The latest range of car seats from Silver Cross have been so popular, and we can see why! They've now added to the collection with a first for the car seat world - an i-Size tested, all ages car seat that could be the only car seat you need!
Quick Summary: Car seat ages, stages and weights can be confusing, so it's amazing that the Motion All Size 360 offers you a one stop solution for any child. If used from birth up to when your child doesn't need a car seat anymore, then it offers great longevity and value for money. It is a more expensive car seat at £375, but you'd probably spend more than that on an infant carrier and base, next stage seat and then high back booster!
Whats good?
- Value for money
- Easy spin feature and comfortable
- Easy to install with app
- Great longevity as it covers all stages
- i-Size
Whats not so good?
- Harness might not last higher centile children to 4 years
Things we love…
The Silver Cross Motion All Size 360 is the only i-Size car seat on the market that covers all stages, meaning that you can use it from birth right up to 12 years old. Having the one car seat will make it so much easier for parents, rather than looking at two or three different car seats during their child’s time in one! It’s also great for grandparents who might look after children of different ages, as the one seat can cater for them all.
Focusing on car seat safety made simple, Silver Cross have created an app to use along with their seats. In here you have step-by-step installation videos, instructions and car seat compatibility. Great to have all of these things in one place. By scanning the QR code on the seat, it will take you straight to the right page.
Installing the Motion All Size 360 is really simple using ISOFIX and support leg. Just pull the buttons back on the arms to extend, connect to your ISOFIX points until you see the green indicator and then push until it touches the vehicle seat back. Then just extend the leg out with the button on the back until it touches the footwell floor and turns green at the bottom.
When you look at the Motion All Size 360, the first thing that hits you is how beautiful the bamboo fabrics are. The stylish quilted design really adds to the premium feel and it’s great that it’s a unisex colour that will fit in with any car interior. As the full seat is nicely padded, it’s sure to keep any child comfortable!
If you’re using this car seat from birth, it comes with a beautiful, three piece newborn insert. It’s made from a soft and breathable natural bamboo fabric to help keep them at an optimal temperature. Silver Cross advises to use the whole insert from 40-60cm, then remove the headrest and side sections from 60-105cm, finally taking out the body insert from 105cm when you’re no longer using the harness.
Spin car seats are the bestselling next stage seat, and this feature has been added to the Motion All Size 360 so that you can do it right from birth. The button to spin the seat to face the car door is right at the front on the base, so easy to access. It will then move smoothly round 360 degrees to rear-facing, side loading position and forward facing. As well as to the car door, this is also a handy feature should you drive a three door car, as you can spin to the centre of the car or front to get your child in and out easier.
We love that the Motion All Size 360 can be used rear-facing for the entire time when using the harness and it does have a slightly higher weight limit of 18.5kg too. It also has a maximum of 105cm for the child’s height. Being able to spin to the side makes it much easier to place a rear-facing child in their seat and secured without having to bend at an awkward angle, while also hitting the child’s head! You can also use it forward facing with the harness from a minimum of 15 months.
Moving through the different ages, the headrest has eight height positions to keep the harness level with your child’s shoulders. It’s easy to adjust by pulling the loop at the top of the headrest and moving up or down. The harness comes with shoulder and waist padding to ensure a comfortable fit for the smallest or largest babies. The two sides of the harness sit together and then fasten into the buckle together. There are two small loops at the sides of the seat which are handy to tuck the harness into, to hold it open while you place your child.
Making sure that your child is kept comfortable at nap time, there are three recline positions to choose from. As it’s an all-stage car seat, it’s nice that this is also an option for older children too. To recline, just squeeze the button under the front of the seat. It is easier to adjust this when the seat is rotated to the side rather than rear-facing.
Using the Motion All Size 360 for older children as a high back booster is easy to convert. No need to take out the harness as it all tucks away into the seat, behind the fabrics. You can then use the vehicle seat belt through the green belt guides to secure them in the seat. As the sides of the seat are cut away, it’s easy for a child to fasten themselves in as they get more independent, but they are still sat in a higher position so further away from the buckle.
The UK law is currently that a child uses a suitable car seat up to 135 cm or 12 years old, whichever they reach first. This car seat actually surpasses that and allows a child of 145cm, which is much closer to other European countries where the law is 150cm. Great that you can use it longer to keep your child safer, as most children won’t actually sit safely without any car seat until that taller height.
Things to look out for…
For parents looking at buying this car seat, we would recommend checking out baby’s weight centile so that the harness will last until they need it. Although 18.5kg is based on your average 4 year old, we are seeing more and more children hitting this at a younger age and needing a harnessed seat to 25kg instead.
Our verdict
Car seat ages, stages and weights can be confusing, so it’s amazing that the Motion All Size 360 offers you a one stop solution for any child. If used from birth up to when your child doesn’t need a car seat anymore, then it offers great longevity and value for money. It is a more expensive car seat at £375, but you’d probably spend more than that on an infant carrier and base, next stage seat and then high back booster!
Silver Cross have succeeded in creating a seat that fits in with their values of car seat safety made simple. It’s easy to install and use on a day-to-day basis.
We’d just caution parents to double check centiles to make sure that the 18.5kg harness weight will take their child to around 4 years old, when they will be safe enough using the vehicle seat belt. It is an investment, so you want to make sure that it will last you.
