Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro car seat review

The Cruiserfix Pro is equipped with Kiddy’s new K-fix fittings, which can be retracted completely into the seat base. This means the Cruiserfix Pro can be used in a car with or without ISOFIX, using a 3-point adult seatbelt. However ISOFIX fastenings in a Group 2/3 car seat are a real bonus, as they mean the car seat doesn’t move around when your little one is climbing in, and the seat doesn’t need to be strapped in when you use the car without your child (think about it - without a child in it, the car seat in your vehicle is a heavy thing to have flying around if you crash).

The Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro has newly shaped chest and headrests, both of which are multi-adjustable with a one-handed squeeze at the back. These areas are lined with Kiddy’s upgraded ‘Honeycomb 2’ material that absorbs shock impact - this offers more side impact protection than traditional materials.

Two Kiddy Shock Absorbers (KSAs) have been fully incorporated into the seat shell itself, providing extra protection. When the seatbelt goes taut, the energy is pulled into the two hidden KSAs and away from your child. This ‘crumple zone’ technology is unique to Kiddy.

Your child is restrained in the Cruiserfix Pro by your car’s adult 3-point seatbelt, which is ingeniously guided into place by the special curved guides, making it impossible for you to position the seatbelt incorrectly.

What we love

This car seat is super safe. From the ISOFIX to crumple zones, you get the feeling this is one very secure seat.

The Cruiserfix Pro is sleek and stylist, not a blobby brightly coloured monstrosity. In fact, it so sleek that its design is somehow thinner than even the previous Kiddy I tested (the Kiddy Discovery). The main bonus of this is that the Cruiserfix Pro is small enough for a small mum (that’s me) to lean over both car seat and child and be able to plug in the seatbelt – and all of this in a high 4x4 car. Impressive.

The Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro is simplicity itself to install. I watched the YouTube clip and read the instructions (which are very clear) and away we went.

Carrying the Cruiserfix Pro between cars is a lightweight job and, thanks to its compact nature, an easy one.

My son Bertie loves this car seat - it is slim enough not to take up all the space around him and it allows him great visibility out the car windows. The sporty fabrics older kids will appreciate, too. It’s also very comfy on a long journey - Bertie extends the thigh support and the shape of the back and sides ensures a comfortable long ride. The shoulder supports prevent him toppling over when he falls asleep in the car.

The clever adjustment mechanism enables simultaneous height and width adjustment with only one hand movement. This is useful if, like me, you car pool with many different sized children.

All the techno speak that surrounds this seat is well justified and Kiddy hasn’t forgotten the basics. The elevated thigh support on the car seat helps to prevent your child sliding underneath the seat belt in the case of an accident (known as the 'anti-submarine effect'). The Cruiserfix Pro has Thermotex fabric designed to transfer any moisture away, optimising air circulation and ensuring the seat fabric remains dry and comfy for your child on warm days. The fabric can be wiped clean, and for more stubborn stains, you can remove the cover from the frame of the seat, and machine wash it at 30 degrees.

What to watch out for

Be careful where you place an ISOFIX car seat – most MPVs/people carriers only have ISOFIX on the middle rows, however if you place an ISOFIX seat there, you won’t be able to tilt the seat to allow passengers to gain access to the rear row of seats. My older boys now get in and out of the boot door as we have two ISOFIX car seats blocking their entry to the car through the side doors!

Who is the Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro car seat best for?

Parents after a super-safe, highly engineered option for car swapping and child comfort.

MadeForMums verdict

A fantastically safe and practical car seat. The Cruiserfix Pro justifies its cost through being massively easy to adapt and by looking super stylish.