How to choose a Cybex car seat?

A couple of decades ago, it was almost an axiom to find the mother at home in the first few years after the birth of the child. The conditions of that time, however, like the rhythm of life, provided an opportunity to be at home, not allowing you to leave it for a longer time than the usual going out for groceries requires.

However, today life looks completely different, and young people do not see an opportunity for themselves to sit at home for years. Many families have a car that allows them to go to visit their grandmother, even to nature. At the same time, a small child always and everywhere requires special conditions related to comfort and safety, and a Cybex brand car seat can be exactly the accessory that will provide the necessary conditions.

Features:

Such products are produced by dozens of different manufacturers from all over the world, however, unlike many competitors, the Cybex car seat in our country is in steadily growing demand. At the same time, the brand in question cannot even boast of a long history or vast experience in its professional field, because it began to produce child seats for cars not so long ago - in 2000.

Naturally, such a quick success, when the company conquers foreign markets (the birthplace of the brand is Germany) in just a decade and a half, indicates a responsible attitude to its work. The company's motto consists of three words, which perfectly describe the main criteria for choosing car seats - safety, design and functionality. Indeed, crash tests organized both by the manufacturer itself and by third-party companies show that there are not many places where it would be as safe, even in the event of an accident.

The design of products for the German manufacturer is specially developed by the Czech company Koncern, known for cooperation with dozens of popular brands around the world. Finally, Cybex maintains its own design office, which makes every effort to ensure that each new model has thoughtful and convenient functionality.

At the same time, the company, understanding the financial situation of young parents who have temporary problems with money, produces not only expensive, but also low-cost products available to every family. The offered assortment makes it possible to choose a chair model depending on the age and weight of the child. An obligatory characteristic of each model is the convenience of the child, and the backrest is adjustable to provide exactly the inclination that is comfortable at a particular moment for this particular baby.

The secure seat belts are individually tested to give you confidence that your little passenger is secure. Finally, it takes very little time to install the seat in the car, and if necessary, the seat can be removed quickly and easily.

Models

You need to start with the fact that all models are fastened either with special belts, or using the more modern Isofix technology (such chairs have the fix prefix in their name). The latter option is considered more preferable, since it provides a more reliable attachment to the car frame, however, the old model can also be improved by purchasing the necessary adapter.

In addition, all child car seats are classified according to the approximate weight of the child, although the name indicates this classification as an age group. Moreover, each class of sitting should be chosen not only according to what age and weight it is designed for, but also according to certain features.

For example, for the smallest seats, both 0+ (0-13 kilograms) and 0 + / 1 (0-18 kg) are suitable. Both models are developed with the active participation of pediatric orthopedists, are mounted in the car strictly backwards (against the direction of travel) and have enhanced side impact protection. At the same time, the 0+ standard is optimized as much as possible for possible installation on a baby stroller chassis, but 0 + / 1 is exactly a car seat designed for children under 4 years old. As for the standard 1 (9-18 kilograms), which partially duplicates 0 + / 1, it is set in the direction of travel, which is a stern necessity in some cars.

Car seats of categories 1/2/3 (9-36 kilograms) and 2/3 (15-36 kilograms) are an attempt by a German manufacturer to produce a seat that would serve as a useful and very durable purchase. The child reaches the maximum indicated weight at approximately 12 years old, after which it can be considered close to an adult. Such a car seat will give the baby the comfort comparable to that of an ordinary modern chair for an adult.

Moreover, the category is not the whole classification of car seats of this manufacturer. There are several model lines in the Cybex manufacturer's line, each of which has characteristic features - these are Aton and Cloud, Juno and Free, Sirona and Solution, Aura and Pallas. If we talk about budget models, then a special line called CBX is allocated for them.

Each line deserves, if not close study, then at least a more detailed description.

Cybex pallas

The Cybex Pallas series is a great example of how the same seat can serve owners for a decade. All car seats from here are categorized as 1/2/3, so they can be used from about 9 months to 12 years old. Children are not separated by sex. All the best characteristics described above are fully inherent in this series, and a distinctive feature is that instead of belts that hold the baby in the chair, a table is used.

However, such a solution is designed only up to the age of 3-4 years, and then the table is removed, being replaced by ordinary belts. For some models, attachment to the seat of the car itself is provided in the classic form, although the 2-Fix and M-Fix models use modern Isofix. In 2018, such a chair costs about 21-23 thousand rubles, which is not that expensive, given the duration of potential use.

Solution

For those who have already had a car seat before, and who would not like to spend even that much money at a time, the Solution series models are well suited. The whole series belongs to the 2/3 standard - it is permissible to use it for children aged 3-12 years. The main feature of the entire line is the lightness of the presented models, achieved through the use of modern materials, which also help to achieve excellent ventilation.

The headrest of this chair is adjustable, so it can be adjusted to the optimal sleeping position. Today, representatives of this series cost from 8 thousand rubles, moreover, the term of their use cannot be called short either. At the same time, the lineup is constantly being updated - the novelties here are Q2 and Q3, X2 and SL.

Juno is a series that represents a completely new look at what a standard 1 car seat should be (aimed at children from 9 months to 3-4 years old). In 2013, this series received the prestigious award from the European Child Car Seat Test, in particular for its innovation in the adjustable table position, which is still a wonder.

Although the attachment to the car is implemented according to the Isofix principle, the manufacturer left the possibilities for fixing the seat to older structures that were not adapted to this system. The cost of such a purchase will be within 15 thousand rubles.

Cloud Q and Aton

The Cloud Q and Aton series are categorized as 0+ seats, designed exclusively for the smallest. For obvious reasons, such car seats should at least as one of the options offer a full recumbent position, becoming an ordinary cradle outside the car.

