I’ve always packed light as a traveller, so you can imagine my frustration when the babies came along and suddenly we needed to take so much more stuff to the airport! More checked luggage plus a buggy (a double buggy for a while!) and extra hand luggage. I really didn’t enjoy having to add car seats to the list of things to carry as well. Recently we had the opportunity to try out the Hifold fit-and-fold booster seat and the Comfort grab-and-go car seat from Mifold and honestly, my TLDR Mifold booster seat review is:
I wish I knew about them sooner!
Mifold car seat review
Disclosure: I was gifted the mifold car seats in return for a review on my blog and on Instagram. I always thoroughly test products so I can share honest reviews and would never recommend anything I didn't like.
Car safety abroad
For every holiday we’ve questioned; should we take our car seat on holiday? Should we hire car seats on arrival or do we take the risk and go without? We’ve often successfully arranged for infant car seats to be ready and waiting for us in a transfer taxi but once the kids get a little bit older it’s harder to manage. Their needs vary depending on size and seats for children age 4 or more are rarely available. We’ve travelled to such a variety of countries, some with great road safety and others known for regular car crashes… eek!
I remember one year making a last minute run to Halfords to pick up two cheap booster seats because we couldn’t manage to take two full size high back booster seats to India with us. We wouldn’t mind if the cheap boosters got damaged in the hold and they were far smaller than regular high back boosters. We knew they didn’t provide as much in the way of safety for the girls but it was the best we could do. I wish we had known about the Hifold fit-and-fold car seat then as it would have been the perfect solution. Barely larger than a regular booster seat once folded down and so much safer!
In this Mifold booster seat review I am sharing my experience of two different mifold car seats. The first is the Hifold fit-and-fold highback booster and the second is the Mifold Comfort grab-and-go car seat.
Hifold Fit-and-Fold Booster Seat Review
Hifold, the Fit-and-Fold booster seat isn’t a booster as such because it doesn’t ‘boost’ or raise the child up much higher in the seat. It does provide good seatbelt positioning and side impact protect for children age 4+.
We love the hifold booster because it folds down perfectly to take away with us while travelling. In the past we would have taken a cheap booster seat to check in at the airport for taxi transfers once we arrived on holiday. A basic booster will raise the child in the seat for better belt positioning but that’s the extent of protection they get. We would much rather our young children had high back booster seats while travelling BUT taking a full high back booster, is challenging. Taking TWO of them is completely impractical. They’re far too big!
The Hifold folds down small enough to be used as a carry on on most airlines (please always check dimensions before your travel as rules change!) and it packs into its own backpack for travel. We took the Hifold with us to Dubai and it was so good to know Isla had that extra protection on the huge 8 lane motorways in the city.
The hifold car seat is quick and easy to unfold and fit to your child and the car. The Hifold booster is adjustable in 4 key areas – head height and width, shoulder width and seat width. And of course, the more often you do it, the better you know the kit and the faster you get at it. I recorded a video for my Instagram stories showing me setting it up and I think it took me less than 40 seconds to demonstrate it!
The fit and fold booster seat is light, weighing less than 5kg. When we checked in for our flight to Dubai we had to drop it at a different desk because it was too light for the usual luggage ramps. And once we arrived in our hotel room it was small enough to pack away in a cupboard. Travelling with a high back booster has been made really easy with the Hifold.
Both of my girls, at ages 7 and 9 years old find the hifold seat really comfortable. They reluctantly gave up their old high back boosters in our car at home when the baby arrived because it was impossible to fit them in the back of the car with the huge baby car seat. The hifold fit and fold booster seat actually fits very comfortably in the back of our car and even fits in the middle seat! Despite driving a relatively large car ( we drive an Audi e-tron) until now we hadn’t found any car seat or booster that could fit in the middle seat. While we originally thought the hifold would feature only when travelling, it seems to have become an everyday staple in our car because the kids find it so comfortable.
Who is the Hifold fit-and-fold booster for?
The Mifold booster is designed for children ages 4 – 12 years and under 150cm. Sadly my oldest will very soon grow out of it, she is only just under the height restriction in the photo above.
What size is the Hifold Booster Seat?
The Hifold Fit and Fold Booster folds down to a small cube measuring just 25cm x 35.5cm x 35.5cm. Even when fitted to the car it is one of the smallest booster seats available, even allowing for three booster seats to be used across the backseat of a car. Super useful when you have more than one young child.
How much does the Hifold Booster Seat weigh?
The Hifold Fit and Fold Booster seat weights 4.6kg
Does the Hifold Booster seat have Isofix?
No, the Hifold does not use Isofix.
Mifold Comfort Grab and Go Car Seat Review
The Mifold Comfort isn’t actually a booster seat as it doesn’t raise the child in the seat. It repositions the seatbelt for better protection. The biggest pro of the Mifold is it’s tiny size. When folded it’s only slightly bigger than a Nintendo Switch, barely weighs more than a bottle of water and is easy to pop in your luggage or even hand bag when out and about on your holiday. Scarlett carried her own car seat in her hand luggage to and from Austria on our latest ski trip.
The pad sits against the back of the seat and the clips hold the seatbelt in the correct position for your child.
The Mifold is easy to fit to the car and pulls the seatbelt into a better position over the shoulder. One of my kids biggest complaints when sitting in a car without any kind of booster is that the belt cuts into their shoulder. Obviously my main priority with seatbelts is safety but comfort is important too! And the Mifold makes the shoulder portion of the belt much more comfortable. While the Mifold Comfort grab-and-go looks like a cushion, it’s not quite as soft as a cushion so kids with bony bottoms might not find it the most comfortable seat pad.
Who is the Mifold Comfort grab-and-go car seat for?
The Mifold boosters are designed for children ages 4 – 12 years and under 150cm.
What size is the Mifold Comfort grab-and-go car seat?
The Mifold car seat folds in half, measuring 25cm x 23cm x 6.6cm.
How much does the Mifold Comfort grab-and-go car seat weigh?
The Mifold car seat weights 0.73kg
Does the Mifold Comfort grab-and-go car seat have Isofix?
No, the grab-and-go does not use Isofix.
How safe is a Mifold Booster Seat?
In terms of safety, I’m no engineer and not qualified to judge car seats and I don’t attempt to do that in this Mifold booster seat review. However, the Mifold boosters are approved for use in every country in the world except for Australia and Taiwan. The Hifold car seats have passed the strict German ADAC Automobile Association Testing and both seats comply with or exceed the following safety standards: ECE R44.04 in the UK and Europe, NHTSA FMVSS 213 in the US, the CCC in China and the RSSR in Canada
This all sounds very reassuring to me! And often the alternative is either nothing, a hired seat which is a huge unknown (I’ve heard horror stories about broken straps and on our last trip, Max’s infant seat wasn’t actually attached to the car!) or taking your own giant car seats which is impractical and you run the risk of them becoming damaged in transit. I think the Mifold booster seats are excellent options for taking your car seats on holiday.
