The Maxi-Cosi concept:
Formerly known as the Maxi-Cosi Cabrio, the CabrioFix has now been updated to work in combination with an Isofix (EasyFix) fitting, the Maxi-Cosi EasyBase seat base (both bought separately), or simply with a three-point seat belt. Popular as a stand-alone car seat, it also doubles as part of a travel system with Quinny strollers and (with adaptors) several other brands including Micralite and Bugaboo. Outside the car, the seat's curved base allows it rock back and forth to soothe baby.
The Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix in action:
Ease of use / safety
The Cabrio-Fix does a great job at providing top-notch safety features with simplicity of use, particularly when using one of the Maxi-Cosi bases, either EasyFix (Isofix) or Easybase. Once you've installed the base, the seat simply clicks in and out of it for super quick and safe fitting and removal.
Ease of use isn't the only reason for plumping for a base for your car seat, they're also designed to be safer by making faulty fitting less likely and the seat restraint even more secure. The Easybase is simply a seat base that fits into your car using the seat belt, whereas Isofix is the new standard for installing child seats into cars now being adopted by vehicle manufacturers and using special fixing points in the car seat.
If you're securing the seat just with a seat belt then it's a bit more fiddly to take in and out, but we still found it fairly quick and easy: You draw the belt across the front of the seat, slipping it into two side clips as you go and then into the seat belt clip, and then pull the belt over the back of the seat and slide it into the clip behind the seat. What is more difficult when securing with just a seat belt is putting your baby in and out of the seat when the seat stays in the car, as the seat belt then needs moving out of the way.
The seat straps on the Cabrio are easy to use and can be fastened out of the way for taking your baby in and out more easily. They're also easily adjustable to give your baby a secure fit without being too tight. As your baby grows it's a small job to remove the newborn insert and later adjust the position of the shoulder straps. You can also very easily change the seating position of the seat so it's most appropriate to your baby's size and weight.
CabrioFix's firm sides give reassuring protection from side impact. We haven't crash-tested the seat ourselves (thankfully) but when used with a base fitting the CabrioFix scored top marks for safety (after impact testing) and was listed as Best Buy in the Which report on infant car seats for 2006. Both types of bases do, however, cost extra, (around £60-80).
Out and about
The seat's carrying handle makes it easy to carry your baby around, to and from the car, and the seat is light enough that, in the early months, carrying seat and baby around over shortish distances shouldn't be a problem for most people. The in-built sun canopy, which attaches to the carry handle) is a cinch to use and very useful, both in and out of the car.
One quite minor niggle is that the carrying handle requires both hands to fold it back as you need to press in the buttons at both sides and push back,
this is obviously to prevent accidental adjustment, but it does mean that on occasion it's hard to use, for example if you're reaching back into the back seat from the front to push the canopy back.
It's not an important feature for everyone, but we found the ability to use the seat as part of a travel system really useful for those times when you need to pop out of the car but don't want to disturb your baby, or if the stop-off is so short that moving from seat to pushchair is a bit of a faff.
Comfort for baby
The CabrioFix has adjustable seat positioning so that you can have a more reclined position for a newborn and more upright for an older baby. This is a nice feature and can make life more comfortable for a young baby and more interesting for an older one. For newborns there is removable extra padding and a head snug to prevent baby's head rocking about. Until babies can sit, however, they are going to be most comfortable lying as flat as possible, so, as with any other car seat, it's not recommended that you leave your young baby in the seat for longer than a couple of hours at a time.
When out of the car, the rounded underside of the Cabrio allows the seat to double as a rocker. In our opinion this isn't a good substitute for a baby bouncer/rocker chair in the house, but it is handy when you're out and about for soothing very young babies.
Perhaps the best testament to how comfortable the CabrioFix is, is that our eight-month-old has been perfectly happy to snuggle down in it in his sleepsuit for the night (not knowing we would transfer him to his cot a few hours later) for longish night-time car trips.
How long the CabrioFix will last your baby will depend on how fast she grows, as a guideline the seat suits babies up to 13kg, which should see you at least through the first twelve months, and for most babies a few months longer.
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The ThinkBaby verdict
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The Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix is a solid infant car seat that neatly combines good security with usability. Given its good performance and some useful additional features we think it offers very good value for money even at £99.
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Usability: | 5/5
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Quality: | 4/5 | 
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Value | 4/5 |
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