This car sear is yet another piece of inherited baby equipment which we were given by my sister-in-law when she found out that Baby Frank was on the way. Sometimes, being the poor relations really pays off! General safety advice recommends not using second hand car seats because they may have have invisible faults, but because we knew the history of this car seat, we know that it has not sustained any damage.

The Primo Viaggio car seat has been around for sometime, and has undergone a few makeovers in its time, though still retains the black, simple, classic look which I really like. It is in the group 0 plus and is suitable for birth to 12-15 months (or birth to 13kg) . It is an ideal seat to have in your car as you near the end of pregnancy, just in case. It fits front and rear seats, but can only be used in front seat if there is no active air bag. It is a rear facing seat, which is the safest type of car seat available, and is for use with lap and 3 point seat belts. These days it is ISOFIX compatible, but having the older model, ours does not. It has side impact protection and a 5 point harness. The harness sleeves and washable, and you also receive a spare pair. The harness has a quick release buckle and buckle pad. In our model there are 3 shoulder positions and a 3 position head hugger, but now I understand that the new models have 5 positions for each. The seat has a curved base so you can gently rock your baby and it has a hood which can easily fold down or click up.

The car seat can be used as part of a travel system, and I understand it is compatible with Mamas & Papas Aria, Ora, O-Zon pram and Skoot, although we have never used it in this way as we have a Phil and Ted's pushchair. It has a removable machine-washable cover, and weighs 4.5kg.

Our version of the seat is easy to fit. You simply tuck a seat belt lap part into the clips on the base, and plug it in. You can then click the seat into the base and slide the top part of the seat belt around the seat through the guides. All that remains to be done then is to push the carry handle down towards the seat as far as it will go. If you want to remove the seat with the baby in it, there is a large handle at the back which needs to be lifted with one hand while the other hand lifts the seat with the handle. Occasionally this can be a bit tricky, and is definitely a two-handed job.

I have found the seat extremely easy to use. I have not tried out any other car seats so cannot compare performance, but were are generally pleased with this one. One thing I have noticed is that sometimes Baby Frank's head will loll right forward if she goes to sleep in the seat. We have tried adjusting all manner of settings but she still manages to get into what appears to be an incredibly uncomfortable sleeping position! I don't know whether the angle of the seat is not quite far back enough, or whether it is the angle which our car back seat is at.

One other thing to be aware of is to be careful of your back when you are moving your child around in the car seat. If you have just had a baby, you are prone to injuries as your muscles are still relaxed. I have seen many mothers carrying their children in their car seats. Given that the seat alone weighs 4.5kg, when you add a 3 month old at 5 or 6kg, this is a huge weight to be carrying and lifting in and out of cars at awkward angles. Where possible, I lift Baby Frank out of her seat to avoid back strain.