Axkid One review

The Axkid One has a distinctive and modern design for the next generation of i-Size baby car seats. Setting out to create a new level of safety, Axkid has designed the lightest i-Size car seat on the market that will enable children to travel rear-facing up to 7 years old allowing every child to be 5 times safer for longer. Inspired by aircraft engineering, Axkid One's protective aluminum frame, and high strength steel bars ensure maximum safety.

We spoke to these real parent testers to get their review..

How did this product make your life easier?

Rachael: The fact that this car seat is so light is great as it means I can transfer it between cars if needed by myself without having to rely on help. Once in the car it can easily be adjusted to the correct height and also moving the seat forwards and backwards was very easy. The seat can go all the way up until 7 years of age is fantastic. This means less time researching the next suitable seats and less time at the shops trying these seats out to ensure they are right for the car. The recline function was not as quick as I am used to as it is done using a twisting mechanism which slowly reclines the seat however this function is only necessary for the younger child and as the car seat goes all the way up until 7 this isn’t a feature that will be used forever. Because it doesn’t swivel it did take me longer to get my daughter into the seat and definitely took me longer to ensure the straps were tight enough as I found it quite difficult at times to get the right angle to pull the cord.

Elizabeth: The product was easy to install within the Isofix of the vehicle. I found it to be an extremely lightweight design and aesthetically pleasing. The seat can be moved to adjust space for the child’s feet. The seat itself was well padded and my child was comfortable and secure throughout. I felt it provided good head support and she did not complain when sitting in the seat.

Celine: This car seat is super easy and convenient to use. I have always had difficulty putting other car seats I have had into the ISOFIX points, but with the Axkid One, it was so easy. The ISOFIX clips are longer therefore slots in much easier (the easiest I have ever seen!) This car seat is so light, without compromising on safety. We always have to move the car seat between our two cars, so the fact it is so light and so easy to fit really made my life easier. The instructions that come with it are also so clear and the car seat actually has pictures on it to show how it should be fitted.

Would you recommend this to other parents?

Rachael: It is much lighter than my other car seats and therefore I felt comfortable transferring it between car. It was very easy to fit into the car and I could easily see when it was fitted correctly. My daughter seemed comfortable in it and due to the recline function, there was no problem with her head falling forward when she fell asleep in it. I also love that it can go all the way up to 7 years of age rear-facing! Despite my daughter still being quite petite, I am not sure this seat offered her much more legroom than our current seat and can’t imagine what she would look like in the seat at 7 with my 6ft husband driving. One downside of it is there is no swivel function and therefore I found it quite difficult to get the straps tight once she was in it. A few parts of the seat also came loose and fell off but the company were very helpful and this is likely due to the seat being one of first of the production line rather than a reflection on the product as a whole.

Elizabeth: Being able to move the chair backward and forwards allowed my child to have more foot space, as a result, they did not complain about their feet being stuck between the seat and back of the chair. The specifically designed low sides made it easier to get my child into and out of than other non-rotating rear-facing seats I have used. The safety rating means I felt comfortable my child was using a safe seat.

Celine: This car seat is super easy and convenient to use, I was really surprised how light this car seat is without compromising on safety. Knowing that my child is safe rear-facing and can be for many years ahead is really reassuring too. The supporting front leg on the car seat is also very secure when fitting. The product has numbered stickers on the main parts of the seat which really helps knowing what bit to do first. There are also picture instructions on the base of the car seat. We often have to swap cars and I have found previous car seats quite heavy and bulky to move about on a regular basis but with this one I have been able to move it into different car seats with great ease. I would definitely recommend the car seat. I love how this car seat says it is from newborn to 7 years as there is no need to buy any other car seats throughout the child’s life.

Would you choose this product above all others on the market?

Rachael: Despite loving the age range of this car seat and the fact that it is extended rear-facing I am not sure this car seat should win solely on the fact that I did find it really difficult to get my daughter strapped into it – I loved everything else about the seat. This may change as the seat is used more and the mechanisms loosen of slightly making it easier to pull the cord however to get the correct angle to tighten with them as they are currently was really difficult and took a lot longer than my current car seat. Maybe the position of the cord could be moved to make it easier in subsequent seats. Despite this point, I loved the seat. My daughter seemed really comfortable in it, she fell asleep easily and her head didn’t fall forwards, it was easy to install and adjust and really light in comparison to our other car seats. I just wish it was easier to tighten the straps.

Elizabeth: If I had a large child or was looking for a non-rotating seat I would choose this product. I think it should receive praise due to safety and being suitable for a child up to age 7. I do not feel it should win compared to other car seats primarily because a rotating seat in my opinion is easier to use in regards to getting my child into and out of, adjusting the straps and ensuring they are positioned correctly.

Celine: I think it is definitely one of the easiest car seats to fit and use. It is super light, so if you do have to swap car seat around cars then this really makes life easier. The fact that it is rear-facing and can cater for a child up to the age of 7 really puts my mind at ease. I really like how clear the labelling is on the car seat – with previous car seats, I’ve been unsure what tilt to put the seat to or whether my child is positioned correctly in it. With the Axkid One, the headrest has an eye-level indicator and there is a step-less recline, which shows what the recline should be for which age child. The gap available for the child's feet/legs is a clever design that provides more space for the bigger they get.

What changes would you make to this product?

Rachael: If I could change one thing about the seat it would be the five-point harness. Both myself and my husband really struggled to get the straps as tight as our current car seat and tight enough that I would feel comfortable and confident that she would be safe in the seat were we to have an accident. The angle the cord needs to be pulled from is really quite difficult to get. It was also quite difficult to loosen the harness as the button you need to press to release the straps was difficult to find and even when pressed it didn’t seem to release the straps easily. I would imagine that the harness is easy to use if it facing you however at 90 degrees it is pretty hard! If the position of the pull cord was moved this may make it easier. This could all be because the car seat is new though and it may loosen off as it is used more but for the time period that we trialed the seat for it didn’t seem to loosen off at all.

Elizabeth: I would prefer to use a rotating seat as I find it easier to put my child into. As mentioned, a non-rotating seat allows for easier strap adjustment and ensuring my child is in an optimal position within the seat itself. Had the design had this function I would certainly have thought it should win.

Celine: I love how it caters from newborn to the age of 7, however, I found that the older the child gets the more room their seat will require, restricting the space the front seats have. From this, we found that this car seat only really works in bigger cars as the child gets older. Another a point to think about is this car seat cannot be transferred to a pram, so something to think about when the baby is very little if you are travelling and the baby is asleep, you can't just transfer the car seat onto a pram, you would have to get the baby out of the car seat and transfer to the pram. However we understand why this is the case, as they have had to keep the design as light as possible to allow the car seat to hold a child up to 7 years of age.