I’m really excited to be able to review this booster seat. I actually heard all about it in November 2015 after listening to John, the founder of Mifold, at a blogging conference. I was quite impressed after listening to him and I really wanted to get one for us to review. I got to have a quick chat with him that day and mentioned my interest. The booster was only a prototype at that time but just over a year later, they finally launched the product! So it was great to now be asked to review it! Yay!
I love the idea of having a super small booster seat that I, or my girls, can take anywhere in a bag or backpack, perhaps for those unexpected trips or when we are travelling away.
So, what is mifold?
It is a Grab-and-Go Car Booster Seat. It is compact and portable. It is more than 10x smaller than a regular booster seat so you can easily put 2 or 3 of them in your suitcase or backpack. It is very lightweight, so it can be carried with you at all times and despite its compact appearance, it is very strong and sturdy.
Current UK Law
The current UK Law requires that all children must use the correct child seat until they are 12 years old or 135 cm in height (whichever comes first). Only EU-approved child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle.
New child car seat rules
On 1 March 2017 new rules are being introduced across Europe that will change how backless booster seats (booster cushions) are made. The Government are planning to re-classify the group classification from Group 2 to Group 3 for all newly developed booster seats.
The new rules mean that manufacturers aren’t allowed to introduce new models of backless booster seats for children shorter than 125cm or weighing less than 22kg. Any NEW booster seats being launched to the marketplace and seeking approval to be sold in the UK will be classified as a Group 3 (suitable for children weighing 22kg or measuring over 125cm, whichever comes first) and not a Group 2 car seat (suitable for children weighing from 15kg).
What about existing booster seats?
Existing booster seats will not be affected by new rules. If you already own a booster seat which bears an R44/04 Group 2 label, then you will not need to replace it, it will still be 100% legal for these booster cushions to be used for children from 15kg and the parents will not be breaking the law by using them, even once the new regulations come in. Existing booster seats will continue to be sold with a Group 2 classification. The Group 3 classification will ONLY be applied to NEW booster seats that have been developed after the change in law has been passed, NOT existing booster seats.
When can a child travel without a car seat?
A child aged 3+ can travel without a child car seat in some circumstances such as:
- Taxis and minicabs
- Minibuses and coaches
- Unexpected journeys. If the correct child seat isn’t available, a child aged 3 or older can use an adult seat belt if the journey is unexpected, necessary or a short distance.
- No room for a third child seat if there are two occupied child car seats in the rear but not enough room to fit a third one: a child over 3 years can sit in the rear using the car’s seat belt instead of a child car seat.
- Vehicles without seat belts. A child aged 3 or older can travel in a back seat without a car seat and without a seat belt if the vehicle doesn’t have one.
Now mifold can help with all these situations and provide a better child safety journey for our children on those occasions. Mifold is a Group 2/3 seat and can be used by children from the weight of 15kg which is approximately the age of 4 years old.
So, when can we use mifold:
- Everyday use
- Carpooling
- Taxis
- Travelling
- Car rental (cheaper than renting a booster seat)
How does it work?
Regular child restraints lift a child up to be in the position of an adult, whereas mifold does the exact opposite by holding the seatbelt down in a suitable position for a child. With 3 belt guides, mifold adjusts the lap belt and shoulder strap to fit the child and accurately holds the seat belt on the hip bones and shoulder, offering the correct amount of restraint in case of impact.
mifold is so compact you can store it almost anywhere. This means that each of your children can have one with them at all times ensuring that they always have a safe way to travel, at home or abroad. You can even fit 3-in-a-row across the back seats of the smallest of cars. And those kids that are 8-12 year olds will feel like big kids using a mifold.
Video
Watch this 1 min video to find out more how it works:
Our thoughts
We really like the idea of taking the mifold with us to use on those occasions where there is no car seat available for Bella. Sienna is still too young so she is not allowed to use it yet but Bella really liked the idea of sitting in the car like a “big kid”. She felt like a grownup. It was easy to install in the car and to secure Bella in it. Now that we are travelling as a family much more, I think mifold would be ideal to bring with us when we are travelling abroad as having to hire an expensive car seat for a few days can be an expensive additional cost.
Mifold has an RPP of £49.95 and you can buy them in a choice of various different colours from John Lewis. The one we reviewed was green which I actually like because it is different. Although if I got the chance to choose a colour I would have probably gone for pink for my girls!
