Axkid Minikid 4 car seat review

With its automatic adjusting headrest and longer back length, this car seat is going to quickly become a favourite amongst Extended Rear Facing (ERF) fans. With an RRP of £480, it sits at the premium end of the car seat market.

What were your first impressions?

The Axkid Minikid 4 car seat was well packaged when it arrived, protected in a sturdy box and packaging and in great condition.

Having never used a rear-facing car seat for older children, I did feel quite overwhelmed as I unboxed the car seat, but this was quickly calmed by the supporting information and instructions provided by Axkid.

I didn’t know much about Axkid prior to receiving this car seat, other than feeling that they are a market leader in rear-facing car seats. But I was also aware that they are on the more expensive side of car seats (with good reason) so I had high expectations for the quality of this product, and it did not disappoint.

How easy is it to install the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat?

Axkid provides incredible supporting information when it comes to installing the car seat. This includes a vehicle list highlighting which seats you can safely install the seat on, and a QR code to an app called Bilt, which provides step-by-step, 360°-view instructions on installing the car seat. This was pivotal when we installed the car seat (I say we as I had to ask hubby for backup).

Now, there aren’t many things I don’t like about this car seat, and I am fully converted to ERF, however, the Axkid Minikid 4 claims to have a 60-second installation and this wasn't the case for me. When I used the Bilt App to follow the installation process, the suggested installation time was 5 minutes, not 60 seconds.

I would say on the first installation it took me around 10 minutes as I meticulously followed the step-by-step app. This will be quicker on future installations now I understand the process.

I grilled the Axkid Representative on the 60-second installation process, and he did agree that while it didn’t take 60 seconds to thread the tethers under the rails, now they were in place, future installations would be 60 seconds.

How do you install the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat?

All car seats I have used for my 5-year-old in the past have been fitted with ISOFIX, which takes 60 seconds or less. This particular seat is installed using the rear seatbelt, and 2 tethers which are anchored to the front seat.

I was lucky enough to be visited by an Axkid Representative who came to walk me through the installation process and features of the seat. He said I had done a great job installing the seat. This was reassuring that if you follow the steps in the app, you will be able to safely install the car seat. He did, however, use a small piece of wire to thread the front seat tethers under the rails of the seat (which allowed it to move back and forth).

While this was much better than what I had done as it meant I now had the freedom to move the seat back and forth, this was more of an Axkid 'hack' and definitely not mentioned in the installation process. The tethers detach from the seat at the back of the car seat so you could even purchase a second set of tethers from Axkid and move the seat between cars with ease.

Can you install the seat using ISOFIX?

No, the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat can only be installed using your seatbelt – something some parents might prefer. I’m not sure I have been fully converted from ISOFIX installation just yet, however once in installed correctly, the seat is secure and does not move or wobble, even with my 5-year-old daughter climbing into it.

How well does the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat fit in your car?

I can easily overlook the installation hiccup because this seat has been a game-changer for our family. My blended family consists of me, my husband, our 2 girls, and at the weekends his older son who is 12 (and as tall as me).

With our previous car seat set up, family trips out at the weekend had become almost impossible as there was no space between the infant carrier on an ISOFIX base, and the forward-facing Group 1/2/3 car seat my oldest daughter was in. The only way we could all just about fit in the car was to remove the ISOFIX base of the infant carrier and secure it with the seatbelt.

With the Axkid Minikid 4, due to the bulk of the seat being behind the front seat, we all now fit in the car with ease as there is so much more space in the middle seat. We can even leave the ISOFIX base in for the infant carrier. If you’re in a similar situation where you need an adult or older sibling in the middle in the rear seats, I would highly recommend this seat to free up some space.

How does the Axkid Minikid 4 compare to similar car seats for this age range?

Prior to receiving this seat, switching to extended rear-facing was not on my radar., but if you had asked me about rear-facing car seats, Axkid is the brand that would have come to mind based on what I’ve seen online. While many of the rear-facing car seats currently on the market are not tested to R129 approval and only support children up to the age of 4, there are some which offer extended rear-facing and are R129 approved. The BeSafe Stretch offers rear-facing from 6 months to around 7 years and has an RRP of £499, similar to the Axkid Minikid 4.

How does the Axkid Minikid 4 compare to the previous models Minikid 2 and Minikid 3?

