We’ve had the Graco TrioGrow Snuglock 3 in 1, Babytrend Cover Me 4 in 1, Maxi Cosi Pria and I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the last one but it was an Evenflo brand one. Nothing was wrong with them like safety wise just they were horrible to install or the straps were awful to tighten and some were straight up just uncomfortable for her.
The Maxi Cosi Vita Pro is notorious for chin to chest positioning (not good for positional asphyxiation) so I would not recommend that at all.
I got a Maxi Cosi Pria and husband got a Maxi Cosi Nova, which is very similar to the Vita Pro, and we returned the Nova after three weeks because the chin to chest was SO bad every single car trip. Even contacted Maxi Cosi and had it checked by a professional installer, both verified through pictures and in person it was perfectly installed and angled. Maxi Cosi offered us a swap because of safety, so we got another Pria and have had no issues with them since. Sure, they might all be crash tested but that won’t help if my kid suffocates first, no idea how they’re on the market. Pria also has a smart tether, is very compact and has adjustable head rest and straps without need for rethreading.
Both grandparents have cheaper car seats (Ranger II) and my god are they huge and so much worse to load the kids in and out of. I use a lot of car seats for work purposes and really value the extra features for ease of use, but they do come with extra costs.
Our car (a decent sized sedan mazda 3) couldn't fit the 360, and I have no desire to buy a carseat again in 12 months.
Instead we went with the Maxi Cosi Pria (doesn't turn but the belt holder does make it easier to get them in and out) and a pram with a bassinet.
I also reasoned that they aren't supposed to spend more than an hour or two in the capsule/car seat anyway for safety and I didn't want to haul a heavy ass capsule everywhere. So pulling them in and out even if it wakes them seemed a better solution.
Just FYI - I’ve read that taxis and ride share companies have policies where you’re not allowed to bring and install your own car seat. Apparently it’s a liability issue if there’s an accident and it’s not installed correctly.
I know some taxis you can pre book a car seat.
[Shebah](https://www.shebah.com.au/ride) is also a ride share company specifically for women and children (men are fine too if travelling with a child) where they provide car seats.
In terms of which one to purchase for travel - be aware some car seats are approved for airline travel - ie you can purchase a seat, strap the car seat in, and child sits in car seat for flight. I’m not across what brands but have seen seats advertise this. Otherwise just buy whatever and check it in.
All car seats in Australia are safe. What you’re paying for is essentially ease of adjustments/convenience. The cheap ones you have to completely rethread to adjust the headrest etc. I would definitely purchase an IsoFix one… and then depends on your budget. We have a maxi cosi Pria which is a dream to put baby in and out of but is expensive for occasional use. It’s also thin enough to fit 3 across our car.
My Maxi Cosi Pria has been worth every cent because of the ease of the side tether. Expensive but you use this thing multiple times per day for YEARS.
Seconding get something you don’t need to rethread.
Adding isofix is even better.
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