If you are a regular reader of mine you will know that car seat and me have not always mixed. But I guess what I really should say is car seats don’t really mix with my car.
My Vauxhall Zafira is on a 2004 plate and even being a family car it suffers with the little known issue of Buckle Crunch so we are unable to fit any car seat into the car without using isofix.
This in theory is not a problem based on most cars now having isofix points, however there are a limited amount of extended rear facing that are fitted with isofix only. Many fit with using tethers too which only feature in much newer cars.
Around 4 years ago with Joshua we were really lucky to discover the Maxi-Cosi 2wayPearl which offers extended rearward facing travel for children up to 105cm (approx 4 years) and is an i-Size compliant car seat so is built with the newest legislation on offer.
Having previously used the Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat with Jacob and the 2wayFix base I was thrilled that 2wayPearl uses the same installation base as it is part of the 2wayFix family so it integrates easily into the next stage of seat.
The 2wayFix base if you haven’t come across it before is super easy to install with the isofix points located at the back and the base itself comes with a lights and sounds system that acknowledges when you have it fitted in correctly.
The 3 lights on the base indicates that each stage of installation is complete (each turning green) the first indicates the isofix is fitted correctly. The second indicates the base leg is adjusted correctly and the third light shows when the 2wayPearl seat is locked and in place. This system I thought was genius as it means you will always know its installed correctly.
Adjusting the seatbelt and head harness is super simple with a slight tilt on the headrest you can slide it up and the harness is joined to it so it alters the strap height too.
I love that in order to extend the length of the arm straps you need to push the bottom buckle forward (onto the seat) and the straps slide and extend. It also works well to keep them super safe as it won’t loosen unless the seat buckle is open and pushed forward.
The seat has a 4 recline positions and that has been super helpful with Jacob (15 months) as he has been used to the recline on the Pebble Plus so we have fully reclined it to mimic his previous seat. The recline positions are also available in forward facing and rear facing too so regardless of which direction of travel the seat can be reclined or not to your preference.
Things I loved about the seat and base:
- its easy to click in to install
- The lights and sound in the base means its installed correctly first time.
- It has easily adjustable straps that alter the headrest at the same time as the shoulder straps
- Forward and rear facing options available
- It has easy in straps to help get baby in and out easily
Things I was not so keen on:
- Our second car doesn’t have isofix points so we have to use a second car seat. However if it did have isofix we could purchase a second base and just move the 2wayPearl between our cars.
- Isofix carseats can be a little rattley over bumps and things with no child in the seat. So this isn’t specific to the 2wayPearl but it is normal for it to be a little noisy, the rattle does not effect safety but I thought I would mention as it may put someone off isofix seats if they have never had one before.
Conclusion:
I totally loved this seat and base, it ticked all our requirements for: ease of use, functionality and safety along with the option to use it extended rear facing which is really fab.
I love the fact the seat and base can be used for such a long time in the grand scheme of things (from approx 6 months to 4 years) with the investment of the Pebble to use from birth this really would be an investment in my opinion and one we certainly would consider if or when baby number 3 arrived.
The 2wayFix base is currently retailing at £199 and the 2wayPearl seat is retailing at around £225
Disclaimer: The 2waypearl was sent for the purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions in this review were independently formed by members of The Oliver’s Madhouse
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