According to Axkid, there have been several improvements made since the Axkid Mini 2 and Axkid Mini 3. These include:

• Improved headrest geometry, with improvements to the position to better support your child’s head.
• A new comfort back pad which is easier to remove and clean.
• The design of the toddler insert has been updated, now made of comfortable memory foam, and a mesh panel for better airflow.
• New, softer textile.
• Improved finish, sleeker design and new colours.

What are the key safety features of the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat?

According to Which?: “In a front-on collision, extended rear-facing car seats offer a higher level of protection to a child's delicate head, neck and spine, compared to a forward-facing toddler seat." For this reason, it's recommended to opt for an extended rear-facing car seat for as long as you possibly can. This makes the ERF aspect of the Axkid Minikid 4 one of the most desirable safety features, as well as being from a trusted brand. This car seat has been tested against the world’s toughest crash test, The Swedish Plus Test, which gives parents and carers peace of mind and reassurance if the worst should happen.

The seat also comes with the ASIP attachment, for side impact protection. This device, in the event of a side impact, stops the seat from crashing back into the door or window. It easily slots on to either side of the car seat (depending on which side of the car you have installed the seat) and always goes on the door side. You can also buy replacements from the Axkid website in case you lose it.

Is the headrest on the Axkid Minikid 4 adjustable?

Yes, in fact, it's self-adjusting. I found this to be a great feature as I often find it tricky to judge if the headrest is in the safest, and most appropriate position for my child. What I like even more, is that if you don’t like this feature, and would rather you keep the headrest in place once you’ve established the perfect position, there is a simple switch at the top of the car seat to easily lock the headrest in place.

How long is the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat rear-facing for?

The Axkid Minikid 4 promotes ERF and allows rear-facing up to 7 years of age (or 125cm or 36kg). This is much longer than most rear-facing car seats currently on the market. The Axkid Minikid 4 boasts up to 30cm of leg room and is a much more compact design than some of the other ERF seats, including others from Axkid, which frees up more space.

One of my main hesitations with ERF was leg room, and whether my daughter would comfortably be able to travel like that. She was very excited to try out this seat and frequently tells me how comfortable it is. She has not once complained about lack of legroom.

How well does the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat work with different-aged children?

The car seat age range is advertised as 0 to 7 years. However, the minimum height is 61cm, which rules out most newborns. This makes the car seat more suitable for babies from 6 months onwards, and there's a removable insert provided for children between 61-105cm.

When I was visited by the Axkid Representative, I asked if we could also try it out with my 7-month-old who was 67cm. He advised that as she wasn’t yet sitting up unaided, he would not yet feel comfortable with her using the seat.

If I had bought this seat online with no additional information, I would have been disappointed to discover it was not suitable for my baby. Realistically this seat, even with the insert, is not going to be appropriate for babies under 6 months, and even then, it would depend on the size of the baby, and whether they were able to sit unaided.

Around a month after our visit from the Axkid representative, Ellie was sitting well, unaided, and so we decided to give the seat a go with her as well. I made some adjustments to the seat (adding the insert, changing the recline, and lowering the headrest) to accommodate Ellie. She travelled very happily in the Minikid 4, looked comfortable, and secure, and seemed to really enjoy being able to look out of the window, without the usual hooded infant carrier. I didn’t feel however, that the seat was reclined quite enough for her, but it was reclined as far as my car would allow.

Does the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat have any unique features?

The Axkid Minikid 4 doesn’t have any gimmicky features. Everything is carefully thought out, sleek, well designed, and there for a reason. There are no drink holders, no rotation, and no frills. Just quality and safety. It still has great comfort features such as being able to recline the seat by changing the length of the tethers, supporting leg and position on the seat. The Sleep Well System offers multiple reclining positions for your child, depending on their age, length, and backseat angle.

One thing I love about Axkid is how they understand that parents like me will almost certainly lose things in the chaos of family life, including car seat safety instructions. For that reason, there are instructions on the seat under the seatbelt compartment where you can access all the information you need and a QR code for further information and guidance. There is even a permanent tag on the toddler insert with the height restrictions (61cm to 105cm) so you know when to remove it, no more scrambling around searching for manuals.

How comfortable did your child find the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat?

