Really easy to take on trips. It is as compact as they say. It is too hard for my 4.5 year old to buckle herself in though. So that's the only reason that it is getting 4 stars. We were in a car accident the 3rd time we used this and she was able to walk away with just a tiny rub burn on her shoulder from the seatbelt. So I would say this did its job.
Love it. We used it on a trip to Mexico. Our 4 year old liked it. We used it on the plane, in a taxi, in Uber’s while we explored Mexico and in a taxi back to the airport. Traveling was soooo much easier without a huge car seat and it only takes 15-30 seconds to strap your kid in once you get the hang of it. Word of caution when in a foreign country, stand outside the car while strappping the littles in, not inside sitting next to your kid. The moment you get in and shut the door drivers will drive off even if you haven’t finished buckling everyone in and in fast crazy Mexico traffic it’s hard to do while moving. So again don’t get in the car until your little is secure and don’t shut your door until you are buckled. This seat is also great for Home. It’s not our full time seat but we live in a coastal tourist town and sometimes parking is too hard to find when we go oceanside to eat. We often want to walk to avoid the hassle of parking but we know our toddler may be too tired to walk to the restaraunt and then back home too. We throw this in my bag and if he does gets too tired to walk back home an Uber is always just a press of a button and minute away and this is available and easy to use in every car we have tried it in.
Bought this last week because we were taking a trip to Atlanta. We were visiting my little sister, but I anticipated there may be times when she would be busy and we'd have to catch an Uber. Lugging around a booster chair to places like the zoo just didn't seem like a legit solution, but my son just turned four, is 43 inches tall and 43lbs, so I didn't want to go without a carseat. This was small enough to put in his backpack for the flight (we fly Spirit and use only one personal item sides bag each, so small was a must), and in my purse while we jetted around Atlanta. It was super fast to set up in the cars, and he was very secure. It really is such a smart design. Rather than boost the child up, it simply holds the seatbelt down so that it falls correctly on the lap. There's even a strap to help keep the shoulder strap from riding up into their neck. When we were ready to hop out of the car, it was a cinch to grab and go. I've even, already, had an occasion to use in now that were back home. We dropped my husband off at work coming back from the airport this morning and my big sister helped out by picking my son and I up from his work. She has two kids of her own and there was no third carseat. Not a problem since we could grab the miffed from my son's backpack. So thrilled with our purchase and my son loved it. I'll use his regular carseat for day to day travel, but will definitely keep this handy, especially for future trips.
These are amazing. We bought two one for our 6 year old and the other for our 8 year old. Both were able to easily use. They are so compact and easy to carry. We traveled across country and just put one in each child's backpack. I'll be keeping one in the car as a backup if we have any other little ones that we are cruising around with. Well worth the cost, especially for the kid on the go.
I've been following mifold since it was a kickstarter, dreaming of the day our family could drive around without the hassle of full-size car seats.
That dream finally came true planning for a trip a couple of weeks ago: kid1 and kid2 are over 40 inches and 40 pounds-- check check! I clicked the add to cart button so fast, my mouse caught fire ;)
Two days later: BEHOLD! THE GREAT AMAZON BOX OF MIFOLD GOODNESS! Unpacking them for the first time, they are smaller and more compact than I thought they would be -- SCORE !!!! I size-up kid1 and adjust the mifold's arms and shoulder strap in our living room. This is easy. I got this. kid2 next: done.
"Babe: Mifold is good to go. We're leaving the car seats at home"
I'm high on the thought that for the first time in 5 years, we will not need to lug both of those heavy, awkward, cumbersome carseats. I won't have to do the carseat shuffle: uninstall at home, install in taxi, remove at airport, bag it, check it in -- times 2 -- at the airport.
Sitting back all smug and content, I picture us traipsing around the tropical island in car-seat-free nirvana. I feel like Mel Gibson in Braveheart -- FREEEEEEEEEDOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!
Then it hits me -- reality. I try to fight it.
** Our kids sleep in their carseats on roadtrips **
Meh we'll just bring a pillow or something.
