Designed for infants from 4 – 30 pounds, the Maxi-Cosi Mico Max Plus is chock full of European style and innovative safety features. This sleek, fashionable seat isn’t cheap, but the high quality makes it a worthy investment.
Maxi-Cosi has long been a hugely popular brand of car seat in Europe. While the European models aren’t interchangeable with Maxi-Cosi’s American car seats, parents in the US are loving the comfortable, stylish safety that the brand offers.
This is a great car seat and so far parents are happy in their reviews of it. We’ve compiled all the information available and added it to this review.
Key Features at a glance
- Compatible with 50 stroller brands
- Air Protect side-impact technology
- Integrated seat belt lockoffs
- Flipaway buckle
- Premium self-wicking fabric
- Full-coverage canopy
- Ergonomic waist-hugging carrier handle
- Anti-rotation stability leg
- 3-position height-adjustable base with level indicator
- Machine washable and dryable fabric
- 1-click push-on LATCH connectors
- 1-year warranty
- 8-year expiration
The Max Plus is an upgraded version of the Mico Max 30. That version lacked the seat belt lockoff and the level indicator on the base. It also had an anti-rebound bar on the base whereas the Max Plus has the stability leg that folds down from the base to the floorboard. The Max Plus carrier also includes a bigger canopy with a zipper expansion that provides ventilation.
Available in a few fashionable colors, the Max Plus seat fabric is easily removed without having to remove the harness. Since you can wash AND dry it easily, cleanup is quicker than covers that must air dry.
| Maxi-Cosi Mico Max Plus Size Limits | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4 – 30 pounds |
| Height | Up to 32 inches |
The 30 pound size limit sounds like it would allow for extended rear facing up to two years and over. However, some parents said their babies were too big for it by the time they were a year old.
So your best option would probably be using this for the first few months since it fits newborns very well, but plan on upgrading to a convertible seat that will allow you to keep your child rear-facing well into their toddlerhood.
Will the Maxi-Cosi Mico Max Plus fit in your car?
- Depth: 29.25 inches
- Width: 17.5 inches
- Height: 16 inches
- Weight without base: 9.6 pounds
- Weight with base: 17.7 pounds
The base is made heavier with the anti-rotation stability leg, which kind of looks like a kickstand. It’s not super compact, so you may find it bulky in small cars. However, parents have used it successfully in planes, in Ubers, rental cars, and in strollers with very little fuss, so it’s a good choice if you’re doing a lot of travel.
At under 10 pounds, it’s pretty light to carry, but not as light as others on the market that weigh 7 pounds. The carrier handle, however, is padded and curved in such a way that it fits well up against your waist, making it ergonomically easier to carry.
If you have an SUV or other large vehicle, you should have no trouble with a 3-seat configuration, though it may be a bit snug, requiring some extra elbow grease in order to snap it in and out of the base.
But what about safety?
The only recall we can find for Maxi-Cosi seats is an old one for seats produced from February – June of 2008. This model wasn’t even a thing then. Plus, you shouldn’t be using a seat from 2008 here in 2020, considering these only have an 8-year lifespan.
Due to the firm, yet comfy padding and sturdy frame, parents feel confident that their babies are safe in this seat. Maxi-Cosi’s patented Air Protect provides added side-impact protection around the baby’s head by diverting crash forces into the headrest. It employs an air release system that increases “ride-down” time, which is how long it takes a person to come to a full stop in an accident.
The anti-rotation stability leg folds down from the base and extends to the floorboard. This safety feature limits back and forth movement to provide further protection for the baby’s head and spine.
Plus, as you can read below, this seat is really easy to install thanks to the push-on LATCH connectors and the 3-position adjustable base with a rolling level indicator. Once the indicator is green, you know it’s at the correct angle.
Is the Maxi-Cosi Mico Max Plus easy to install and use?
Push-on LATCH connectors alone make this seat one we’d recommend for easy installation. Seat belt lockoffs are easy to use as well, and seat belt installation is simple.
The flip-away buckle feature and padded crotch buckle keep all the straps out of the way so you’re not digging them out from under the baby. A few parents felt that the buckle side pockets didn’t hold the buckles very well, but they may not have had the straps loosened enough for the buckles to fully reach the pockets.
The anti-rotation stability leg, which is a norm in Europe and not required in the US, has been a little confusing for some parents. A few said they don’t feel like it adds that much stability and looks odd. But then again, this is an uncommon feature for American car seats.
Note: To use this seat with many brands of strollers, you’ll need to buy a separate adapter for that specific stroller brand.
Many parents loved the expanded canopy with the zippered expansion panel that has breathable mesh on the sides. However, it can be a little hard to adjust. It sometimes won’t stay fully extended either.
Finally, while the fabric is nice and breathable, according to some parents, the infant insert isn’t as breathable as the bare fabric, so it could make your baby sweaty. Also, some parents felt the seat was too hard after removing the infant insert.
Optional accessories
The Max Plus will fit on over 50 brands of strollers, but many of these require adapters such as the one below. Simply do a search for {stroller brand} car seat adapter for Maxi-Cosi Mico Max.
UPPAbaby Infant Car Seat Adapter for Maxi-Cosi
Fits all CRUZ stroller models and VISTA 2015 – present.
BestCarSeatHub’s Final Verdict
- Air Protect side impact technology
- Anti-rotation stability leg
- Easy to remove, wash, and dry seat fabric
- Red to green angle indicator
- Flip-away buckles
- Breathable, self-wicking fabric
- Extendable, mesh-paneled canopy
- Ergonomic carry handle
- Good fit for preemies and small newborns
- Compatible with 50+ stroller brands
- Expensive
- May be too snug for larger babies
- A bit bulky for small vehicles
- Needs adapters to fit on many strollers
- Canopy doesn’t adjust smoothly
- Buckles may not stay in the flip-away pockets
- Won’t support extended rear-facing for some kids
- Infant insert may not be breathable enough
Overall, we think the Maxi-Cosi Mico Max Plus is a great investment for a newborn or preemie. Parents of larger babies should consider investing in a convertible seat such as the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max since the infant seat probably will be too snug before your child reaches the size limits.
The safety features are impressive, and the ease of installation would make this a perfect option for brand new parents. It’s also a good seat for travel, since it can also be installed easily without the base in airplanes, Ubers, taxis, and rental cars.
The price tag isn’t exhorbitant, but for those on really tight budgets, you may want to check out a cheaper model, such as the Chicco KeyFit 30, that’s consistently topped our infant car seat list for a few years thanks to its value for the price.