The car seat fits my 5-year-old like a glove, especially thanks to the adjustable headrest; she always looks safe and snug. She’s also got space to grow and I feel confident that this seat will stand the test of time and see her right through to the height and weight limit. The car seat is beautifully padded and comfortable while allowing airflow so she doesn’t get too warm.

There’s no one more honest than a 5-year-old child and she raves about the comfort of this seat. She has been forward-facing since around 18 months, first in a rotating 0+1 car seat, then into a forward-facing Group 1/2/3 seat, so I was apprehensive, expecting her to complain about lack of leg space or discomfort, or even motion sickness, but she has loved the change to the seat. She’s not once asked to return to forward facing, and definitely does not want her little sister to try it out!

How do you rate the straps?

The straps on the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat are lightweight and do seem at odds with the quite robust car seat, but they are strong and secure. My favourite thing about them is how easy they are to adjust; both tighten and loosen.

My biggest frustration with car seats is harnesses that are difficult to loosen and tighten, or even worse get jammed while doing so. These straps glide like a dream. The headrest also moves freely as the straps are tightened (if you have this setting on) although occasionally needs a little encouragement on its way back up.

For me, the crotch pad is too flimsy. While it is secured to the car seat so can’t get lost as you get your child in and out, the buckle does frequently come out of the crotch pad and on most journeys I have to put it back in before buckling her up.

I do like that Axkid has had the sense to secure it to the seat, but I feel if the crotch pad was more sturdy, robust, or secured more tightly around the buckle, it would be a big help. While this isn’t a deal breaker for me, it does cause some frustration while rushing around on the school run drop-off.

How robust does the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat feel?

The quality of the car seat feels amazing. It has a soft finish, plenty of padding, and generally just a very high-end feel to it. If you poke and prod and pinch too closely, it is apparent that some parts are polystyrene, including the toddler insert, but this is generally the same for all car seats.

Axkid has recently changed the design of the toddler insert as they found that the polystyrene was breaking, so the insert has now been split into sections to avoid these breakages. Either way, being made of polystyrene is not unique to this car seat, and is definitely less obvious in the Minikid 4 than in other brands on the market.

Does the car seat recline?

Yes, the Axkid Minikid 4 can be reclined. However, reclining the ERF seat is fiddlier than most traditional car seats where you would use a lever or button and choose a level of recline. Here you need to change the angle of the supporting leg, and the length of the tethers to change the recline. Not something that can really be done while sitting next to the child.

If you were going on a longer journey, I would recommend that you choose your level of recline before travelling and make sure your child is happy and comfortable if they were to nod off. I would say this is less of an issue for older children, so for my daughter, we’ve installed the seat with a slight recline, so that if she fell asleep, she would still be comfortable, but is also upright enough to enjoy the journey.

Personally, I feel that the reclining options on this car seat are better than with the traditional lever recline, as with those styles of car seats you may only get 3 or 5 levels of recline. With the Axkid Mini 4, as long as the seat is still within its safety limitations (such as the angle of the supporting leg, and overhang line) it offers much more bespoke recline angles.

How good is the headrest on the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat?

If I haven’t already raved about this enough, the automatically adjusting headrest is one of my favourite features of this seat because it saves so much worry, and adds to the comfort level of my daughter. I know she’s safely fitted in the seat at all times, without any guesswork or checking manuals. The headrest glides freely up and down so you can choose a completely bespoke and safe height for your child.

How easy is the car seat to clean?

My daughter seems to find mud wherever she goes and spreads it around the car. So far, I’ve been able to brush the dry mud off the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat with my hand or a wet wipe (show me a mum who doesn’t clean everything with a wet wipe). Axkid recommends that the covers are removed and washed in the machine at 30°. I’ve not attempted this yet but based on the material I feel confident that it will wash well. The cover on the toddler insert is also removable.

Is the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat easy to carry around?

The car seat is not too heavy, weighing in at 11kg. It is a bit awkward to carry as the exterior is smooth, soft textile and there’s not really anything to hold on to. That said, it is designed to stay in the car not to carry and infant and so I wouldn’t say this is a huge issue.

Is the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat big enough for a growing child?

In my opinion, the car seat is big enough for a growing child, and my daughter will be comfortable in it until she exceeds the weight and height limit. In a bigger car she would have even more space so I really think parents should feel confident buying this product knowing that it will last as long as Axkid suggests.

