I’m very concerned about car seats and always have been. Both my children were in the rear facing infant seat until they were nearly two and for safety I felt this entirely necessary. Lots of my friends moved their children up one as soon as they reached the minimum weight but while mine were still small enough and under the maximum weight I wanted them in that rear facing seat as long as they could.

Once they had outgrown it I then went on to be extremely selective when it came to the next stage up. I ideally wanted them to still be rear facing but as it turned out, our car was not suitable and I had to go for a forwards but still I chose something which lots of people bypass. They could have gone straight into a booster but I wasn’t comfortable with that and waited until a year ago, when Florence was 5 before I allowed a booster anywhere near us. Even then we chose a high backed one with a five point harness which she will wear until she reaches the maximum weight for it (my kids are tiny so probably not for ages) and I will do the same for Jimmy in about a year or so when he outgrows the second stage seat he’s in now.

I realise it’s not for everyone and lots of friends of mine are perfectly happy with their little ones to be in a regular booster seat but for me it is something I just can’t decide to use on a regular basis. That’s not to say for odd occasions I haven’t allowed it. Sometimes there’s simply no option and a seat is better than none at all so for those once in a while short trips, Florence has indeed sat on boosters. When we go in a taxi for instance she has sat on one where the driver has been able to provide it and in friend’s cars likewise. The other day, when my husband had her seat in his car and had gone away for work, I borrowed a blow up booster from a pal and decided that I needed to get something similar for when we do have those odd moments.

I guess it’s handy to have one in the side lines so if necessary we can use something rather than be stuck. Sometimes you just have to ask a friend or a friend asks you for a favour. For those times a booster is perfect. But… They’re rather big and bulky to store and I suppose that’s why I’ve not invested. However, the MiFold Booster seat is a solution for those types of journeys yet it is smaller than an ipad when folded up and can fit in the glove compartment or even in the child’s bag if they’re at school and being picked up by someone else. It’s also the PERFECT solution to going away on holiday where taking a big child’s car seat is impractical and often costly. When I got married in Portugal it was a massive palaver taking Florence’s car seat and I was so worried that the men would bash it around in the hold that it might not be safe to use anyway… But, the MiFold, could certainly be used with an older child when abroad because it’s so slim and easy to transport. Take a look at this quick video which shows you how to use it.

We have been trying a MiFold out over the past week and for a quick trip home from ballet when I asked Daddy to pick her up on his way home but the seat wasn’t in her car it was perfect. I could leave it with her in her bag if he didn’t have it in his car but he’d popped it in his glove compartment so that it could be used in just this situation.

It simply folds in half and then the red sides come out in three stages depending on the size of your child. It also has a clip which comes behind the child to hold the seatbelt away from their necks. It’s a funny one because you expect a booster seat to do just that and boost them but this one is rather flat and doesn’t make them high up at all. It works by holding the belt down making the car work with the seat rather than lifting the child up to fit with the car and is suitable for children from the age of 4 to 12..

Now, for a quick unplanned journey or holiday this is just the ticket because it’s not at all bulky to slip away somewhere when it’s not needed and it did the trick. I wouldn’t use it as a permanent seat because it’s obviously not as comfortable as a big seat with a head rest and because they have to sit upright a child couldn’t go to sleep. On a big motorway trip my two usually do take a nap so it wouldn’t be safe to use then but for these sorts of purposes it’s entirely practical. Florence said she missed not being able to see out of the window but then what would you rather? A child who can’t see out now and again or a big booster seat that you rarely use and which isn’t easy enough to simply pop in their back packs for a time needed or take on an aeroplane for holidays. It’s best to be used in the back of a car rather than the front and the added bonus to this is that you can fit three in a row which you absolutely couldn’t in most cars with most car seats. My middle seat only has a lap belt and this one does require a shoulder belt too but infrequently we do have my Mum in the car with us and fitting an adult in the middle between two giant seats is extremely uncomfortable for the person in that position (it’s usually me) and again this is where a MiFold could come into its own. I’d rather have two of them either side of me and enough room to park my big bottom without having to squeeze!

This is Florence sat on her MiFold last week.

So, would I buy a MiFold for my one and only car seat? No. But I wouldn’t buy ANY booster seat for an every day car seat. Would I buy one for holidays, quick unplanned trips and friends who we pick up from school last minute? Absolutely, it’s the perfect solution!

We were sent a MiFold for the purpose of an honest review.

Follow