Baby Start (Argos) Multi Recline Seat review

What we love

The first thing has to be the cost. With most car seats over £100 more expensive I couldn’t believe that this car seat wouldn’t just fall apart the moment we used it but nearly two years on this seat has been great every trip we’ve made to granny and grandpas and cosmetically it looks identical to its much more expensive rivals. At this price you expect it to come with compromises but fortunately for Finn, his comfort hasn’t been one of them.

The recline function means there’s no bobbing heads when he falls asleep and while the reclining feature isn’t as smooth and simple as some of the more expensive alternatives, he’s never woken up while being reclined. It’s also great that you can use it for such a broad age range – especially when it’s being used as grandparent’s car seat. In fact it’s done the rounds in my parent’s village helping lots of friends out when grandkids of all ages are coming to visit.

What to watch out for

At some level you’re going to get what you pay for and personally I was happy to make compromises in usability so long as my children’s safety wasn’t being compromised. The seat has been adapted to comply to the ADAC test conditions used by Consumer organisations, which are more aggressive than the existing requirements of R44.04, the European.

The clip that you have to depress to extend the harness straps is a bit stiff and you have to wiggle your fingers through a slit in the fabric to get to it. The seat cover gets a bit loose over time and the seat is slightly fiddly to put into the car (at least my parents find it so). You’re technically allowed to put a newborn into the seat (in the rear facing position) but the padding on the straps is not attached to the straps and tends to ride away from the neck area you’d want to be protecting. There’s not much head support either so while it’s useful to be able to put a newborn in the seat for short hops but it doesn’t look quite as safe and comfortable as a dedicated Group 0 carseat.

Who is the Baby Start Multi-Recline best for?

A great grandparent’s car seat or for mums who don’t use the car very often.

MadeForMums verdict

At this price you can’t knock it. The straps aren’t that easy to adjust, and the fabric comes a bit loose but the most important measures of safety and comfort are not compromised. A great versatile car seat.