Sarah Queenan 'Living With' the BeSafe iZi Go

Saturday 23^rd March 2013

No journeys yet as the weather has been vile and we haven’t ventured out to fit the ISOfix base! We did however get the seat all ready to use. As Charlie is almost 4 months we didn’t need to use the extra wedge cushion, only the padded insert for use up to ~6 months. The straps were very easy to adjust due to a mechanism at the back, no need to re-thread them as he grows.

Sunday 24^th March 2013

My husband fitted the ISOfix base today and said it was a piece of cake, the manual very clear. Like the base for our previous seat (MaxiCosi Cabriofix) our underfloor storage in the car has to be reinforced. It seems to be a very sturdy fit but we have noticed that the plastic of the base and seat seem to have some flex in them, shock absorbing maybe? First journey tomorrow...!

 

Monday 25^th March 2013

Took our first trip today...

Charlie is not used to a 5-point harness (our last seat was 3-point) so was a little out of sorts to begin with, though this may have been due to me rummaging around under his bottom to find the strap connectors which do slip down. Well, practice makes perfect…

When empty the seat is very easy to click in and out of the base, but I think it will take me a few more tries to master it smoothly with Charlie in it. The indicators are at the front of the base and so aren’t easily visible and impossible to read after dark without a torch.

I have also noticed that, unlike our last seat, there is no compartment to stow a raincover, something I’ll have to remember to avoid getting caught short when out and about!

Friday 29^th March 2013

First use with my travel system today – the seat easily clicked into the adaptors on my Bugaboo Cameleon³, easier than the Cabrio definitely, and it was a lot less faff to remove due to the easier buttons.

I luckily remembered to stow my seat raincover under the buggy as we did need it later – the lack of a compartment for it is inconvenient but as a pay-off it is much easier to get to the under-buggy storage basket.

Sunday 31^st March 2013

I have found the knack of getting the seat in and out of the ISOfix base quickly and easily – the key seems to be keeping a vertical action, not ‘rocking’ it in and out like with my last base. It is very annoying that the indicators are where they are and so difficult to see, such a simple thing that seems to have been overlooked.

Thursday 4th April 2013

Whilst showing my sister how to fit the seat into the base today, she also commented on the awkward location of the indicators. She also had a problem come up that my husband has experienced a couple of times – as there is nowhere to tuck in the ‘central adjustor’ strap it dangles and can get caught easily, such as on the metal hooks in the ISOfix base. As well as jerking the seat it also over-tightens the harness straps around Charlie. The adjustor strap design is similar on the Cabriofix but we never had it catch on the base hooks like this.  

I love how easy it is to get the seat on and off my Bugaboo frame, Charlie doesn’t even know he has been moved most of the time. Also, finally some sunshine! We took a quick side-trip to the park with Charlie sat in the iZi Go on the buggy. The sunshade is excellent - really good cover, and so easy to use, plus it doesn’t rely on the handle being left up in order to work.

Friday 12^th April 2013

My car had to go into the garage today so to save us having to move the ISOfix base we just reverted back to the Cabriofix for the day as this base is installed in our second car. It was actually very useful for the purposes of this review as it highlighted some good comparison points such as how easy the buttons are to operate on the iZi Go and how the shape of the handle makes for a much more comfortable hold.

Monday 15^th April 2013

I have had a lot of people ask me about the car seat as it does look quite different with its “egg-like” design. Comments include; “cool, like a space-pod!”, “what a good idea!” and “looks very snug and safe, he looks comfy!”. I found myself doing an informal product demonstration to a mum-to-be the other day!

Friday 19^th April 2013

Another downpour today, too much for just the sunshade to handle even though it was only a quick dash across a car park. I have a “universal” fit car seat raincover from Mothercare that seems to fit the iZi Go just fine. If you prefer you can buy a specific Be Safe one (around £14.99) but I think you’d have to find it online as it hasn’t been in our local baby shops.

Any fellow fans of the Ruby & Ginger cosy cover will be glad to hear that this fits the seat really well.

Tuesday 23^rd April 2013

Finally some sunshine. I took Charlie for a lovely long walk alongside Poole Harbour today. When we got back to the car the seat fabric was quite warm – it makes me wonder how hot it will get when the weather really heats up. BeSafe do sell  terry towelling  covers for the iZi Go that not only help to  keep the seat clean but also keeps it cooler on hot, sunny days. Again, not many places seem to sell them  yet – RRP seems to be around £19.99.

Monday 29^th April 2013

I had to go out in my sister’s car this morning meaning I had to install the seat using seatbelts for the first time. This was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be, especially considering it was only a 3-door car. There is an instructional sticker on the side of the seat and blue grippy-rubber pads mark where the belt needs to run and prevents it from slipping. Plus, having the manual handily stored under the seat meant we could double check that we hadn’t made a mistake. It didn’t move much at all once installed and seemed very secure.

 

Monday 6^th May 2013

We have removed the second seat insert as Charlie’s head was sitting well above the head rest cushions, it certainly wouldn’t have fitted him at 6 months age (he is now 5 months old). The seat still seems very deep and snug compared with other models but Charlie seems to settle into it quite quickly and with little fuss so he must find it comfortable.

