ARE WE SITTING COMFORTABLY? NUNA MYTI CAR SEAT
Nuna claims to be the baby product brand of choice for celebrities, with the likes of the Kardashians, Serena Williams and Beyoncé all choosing its products. But while it might court the custom of such superstars it’s also quite happy to sell to the hoi polloi like you and me – at a price.
With a price tag of £275 the latest Myti car seat isn’t a budget option, so we set out to see if it’s worth its hefty price tag.
The Myti is a group 1/2/3 I-size seat, meaning it’s designed to be suitable for children all the way from around 15 months to 12 years and to fit in any car with Isofix brackets. It features a proper five-point harness for younger children which then packs away inside the frame quickly and neatly when your child is old enough to use a regular seatbelt.
A nine-position headrest is designed to accommodate children from 76cm to 150cm and the seat has three reclining positions and ventilated padding to stop little ones overheating on long journeys.
It uses an Isofix fitting with a top tether for added security and features a steel reinforced frame and energy-absorbing EPS foam.
Compared with cheaper seats the Myti is mightily padded, with thick, comfortable foam on the base, sides, straps and headrest.
For the littlest passengers there’s an extra padded body support which can be easily removed as they grow.
Our three seat-kickers are all beyond that stage but fall into the Myti’s range so we tried it with each of them – a 106cm tall three-year-old, 125cm five-year-old and 138cm eight-year-old.
Theseatwaseasytoadjustfor each of them thanks to the simple sliding mechanism on the headrest and as well as adjusting for height the Myti cleverly widens as your child grows. The way the side supports move outward as you pull the back/headrest up helps create useful extra space while keeping them well protected.
We tried the smallest with the five-point harness but after the relative freedom of a highbackedboosterwithastandard seatbelt she found it restrictive and we quickly stowed the harness and switched to the seatbelt, which is easy to fit thanks to big bright guide channels.
Nuna say the Myti is designed to accommodate children up to 150cm – a fair way past the legal cut-off of 135cm – but I’m not convinced this is really possible. The middle child fitted perfectly comfortably but our eight-year-old’s shoulders only just fitted beneath the headrest at its highest setting and I can’t see him fitting at all for much longer. It will, of course, come down to individual body shapes but don’t assume it’s going to last them all the way up to 150cm.
While the shoulder space widens as you extend the seat back, the head support retains its shape. As this seat is designedtoaccommodatechildrenasyoungas15monthsthis support is pretty substantial and offers plenty of neck support for anyone falling asleep on long journeys (as well as protection in a side impact). The only problem with this is that it can be a snug fit for older children and does restrict their view somewhat.
Overall, though, all three founditcomfortabletouseand it feels solid and well built, with plenty of padding and support for younger children.
The Myti’s biggest drawback, aside from the pricetag, is its weight. At 13.3kg it’s a heavy thing to lug in and out of a car – something worth considering if you swap car seats between vehicles regularly. The ISOFIX tabs are also smaller than in some seats we’ve used, meaning fitting it can be a little fiddly – but once it’s in, you can be confident it’s in securely.
Thosetwominorissuesaside, it’s a fantastic solution that grows with your child, meaning while it’s an expensive purchase you won’t have to spend more on different seats as they get older. Features such as the easily stowable straps and expanding side bolsters show a lot of thought has gone into the design and it’s comfortable for kids of various ages while providing plenty of protection.