The Cloud Q model made a splash, becoming the safest child seat among all the presented ones according to the results of 2015 - literally everything is thought out here, from protection from any impact to a huge sun visor. Aton Basic costs about 9-10 thousand rubles, its updated competitor from the Cloud series will cost 12-14 thousand.

Sirona and Sirona Plus

Sirona and Sirona Plus are category 0 + / 1 car seats for children from birth to 4 years of age. A feature of the series is that the chairs presented are capable of organizing the transportation of children both against the direction of travel (a requirement that is mandatory for babies under 15 months old) and along the way. Considering that the chair is a kind of analogue of a stroller, you need to understand that in the case of the last child of this age, two fundamentally different designs would have to be changed - a cradle and a walking block.

It is not surprising that the model under consideration is an example of an ideal transformer that not only adjusts to the necessary parameters, but also makes it very easy: all changes can be activated literally with one hand. The manufacturer made sure that the car seats of this line are different in size - this allows you to integrate into a car of any size and shape. Perhaps it is this versatility that makes the chair very expensive - its price in 2018 starts at about 35 thousand rubles.

Many parents are also wondering what the Cybex car seat categories such as Silver, Gold or Platinum mean. At first glance, these categories determine the quality and price of a product, but in reality we see only a clever marketing ploy. On the one hand, it allows you to determine which strollers the car seat will fit with (for example, the Gold category chairs will fit the Autumn stroller of the same manufacturer, since they are in the same category), on the other hand, it shows where you can officially purchase such a product.

In fairness, it should be noted that then budget CBX, which is often considered a separate brand, should also be categorized. For comparison, it is sold everywhere without restrictions, but the same Silver category is not available in stores selling at discounts. Gold and Platinum should be sold exclusively in authorized outlets, but if the requirements for the former are relatively low, because they are sold in some stores, then the latter are exclusively in selected ones.

Advantages and disadvantages

As with any product, it is best to judge car seats from this or any other company by your own experience, but the risk of bad choice makes many parents look for a way to learn from someone else's bad experience. The source of the necessary information in this case can be good old reviews left on thematic forums on the Internet.

Here you need to be vigilant, since some stores, in order to increase sales, purposefully leave fake positive reviews about the products of the advertised brand.

To minimize the risk of receiving false information for the reader, we tried to find objective assessments.

Of course, Cybex car seats are much more often praised than scolded, otherwise this brand could not become so successful so quickly, despite the fact that it definitely does not belong to the most budget options. True, the most often not the most practical detail is singled out as a positive moment - design. Indeed, most of the chairs look very stylish, and although all of them are considered "sexless", designed for both boys and girls, the specific colors of individual models hints at who would like such a seat more.
The use of modern materials and technologies is also praised. It is no secret that it can be quite hot on a trip, and even more so for a child, because a car seat also tightly hugs him from all sides, providing reliable protection in the event of an accident. In such a situation, the use of materials that do not interfere with normal ventilation will be a huge plus, and it must be admitted that Cybex has taken care of this to the proper extent.

The concern for comfort does not end there, because both the back and the headrest are conveniently adjustable, giving the baby the opportunity to sleep sweetly even in a relatively uncomfortable sitting position for sleep.

Naturally, with its main task - fixing the child in his place - such a car seat also copes with "excellent". The close "hugs" of the chair are designed so that, with all their "sincerity", they still do not become the cause of outright discomfort. Many models designed for children of preschool and school age also suggest the possibility of removing the backrest with its further transformation into a children's booster. Such a device is necessary in order to slightly raise the baby above the seat. In other words, it is simply an additional seat pad, but without its own back.
Due to this rise, the car's seat belts pass along the chest, as it should be, and not along the neck of a child with a short stature. It turns out that a child sitting on a booster has an increased chance of getting off with a slight fright even in a serious accident, and for a child sitting in a regular adult seat, even a small accident can end in disaster. That is why models with the ability to transform into a booster are constantly popular.

Separately, it should be said about how Cybex actually works in a traffic accident. Numerous crash tests and real accidents show that such a chair can really save a child's life. In such situations, the particular danger of injury is not even the blow itself, but the fact that under its influence the child is thrown onto the inner wall of the car, striking it with force. The Cybex car seat, as practice shows, reliably prevents such situations.
Behind numerous odes, criticism is almost inaudible, but it also exists. Let's face it - many negative features are mentioned on the forums a few times and only in the context of generally positive reviews, so many consumers could even deliberately ignore them. However, the reader has a right to know about other people's negative experiences.

Naturally, many consumers don't like the price, especially when it comes to expensive models, whose cost is tens of thousands of rubles. Cybex really does not belong to budget manufacturers, however, cheaper Chinese products, with their availability, do not provide similar security.
It happens that weight is also criticized, but again, not always the material that is able to simultaneously protect the child even from a strong blow and at the same time be well ventilated is also lightweight.
Perhaps the only comparatively well-reasoned criticism is that some models of this company did not show an ideal result in terms of safety itself, however, for this there is a large selection of models and manufacturers to choose only the best for your child.

Tips for choosing

Even if parents already know for sure that they will buy a car seat from Cybex for their child, they still need to choose the right model. If you make a mistake at this stage, it may suddenly turn out that the vaunted brand simply did not fit the kid. To keep everything at the highest level, follow simple guidelines.

Never ignore the age and weight markings for a specific model. Too small for this seat, a child will "dangle" in a chair, too big it simply cannot hold.
Traveling by car can take many hours, and the child must be comfortable if the parents do not want to listen to crying all the way.If the baby is able to express his thoughts explicitly, it is imperative that he first test the model he likes.

If the car seat can be installed on the chassis, you need to choose it so that it can be quickly removed from the car and converted into a stroller, and vice versa.