Highly appreciated by users, this car seat for children has just failed a test carried out among around thirty models.
Safety is paramount in the car. Even more so when transporting infants or young children. This is why it is very important to always find out before purchasing a car seat which, remember, is compulsory in France for all children under 10 years old. Especially since the offer on the market is large and it is very difficult to form your own opinion the first time you have to equip yourself to ensure the safety and comfort of your child when traveling by car.
To help the consumer see things more clearly, car seats from the main brands are frequently subjected to tests which, ultimately, provide results allowing a classification to be made. Recently, no less than 30 car seats from different brands were subjected to tests carried out by the Touring Club Suisse, an association which brings together around 1.5 million members and whose objective is to represent the interests of drivers. and individual mobility. Safety, ergonomics, use…many criteria have been scrutinized. At the end of the various examinations, 21 car seats received the “highly recommended” rating and 7 obtained the “recommended” rating. Only two were deemed “not recommended”.
These are two car seats branded Maxi-Cosi, a brand which belongs to the Dutch group Dorel and which was established in France in 2021. The Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro, sold between 270 and 300 euros, and the Maxi -Cosi Pebble 360 Pro + Family Fix 360 Pro, the latter is in fact the same seat as the first but associated with a base to slide it. Surprise, Maxi-Cosi nevertheless enjoys an excellent reputation. The various opinions found here and there on the internet confirm this, like this message left by Fayza on the consobaby.com site. ”The Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro car seat is really very practical. I use it for my 20 month old daughter and I am very satisfied, because the seat rotates 360°, I no longer have this problem getting my daughter out of the seat. It’s super comfortable for long trips, she’s comfortable in it. It can be placed with its base which attaches to the car. The seat has a soft, easy-to-clean fabric.”
So why did these car seats, renowned for their very practical appearance and very popular with consumers, fail the test carried out by the Swiss association? It is not on the security aspect – the most important for parents – that they were found wanting. But these new models, arriving on the market in 2023, revealed traces of naphthalene, a substance classified as a possible carcinogen. Commonly used as a moth and insect repellent, particularly to protect clothing and wool items, this chemical compound is considered toxic and has been spotted in the Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro seat upholstery fabrics. Obviously, the user cannot notice it, but even if these seats only contain a small quantity of naphthalene, the good health of your children is also at stake.