Maxi-Cosi Pria All-in-One Review

In 1984, European company Maxi-Cosi created its first car safety seat. It began in the Netherlands, and they claim to be the responsible party for bringing the first car seat to Europe. Maxi-Cosi has grown and now manufactures various baby-related products, including strollers, booster seats, infant seats, and convertible car seats.

Performance Comparison

Crash Test

The Maxi-Cosi earned a slightly below-average result for crash test analysis. While not a low-scoring product in the group, it is still not a standout compared to options that performed better during testing.

Only a handful of convertible car seats in our tests showed more G-forces in the HIC sensor than the Maxi-Cosi, which heavily influenced its score.

Its chest clip sensor is only about average compared to the competition. These two values were analyzed together to affect the overall crash test analysis score, which is below the average for the group. While the Maxi-Cosi wasn't one of the lowest scoring in our crash test metric, some seats performed better and were easier to install, making them the options we prefer.

Ease of Install - LATCH

This Maxi-Cosi is not easy to install using LATCH, and it earned a lower result in this metric compared to other convertible car seats. The Maxi-Cosi has no lock-off, the angle indicator is only a line on a decal, and the LATCH connectors are push-style on a flexible strap.

We had to angle the seat so far back that it became top-heavy and hard to work with for rear-facing installation on the Maxi-Cosi. Because we had to use towels (1-2 depending on the test car), we had to keep the towels in place while struggling with the top-heavy seat.

The placement of the cup holders made it more challenging as they ended up stuck in our ribs when trying to attach the connectors to the anchor points. The webbing between the connectors is short, and we struggled to get the two connectors attached. The base is also wide, and the short webbing makes locating the anchors harder. It seems like it would be easier to give parents a few more inches to work with.

The decal line is also poorly placed and short, which required us to step far back to compare to the ground. The threading pathway is congested, and it is easy to get the strap tangled. There is no color variation to help delineate the paths. We had trouble getting the straps tight enough, and it was so wobbly after all our efforts. While it technically passed the wiggle test, it wasn't impressive. Overall, it was a standout in this group for being challenging to install.

Forward-facing installation of the Maxi-Cosi is significantly easier than rear-facing. It was a more straightforward pathway, better-tightening experience, and had far less wobble once installed. It was a better experience in the second test car than the first, so we suspect it might be somewhat car design-dependent. Given the poor performance in rear-facing, it might not even be worth the effort to determine if it would fit in your car. Overall, there are no big barriers to the forward-facing configuration, but overall, there is just a feeling of “eh.”

Ease of Install - Belt

Installing the Maxi-Cosi is not any easier when using the vehicle belt over the LATCH method. It is genuinely six of one, half dozen of another when it comes to which one is worse.

The rear-facing installation using the vehicle belt with the Maxi-Cosi has a line level on a decal, with no color coding on the pathway nor a lock-off. This seat is top-heavy, and you have to wrestle with it to keep it upright while threading the belt. We also had to use towels (1-2 depending on the car) to keep it within the right angle for final installation and move the fabric to access the pathway, so there is a lot that needs to stay in place, and it ends up feeling convoluted. It isn't hard to get tight, but it doesn't feel stable, and the towels required for getting the right angle gave us the feeling that it wasn't how we'd want a seat for our kids. Removing the seat was the easiest part of this process and was straightforward.

Forward facing for the Maxi-Cosi also lacks color help or a lock-off. The pathway is straightforward and fairly standard in design to the rest of the group. The path requires moving parts out of the way, and without color coding help, it felt a little like flying blind in the blackness. We had some trouble getting it all tight enough, and it felt like the headrest backing was in the way. The second car was easier, but a lock-off could have helped create a tighter final product in both test vehicles. It passes the wiggle test, but it isn't impressive, in our opinion, and wouldn't be one we'd choose for our kids. While it is better than installing it in the read-facing position, it isn't as good as much of the competition, including some cheaper seats.

Ease of Use

The Pria earned one of the lowest test results for ease of use in this review.

Harness

The Maxi-Cosi has a buckle that looks similar to the Graco seats. It is large with a square button, and it takes a little more strength to press it and to put the prongs in. The chest clip is huge compared to the competition, but pushing the button and undoing it is pretty simple.

There is resistance when you pull the tightening strap, press the button, and pull the harness to release it. Tracing the webbing shows it goes up and down before meeting the cam, and perhaps it is just too much for it to be a smooth operation. It isn't terribly challenging, but compared to others, it also isn't easy.

The harness height adjustment only offers five different heights, which feels lacking depending on how your child grows. It does have three buckle positions, but it feels like a loss to have almost half the height options of many competitors. There is a button to press to move the height assembly; at least, it is a non-rethread adjustment. It is somewhat of a counterintuitive design because you press the button while you move the assembly, and it can be awkward. The button is hard to press and requires some forearm strength to engage.

LATCH Storage

LATCH storage here is on the side, like much of the more basic competition. Access is open, and it is easy to clip the connectors on and take them off.

Cover

This cover comes off without removing the cup holders, and there are just a couple of loop hooks and buttons to keep it secure. Everything is super simple to remove and replace.

Comfort/Quality

The comfort and quality of the Pria are almost average for the group. The cover has a strong odor, and we did try to wash it looking for a resolution, but alas, it still stunk. It also has a feel and design that reminds us of the typical banana costume foam and cover.

The cover for this seat was so smelly we washed it before testing. However, it still smelled like something akin to a Sharpie marker. It felt like we could get high from huffing this seat, and being left in a hot car was worse. The headrest and insert fabric are the same and a little on the rough side, but not bad enough to cause concern, and the padding underneath made it feel better than it would have on its own. With the insert on top of the main padding, it is pretty lush, like a baby floating on a cloud. It has a heavily padded headrest and additional padding for the seat bottom and the back.

The shell of the Maxi-Cosi is exposed, leaving it open to grime and gunk. The seat back is wider than the base, so this might translate to less buildup of messes on the base. Two integrated cup holders have a rubber-type rim. Both are too small for most sippy cups or snack catchers.

Weight/Size

The Maxi-Cosi is an impressively lightweight seat with a weight of 16.6 lbs. Only a handful of seats in this lineup weigh less, where the average is 24.3 lbs.

However, it is not very narrow, which is a bummer with a width of 19.2 inches when the average is 18.6 inches, and the low is under 17 inches.

Should You Buy the Maxi-Cosi Pria All-in-One ?

The Maxi-Cosi is not our favorite seat and not one we think would work well for most families. This seat had an impossibly strong odor that did not resolve even when we removed and washed the cover. The off-gassing is off-putting, to say the least, and we think leaving it trapped in a hot car could be headache-inducing if your senses are sensitive. This seat also failed to impress in key metrics like the ease of installation and crash test analysis, sealing its fate as a do-not-bother-with car seat in our lineup.

What Other Convertible Car Seat Should You Consider?

You can get the top-scoring seat in the same price range with the best crash test analysis result in the Graco 4Ever DLX. This reasonably priced option also has a padded headrest and dual cup holders, but it is much easier to use and not stinky. It also performed better in our installation tests, with significantly higher scores for both types of installation. If you are hoping to save some money and want something similar without sacrificing safety, the Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 has only a slightly lower crash test analysis score, is easier to install than both the 4Ever or Maxi-Cosi, and offers better features for comfort and quality.

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