Car seat makers Maxi-Cosi have launched the world’s first child car seat with integrated airbags.

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The new AxissFix Air has the inflatable safety protection system built into the seat harness, and the airbags will inflate within 0.05 seconds in event of a crash.

The bags are connected to CO2 cartridge, which is stored in the back of the seat, and will inflate the bags in the event of an impact.

Safety-wise, the bags will reduce the neck-pulling force experienced by a baby during a crash by half, according to Maxi-Cosi tests.

How does it work?

Tested up to speeds of around 40 miles an hour, sensors in the car seat ISOFIX connectors will send a signal to inflate the airbags if the car suddenly feels a force of 10gs.

That is around 5 times the maximum brake speed of any car, and means the airbags shouldn’t go off at any bump or knock.

The sensors are powered by a battery in the seat, which lasts 10 years, but like any child car seat, once it’s been involved in an accident, you can’t reuse the seat.

Is there a suffocation risk?

Maxi-Cosi say the Group 0+/1 seat does not pose any risk of suffocation as the airbags deflate in 1 second – almost as fast as they inflate.

What age is the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix suitable for?

The rear and forward-facing Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Air is suitable for babies from 61cm (around 4 months) up to 105 cm (which is around 4 years) or when they weigh 18kg. This means it's not suitable for newborns.

How much does it cost?

It’s on sale for £550 at John Lewis, Mothercare and other good retailers.

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Authors

Hazelann WilliamsFormer Reviews Editor

Having been a journalist for 15 years – and Reviews Editor at MadeForMums for five of those – Hazelann has accrued a lot of experience testing and reviewing every baby product imaginable.

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