MCO's Holiday Gift Guide: Maxi Cosi

*I received a complimentary car seat in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions*

Maxi Cosi is one of the leading car seat brand in Europe and they are known for their superior comfort and innovative technology. Maxi Cosi has spent years producing the safest and most practical products available. From car seats to strollers, Maxi Cosi puts your needs as a parent into every detail.

For months I have been lusting over the Pria 70 car seat. From my first sighting of it at Buy Buy Baby it has been on my 'must have' list and every chance I could I would drop hints to Mr. Hunky about wanting to get it for Little Mister. Unfortunately for me, my not so subtle hints were not taken and I continued to lust after the Pria. I have been a fan of Maxi Cosi products for well over a year now, my first product of theirs being their Foray stroller. After my good friend purchased her Pria Car Seat and raved about it for weeks, it only solidified my want for the car seat. I was ecstatic when I got in touch with Maxi Cosi and they accepted my invitation in participating in our Holiday Gift Guide! 

Maxi Cosi generously sent me the Pria 70 Convertible Car Seat featuring the TinyFit System! I received the car seat in black which was perfect because then we can use it down the road with baby #2 if we choose to. 

When I pulled the Pria 70 out of the box not only was I super excited, but Little Mister was too! I actually and to wait until he went down for a nap before I could take pictures - I couldn't get him out of it!

Let's start by talking about the specs of this attractive car seat. The Maxi Cosi Pria with TinyFit will literally hold your child from birth to 70 pounds. Thanks to the TinyFit system, a newborn as small as 4 pounds can ride safely and securely in this convertible car seat! The TinyFit system features side impact protection that surrounds your infants torso, a comfortable head rest, harness cushions, and of course the 5 point harness. The TinyFit system can be with a child up to 22 pounds. Once your child reaches 22 pounds or if you plan to use the Pria with a child who has outgrown their infant carrier, you simply remove the TinyFit system and the head rest from the Pria 70 and it is ready to be used with your toddler! The Pria 70 rear faces your little one from 4-40 pounds and 40 inches, and forward faces your bigger kids up to 70 pounds and 52inches.

Since it's no secret that Little Mister is not a tiny baby, I couldn't use him as a model to demonstrate the TinyFit system, so Bitty Bunny had to do. Although Bitty Bunny does not weigh 4 pounds, I imagined he would be around the size of a 4 pound baby. As you can see, Bitty Bunny has a lot of room to grow within the TinyFit system and although he is tiny now, he was still comfortable and secure in a convertible car seat. 

The Pria 70 has several features that are adjustable to not only grow with your child, but to accommodate their level of comfort from the harness pads to the adjustable harness straps. The 5 point harness bottom buckle has three adjustment sizes so that as your child grows you can adjust the buckle so that it is comfortable for them. The harness has a strap adjustment button that is covered by a piece of the car seats fabric (shown below) that you press and pull outward on the straps to make them looser, and extra strap length that you pull to tighten the harness to accommodate your child. Adjusting the harness is very simple and can be used regularly to make it easier for mom to get their little one out of the car seat! I personally always loosen the straps when getting Little Mister in and out of the car seat because not only does it make it easier, but it gives me peace of mind knowing that every time I put Little Mister in, the straps are snug!

The harness straps on the Pria 70 are straps that you rethread however there are only two harness strap heights! Now you're probably thinking, what do you mean there are only two harness heights?! The first harness height is made specifically for your infants that will be using the TinyFit system while the second harness height is for children over 22 pounds. With the second harness height, you can then adjust the straps using the head rest adjust button to increase or decrease the height of the straps! Remember, if your child is rear facing the straps must be at or below their shoulders and if they are forward facing they must be at or above! 

When you're ready to adjust the height of the harness straps and the head rest, you simply push on the red button and slide the head rest up or down!

As standard on any car seat, the Pria 70 has a very easy to work 5 point harness to keep your little one safe! In my opinion the 5 point harness is easy to use and typically gives me no trouble as I buckle and unbuckle Little Mister. The only thing that I have noticed is that my harness straps sometimes get twisted within the buckle and I cannot figure out why! The only thing I can think of is when I am loosening the straps to get Little Mister out maybe they are getting twisted, because I know it cannot be happening while we are on the go as I always make sure that there is no slack on the straps and that they are snug on Little Mister. They are however easy to untwist so when it does happen it only takes a moment to correct! 

