Chicco Oasys 1 review

• Chicco Oasys 1 car seat
• Instruction manual
• Illustrated guide to the stand-out features
• A Chicco “Baby on Board” window sticker

How was it out of the box?

It looks very solid and heavy and when looking at it from the side, it is a bit of a monster, but it also makes it look very safe and secure. The amount of padding and cushioning in this seat is amazing – I almost wanted to curl up in it!

The seat itself is quite dull – there is no real “Wow” factor, quite a basic design. All black with orange buttons. My first impressions were it does what it says on the tin, but it could do with a bit of personality!

How was it to install?

The seat came with minimal packaging, which I liked – not so much rubbish to throw away. But the instruction manual is complicated and a bit unnecessary, which can be a bit of a turn off when you are a busy mum or dad. However, if you have a smart phone, there is a QR code, which takes you to an installation video.

When putting it into the car, it was somewhat fiddly and I recommend fitting it with an extra pair of hands if available. However, once we got it fitted properly, it was very secure. The Isofix fittings are released by pulling on the orange handle on the very base of the seat. This releases the fittings at the back. It is very stiff when using it for the first time, and quite fiddly, but we did find that practice made perfect.

Was it comfortable?

When putting Elijah in the seat, he seemed to settle in quite quickly, and he is not a baby that likes to sit still! He seemed very comfortable in the seat and was happy to be strapped in. I gave him his teddy just in case he needed something familiar to help him to adjust to the change, but he didn’t even seem to need it!

I adjusted the length of the seatbelts when he was in and it appeared very sturdy yet comfortable for him. I even got a dribbly grin, which was a bonus! I took him on several journeys of various lengths (from 10 minutes to an hour) and whereas he always moaned a bit in his old car seat, this seat kept him quiet, and even rocked him to sleep when I adjusted the recline position on it.

How was adjusting the seating position?

The seat has illustrated instructions stuck on for each of the different features, making it quite user friendly. All the buttons and levers are very easy to access. The chair is completely black, apart from the levers, which are a bright orange so you can’t miss them.

The first one, at the base of the seat, has very clear instructions; “Pull to recline” written on it. When playing with this lever, I discovered that the seat has 5 reclining positions. This basically makes it the Lazy-Boy of the car seat world. Once the desired position is located, it simply clicks into place. A total doddle.

The next bright orange button can be found at the top of the chair. It has a white arrow on it, pointing up and down. When pressed, this button adjusts the height of the seat, making it adaptable to grow with your baby.

How were the straps and harness?

They are nice and thick with large comfort pads. It’s easy to adjust the length of the straps with the push of a button and the actual buckle is easy to fit together and release. Be warned, it is pretty stiff for the first few uses.

Was the Oasys 1 portable?

The seat is very heavy (13.8kg) I have a bad back and I found it very heavy to carry to the car. I wouldn’t recommend such a heavy and cumbersome seat to anyone else with a bad back, unless you can get someone to carry it out for you. I would also say this seat suits a big(ish) car. I have a Polo and it did look a little too big for my car. It just about fit and it took up a lot of space.

Any highlights?

The mesh-like fabric has been designed to provide maximum breathability and the cover can be removed really easily, without disturbing the harness or buttons, which makes cleaning it easy – a must for my messy little man.

MadeForMums verdict

Heavy padding and adjustable head and reclining options makes it a good investment for a growing baby, but the size and weight makes it suitable for a larger vehicles and the complicated instructions makes installation tricky. Not good for mums with bad backs.

Testing the Chicco Oasys 1 Isofix was Claire who lives in North London with her 11-month-old son. She took it out in her nippy little Polo.