Once your child has outgrown their harnessed car seat, generally around 18kg, it's time to look for a high back booster. We're taking a look at the Joie Trillo which is a Group 2/3 car seat that will last your child from 15-36kg.
Quick Summary: At only £50, the Trillo is an affordable option for parents that need a car seat, but are working to a budget. There are more expensive car seats available, with more features and safety measures, but this will also do you the job for potentially eight or nine years.
Whats good?
- Easy to use
- Side impact protection
- Two cup holders
- Affordable
Whats not so good?
- No recline feature
Things we love…
It’s important to keep a car seat secure, even when your child isn’t travelling in it, to prevent it from moving around in an accident and harming someone else. The Trillo has ISOSAFE connectors which attach to the the car’s ISOFIX anchor points. These are slightly different from your usual ISOFIX, as are two hooks on strapping, which you then pull to tighten once fitted to the anchors. As you have better access, it’s actually an easier way to fit, if not quite as sturdy. You can also use the car seat with just the vehicle’s seat belt.
Safety is what a car seat is all about, and the Joie Trillo offers full side impact protection to protect the child from their head down to the hips. Suitable for carrying children from 15-36kg, the headrest has seven different height positions and is easy to move up and down with one hand for the perfect fit. The seat is used with the vehicle’s own seat belt to keep them secured and passes down through the red belt guide and under the arm rests.
It’s easy for car seats to become grubby quickly, so we like that it’s quick and simple to remove the covers from the Trillo.
Keeping the child comfortable, the arm rests on the seat are nicely padded, as is the rest of the seat. Kids will also love the two cup holders that can be pulled out or pushed into the seat – handy for keeping their drinks, snacks or favourite small toys in.
Things to look out for…
As far as car seats go, the Trillo is a simple one and doesn’t offer much in terms of extra features. A young child that has reached the 15kg limit may miss the fact that the seat doesn’t have a recline.
Our verdict…
The Joie Trillo is essentially a no-frills high back booster to last an older child until they no longer need to use a car seat. It is simple to use, whilst still offering comfort for the child and keeping them safe on journeys. Our 6 year old tester liked the fact that they could easily jump into the seat themselves and reach to fasten the belt.
At only £50, the Trillo is an affordable option for parents that need a car seat, but are working to a budget. There are more expensive car seats available, with more features and safety measures, but this will also do you the job for potentially eight or nine years.