My absolute favorite feature of the Maxi Cosi Pria 70 is the Air Protect Technology that is featured throughout the car seat and in the headrest. Knowing that my sweet boy's head is protected by Air Protect Technology gives me peace of mind while he's in the car with me, and I love that the headrest on the Pria is surrounded by about an inch and a half of the Air Protect Technology. Not only is it safe, but it's super comfortable for Little Mister to rest his head on to take a snooze while on the go! Below is a photo of me holding onto the head rest. On the left is me causally holding it and on the right is me applying pressure. As you can see the head rest is padded, but still firm enough to protect your child when pressure is applied!

Little Mister absolutely LOVES this car seat and always has a very comfortable ride. I love that there is a cup holder so we can bring a sippy cup with us, or a container with snacks! Little Mister is 2 years old in the photo below and the lower buckle is in the center of the three adjustment sizes.

Prior to installing a new car seat into your vehicle it is extremely important to read your vehicles manual for their car seat installation recommendations. Once you've finished reading your vehicle manual you should then read the manual for the car seat before you begin. Once you're ready to install the Pria 70 into your car or truck you'll be in for a real treat! Installation is extremely simple with the one click LATCH system. 

Now don't get ahead of your self quite yet! Before you LATCH or buckle the car seat in your car you'll want to adjust the car seats angle adjuster so that your car seat is at the correct angle. The Pria 70 has 3 adjustment levels - 1) Forward Facing Only 2) Rear Facing or Forward Facing 3) Rear Facing Only. If your child is between 22-40 pounds and 34-43 inches and will be riding Forward Facing, your car seat angler should be at level 2. If your child is between 40-70 pounds and 43-52 inches and Forward Facing, your car seat angler should be at level 1.

To adjust your car seat to one of the 3 levels you pull out on the red pull lever on the back of the car seat with one hand and use your other to adjust the angle.

If your child is rear facing (which can be done up to 40 pounds in the Pria!!!) the molded line must be level with the ground! When you are installing your car seat be sure that you are parked on the street and not on your sloped driveway! If you get the car seat to be level, Maxi Cosi suggests (as per their owners manual) to use a tightly rolled up towel or a foam pool noodle to assist in the proper positioning, then make sure that you have a tight LATCH or buckle with the seat belt to insure a proper installation.

I am very pro extended rear facing so I loved that the Pria 70 allows us to rear face until Little Mister is 40 pounds or 40 inches tall. He currently weighs 31 pounds and is about 34 inches tall so we have some room to grow! I installed the Pria outboard on the passenger side of my car with the LATCH system and it was a very smooth installation. I love that the Pria is so compact and allows for extra space in the back seat and between the front passengers seat.

Little Mister loves his new car seat and I am so thankful that we were able to review such a wonderful seat. I had been lusting over the Pria and it did not disappoint once I got it in hand! Little Mister is as comfy as can be when we go out and I love having the peace of mind that he is safe in his car seat. When he outgrows the rear facing limits I know I will feel comfortable with turning him around thanks to the quality and safety that Maxi Cosi has put into their car seat! Best of all, the material of the car seat naturally wicks so any sticky fingers or spilt sippy cups are cleaned up with just a quick wipe with a towel! This car seat is aircraft carrier approved and I am looking forward to traveling with it in January!

I highly recommend this car seat to any parent who is looking for a car seat that will last and grow with their child! The Pria 70 retails for $250 and the Pria 70 with TinyFit retails for $289, making both an affordable solution to your car seat search!

Click Here to do Your Holiday Shopping With Maxi Cosi!

Congrats to Brittni Blankenship!

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of December 8th. The winner will be chosen at random through  Giveaway Tools.  The winner will be announced both on Giveaway Tools form as well as notified by email and announced on MCO’s Facebook. The winner will have their prize sent to them by Maxi Cosi, Mommys Craft Obsession is not responsible for prize shipment. Must be 18 years and older. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. No Purchase Necessary. US Only. This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions and I have not been influenced by any outside sources. What works for me, may not work for you. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review by Maxi Cosi however I have not been compensated monetarily for this review. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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