My issue is with the younger end of the scale and I would not recommend this seat for a baby. Personally, I’d be looking at moving my youngest daughter into this seat once she outgrows her infant carrier. Put it this way, I will almost certainly be buying one of these for her when she does.

What’s in the box?

• Axkid Minikid 4 car seat
• Toddler insert
• ASIP attachment
• Vehicle list and installation guidance
• Tethers

Are there any additional accessories that you can buy?

The Axkid Minikid 4 car seat comes with everything you need for installation, but you can also buy additional tethers and replacement ASIP attachments if needed.

What did you think of the packaging?

The majority of the packaging was cardboard which was easy to get rid of with our kerbside recycling, so that was a massive plus! Very little plastic packaging which I also love as this is becoming increasingly hard to recycle and dispose of.

How does the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat rate for sustainability?

Axkid recommends that their car seats be disposed of at your local recycling and waste centre. The guidance from Axkid regarding recycling and disposal is: “Axkid strongly recommends recycling of old car seats. Before leaving the seat at your local recycling station cut off the harness straps from the seat, remove the textile cover, remove as many Styrofoam parts as possible, separate metal and plastic parts if possible. The main part of the seat should be marked unsafe or expired (use a marker) to deter anyone from using it again.”

What are the repair options for the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat?

All Axkid products purchased directly from Axkid have a 2-year warranty. If your product is damaged or faulty you can contact Axkid via email or Facebook. The product warranty covers: “Manufacturing defects that existed when you received the product. Original faults must be present and confirmed by Axkid.com. We reserve the right to offer a warranty repair, replacement, or refund (full or partial depending on circumstance). The product warranty will not apply if upon inspection, no fault is identified or if the damage has been caused by misuse.” Axkid also offers “right of withdrawal for 14 days from the day you receive your product and open purchase for 365 days.” To arrange a return, you can complete a form on the Axkid website.

Now you’ve tested it, what would you have wanted to know before purchasing the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat?

Starting with the positives, before purchasing this car seat, I would have liked to know how happy, safe and comfortable my daughter would be in it. I was reluctant to switch to rear-facing despite knowing how much safer it is as I was worried how she would find it after forward-facing for such a long time. I would advise anyone who is considering ERF to just go for it because your kids will definitely surprise you.

On the less positive side, I would like to know that it’s not really suitable for small babies, and I think there needs to be a bit more guidance on this from Axkid. For example, in terms of height, I would have put my youngest daughter in this seat, as she exceeds the minimum height limit. However, the Axkid Representative said that he would like her to be more robust, and sit up unaided before using this car seat. There’s obviously no information around this other than the minimum height being 61cm, so had I not spoken to him I would have tried her in this seat.

Who would the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat be most useful for?

Everyone as it caters for so many different needs! Are you looking for one of the safest car seats on the market? Tick! Are you looking for more space in your car? Tick! Are you looking for a sleek, high-quality car seat? Tick! Don’t have Isofix points in your car? Tick!

I would also say that this is a great car seat if you have family, such as grandparents, doing your childcare for you, as it’s totally foolproof once installed. Car seats have changed so much since our parents were parents and I think some of them can honestly be a bit baffling! This would be a fantastic option to install in Grandma and Grampa’s car so they can just buckle up and go, and you have peace of mind knowing your children are travelling safely, and comfortably.

Is the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat worth the money?

Axkid are definitely at the top end in terms of budget for car seats. Prior to testing this seat, I probably would have thought at £480, it would be too much of a gamble in case my daughter was unhappy with it. Having used it now for well over a month, I can safely say I will be investing in a second one when the time comes to move my youngest daughter into a bigger car seat.

Where can I buy the Axkid Minikid 4 car seat?

Available from Axkid, John Lewis and Natural Baby Shower.

MadeForMums verdict

The Axkid Minikid 4 car seat has been an absolute game-changer for me in many ways and I am definitely an ERF convert. I wouldn’t hesitate to spend the money on another one of these seats, from a safety, quality, and comfort point of view. It is so tempting to get drawn in by character designs, cup holders and gimmicky features, but you cannot put a price on car seat safety so this seat is well worth every penny. I would happily overlook the few niggles I have had around the installation and the minimum height as I think the pros of this seat far outweigh the cons.