You can also get them from Amazon. Check the details below:
Do you have a booster seat at home? Have you heard of mifold? What do you think?
*Disclosure: we received a mifold to review and for the purpose of this blog post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Contains affiliates links.
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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The laws on this change so much – it gets very confusing! #KCACOLS
I had not seen these before but I really like the idea of lowering the restraint to the right height for the child. A much better idea! I have been looking for something to keep in the car for when we take friends out with us and this looks to be a great solution. #KCACOLS
When we were in Oz, we got taxi’s a lot in sydney and my son had to just use a normal seatbelt. It made me nervous every time. This would have been a great addition #KCACOLS
Oh is heard of these last year but wasn’t sure if they were going to be made redundant by changes in the law so I’m glad you’ve liked at that – thank you. With three kids we are sometimes in the situ where we just don’t fit and this could make our travel safer. Thank you. Back at #kcacols
Oh that is very neat and perfect for growing kids #KCACOLS
Oh wow, I don’t think these are available in NZ but if they were I would definitely be investing in a couple!
#KCACOLS
I need one of these! My biggest one is old enough to go to people’s houses for tea and their parents to drop her home.Not all parents have a spare booster so we send our massive one that’s the size of a Next directory, this would be perfect for her backpack!
#KCACOLS
This looks like s great booster to have asa spare. Some of the others are so big and bulky, it would be perfect to take on holiday #KCACOLS
I so need this for travelling! I need 2 in fact – thank you for sharing. Brilliant product! #KCACOLS
I’ve seen this before and it looks fantastic!! I find other seats so bulky, this would be fab. #KCACOLS
There are so many different laws it’s hard to keep up! My two are both under two so we don’t need to be thinking about anything like this for a while yet but the mifold really does look great! Anything that saves space is always a win in my book #KCACOLS
This is such a fab solution for when you’re on holiday and taking taxis. I always hate putting my kids in with no proper restraint! Really useful product. #kcacols
I did see something about the changes a few weeks ago on the TV but didnt take too much notice as my two had stopped using their booster seats at 8 and 11. However, I think that after reading your post maybe I was a bit premature and need to go back and check again! Thanks. i also love the seat and will get one of these if I need to have one for my youngest.
Mainy
#KCACOLS
I have not seen those before. That is very interesting! My daughter is just about ready to move out of her car seat and into a booster. Very cool! #KCACOLS
I wish I had seen your post a week ago as I went out and bought a new high backed booster seat for my 6 year old as I understood that she could no longer use her normal booster? #KCACOLS
Oh no! I’m sorry lovely! How annoying is that! 🙁 Xx
These are great – especially when you are out and about, not in your own car or on holiday. I didn’t know they existed! #KCACOLS
Thanks for sharing the new rules around car seats. It’s so confusing but you’ve explained it really well. The mifold looks great for taking on holiday and will keep my eye out for one in the future.
#KCACOLS
This is so great for holidays and for taking up less room on the back seat. Wonderful idea #KCACOLS
Woah that really is tiny! So convenient in case of emergency trips. #KCACOLS
I think this looks great for travelling where you may otherwise have to use a taxi for example with no child restraints…im not sure id use it as a replacement for something more sturdy in everyday use. Im still looking for something suitable for younger ones when travelling in a taxi – feels so unsafe when ive had arthur on my lap in the past #kcacols
we just switched to a booster seat. My daughter is five and it was about time to stop smooshing her into the car seat, but it just looks so much safer! #KCACOLS
This is certainly different and a fab idea.
#KCACOLS
This looks like a great option for my older child if she travels with a friend or in a taxi with us. Thanks! #KCACOLS
Cool product. It’s fascinating to read through your regulations for boosters and car seats compared to here in Canada. I don’t know if we have ANY clauses about a child’s not being in one. Time for research.
I read another review of this the other day and was really quite impressed. It’s so small and compact, I cant quite get over it! I think it would give some great peace of mind on those occasions when you might need to travel by car without your normal car seat. x #KCACOLS
This is so fab for families that travel, no need to worry about the transfer company not having good booster seats/what they’ll charge for them, as you know you have yours with you! fab. #KCACOLS
What a useful, informative post. Thanks for sharing. It looks like a great product! #kcacols
This looks super handy! #KCACOLS