The Bébécar Easymaxi ELs is a rear facing infant carrier car seat, suitable from birth. With a large sunshade, rocking base and one pull harness it seems to have a lot to offer. Let’s take a closer look to see just what this car seat is all about in our Bébécar Easymaxi ELs review.
What’s in the box?
Bébécar Easymaxi ELs car seat, instructions, sunshade
Price
The price of the Bébécar Easymaxi ELs is £148.99
Colour options
Cream Whisper, Mystic Grey, Celestial Blue, Black Magic, Lavender Aura, Silver Mink, Alpine, Black Onyx, Nickel, Fudge, Robin, Camel, Brunette, Dove Grey, Oxford Blue.
Specifications
• Car seat Group: Group 0+
• Child weight: 0-13kg
• Childs Age: 0-12 months
• Weight: 4kg
Bébécar Easymaxi ELs - Installation in the vehicle
The Bébécar Easymaxi ELs car seat can be installed in the vehicle using the standard 3 point seatbelt, and it really does take a matter of minutes.
It is slightly different to some infant carriers in that the lap part of the belt does not go across the front of the seat. Instead you use the blue seatbelt guides to secure the lap belt behind the car seat – it’s a tad fiddly but once you have done it a couple of times it becomes second nature. Clip the seatbelt in, and then pull tight. You then need to stretch the shoulder part of the seatbelt behind the seat, through the blue guide and pull tight again. That’s it – you are ready to roll.
It’s a bit difficult to get your head around the fact that the lap belt goes behind the seat – every infant carrier I have personally used has been fitted with the lap belt across the front of the seat. Bear with it, and do it a few times before you head out, to get the hang of it. The instruction manual is a bit lacking to be honest, but there are a couple of good video guides online which can help.
Bébécar Easymaxi ELs - Safety and Security
Side impact protection is the name of the game here. You will notice the red ‘side impact’ label as soon as you unpack the car seat, and it does make you feel reassured. The Easymaxi ELs is designed with additional side impact protection so you know that your child will be protected should the worst happen. No-one wants to think about a crash, but it is important to make sure your precious cargo is travelling safely.
The harness is only a 3 point one which is a surprise with the car seat being such quality. I personally prefer a 5 point harness. Having said that, it is very easy to adjust and fasten. To undo the buckle, you just press the red button. To fasten again, you hold the 2 harness straps together and slot them into the crotch harness. Simple. Adjusting the harness is ever so easy too – once your baby is in the seat, you just pull the tail strap to tighten the harness. Once you are ready to take your baby out, you just depress the button under the crotch strap and the harness automatically slackens. This makes getting your little one in and out much easier.
There are 2 height positions for the shoulder straps, and these are adjusted by a simple twist and pull system on the rear of the seat. Just twist the straps to fit through the shell of the seat, pull them through and rethread through the next height position. I would personally like to see another height position available as I think larger babies could outgrow these positioning points quickly.
Bébécar Easymaxi ELs - Day to day use
Comfort is obviously another huge deal when choosing an infant carrier and the Bébécar Easymaxi ELs doesn’t fail on this score. The padding on this seat is second to none – thick, deep and super soft. I wouldn’t mind a go in that myself to be honest. There is a removable newborn insert which makes the seat area smaller for very tiny tots. The head support can also be removed if you need more space as your little one grows. The thick padding is lovely and so comfortable for little ones even on a long journey, as well as seeming to hold them in the correct seating position with no slouching – the only slight downside is that some larger babies may find it a tight squeeze as they get towards the upper weight range.
Another plus point to mention is how lightweight this car seat is. At just 4kg, it is easy to carry around and change from car to car without much effort. Even with a little one inside, it doesn’t feel heavy or bulky.
The Bébécar Easymaxi ELs comes with a sunshade included. I like this added bonus – it is a large and generous sunshade that is easy to fit – you just slide the 2 hooks over the side of the seat. It provides a decent amount of shade and would even ward off a light drizzle – and would come in especially handy if you are using the car seat on the pushchair as part of a travel system. As this car seat fits all Bébécar EL chassis with no need for additional adaptors, it is a great option for nipping in and out of the shops.
A rocking base makes this car seat a great option for busy parents too – if you have a quick visit to make and your baby wants to sleep, you can gently rock and soothe them before heading off in the car again.
Bébécar Easymaxi ELs - Conclusion
With the deep, padded seat, travel system compatibility and large sunshade the Bébécar Easymaxi ELs really is a great option. You can be assured that your child will be sitting comfortably in this seat, and with the additional side impact protection you can travel in safety too.
I like the little extras with this car seat. The great sunshade that comes as part of the package makes it easy to protect your little one from the elements whether in the car or on the pushchair frame. The newborn insert makes the seat cosy for brand new babies, and can be removed to make more room for larger bottoms. The rocking base can soothe a fractious child, and send them off to the land of nod.
It is easy to use too. Installing in the vehicle takes a couple of practice runs, purely because it is different to most other infant carriers, but once you have done it a couple of times it will take seconds to install in your car. It feels secure and safe once it is in place.
I only really have a couple of tiny niggles with this car seat. Firstly, I would really like to see the 3 point harness replaced with a 5 point harness. I would also love to see a bit more adjustability for the larger tots – another height position for the shoulder straps would give babies towards the higher end of the weight range a bit more wriggle room.
Other than that, there is nothing not to like. It’s a great little seat suitable from day 1 – comfortable, safe and with lots of little extras to make life easier.
We give the Bébécar Easymaxi ELs 4.5 out of 5 stars
