Koochi Motohero review

When I first saw the Koochi Group 1-2-3 car seat, the Motohero, I saw something familiar but couldn’t quite place what it was, until I found out that the new brand is the sister company of British manufacturer Cosatto.

At that point it seemed so obvious, Koochi products certainly look like they have been modelled on Cosatto’s own pushchairs and car seats, but where they differ is they are a little more subdued in the colour department.

Cosatto is well-known for its boldly bright and brilliant shades, but the vividly colourful approach is not everybody’s cup of tea.

So when we tested the Koochi Motohero Group 1-2-3 car we got the primary yellow version (colour that was certainly a hit with our daughter, three-year-old Bluebell). It also comes in red – which although eye-poppingly bright and not quite my taste definitely appealed to my mini racing driver.

Complete with racing-driver style padded tummy and chest pads the universal seat spans three car seat stages from nine months to 12 years, growing with your child from 9kg to 36kg and is compatible with a standard three-point seat belt.

What’s in the box?

• Koochi Motohero booster seat
• Koochi Motohero back
• Two part seat liner

Any additional extras?

• No

How is installing the Motohero?

Not as simple as it should, and can be. There’s nothing like a complicated instruction manual to get tempers frayed. For some reason Koochi decided to print written installation instructions for the seat at one end of the manual and picture diagrams at the other, meaning a lot of leafing back and forth is required.

The box contains the car seat in two parts – the booster seat and the back – which you need to put together first before moving to the car.

It took around 30 minutes to fit the two parts of the seat together and install it in the car: there are a lot of safety straps to get to grips with, and there are three levels at which you can adjust the shoulder straps to fit your child.

Being a forward-facing car seat we had to totally remove the headrest in our Peugeot 208 to make the seat fit flush with the back seat of the car, however, once you’ve done all this you simply wrap the car seat belt around and through the back of the car seat and you’re good to go.

Although it’s slightly annoying to have an odd head rest rolling around in the boot, at £90 for the seat it’s a small price to pay for a universal car seat which will fit whatever car we move onto next.

Is it easy to move from one car to another?

Not really, I wouldn’t recommend lifting the seat into the car single handedly. If like me, you’ve got a baby on board or suffer any kind of back problem be careful, it’s quite a hefty piece of equipment and is by no means lightweight.

How comfortable is the seat?

The seat base is really roomy and with a height-adjustable head rest and plenty of padding there’s no doubt this car seat is comfortable when your child is wide awake and will last as your child grows.

That said, despite the fact the side wings and head rest both adjust easily, both failed to support my daughter’s head when she was sleeping, it kept rolling forward and waking her up as her head drooped.

Perhaps it’s simply the way she sleeps and another child wouldn’t have this problem, however it’s not one we encountered with her previous seat.

Is it easy to keep clean?

Yes it is, potty training parents will be happy to know that the seat has a washable two-part liner, which means the odd ‘accident’ can be easily dealt with without the whole cover having to come off.

How is strapping in your little one?

Unlike other car seats on the market it’s really easy to strap a child into this one without struggling to marry up the various parts. The two sections of the strap fit together with the buckle in one simple click.

It also boasts a ‘quick release buckle’, which really is just that – one click and the component parts all fall apart.

What do you think of the arm rests?

Bluebell loved the arm rests and thought they were a real novelty compared to her old Britax car seat – she has spent every journey ensconced in the seat with her elbows firmly attached to the rests, as though on a throne.

Made For Mums verdict?

Being suitable from 9 months to 12 years certainly makes this a good value car seat. It is sturdy and looks like it will stand the test of time, and with heavily padded straps the baby/child is snugly secure and, most importantly, comfortable.