as with all new car seats you might want to check it fits if you have a smaller car.

It's important to mention too this car seat has received reviews in which parents are being told not to buy it. One expert even said that even when correctly installed, the Neptune isn’t very stable on the seat and that its side crash protection is “very poor”.

Who is the Chicco Neptune car seat best for?

Mums after a lightweight, practical option they can easily move from car to car.

MadeForMums verdict

A versatile lightweight car seat that’s so simple to install you can move it from car to car with ease. It may look slightly uncomfortable at first sight, but the seat is surprisingly snug as long as the journey isn’t too long. While the price looks good and it boasts plenty of the practical features you would expect from a car seat, the bad reviews thatgives it the thumbs down does make you pause for thought.