Make Priori your Priority! (Maxi Cosi Priori SPS)

Member Name: Innis

Product:	Maxi Cosi Priori SPS
Date:	25/04/02 (3111 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to install and recline

Disadvantages: Slight rattle when empty

NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS NOT FOR THE SPS VERSION. DOOYOO HAVE PUT THE OLD REVIEWS INTO THIS NEWER CATEGORY.

We weighed up the Maxi Cosi Priori against the Britax Renaissance (no belt holder) and the Bebe Confort Iseos (width adjustment is a bit floppy and the reclining mechanism is too time consuming). We chose and would recommend the Maxi Cosi Priori.

Our daughter has been in this seat for a month now. She started in it at 12 months. The official line is that it can be suitable from 9 months or 9kg. Our daughter is a slim build and did not make the weight criteria, but we consulted our trusted Health Worker who advised that as long as they have good neck strength to hold up their head then it's OK.

The seat can be fitted on the right, left or centre in the rear of the car or on the front seat if there is no airbag or the airbag is switched off. There are three shoulder strap heights. The shoulder straps will involve a little more work to adjust, than say the Britax Renaissance Adjusta-fit system, but it's not a job you have to do on a regular basis. The seatbelt clamp is easy to use and secure. Our daughter loves being able to see us now and the height of the seat allows her to see out of the window.

We chose the "Harry" material, a stylish grey and black, so that it would go well with the car interior (hey, it's not as if the child can see much of the car seat as they are facing out of it). The car seat cover is easily removable for washing.

The belt hooks are great to use. The seat reclines easily with five positions between upright and sleeping. Try the reclining mechanism in the shops, it stands out a mile in ease and simplicity.

The only downside so far is that a metal bar that acts as a pivot at some point in the seat, rattles a little when the seat is in the car with no child sat in it.

FITTING

The instructions were clear and comprehensive. There was no problem fitting the seat and it was over very quickly.

ADJUSTMENTS

Currently the one pull strap system is a bit hard to pull (harder in relation to the Group 0 car seat we have, Maxi Cosi Citi), this is probably due to the tight fit of the straps sliding through the shoulder pads.

RECLINING

The reclining feature is superb. The seat has a handle under the front lip of the seat, which is easy to locate and use. The seat has five positions and is very quick to set. The Bebe Confort Iseos reclines via a knob that you have to twist and twist and twist, which would have been slow and harder to access if the seat in front were close. The Priori allows adjustment from fully upright to fully reclined in a second.


We got a great price (£70) from John Lewis, as they were matching a local price!

------------------------------- UPDATE ---------------------------------

17th November 2003

BOUGHT ANOTHER

The seat has been used for nearly two years now and everything is working perfectly. We bought another one for our son in the summer (not quite the bargain this time), same colour, slightly updated model.

THIN PLASTIC EDGES MARK SEATS

My only additional negative comment so far is that the seat has thin edges where it touches the upright of the car seat it's fixed to. The upholstery in the car is leather and the edges of the seat have left pronounced indents in the leather. I've got round this by buying a foam camping mattress and cutting a liner for both seats. In the worst places it is double thickness mat glued together and this seems to protect the seat OK.

------------------------------- UPDATE 2 ---------------------------------

9th November 2005

Two years on.....One seat in use at the moment as eldest has gone up to a Rodi. Still a great seat, especially the easy tilt.

SHOULDER STRAP JAM

** Now and again the shoulder straps curl over at the edges where the buckle slides over them (I guess due to the softening of them through use). They form a double thickness strap at this point and they wedge in the slot for the buckle. This stops the buckle sliding up or down and it needs to be yanked from the obstruction. **


AT THIS AGE I HAD NO SEAT BELT AT ALL!

We now have three Maxi Cosi's across the back seat, Citi, Priori and Rodi in a NCAP 4 Star car......

------------------------------- UPDATE 3 ---------------------------------

13th May 2008

Just about to move our youngest (3) to a Maxi-Cosi Rodi so we're finished with these. Still going strong, worn well, working fine.

Summary: 2002-2008: Great product, tilt function, strap hooks, comfortable