Thule Maple car seat review

In terms of price, £249, and functionality, it seems to be in-line with other higher-end car seats such as the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro — my previous car seat – but while it ticks a lot of safety boxes, it does seem to lack the cushioned premium feel I'm used to.

How easy is the Thule Maple car seat to install?

It took roughly 30 minutes to unpack and install the Thule Maple car seat. This could have taken longer if I wasn’t already familiar with ISOFIX as I have been using the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro. The images of the instructions were easy to use and I managed to install and use it by only referencing the diagrams on the product. It can also be installed with a seatbelt if your car doesn’t have ISOFIX.

How does the Thule Maple compare to similar infant car seats?

I was nervous before attempting to install the Thule as my experience with the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro had been extremely stressful. With the Thule, everything from the instructions to the ease of use has been simplified – I would expect nothing less from Swedish design.

Rotating the Thule is easier than the Pebble; it also has an additional feature which lets you extend the seat towards you, meaning you don’t need to lean into the car so much. I also found all the adjustments for the Thule more easily accessible than the Pebble when installed in the car.

What are the key safety features of the Thule Maple car seat?

The key safety features of the Thule are the electric safety lights on the EasyDock base. These are battery-powered (batteries are included) and beeps continually if the seat isn’t installed correctly. Initially, I thought this was unnecessary and that the beeping would be extra stressful if tired with a screaming baby, however, I now feel it's such a helpful feature.

It forced me pull the ISOFIX base down more to make the green light come on and the beeping stop, which made me realise I probably hadn’t had my Pebble base installed well enough.

What is the Thule Maple car seat ISOFIX base like?

The Thule Alfi, £249, is not your standard ISOFIX base, using EasyDock technology to make installing your Maple car seat as straightforward and error-free as possible. Compared with installing the Pebble ISOFIX, the Thule was more intuitive.

The leg of the base is attached by a magnet, which is easy to pull on and off. The leg then extends by simply pulling it and when dismantling it retracts with an obvious button.

It’s very easy to take the seat on and off the base using the 2 grey buttons at the front. There’s no tricky bar to attach at the back like the Pebble. My favourite feature of the base are the yellow buttons which extend the ISOFIX claws.

The claws clipped onto my car on the second attempt and then the lever tightened them, so I knew it was as secure as possible. The Pebble took a long time to get the claws to clip and it wobbled for ages before I could get it tight enough.

When the seat is fixed to the base, it’s very clear how to rotate it, however, it only rotates 180 degrees, while the Pebble rotates 360 degrees. I’m not sure this is a massive problem as R129 guidelines say that children should be kept rear-facing until at least 15 months old.

What features do you like the most about the Thule Maple car seat?

I liked that it was very lightweight at 5.4kg. The pull-down sunscreen is also a great addition – it's nice and dark and feels really durable. Another big plus is that the Maple also works on my existing stroller adapters, meaning I could use this seat with my Joolz Aer buggy.

How comfortable did your baby find the Thule Maple car seat?

My baby is 65cm so I took the newborn insert lining out – very easy to do – to make them more comfortable. The car seat straps were a lot softer than the Pebble and curved around his body much better, so he was secure without being squashed. I found the straps easy to tighten and adjust with a clearly labelled button on the front of the seat. However, overall I think the Pebble is a lot more padded than the Thule and has more of a comfy feel.

How robust does the car seat feel?

The padding and materials don’t seem as high quality as what I've seen before – you can feel the hard frame underneath more easily.

Does the Thule Maple car seat recline?

Yes – and it's a feature I love. The recline is activated by a pull button on the front, which is really easily accessible.

How easy is the car seat to clean?

The Thule Maple car seat covers can be pulled off fairly easily and machine-washed at 30 degrees.

How do you find the Thule Maple car seat to carry around?

I love that it's so lightweight at 5.4kg – just a little heavier than the Ickle Bubba Stratus i-Size at 4.7kg. Paired with the handle, it's very easy to lift out of the car and carry around.

Is the Thule Maple car seat big enough for a growing child?

I'm not sure. The maximum user height for the Thule is 75cm, and it's recommended for babies up to 15 months. However, my 2-month-old is already 65cm, so it may not be as long-lasting as you'd hope for the price

What’s in the box?

The base and seat come in separate boxes, and in each box is the product and paper manuals. I prefer this to the QR codes used by some products nowadays.

What are the additional accessories that you can buy?

• Headrest mirror, £24.99
• Seat protector, £44.99
• Boot cover, £44.99
• Car seat raincover, £29.99

How sustainable is the Thule Maple car seat?

The cardboard boxes the car seat came in are recyclable, although the plastic bags were not. There was no obvious or clearly labelled information about the use of sustainable materials or recyclability of the seat and base; I looked online and there is some information about sustainability goals and using solar power at their offices

What would you have wanted to know before purchasing the Thule Maple car seat?

I would want to be aware of its rotation limitations and how it doesn’t feel as padded as some other car seats on the market.

Is the Thule Maple car seat worth the money?

At £249 for the seat alone, it seems to be in line with market rates for this kind of product. For ease of use and safety features it’s great, however, it would be nice to have it a bit more padding on the sides, though my child did seem comfortable as the padding around the head and straps was adequate.

If you want to access all the easy installation and extra safety features of the EasyDock technology, you will need to buy the Alfi base separately, costing another £249.

Where can I buy the Thule Maple infant car seat?

It is available from Natural Baby Shower, Thule and Pramworld.

MadeForMums verdict

The Thule Maple (alongside the Alfi ISOFIX base) offers a low-stress experience for installation and use, however, it's not the most cushioned of car seats. I would recommend this seat if you want to know that you have installed your car seat securely – the electric light system is very effective and reassuring – but keep in mind there’s no option to use this as a forward-facing seat if that is important to you.