Joie Stages Isofix -from birth to 7 years
I remember when I was pregnant with Eva, and deliberating over which car seat to buy, the advice from a friend was, “Always buy the best you can afford!”, and that advice really stuck with me. Although you may go on to regret buying a designer pushchair when a cheaper model would have done the same job, or splashing out on an expensive cot when they barely spent a night in their own room, you will never regret buying the best car seat possible to keep your baby safe.
Unfortunately car seats don’t come cheap, not if you are buying from a reputable brand and particularly if you are using an ISOFIX base for extra security. I think we bought four car seats in as many years for Eva, each one very expensive but totally necessary for the stage that she was at. I dread to think about how much we spent over the years and so you can imagine how pleased I was to discover that Joie have brought out a car seat that is suitable from birth to 7 years!!
At three, Harry has fast outgrown his car seat and having heard such positive reviews about Joie, this car seat was at the top of our list.
The stages™ ISOFIX is marketed as “A travel champion born to grow from birth to 7 years.” Designed to grow from birth to seven years, Joie’s newest addition can remain reward facing until 18kg, and is capable of converting to a forward facing seat and then a high backed booster from 9-25kg. It even switches from rearward to forward facing with a quick button push.
The car seat comes in a choice of two colours – pavement and cranberry. We love the deep red which adds a pop of colour to our otherwise grey interior, and Harry was pleased as red is his favourite colour!
Features
- Stages isofix comes with the Isofix base and is tested above and beyond using the R129 (iSize) criteria
- Switches from rearward to forward with a quick button push
- Exclusive Tri-Protect™ headrest with 3 layers of security including patented Intelli-Fit™ foam
- Guard Surround Safety™ protective panels
- Grow Together™ 7 position headrest and harness system adjust simultaneously without rethreading
- AutoAdjust™ side wings widen as headrest is raised to accommodate growing children
- Grow-with-me infant body and head support are customisable
- Quick release, washable seat pad comes off in a snap
- Ventilation on back of seat increases child’s comfort while riding
As you would expect from Joie, the car seat not only excels itself with an array of impressive safety features, but the quality is top class. The seat cover is lovely and soft whilst still being thick enough to be hard wearing.
The Intelli-Fit™ foam ensures that the seat is comfortable and supportive, and the Guard Surround Safety™ panels keep your child as safe as possible whilst driving.
I love that this seat comes complete with the ISOFIX base, many car seats require you to buy this separately which comes at an added cost. With a retractable ten position base, the ISOFIX can be adjusted to fit your car perfectly, and comes with colour coded indicators to confirm correct installation.
We no longer require a rear facing car seat from birth and yet it was very easy to remove the full infant insert and head support to transform the seat ready for the next stage.
Installation
Installation was very straightforward due to the thorough instructions in the accompanying manual as well as easy to read diagrams. Once the guide clips had been put in place the ISOFIX base slots straight in and the car seat on top of that. With a seven position recline it was simply a case of adjusting it to the perfect position for Harry which took just a few minutes in total from start to finish.
The Verdict
Harry couldn’t wait to try out his new car seat and was very excited to hop in! I love that the 5 point harness is padded for extra comfort and also really easy to fasten. With a one pull motion to tighten the straps Harry was safely strapped in with minimum fuss and told us, “Mine love it!!”.
He was clearly so comfortable that just a mile or so down the road we discovered that he was fast asleep. I love that due to the headrest his head was kept perfectly still with no risk of him flopping forward or cricking his neck to the side. Given that the only time he sleeps these days is during car journeys, this was really important to us!
We are so impressed with the stages™ ISOFIX seat and would recommend it to anyone. To know that we will get another four years out of the car seat is so reassuring and had we bought it from birth we would have been able to get the full seven years. Having seen just how sturdy and secure the seat is when used together with the ISOFIX it has pushed us into getting the same for the girls. For £300 I think that this is amazing value considering what we have previously spent on different stage car seats.
For more information please visit http://uk.joiebaby.com/product/stages-isofix/
Look so comfortable baby seat . Unfortunately we don’t have children yet . But in my country not so much peoples having their baby seat for their baby . Perhaps its costly .
It’s a great car seat, my son is very happy with it! xx
Always buy the best you can afford.. The best line read today
It’s great advice, I have always stuck to it. xx
I’, looking for a new car seat at the moment & this sounds really good – love that it should save lots of money in the long run x
It’s a great car seat, I totally recommend it! xx
This car seat looks amazing and I so wish I had gotten one of these. I think they are pretty new though and don’t really remember seeing them when my youngest needed his first car seat. I have a friend who has one and she says its amazing and so worth the money.
I didn’t see them when we had our four, they would have saved us a fortune! xx
I love any product for kids that goes through all the stages, as you mentioned, they can be expensive. I don’t mind paying more especially if you’ll get your money’s worth like this carseat. I think it’s worth all the money 🙂
I agree, it’s such good value for money and the quality is amazing! xx
Wow birth to seven years that really is a hard working product I wish we had this from the start what a fantastic product!
Me too! We would have saved a fortune! xx
I think it is amazing that it caters from birth to seven years old and while it might seem costly it is great that you get so much out of the car seat. Its a beautiful colour as well x
I totally agree, it’s an absolute bargain! xx
Very comfortable baby seat!! And great tips! Having twins it has always been a big subject ?
Oh I bet! We have three car seats at the moment but this one is definitely our favourite! xx
We have a Joie I-anchor advance car seat for our two year old daughter and love it! In fact we were involved in a serious car crash last year and it quite literally saved her life!
