The Mamas & Papas Cybex Aton is very modern and sleek looking, much more stylish than Mamas & Papas classic infant car seat, the Primo Viaggio. It’s also much lighter, weighing only 3.5kg whereas the Primo Viaggio is 4.5kg.
Cybex is a very well regarded German company, and because Mamas & Papas distributes Cybex car seats in the UK, it had the bright idea of producing the Aton in the full range of colours to co-ordinate with its buggies. The end result is the Cybex Aton is now available in a dazzling 15 fabrics!
What we love
I’ve had car seats before that involve lots of heaving to get in and out of the car, and decided that a an in-car base was the way forward with my own babies. However, in my current situation, where I look after a friend’s baby two days a week, it isn’t practical to have a base in my car all the time. But even without a base, I found the Cybex Aton surprisingly easy to get in and out of the car. The bits where you thread the seatbelt are a different colour to the rest of the seat, making it feel idiot-proof. Even a distracted, rushed mum could fasten it safely without any confusion.
The extra-wide Y-shaped buckle is nicely padded so it’s comfortable for your baby, and the side wings are deep and protective. It also has ‘rollover protection’, which means that your child is protected by the top of the seat if your car is hit from behind.
I found the seat nice and roomy for Olivia, the 10-month-old I look after, and there’s an extra insert for a smaller baby, to make them more cosy and secure.
The seat has a rounded bottom and a lovely rocking motion when it’s on the floor, so it makes a comfy seat for your baby even out of the car. If you don’t want it to rock, you can slide the handle right down and it holds the seat steady.
My second day of using the Mamas & Papas Cybex Aton gave it a real run for its money, as Olivia was copiously sick all over it. Luckily, the cover is very easy to remove for washing, and came out looking as good as new. It was also easy to get back onto the car seat - something I’ve found tricky with others in the past.
The Mamas & Papas Cybex Aton comes in a brilliant choice of colours. It’s also compatible with a very impressive range of Mamas & Papas buggies - you can choose the buggy that best suits you and have the option of making it into a travel system with the addition of a set of car seat adaptors (£22). Olivia’s mum has a Luna Mix, and I have a Nuna for my own son, so we were really chuffed to discover we could share the Cybex Aton car seat for Olivia without having to switch buggies. We just bought a set of adaptors each, and away we went.
The 3.5kg Cybex Aton feels extremely light when you’re carrying a baby in it. I was concerned that being so light, it would feel flimsy or insubstantial, but it actually feels very safe and secure. The foldaway hood is very clever, as it’s made of really light fabric and doesn’t add to the weight of the seat, but is hardwearing so it can’t be easily damaged. It has two positions and simply slots away behind the car seat so you don’t even know it’s there until you need it.
The Cybex Aton is Mamas & Papas’ cheapest infant car seat and it’s really good value, although the base and car seat adaptors aren’t included.
What to watch out for
I feel the one-click base, for an extra £95, is a bit excessive, and you also have to pay the extra £22 for adaptors if you want to use it as part of a travel system. The Mamas & Papas Cybex Aton also doesn’t have the option of an ISOFIX base.
Although the Mamas & Papas Cybex Aton is light, the handle is quite hard, without smooth edges. This makes it a bit hard on the hands it you’re carrying it around for a while. It would benefit from the addition of a soft padded bit on the middle of the handle.
Who is the Mamas & Papas Cybex Aton car seat best for?
New parents after a light, portable car seat to team with their fave Mamas & Papas buggy.
The Mamas & Papas Cybex Aton is a good-value car seat that covers all bases – it’s got style, safety, portability and value for money beside its name. If you’re looking for the option of an ISOFIX base, this isn’t the seat for you, but it’s compatibility with Mamas & Papas big buggy range is
