Alex recently reached the maximum weight and height for his car seat, so we needed to get him a new one. With the laws on car seats changing on March 1st, we were really keen to make sure we were getting the right one. We were given the chance to review a Joie Trillo group 2/3 car seat from Kiddies Kingdom, and it was exactly what we needed.
Alex is four, so he needs a high-backed booster seat. Before, legally, he could have got away with a simple booster cushion. However, the new law states that children must be in a high backed booster until they reach 125cm tall or 22kg which is around seven years old for the average child. This is for very good reason – high backed booster seats are so much safer. They have side and head protection in the event of a crash – whether it was law or not, I would definitely be buying one of these rather than a normal booster cushion.
The Joie Trillo Group 2/3 car seat is suitable for children weighing 15-36kg, which is approximately 4-12 years. Joie is a brand I trust – they specialise in car seats, pushchairs, travel systems and highchairs. All their products go through all the rigorous safety checks that you would expect and more.
Main features of the Joie Trillo Group 2/3 Car Seat
- ISOSAFE connectors
- Forward facing
- Side impact protection from head to hips
- One hand fully adjustable headrest
- Two cupholders
- Padded arm-rests
It was super easy to put together and even easier to put in the car. After struggling for years with car seats that appear to need a degree in engineering to fit in the car, it was a welcome change. We have an old car that doesn’t have Isofix, but it fitted in perfectly and securely with the seatbelt. It felt solid and it felt safe, which is exactly what you want from a car seat.
We’ve already had a trip to Birmingham and back with it and he fell asleep in it, so it must be comfy! Alex particularly loves the two cup holders than open up – it means he can keep his juice next to him in the car rather than holding it, and the other one often has a toy car or three in it!
At just £39.95 for the earl grey model, I thought it was exceptional value! You can find out more about it from the Kiddies Kingdom website.
*We were sent this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
Oooh. This has come at a great time. S is only 2.5 but rapidly reaching the weight limit for his RF seat. Can you just clairet, does this have a 5 point harness to fasten your son in, or are they fastened in with the adult belt? I’m desperately trying to find a seat that goes beyond 25 kg that still uses a harness rather than a seatbelt! X
Ooh I should have made that clear in the review – I’ll go and add that in the weekend. It’s just fastened with a seat belt. However, our other high backed booster seat that goes up to 12 years is a 5 point harness. I’ll try and remember in the morning to see what brand it is – we’ve had the other one a couple of years for our eldest and it’s been fab.
Just remembered – our other one is a Kiddicare one. We love that one as well and it’s 5 point harness. Hope that helps x