Monday 13^th May 2013

Charlie has reflux so can be sick quite a lot – so far the izi Go fabric seems to repel almost everything that has landed on it and a quick wipe clean has been sufficient. However, today there was a nappy-related incident in the car seat that goes beyond sponge cleaning only.  At least it is a good opportunity to check out the washable covers! I’ll report back.

Wednesday 15^th May 2013

I had this afternoon free from errands so decided that this was my best opportunity to get the seat properly cleaned up, though as I needed the seat the following morning I was a little nervous about the drying time. I consulted the manual on how to remove the covers – the information is brief but, in the end, sufficient. You must take its advice and pay attention to how everything is removed though as it makes putting them back on a lot easier! Once you get started it really is quite easy, especially as a clever combination of zips, poppers and Velcro tabs mean that you do not have to unthread the harness. Once the covers are off the polystyrene blocks within the seat are exposed and the bottom ones actually come out – be careful that the seat is out of harm’s way as I knocked one out and nearly trod on it which could have rendered the seat unsafe.

The manual advises you to check the tab on the cover for the washing instructions but also reprints them on the page – however, they disagree about the wash temperature, one saying 30 degrees, the other 40. To be safe I used 30 degrees, on a delicate wool cycle as recommended. Other than advising against “aggressive cleaning agents” there was no mention of what to use so I just put in half a capsule of my usual Fairy non-bio and set off the machine.

 

Once finished I was pleased to find that the covers merely felt damp – other padded items I have washed have been absolutely  dripping and weighed down with water – and had cleaned up beautifully. As advised I dried them flat, just in a warm room. They felt dry only 4 hours later, though I did leave them longer as I had the time, just in case.

Putting the covers back on was a little more difficult. As per the manual you should start by slotting through the straps and fastening the covers around them. You then stretch the covers around the edges, tucking it under the foam blocks. At the back it is easier to push the canopy up and out of the way to do this, then pull the canopy back down. You also have two odd tabs either side of the seat – it is easiest to tuck these in last otherwise they keep coming out.

I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it went, I was honestly expecting to get a little stressed out by it but everything was fine!

 

Tuesday 21^st May 2013

We have just had our first properly long journey with the iZi Go – we headed down to Canterbury for the weekend to see Granny Annie. Charlie slept the entire 4 hour journey down there, not even waking as we carried him in the seat  for a quick services cuppa en-route. Just shows that he must find the seat pretty comfortable! Although the downside is that he was then up all night wanting to play…

Monday 27^th May 2013

Charlie will be 6 months next week, I can’t believe how fast time flies and how much he has grown. The seat is suitable for babies up to 13kg though so still plenty of room for now. We have now got the straps set to their highest point – they are really easy to adjust due to the mechanism underneath the seat. No fiddly rethreading of the harness required!

Monday 3^rd June 2013

Yay, sunshine! I’ve had concerns about the dark fabric covers and plastic parts becoming too hot in the sun but whilst they do become quite warm they don’t seem to reach the same high temperature as other plastics and fabrics in my car. Charlie can feel very warm when removed from the seat on a hot day but I suppose this is to be expected considering the snugness of the seat – he seems to tolerate it well though.

Saturday 8^th June 2013

Charlie can sit up by himself now and fights me when put into the car seat, I really have to tug on the central adjuster strap to tighten the harness sufficiently. I worry about making it too tight, especially around his legs – the manual just states a “comfortable but firm fit” which is a bit hard to gauge. A salesperson in our local independent baby shop told me that you can’t really over-tighten them and you should do the “pinch test” to check that you have it tight enough – i.e. you can’t pinch the harness strap to make it double over – I think some  more guidance from BeSafe in the manual would be beneficial.

Final Summary 2013

I have been very impressed by the BeSafe IziGo. I love the robust, simple yet strong “egg-like” design and the protection given by all the padding, head cushion and 5-point harness that make it one of the safest Stage 0+ seats available. It is easy and comfortable to use – it is quite lightweight, the buttons are in logical places and are no struggle to push, getting it on and off a travel system or ISOfix base is very quick plus the handle and hood are very well designed. Charlie seems very happy in the seat, often sleeping peacefully and not minding when I have had to leave him sitting in it as a little chair whilst out and about. Installation with seat-belts is also very simple with easy to read instructions on the seat itself and the manual stowed under the seat in case needed for reference.
The fabrics wipe clean well and are easy to remove for washing with a surprisingly quick drying time, and adjusting the seat as your baby grows is very straightforward. There are a few points that could be improved upon but in my opinion they are hugely outweighed by what is great about this product and would highly recommend it. Charlie will need to move into a new car seat in a few months’ time and we want to keep him rearward facing for as long as possible – based on my experiences with the iZiGo we will definitely be considering BeSafe’s Stage 1 seat.

Pros:

-          5-pont safety harness with easy height adjustment

-          Easy installation in car with seatbelts or ISOfix base

-          Intuitive and easy to operate buttons/latches and hood

Cons:

-          No compartment to stow raincover

-          Central adjuster strap hangs loose and can get caught

-          Very snug cushioning, may not be ideal for every baby