** Mifold is convenient, but I feel like the carseats are sturdier **
It's just one week. They'll be ok.
** But this'll be the first time they don't ride in a carseat **
The unknown is throwing serious shade
The compromise:
We mifold to the airport in the taxi, but we pack the regular carseats. At least I don't have to do the carseat shuffle. Twice ;) For our family, mifold filled a gap and gave us a taste of the good life. That was good enough.
Conclusion:
There's a lot to like about mifold: Compact and light is a big win over conventional carseats and boosters. It packs and travels easily. The seating position is low. Different than conventional booster, and much different than carseats. Kid2 had some difficulty understanding how the seatbelt was supposed to fit.
For our kids, we're just starting to consider transitioning from carseats to boosters. Mifold is a convenient "temporary" option at this stage of the game. With a little more experience under our belt, mifold might be a viable, more permanent option.
For now, I realize I'm content to deal with the carseats -- for their sturdiness and familiarity -- day to day.
Feature Product
- mifold is the most compact and portable booster seat ever invented and is designed for kids aged 4 and up, 40 to 100 lbs, and 40 to 57 inches tall
- Keeps your child secure by optimally adjusting the adult seat belt to fit the child
- regular booster and folds up to fit into a child's backpack, glove box or bag
- Safety tested and meets or exceeds NHTSA standard FMVSS 213 in the USA (THIS PRODUCT IS PRODUCED ONLY FOR USE IN THE USA and is not the International version, regulated under ECE R44/04)
- mifold is perfect for carpooling, travelling, taxis, car sharing, rentals, older kids and for fitting 3 in a row
Description
mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat is the most advanced, compact and portable child car safety seat in the world. It's more than 10x smaller than a regular booster and it's just as safe. mifold works in the exact opposite way to a traditional booster seat. Instead of lifting the child up, mifold brings the seatbelt down. It does this at three points: there are belt guides on either side of the child's hips, to hold the lap belt correctly against the bones and off the soft stomach. These belt guides are adjustable to three sizes to make sure that the belt is always held snugly in place. There is a third clip on a strap that pulls the seatbelt chest strap down correctly onto the bones of the shoulder; away from the face and neck. So like a regular booster, mifold holds the seat belt in exactly the correct position on the bones of the hips and the bones of the shoulder, without needing a big, bulky seat to lift the child. In a collision, the child is protected in the same way. mifold simply works to hold the adult seatbelt correctly on a child.
I was skeptical of the design when I first saw it on Kickstarter. Sure it was small but I didn't think it was safe.
However now when I needed to make a trip and didn't wanna rent a car seat at crazy prices, I thought I'd give it a try.
The size is indeed quite small and easily fits in a tote or the outer zipper of a backpack. I had practiced it at home before we left so I didn't spend much time setting it up in the rental car. It was indeed safe and kept my child tethered safely. She didn't jerk forward when there were hard brakes and the adjustable back strap ensured the seat belt wasn't cutting into her neck.
It is not meant to replace a regular car seat as for the size, it cannot be enforced with a lot of foam for comfort. Also, the child isn't at the window level so missed the thrill of the ride. However the company has recently designed another car seat called HiFold which solves those problems although ,as expected, is larger than this.
For what this is meant to be, it solves the issues and is a great design. Seems sturdy as well so should last until my 5 year old outgrows this. Definitely recommended for travel.
This was short one star because of one issue I had w/ it. There are plenty of reviews out there that will give you a good comparison for this vs a booster seat vs other travel seats. One of the issues someone had was the fact the belt receptacles would automatically push in but that was fixed by locking them in place (at least for the latest version I got). Others have said that they found it difficult to adjust. To me, my kid only grows in stages. He isn't drastically changing weight and height as often or often enough for me to have to "adjust" anything on this. Finally, for the one issue I had, the seat itself folds (which is great for transport) but not so great for when the child sits in it. This folding action causes it to sometimes be situated improperly on my child. The entire seat itself must be on the child's bottom half and not partially on their back and butt. As long as you make sure this doesn't happen, you're good to go.
