By the time we were expecting baby number three, we’d already gotten rid of all of our baby stuff—it’d been six years since the last one already—so we inherited a lot of hand-me-down clothes and equipment from friends and family. The car seat we got was a Maxi-Cosi (I believe it’s the “Mico” seat), with the base that you could leave in the car. It worked all right, but the one thing we always had trouble with was the release for the base. The release handle was actually on the base itself, so you had to pull that out while lifting the seat with one hand—which gets more challenging the heavier the baby gets.
Maxi-Cosi has a new version now called the Mico AP, and they sent me a sample to try it out and compare to the older model.
Perhaps the biggest improvement on the Mico AP seat is the placement of the release handle. Now the release handle is on the seat itself, so you can use both hands to lift the seat out of the base while pulling the release. That’s not unique to the Mico AP, of course—I know the car seats I used for my first two kids functioned like this, too—but it’s definitely an improvement over the original Mico.
The seat comes with an insert for newborns that helps support the head and neck, but since our girl is already four months old we didn’t need that. The seat feels pretty cushy, and there’s extra cushioning on the sides next to the head for side impact protection, too. The side cushions are more of a spongy foam with a plastic cover—it’s softer than the standard foam on the back and bottom and has a little more give to it. Most car seats have this hard white foam under the cover—our older kids graduated to Britax Marathons when they were toddlers and it’s the same stuff there. But the side cushions are what put the AP in the name: the Air Protect side impact pads are meant to provide a better protection for baby’s head than the usual hard foam. While I’ve no intention of giving it a real-life test on my four-month-old, it certainly seems like a better option.
Another thing I like better with the new seat is the buckle. With the older model, you had to first overlap the two sides of the buckle and then click it all in together—and if one side slipped, then you couldn’t get it to latch. This one is two separate buckles, so you can do each side separately, and it’s a lot easier to secure. Again, this is a feature that isn’t unique to Maxi-Cosi, but definitely something I recommend when you’re shopping for car seats.
The base has a height adjustment so that you can get the car seat angled correctly when it’s installed. It has a strap with buckles that works with the LATCH anchors if you have those, or you can install it using the seat belts. One nice touch on this base is the spots to attach the LATCH buckles when they’re not in use, so the strap doesn’t dangle or slide out. I’ve also used the car seat without the base, just securing it with the seat belt, and it works fairly easily. We had some friends visiting this week who had a different brand, and the seat belt anchors were actually under the fabric cover, so you had to undo the cover partially in order to install the seat. I think most manufacturers put the seat belt anchors on the outside.
We’ve been using the new Mico AP seat for a couple weeks now, and my daughter seems to like it better than the old one. The fabric and cushioning are noticeably softer than the older model—there seems to be more padding in the cover itself—and I think that makes it more comfy for her. That said, she still spends a lot of time screaming while she’s strapped in, so it’s nice that the seat is fairly light. Without the base, the seat is about 8 and a half pounds—Maxi-Cosi says it’s the lightest in its class, though I admit I don’t know exactly how these “classes” are defined. It’s still nice to attach it to a stroller, of course—the Mico AP automatically attaches to the Maxi-Cosi or Quinny strollers, but various other strollers have adapters that will work with this seat as well.
There are only two things that bug me about the seat. One is that little flap that goes behind the buckle—it’s just some extra padding. It has some wings that are meant to hold it in place, but they keep slipping out of the seat cover and then the flap gets in the way of the buckle. The other is that the strap used to cinch up the shoulder straps doesn’t seem to slide smoothly—it would be nice if I could loosen the straps, buckle the baby in, and then cinch it up tight. But it takes several small tugs to cinch the straps up, so I usually just end up buckling her in with the straps already fairly tight. I know I’ve used other car seats where that tightening strap glides a little more easily.
Overall, though, it’s a pretty nice car seat. At $200 retail, it’s a bit pricier than the Mico and on the higher end of car seats from what I can tell. If you’ve got a stroller that works with it, though, it’s a good seat that won’t break your back when you’re carrying it. Of course, I can’t make any guarantees about the weight of your baby.
For more info, check out the Maxi-Cosi website.
Thanks to Maxi-Cosi for providing a sample for review.
Hi, I have a quick question. Does the car seat come with a paper manual other than the sticker that’s on the base and seat strap? Also, does your canopy fabric fall to the ground when folded? I thought the canopy was kind of annoying. Thanks!
The paper manual is tucked underneath the fabric cover of the seat. My canopy sometimes falls down and sometimes doesn’t.
Hi — Do you know if the AP uses the same adapters for strollers as the original Mico? We have a Phil&Teds stroller that has Mico adapters and not sure If I can use the AP or not.
We had a Bumbleride stroller that required adapters for the Mico, and the same ones work on the new carseat. I think the latch mechanism for the strollers is still the same—it still uses those two little thumb buttons near the handle hinge.
Could you please tell me how long the car seat base is? I am having trouble finding a base that fits in my car without hanging off too much. I heard that 80% is supposed to be on the seat and 20% car be hanging off. Therefore, I need a base that is 20 inches long at the most.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi, Kerry, it’s hard to tell exactly on mine since it’s currently installed, but it looks like about 22″ long. Mine’s in a Honda Odyssey minivan currently and all but an inch or two is on the seat, but I’ve used it in a Toyota Prius before as well and not had any trouble (other than the passenger seat can’t scoot all the way back). So your car’s seat is only 16″ deep? That seems pretty small, and you may have more of an issue with the length of the carrier itself (which sticks out past the base) than with just the base.
