Joie Centra Harnessed Car Seat

My experience with the Joie Centra car seat review has been extremely positive and I’d like to share it with the TMB community. The big standout for me was the longevity of the product, it can be… Read more

My experience with the Joie Centra car seat review has been extremely positive and I’d like to share it with the TMB community.

The big standout for me was the longevity of the product, it can be used forward facing from 6 months to 8 years! My past car seat only lasted a couple of years, so I’m thrilled that this is such a financially smart long term product.

Also, it’s a very secure lightweight seat. It was so easy for me to lift and put into the car (something my husband usually handles). This is such an appealing feature for a parent or even grandparent - not having to lug a heavy car seat into or out of the car. All I had to do was scan the QR code on the user manual which linked straight to the “how to install” video. The seat has a barrier that extends at the back base to help it sit flush against the back of the car. Then you just flip the strap over the back into the boot to tether it - so easy! I even gave it a good push back and forth to see if it would slide or move but it stayed put which gave me serious peace of mind.

The seat has guard safety panels on the outer sides at head/ahoulder height that can pop out for extra safety protection if needed, a really good feature that I’ve never seen in a car seat before!

It was easy to pop the soft padding on the back of the seat, snapped in by buttons. My toddler loves to snack in the car so this makes it a piece of cake to remove, pop in the wash for cleaning and clicks back on again.

The harness clips in easily, and the release button is a thumb press release under the padding, so my daughter can’t even try to press it (which she previously has tried to do in her last car seat).

Finally, and my toddlers favourite is the little button side pockets. She can reach them easily while strapped in, open them up and take out a dummy (I usually keep a spare in there for her while I’m driving in case she drops one on the floor). Sometimes we put a packet of sultanas in, or any little treasures she finds at the beach etc.

I’d highly recommend the Joie Centra car seat to any parent who is looking for a safe, secure, long term seat for their growing child.
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Unboxing / Initial thoughts - Upon unboxing the seat and initial thoughts; - Nice breathable material - Colour combination looks great - Padding in all the right areas - Feels like a solid construction - Light in… Read more

Unboxing / Initial thoughts
- Upon unboxing the seat and initial thoughts;
- Nice breathable material
- Colour combination looks great
- Padding in all the right areas
- Feels like a solid construction
- Light in weight
- Ease of adjustment
- Removable padding – for cleaning and as the child gets older

Only recommendation that could be a bonus is for a seat protector to be included with the seat so you don’t need to go out and purchase a separate one.

Ease of use / installation
- Instructions provided were clear and easy to follow
- Simple installation – anyone can easily follow and complete safely
- Can be fitted to any car as it uses the seatbelt – not ISO fixings like other seats on the market
- Can be easily removed / transferred from car (if required)
- Easy one-handed adjustment of head rest
- Easy to adjust harness tightness and loosen when required

Favourite features
- Age range – large age range (6 months to 8 years) so it doesn’t need to be changed as the child gets bigger / older
- Sash belt lock off (yellow clip) for seat belt – great feature as the shoulder part of the belt runs across the back of the seat unlike others on the market. I feel like its more secure and allows you to tighten the seatbelt fixing better in my opinion.
- Storage pockets for bottle + toys
- Overall padding / cushioning on seat – feels comfortable
- Harness locking – easy to use
- Harness self adjusts with height of headrest – don’t have to take out seat and manually unclip harness to feed through different holes as the child grows – excellent if you need to travel with children that may be different ages / heights
- Extra side impact protection
- Safety, comfort, usage, side impact protection
- Quality build construction
- Additional side impact protection – great feature
- Adjustable positioning bar makes the base sit better in the seat of the car and makes the seat more secure resulting in less movement
- Above adequate padding in all the right areas (head, hip, bottom + crotch).
- Easy to get child in and out of seat
- Harness is secure and easy to use + adjust

Overall design
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Nice colour combination
- Ergonomic
- Not a small nor overly large seat
- Looks and feels safe and secure
- Storage pockets are fantastic

Instruction storage on back – great because you wont lose the instructions – they will always be with the seat.

I would most definitely recommend this car seat to others
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