Hauck Bodyguard review

The Bodyguard is Group 2/3 car seat suitable for children who weigh between 15 and 36kg, that’s roughly three-years-old to 12-years-old (children are required by law to use a car seat until they are 12 or over 1.5m tall).

With six height adjustments and three width adjustments the main selling point of this seat is that it keeps on growing with your kids.

Tell us about fitting the car seat.

The advantage of moving into a Group 2/3 car seat is that there’s no more faffing around with straps and harnesses, which is a blessed relief.

The Bodyguard is secured with your car’s three-point seat belt. The instruction manual, stowed in a tiny (and otherwise pretty redundant) pocket at the rear of the seat, clearly shows how to fit the seat but even with an excited three-year-old on my case I didn’t really need it and within minutes of opening the box it was in the car and was occupied.

There are a couple of slightly tricky bits - feeding the belt through the shoulder guard - push the red catch up and insert the belt - and figuring out the recline mechanism, which takes a bit of practice.

Most Group 2/3 seats combine a booster seat and separate backrest and are notoriously hard to carry; pick one up by the headrest and the seat often comes crashing to the ground, usually on your toes.

But the hard outer shell of the Bodyguard creates a one-piece seat that’s pretty easy to lug about and swap between cars and won’t ruin your pedicure by breaking in half.

Does the chair take up a lot of room?

No, in fact, for a seat with a shell such as this it’s not overly bulky (7.3kg) and it’s comparative to other similar seats in its class such as the Concord Transformer T (7.5kg)

That said it’s not the kind of seat you’d keep in the boot of the car as a spare – it’s too big for that.

Is it comfortable for your little one?

Yes - this is one well-padded, comfy car seat. The cover material is so soft that I found myself stroking it and purring like a cat.

My three-year-old daughter Poppy, whose excitement at being allowed a grown up car seat was hard to contain, instantly loved the soft, brushed fabric and snuggled into the seat.

And having three recline positions is good news for long journeys when little ones nod off.

But trying to adjust the seat with a child on board is pretty tricky and the system doesn’t work well.

Personally, I’d prefer the two adjustments to be independent of each other – I have a short and stout three-year-old, who needs a little more width than the seat gives at the height she needs.

As a Group 2/3 it has a life span of nine years, will it last that long?

Yes, I think so, this is a car seat with a very long shelf life – it’s designed to see your child right through to their teens.

With six height adjustment and three width adjustments the Bodyguard is very versatile.

The height and width adjustments are linked and it’s an easy one-handed system to use - push down on the button on top of the handle and pull up at the same time to see the seat grow.

The six height adjustments give the backrest a range of 18cm (58cm-76 cm) and there are three width settings. What’s more, this can be done with your child on board.

The ease of fit and the adaptability really stands out as a plus point for me – the range of adjustments that can be made is also a major plus point that really backs up the claim that this seat will last until your child is heading for their teens.

Is it easy to clean?

Yes, thankfully! Removable covers are a must for any car seat in my family; my two travel-sick children have ruined a clutch of seats in their short lives.

The covers on the Bodyguard are relatively easy to take off, although putting them back on took a bit of effort. They came up beautifully in the wash though.

Tell us about the safety features.

This car seat is ECE 44/04 approved (current car seat standard) and certainly looks and feels very sturdy.

The shock-absorbing side-impact system describes the two wings of memory foam that form the sides of the seat; memory foam is impact and shock-absorbing and has been proven to perform well in crashes.

What, no ISOFIX?

The Bodyguard is not Isofix compatible but Hauck does another model, the Bodyguard Plus, which is naturally more expensive and retails at £129.99.

Is it value for money?

At £129.99 this is a mid-price range seat that in my view offers very good value for money.

What’s in the box?

• Hauck Bodyguard car seat

Any additional extras?

• None

MadeForMums verdict?

A highly structured car seat with good safety features that gives a high level of comfort. Easy to adjust and suitable for children from 3 – 12 years this seat has lots of room for adjustment without being overly bulky.

Read more...

• 10 of the best car seats from 4 years
• Guide to child car seat laws and safety
• 2016 - The 12 best car seats