Britax Kidfix II XP SICT Review

Quick Summary: As expected from a brand such as Britax, the Kidfix II XP SICT is a serious piece of safety kit that takes child car safety for 4-12 year olds to the next level. The newest safety features from Britax on this seat are sure to be a hit and make the price tag of £180 seem all the more worthwhile, especially when considered it will last for up to 8 years.

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Seeing the well-renowned name of Britax on the Kidfix II XP SICT as it is lifted out of the box already begins to give reassurance that this was going to be one of the safest seats on the market. With sleek white mouldings and striking fabrics, the seat was screaming "check me out" from the first instance. So check it out we did and boy were we impressed with what the Kidfix II XP SICT had to offer.

With the current constant reminders on fitting car seats correctly and the recent ‘ban the booster' campaign, Britax have made sure that correct installation is simple by supplying easy to follow step by step installation guides and clearly marked zones to make sure the seat belt is positioned correctly.

Britax, being the original pioneers of ISOfix technology, have of course ensured that the seat can be fitted into a variety of vehicles either with ISOfix connectors or a standard 3 point seat belt.

Either use the provided ISOfix guides to simply click the connectors onto the ISOfix fittings in the car or secure the seat using the 3 point seatbelt and the easy to follow instructions provided. Either way the seat feels rock solid when installed correctly into the car.

The only other thing to do is pop the XP pad onto the seatbelt and adjust the headrest to the correct height for the child. The headrest is easily adjustable by lifting a small catch at the back of the headrest and pulling it upwards.

The New SecureGuard technology

Four year olds can be wriggly at the best of times but this new design feature on the Kidfix II XP SICT promises that checking in your rear view mirror for escapees every second will be a thing of the past.

The SecureGuard is a unique crotch strap fitted with a hook to secure the lap belt underneath when fastening your child into the car. This revolutionary addition to the Kidfix II XP SICT car seat means that in the event of a collision pressure is placed in the harder, pelvic area, of the child's body as opposed to higher areas on soft organs and the abdomen.

At first glance we did think the SecureGuard strap looked like it could be slightly uncomfortable and fiddly however we were proved wrong when we tested it with a child – it wasn't a faff to secure the child and they sat in the seat securely and comfortably. When tested with a four year old, they were unable to wriggle and lean out of his seat. We also asked an 11 year old to sit in the seat to see what they made of the SecureGuard strap and they also felt comfortable and were able to feed the seatbelt through the strap correctly and independently.

We imagine the SecureGuard strap will become a more common feature on other group 2/3 car seat as it is such a simple yet ingenious idea!

The XP Pad seatbelt cover

The Kidfix II XP SICT seat, like all high back booster group 2/3 seats is fastened using the cars standard 3 point seatbelt. The XP pad is a pad is a cushioned support pad that the across body belt is fed through to divert 30% of the forces of a frontal collision from the child's neck. The fact that this makes the kidfix II XP SICT seat potentially 30% safer means that it is a feature not to overlook.

The SICT

The Kidfix II XP SICT, as the name suggests is fitted with Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT). Those sleek white mouldings house deep, softly padded side wings to reduce the movement on the head and neck in the event of a side impact.

On either side of the seat there is also a space age looking wheel. These wheels are the side impact protection wheels and each wheel can be rotated to protrude outwards from the shell of the car seat by varying degrees providing greater protection to the seat on the side nearest the doors of the vehicle.

The Seat itself

With the Kidfix II XP SICT being designed for children from approximately 4 to 12 years, the seat is a roomy 54cm wide. It's by no means streamline and is on the more weighty side for a group 2/3 high back booster. But the size and chunkiness of the Kidfix II XP SICT adds to the feeling of sturdiness and security that the seat gives.

The covers on the Kidfix II XP SICT can be completely removed to machine wash and have a lovely soft, cushioned feel to them meaning that the child can be comfortable however long the journey. Both the four year old and 11 year old that tested the seat out were impressed with its comfort. One of which commenting on how they felt like a fighter jet pilot in it!

The rich fabric colours of the seat fabric with fine detailing and piping emulate the quality of the Britax brand. Seat protectors and additional covers can be purchased as extras if needed giving the seat longevity over its potential eight years of service to you.

The deep headrest is a fabulous addition to the car seat also as not only does it minimise movement of the head in the event of accidents but it also serves as a bit of a cushion for the child the rest their head on. When tested, the four year olds head was nice and secure and did not fall forward whilst he slept at all.

Conclusion

As expected from a brand such as Britax, the Kidfix II XP SICT is a serious piece of safety kit that takes child car safety for 4-12 year olds to the next level. The newest safety features from Britax on this seat are sure to be a hit and make the price tag of £180 seem all the more worthwhile, especially when considered it will last for up to 8 years.