Flying across country solo with three children; maneuvering them through two airports each way, saddling myself with the pre-schoolers' rolling luggage AND backpacks (didn't matter how cute the specially purchased luggage was, or how excited they were to get them in the first place); a debacle at the rental car counter; and finally an hour drive to the resort... that was the start of the vacation I planned for my family this summer. Insane? Absolutely! But I am glad that I had ordered these booster seats as a backup (see above mention of rental car debacle). These were supposed to be a backup if the terrible twosome ended up wanting to ride with their cousins or grandparents. They ended up being called into service for the entire trip by me.
PROS:
- The smallest booster seats of any I could find. And yet, quite substantial.
- They fit neatly into the carry-on luggage (wouldn't trust the airlines not to lose them - and wouldn't let my babies in a car without them).
- VERY lightweight for a "booster" seat.
- Relatively easy to install. Unfold. Adjust to fit your child's tush and lock in the shoulder strap.
CONS:
- Once the children were out of the seats, they would fold up on themselves. So each time we went for a drive, I had to readjust and reposition. Mildly irritating and inconvenient.
- While the seat did wrangle the shoulder strap perfecly, it still felt unsubstantial. I wasn't expecting the security of a 5-point harness, but I was expecting more. Erroneously, on my part.
- The children were easily able to move the shoulder strap aside. And with the height of the seat itself so low, they were completely comfortable leaning down and lying on the car seat. Unsafe in all conditions. I have turned into my father... 'don't make me pull this car over!'. Ugh.
The marketing of this booster seat is that it doesn't raise the child up to the height necessary to properly use the shoulder strap. It lowers the shoulder strap. That it does - perfectly. I guess, in my mind, my children are still too young for a straight booster seat. I feel more secure when they are cocooned in a full car seat. I may make them continue using them until their old enough to drive! But I will most definitely continue taking these seats with us when we travel. As a backup.
The mifold booster seat is a complete game changer in the booster industry! Now that I've had time to try it out with my preschooler and really experience it, I can tell you it's total love for us. First of all, it's tiny; like super tiny. Throw it in a pocket of a backpack tiny. Which is amazing for traveling or sending along with your elementary kid for after school. Plus, it's super incognito once it's actually in the seat with your kiddo... just look at all the real estate he's got in that seat! My son, at 4 years old, 41 pounds, 44 inches and about size 5 or 6 in clothes is at the bottom end of the range for the mifold, so it will last him a long time (up to 100 pounds!). The intuitive and incremental adjustments make it easy to customize along the way for the perfect fit ensuring a safe ride. Seriously, ladies and gentlemen, this thing is awesome.
If you found this review helpful, please hit the little "Helpful" button below because it totally motivates me :)
We've had this for about 18 months now, and I am coming to buy a second for my second child, and figured I should write a review.
We use it as the restraint in our second car, and for travel / play-dates / etc. Our child is now 7, and started using it when he was about to be 6. I mention that because I don't think it's appropriate for most younger children who can't be trusted not to wiggle around or sit inappropriately or slump over, etc.
It fits brilliantly in a purse or backpack. It can be installed in moments, including by our child (though an adult always checks to make sure). It keeps the seat belt positioned in the proper place.
It's true, of course, that it doesn't lift children up, and thus it can be hard for children to see out a window. And so if you are looking for something to live in your every day car for your child to look out the window, maybe this isn't the best fit (our kid has a Graco Affix in the car that takes him to/from school every day). But if you need something to replace the alternative of nothing at all, because nothing is convenient? Than it's invaluable.
In my state, it is legal for my child to ride without any kind of booster or belt adjuster based on his age, even though he is only 4'1" and it's not yet safe for him. Therefore, having a convenient, child friendly, small option that he can use in friends' cars without hassle and stigma, and that we can bring on trips, is amazing.
It is TINY, it doesn't need to be blown up, it can be installed in moments, and it appropriately adjusts the belts. What could be better?
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