The Monterey is a versatile car seat that consists of a stand-alone booster and attachable high back to support the child and guide the seatbelt into the correct place. The seat itself has ISOFAST points to anchor it into the correct place in the car.
This car seat features total side impact protection for the head, hips and torso. The deep side wings have EPS foam for comfort and protection. The tapered seat shape, designed to properly fit growing children, and full leg support with cushioned comfort add to the overall benefits, ensuring that your child is safe and comfortable. This also meant the only arguments I’ve had are over who gets to sit in it each time!
What we love
The Monterey car seat adjusts easily with one hand to all sizes of child so when my three boys, aged from 3 ¾ to 8 years, had finished fighting over turns it was easy to raise the height of the back to accommodate any of them. Once they get even taller it would be easy to remove the back and turn the car seat into a very safe and comfortable booster. In addition to its height adjustment, the Monterey boasts the additional feature of width adjustability. The seat width can be increased by 7.6cm, meaning it really will last until your child no longer needs a car seat.
All three boys agreed that the Monterey car seat was the most comfortable they’d sat in. this was mainly due to its depth - the seat is deeper than most and this seemed to eliminate the pins and needles feeling my eldest can get in his legs on a long journey.
The Monterey has two clips at the base that you attach onto the ISOFIX points of the car’s seat. Once the strap holding these clips in place is tightened the seat is securely fixed to the car, considerably increasing its safety.
This ISOFAST system also means that when all three boys are clambering over each other to get in the car, the seat stays safely in place, not moving or falling over as unfixed seats can.
Whilst the boys loved the comfort aspect, I rated the safety features the highest. This seat seemed to envelope even the largest of my children making them look very secure indeed.
What to watch out for
The Monterey car seat is rather big in both depth and width, so while it fitted well into my large Volvo it might struggle in a smaller car. Even in cars with three proper seats across the rear I think it would be hard to fit three Monterey car seats in side by side, and you definitely wouldn’t be able to access the cup holders. That said, wondering about how three car seats will fit in the back of the car isn’t going to be a concern for all families.
The recline feature of the Monterey car seat is limited and is really only there to ensure that the seat fits snugly onto the car’s seat back. If you have very sleepy children, you may feel it doesn’t go far enough.
Some mums appear to have had a few niggles over fixing the Monterey in their car but it seemed very straightforward to me. The instructions are clear to follow but some mums report having had problems accessing their ISOFIX points. It might be that these points are easier to get to in some cars than in others.
Who is the Monterey car seat best for?
Safety- and comfort-conscious mums with plenty of car space.
The Monterey is a fantastically adjustable seat that really will last until your child no longer requires one. It offers great value for money, with good safety and comfort features, however it is on the large side.