Hi, we just got this car seat delivered today (thanks in part to this review!) The thing I can’t figure out is how to adjust the canopy. There isn’t any mention of this in the instruction manual. Can you help a soon-to-be Geek Dad out?
Hi, Matt, sorry, I was remiss in talking about the canopy, which can be problematic. I think it’s mostly all the way down or all the way up, not much in between. When it’s open, sometimes it hangs down off the bottom of the carseat, as an earlier commenter noted. Did you manage to get the canopy onto the car seat at least? Basically there’s a flap that sort of hangs and loosely hooks onto the back of the seat, and then you pull the rest forward (toward the feet) and unfold it as it goes.
Thanks! I finally figured it out. I was looking for a release button, but it just ratchets up and down. I was worried that I’d break it, but it loosened up after a couple tries.
Hi I have stroller of Quinny Zapp Xtra 2013 but in Europe type, not sure the adapters still same can be use Mico AP?
Hi, sorry, you’ll probably need to contact Maxi Cosi about that.
Hi! Just wondering if you know where to find a list of car companies that accommodate the anchoring system ISOFIX or tradition LATCH for this specific model? Trying to figure out if this seat fits. I can’t find the information anywhere. Thanks
Hi—I believe most car manufacturers have been using LATCH since 2003, some even earlier than that. And LATCH is not carseat-specific, so if you have LATCH, then this carseat will work with it.
thanks! this article helps a lot, no one else did this comparison !
Is this car seat compact for small cars? I seen on babies r us it was listed as having length of 25.5″ and I’m having trouble believing that. I drive a small car… Mazda3 and am finding such difficulty finding a car seat that will fit comfortably , even semi comfortably. Something without the seats having to pushed so far foward it’s unsafe to drive or have any passenger.
This car seat is great in so many ways. It is very LIGHT, compact (I drive Toyota corolla). It is a little bit of a hustle to clean because manufacturer recommends hand wash only. But overall I was very happy using Maxi Cosi Mico AP infant car seat for my son.
hello, my question for you is if new AP seat fits on older mico base?? I need a extra base for my AP seat and there a lot of base on craigslist, but from older model. thank you in advance.
Hello, I believe so but I can’t remember for certain (my baby outgrew it a year ago and my fuzzy dad brain can’t remember). I’d recommend just taking the seat with you and see if it snaps into the base.
what are some jogging strollers that fit this car seat having a hard time?
Hi, we have a Bumbleride stroller and there were some adapter arms we purchased separately for the Maxi Cosi to fit. The site lists: Baby Jogger, Bugaboo, Bumbleride, iCandy, Jeep, Maclaren, Mamas & Papas, Micralite, Mountain Buggy, Phil & Teds, Quinny, Stokke, UPPAbaby, and Valco Baby. Each of those you’d have to get the adapter from the stroller manufacturer, not from Maxi Cosi.
What site did you use to buy the adapters?
Hi, we actually bought the adapters with the stroller at a local store, not online, but you should check whatever site you’re purchasing the stroller from to see if they have them.
I have a question: I am having difficulty with the base. It is installed with the seatbelt, and the side of the base closest to the edge of the seat still lifts a good 4-6 inches. Scary! I have the seat belt as tight as it can go and that side is secure. I’m not sure if I’m not installing it correctly or it’s not compatible with my car? I drive a 2010 Acura tsx.
Hi, I don’t know that I should be giving carseat installation instructions over the web. I would recommend checking with your local police to see if they do carseat safety checks. I know here in Portland they’d sometimes have free carseat clinics, or you could find a location where they had somebody come and check on everything to make sure it’s put in properly. From what I remember it was most important that the base doesn’t move from side to side, because once you put the seat into the base I don’t think you’ll be able to lift it like because the carseat itself will hit the back of the seat. That’s if I’m picturing your problem correctly. Your best bet is to check with somebody who can physically examine your setup.
Thanks for the reply! I will do that. I called maxi cosi and they recommended the same thing. It doesn’t move side to side but it lifts off the seat, which I know can’t be right…
Aside from that I really love the car seat. I hope I can get it sorted out.
I’m having the same problem, have you found a solution yet?
I ended up taking it to my local police station and they corrected it for me. They can answer any questions and are very thorough. Good luck!
I have the same issue. Did you find out what they did to correct whatever it is we’re doing wrong? My friends Chicco doesn’t do this in my car and Id love to keep my Maxi Cosi but am about to take it back!
Wondering if you had any problems because the base hangs over the car seat? We tried ours and it tightens where the seat belt goes but seems unsecure where the base hangs over, so unsecure that we could actually lift it straight up. so while it as secure at the rear of the car seat it was bouncy at the front of the car seat. Please help
Hi, please read the comment above yours—they had a similar question, and my advice is to take it somewhere local where they can check it out. I know here the police department had some folks who could inspect your carseat installation. It’s not something I can help you with over the internet; plus, I just reviewed the seat when my baby was that size and she outgrew it quite a while ago. I can’t speak for the manufacturer or provide any official advice.
Hello. We have already been told we are having a “big” baby. Are the shoulder straps adjustable to allow a tall baby? Thanks!
IMO, no. That’s actually the one thing about this car seat that bothered me. As my child grew, it became increasingly difficult to put him in becuase the straps do not loosen far enough. By 6 months (and 26 inches) I had already wanted to switch to a convertible car seat because getting him in and out was a pain. I felt like I had to really bend his legs to get him in.