Cybex have used Impact Shields on previous car seats in the Pallas and Sirona ranges, but this is the world's first and their first i-Size group 1/2/3 shield seat! Moving their technology to pass the higher testing, we're taking a good look at their brand new Cybex Pallas G i-Size.
Quick Summary: As with all of Cybex products - pushchairs, strollers and car seats, the Pallas G i-Size offers functionality, safety and design all rolled into one package. Full of features that you might not see on other car seats, we have loved testing the Impact Shield as an alternative way to secure the child. This has been a hit with our 3 year old tester too. Some parents may be unsure about their use, but the test results speak for themselves and show them to be very safe seats. Because of this, we would encourage the use of an impact shield if a parent chooses to forward face their child sooner over keeping them rear-facing, which would be the ideal. It's also a good option to keep an escapee child securely in their car seat as it is very difficult for them to lean over and reach the buckle of the shield.
Whats good?
- Easy to install
- Impact shield technology
- More difficult to escape than a harness
- Clever headrest
- No harness height restrictions
Whats not so good?
- We recommend to rear face for longer but this gives another option for parents or children this does not work for
Installation
We found installing the Pallas G i-Size into the car a quick and easy process. First of all you will need to unhook the top tether belt from the side of the seat and then pop the car seat into the vehicle.
Next release the two ISOFIX arms as far as they will extend, this can be done one at a time by pressing the buttons at each side. You can then push them onto the ISOFIX points in your car and you’ll hear a click as they connect, with the indicator turning from red to green. Push the car seat as close to the vehicle back rest as possible. It is recommended that if the seat headrest interferes with the installation, to move it into the highest position or completely remove it.
The next move is to connect your top tether belt. Pass it over the seat, not the headrest, and hook onto the top tether point in your car. This is often found on the back of the seat, accessed from the boot, but it can also be on the floor or ceiling – check your vehicle handbook if you’re not sure. There is a button near the hook of the top tether which you can press to extend the belt if it’s not quite long enough to reach. Once connected, pull the belt to tighten until you see the indicator turn to green.
To remove it again, it’s just the reverse! Unhook the top tether and press the buttons on the ISOFIX arms to release.
The Cybex Pallas G i-Size has the Linear Side-Impact Protection System Plus built into both sides of the seat. This can decrease the force of a side impact by more than 20% when compared to the same seat without an L.S.P system! If you find that the side impact gets in the way of closing your vehicle door or with having a passenger in the centre seat, you can reach up into the material and press the button to release and remove them. We did have to do this with the vehicle that we tested in as otherwise the car door pushed the car seat. On the times where we travelled with 3 car seats on the back seat, the other side had to be removed too.
Day to day use
The thing that sets the Cybex Pallas G i-Size apart is the fact that it is a 2 in 1 seat and offers over a decade of useability, it uses an impact shield to secure your child from 76-105cm and a maximum of 21kg. It is then used as a high back booster with the vehicle seat belt from 100-150cm, and a maximum 50kg. As it is an i-Size seat, the Pallas G i-Size can’t be used until a child is 76cm and a minimum of 15 months old, as it is a forward facing seat. This is a lot better than the 9kg / 9 months on previous seats on the R44 regulation!
We love that Cybex have also given the impact shield a higher weight limit of 21kg, rather than the 18kg of a standard harness. Our tester is only 3 years old but just hit 19kg so great to have an option that will last longer before using the car seat belt and a high back booster.
In the high back booster mode, again it is suitable for use for longer as it goes up to 150cm and 50kg. Even though the law in the UK is for a child to be in a car seat until 135cm, lots of European countries have to be 150cm, so this is handy if you travel lots or want to keep your child in a car seat for longer.
Although some people are unfamiliar using impact shields with it being something relatively new, it is proven in the ADAC testing that they do really score high at keeping the child safe and secure when forward facing. As with all new technology, it can take a while for it to be the ‘new norm’. An impact shield seat can also often be anoption for a child who can escape their harness by pressing the buckle button.
The impact shield works by having the child roll forward naturally over it, which reduces the strain on their necks by over 40% in a frontal collision when compared to a harness. This is similar to an inflated airbag with the impact force distributed over this quite large surface area. If a parent chooses to forward face sooner, they should definitely take a look at an impact shield seat rather than a seat with a harness.
The Pallas G i-Size has only just been released, so hasn’t gone through the additional testing from ADAC or OAMTC yet. It has however passed the newest R129/03 regulation, which is great. We are keen to see how the seat scores, but looking at one of their previous seats with an impact shield that was given a Good 2.1 score, we are sure that it will perform well!
Fastening your child into the Pallas G i-Size couldn’t be easier. Now that the impact shield is secured with a buckle at each side, rather than having to use the vehicle seat belt, you can leave one side attached. Then place your child into the seat and put the impact shield over them and buckle in the side nearest the door without having to lean right over them. Finally just tighten the strap to secure it for the perfect fit.
During our review, we did find that installing the child in the car seat with this impact shield was a lot easier than with a harness. With a harness it needs to be at the perfect height for your child and tightened sufficiently to be safe. The impact shield fits into the grooves of the seat and over the child easily and then once buckled just needs tightening until you can’t move it. It grows with the child as they get bigger and need more space.
The first time your child is in the seat, you will need to make sure that the headrest is at the correct height. The bottom of the headrest needs to be about level with your child’s shoulders or a maximum of 2cm higher. Just squeeze the button on the back of the seat and lift or lower as needed and as your child gets taller. It’s nice that older children aren’t restricted by a harness height.
Another very clever feature sits inside the headrest – a patented three-position recline! We first saw this when we reviewed the Solution Z i-Fix High Back Booster and thought it was a great idea. By having this in the most reclined position, it prevents the child’s head from tipping forward while sleeping. In the event of a collision, it does adjust automatically to the safer more upright position. Just lift and tilt the back of the headrest as required.
Handy when using this seat with a smaller child, the Pallas G i-Size features a one handed recline. We found this easy to do even with our passenger in place. Just reach under the front edge of the seat, press the button and pull up. This recline can also be used even as the child gets older and is using the seat in high back booster mode. On longer journeys they can still nap too!
Throughout the back and the seat of the Pallas G i-Size, there are holes that create an Air Ventilation System. This makes sure airflow can circulate around the seat and helps to keep the child cool. We’ve not been testing on any warm days unfortunately, but this will be ideal during the summer months.
The seat is nicely padded to make it comfortable for any occupant. We’ve been testing out the Soho Grey colourway which features beautiful turquoise stitching. Very stylish to look at, it will fit in with any car interior. There’s also a colour for everyone – whether you’re after bright Magnolia Pink or a more reserved Deep Black.
Conclusion
As with all of Cybex products – pushchairs, strollers and car seats, the Pallas G i-Size offers functionality, safety and design all rolled into one package.
Full of features that you might not see on other car seats, we have loved testing the Impact Shield as an alternative way to secure the child. This has been a hit with our 3 year old tester too. Some parents may be unsure about their use, but the test results speak for themselves and show them to be very safe seats.
Because of this, we would encourage the use of an impact shield if a parent chooses to forward face their child sooner over keeping them rear-facing, which would be the ideal. It’s also a good option to keep an escapee child securely in their car seat as it is very difficult for them to lean over and reach the buckle of the shield.
The only reason that we’ve marked the seat down is because we would always advise that rear-facing is the safest option for as long as possible. Ideally up to 4 years old.