Wow that must have been awful but how reassuring to know that they do exactly as they are supposed to. I’m made up with it. xx
That’s great that it comes with the base! I’m looking for a car seat for my parent’s car as our next stage car seat won’t work in their car without its own base. Will add this one to my list as it looks comfy and a good investment as my little one isn’t even 1 yet.
I’d definitely recommend it, I’m really pleased with it! xx
What a great post! Many people don’t know how important baby car seat is…and how important it is to choose a good one.
Absolutely, I think buying from a brand such as Joie is so reassuring! xx
It looks really comfortable and I am impressed that it is slim enough to still get 3 car seats in a row – we have had to take the side buffers off eliza’s to get it to fit
Oh really! We have the grand c4 Picasso so it is quite a big car, but it fits in no problem! xx
looks amazing and i love the advice! I think there are some things in life you don’t scrimp on, a car seat is one of them! After all if you were to get in an accident and something terrible were to happen you would always be saying what if!!
I agree. And £300 is a small price to pay for seven years of knowing your child is in the safest car seat possible! xx
What a lovely looking car seat. I like the colour and design.
It’s gorgeous isn’t it! I love that it brightens up our car! xx
That looks so comfortable! They should make them in adult sizes!! In all seriousness though I think its amazing that you can use it from birth until 7 years old! I feel like you can’t get that many years out of most baby products.
Haha I agree! Kids have it easy travelling in comfort like that! It’s such good value for money! xx
That car seat looks awesome and safe! Your little one looks so comfortable and so cute! thank you for sharing this, I need to upgrade my daughter’s car seat soon.
I’d really recommend this one Pam, it’s great! xx
It looks so comfortable. Not just comfortable but safe also. Your kids are enjoying it 🙂
Yes that’s the most important thing isn’t it, safety is so important! xx
The safest seat in the car for a child is the middle seat of the rear seats and that’s where you should put the child seat and rear facing baby seats are the safest and you should keep your child rear facing up to around 15 months or a long as possible.
Oh I didn’t know that! I have three car seats in so the youngest child is in the middle. xx
My smallest is still in his baby seat. We need to upgrade soon, this looks great!
It’s fab Rachel! I’m really pleased with it! xx
Me too! It’s such great value for money. £300 seems like a hefty expense but it is worth every penny for seven years and the knowledge your child is safe! xx
Looks comfy! Great that you have found something that suited him so well in terms of sixe and colour!
size!
It’s super comfy, he has the best sleeps in it – wahoo! xx
How fantastic that it lasts for so long. You don’t mind paying for something that will last x
I agree! It’s actually a bargain when it lasts for seven years! xx
Child safety in the car is of paramount importance as is choosing the right car seat. This one sounds like a great make.
I’m really happy with it, and Harry loves it so much he can’t wait to get in there! xx
Great information..going to come handy in a couple of years! 😀 I will buy the best I can afford..awesome line! 🙂
I pass that advice on to everyone, and I’d absolutely recommend this car seat! xx
I literally just bought another carseat! Maybe I’ll return it…. #KCACOLS
Haha I feel your pain! I love that I know I am okay for 4 more years yet! xx
We’re currently in the process of considering getting our youngest a new car seat. This looks great. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time.
I would 100% recommend this Helena, it really is fab! xx
That’s like the best chair I’ve ever seen haha! Can I bookmark this until I get married and have kids?! LOL! I’ll show this to my cousin who has a 1-year-old and may want this!
Haha it is SUPER comfy! xx
We’ve been thinking about upgrading our car seat for my daugther. Joie is definitely one of brands we’ve been looking at, since our pushchair is made by them
I LOVE this car seat, I strongly recommend it to anyone! xx
That’s such a comfy car seat! Haven’t used a product from Joie before and it is time to upgrade the car seat for the little one! May end up getting one from Joie if we could afford the price.
Oh I love Joie! I think the price is amazing considering it lasts for 7 years! xx
It looks like a really comfy seat and it’s great it covers the child until 7 years old. I need a seat for my two year old so will look into these further, thanks for the info. x
I would definitely recommend them to you! xx
I’ve seen this Joie brand a couple of times recently and I have to say their products look very comfortable! I like how you can use it from birth and last you up until 7!
I love Joie! I recommend any of their products! xx
What a great idea to cover the child from birth to 7 years – it looks so comfy too! x
It’s a great idea and also such a great price when you work it out! xx
Such a wonderful car seat, I love the fact it can be used for such a long period of time!
I agree with your friend, buying the best you can afford is the best way to go! Looks like a great car seat!
It’s a fab seat, we are really pleased with it. xx
I need this seat in my life. We have lengthy journeys in the car and it looks so comfortable!
It’s a great car seat, I really recommend it! xx
I’m a BIG fan of Joie products (have the Litetrax4 and Mimzi Highchair) and have been looking at getting this seat for little Eco. What appeals most is the longevity. Being able to use just one car seat for him up until he is 7 years old is a fantastic cost saving! Thanks for sharing #KCACOLS
I totally agree, it’s amazing quality and such good value too! There aren’t many items that last 7 years these days! xx
A quick question- does the base and support leg get in the way of your child’s legs? I’ve been debating getting this seat for a while but in forward facing mode without recline it seems that the base sticks out quite a long away from the end of the seat and i wondered if it would make for an awkward leg position for the child. Do you have a full length picture with your child in it where the base and support leg can be seen as well? Thanks
Hi Kate, no not at all! My son is quite tall for his age but the base doesn’t affect that at all. I’ll take a photo when he’s in the car later and email it over to you! xx
That would be great if you don’t mind. Many thanks.
I’m delighted with all the convenient features you highlighted! It’s easy to maneuver, comfortable for the kids, and convenient to use!