Kiddy Evo-Lunafix review

A Group 0+ infant car seat that’s lie-flat and ISOFIX compatible, the Evo-Lunafix is sold on its “ergonomic lie-flat position,” a feature most newborn car seats don’t have.

As an avid MFMer I’m sure you know the importance of the lie-flat position when it comes to newborns, but to reiterate; lying flat helps to develop new babies’ lungs. So it’s important our little ones get all the help they can after birth, and remember, if your baby is scrunched up then his or her breathing can be compromised.

With all of that in mind and our impending move from Plymouth to London, we took delivery of the Kiddy Evo-Lunafix car seat and ISOFIX base the day before our relocation.

It was a journey I was not looking forward to subjecting my 5-week-old son Vinnie to. Four hours strapped in a car seat was bound to make him sore and grumpy, or so I thought.

How’s fitting the Kiddy Evo-Lunafix in to the car?

I had a cursory glance at the instructions but felt I didn't really require them, having had experience with ISOFIX car seats before.

Tell us about the ISOFIX base?

Like most car seats brought to the market nowadays, the Evo-Lunafix is secured in the car using an ISOFIX base.

The base is pretty standard and simply clips into two built-in clips in the back of the car seat of all modern cars and is secured further with a supporting leg that extends on to the floor of your car.

This means that you don't have to faff around with seatbelts to get the car seat in and out of your vehicle, simply click it onto the base and away you go.

You also shouldn’t have to worry about whether you’ve fitted the seat in correctly as it should be secured directly to your vehicle.

What’s the lie-flat position like?

Initially I was worried it would be complicated to get the seat in to the lie flat position, but was reassured to find that it's done simply by pressing a button and pushing the handle back.

It is easy to change the seat from upright to lie-flat mode, and can even be done while your little one is strapped in.

Pushing the handle back lifts the mid section of the seat of up, aligning your little one’s back with his head and legs.

The downside to this is that it is a very big and quite bulky car seat.

While in the lie flat position in the back of our Nissan Juke, the car seat meant we had to move the front passenger seat almost as far forward as it would go.

This made it almost impossible for any adult to sit in the front when the car seat was in place.

Perhaps that says more about the space in the Juke that the car seat, all I know is I wasn't happy about giving my usual seat to the cat for our journey from Plymouth to London. But Vinnie’s comfort and safety come first, so what else could I do?

Is it comfy for your little one?

Yes! Vinnie is definitely a big fan of the Evo-Lunafix. This was evident by the fact that he slept soundly for the majority of the journey from Plymouth to London.

And when we arrived, he didn't seem to be cranky or uncomfortable. I also noticed that he doesn't protest when I put him in the Evo-Lunafix quite like he does when he goes in to the Maxi-Cosi seat.

How safe does it seem?

Very safe. The design of the seat itself is such that Vinnie's upper body was cocooned by the hard shell of the seat, which extends much further at the sides than the Maxi-Cosi seat.

It's a morbid thought but I found it reassuring that he would be well protected from any flying debris in the event of a crash.

Furthermore, the cushioning on the straps are attached to the newborn insert, meaning that they’ll stay firmly on the baby's shoulders and over his chest.

That teamed with the head support made Vinnie looked braced like he was about to take off on a rollercoaster. Although funny to see, I felt that Vinnie was so secure that he wouldn't have a clue if we were in a crash.

What’s the sun canopy like?

It’s actually a design feature I really like. It is really extendable, compared to my old Maxi-Cosi seat canopy that attaches to the handle and doesn't cover beyond it.

The canopy on the Evo-Lunafix extends way beyond the handle, almost touching Vinnie's legs making it easy to keep him snug when he was snoozing and protected from the sun while out and about without having to mess around with a clumsy parasol.

Is it travel system compatible?

It is, however, the Evo-Lunafix was not compatible with my old Quinny Buzz Extra.

It suits so many other pushchairs including other Quinny models and our brand new Babystyle Egg, which is match made in heaven!

Aside from the Egg being my idea of a perfect buggy, (check out my review to find out why) the combination of the Evo-Lunafix and Egg just adds value to both.

The car seat seamlessly slots onto the frame of the chassis and comes off and fit onto the ISOFIX base just as easily.

So if your day is packed full of errands and travelling from A to B (which I know it is) you couldn’t get a better travel system.

Value for money?

As a rule, I generally don't look up the price of a product I'm reviewing before I test it out for fear it may cloud my judgement.

Having used the car seat for our epic car journey and for the two weeks that followed, I thought it might be priced at around £200. I was left with my jaw on the floor when I discovered John Lewis sells this product for £319.

Although it is a fantastic product, it comes in at the same price as some economy travel systems. And while it probably won't last my son past 12 months, considering his height and size.

Who’s the Evo-Lunafix best for?

While out and about with Vinnie over the past few weeks I've been keeping my eyes peeled for other mummies with the car seat so I could quiz them about what they think.

However, I haven't spotted a single other Kiddy Evo-Lunafix on my travels, it's that new.

Anyway, it would be ideal for people who regularly make long journeys with their little one, but in our case I don't feel we'd get value for money.

What’s in the box?

• In the box was the car seat, which was ready to go with the newborn insert and canopy already in place.
• The ISOFIX base was similar to the one I use with my usual Maxi-Cosi Pebble seat.
• There were also four instruction booklets - two each for the seat and the base, one in English and one in German.

MadeForMums verdict?

All in all, the Evo-lunafix is strong and sturdy, but that results in a bulky and heavy car seat.

However, it's a small price to pay in order to rest assured that your little one is safe and comfortable on your travels.

I would absolutely recommend this product to friends... the ones who could afford it, that is.

If you liked reading this review on the Kiddy Evo-Lunafix car seat, check out these articles:

• 6 best lie-flat car seats from birth
• 14 best baby car seats from birth
• Guide to child car seat laws and safety