Is the Axkid Minikid 2 still a safe car seat?

 

“As the Minikid 2 is only tested to R44 standards, is it still considered a safe option and will be for years to come? I’d like to get an Axkid seat but I’m concerned the R44 standard will become outdated and less safe than the R129 in a few years.”

Someone asked me this question recently and I would like to explain the answer in a bit more detail.

R129 has now replaced R44 in Europe, R44 was the older standard. This regulation allowed forward facing from 9kg, and didn't include compulsory side impact testing. R129 seats cannot face forward before 15 months and 76cm, and have to pass a side impact test. But that doesn't mean that the Minikid 2 is no longer safe or that R129 seats are safer than the Minikid 2, because the Minikid 2 despite being an R44 seat, already exceeded R129's criteria.

Some of R129’s criteria are irrelevant to the safety of the seat:

* R44 seats had set weight groups, R129 seats are height based.
* R44 seats had blue belt guides and clips, in R129 seats these are green.
* R44 seats had no maximum width, R129 seats can’t be wider than 44cm.

And then there are three others:

* R129 seats must rear face until at least 15 months
** The Minikid rear faces to 25kg, which is about six years.
* R129 has compulsory side impact testing
** The Minikid 2 comes with an ASIP block and has passed side impact testing.
* R129 uses more advanced Q-dummies, R44's P-dummies had fewer sensors
** Neither of these regulations have neck-force limits, which is why they allow such low minimums for forward facing (9kg for R44, 15 months and 76cm for R129). The Minikid 2 has passed the Swedish Plus Test, the only test that does take neck-forces into account. The Plus Test now uses Q-dummies, but even before 2023 when the P-dummies were used, these were fitted with additional neck sensors which the basic R44 tests didn't require and R129 tests still don't.

So although R129 is an improvement on safety in some aspects, it doesn’t go far enough. The Minikid 2 does.
So the answer to the question, will the Minikid 2 be outdated and less safe in years to come? Definitely not. When you buy this seat you can rest assured that your little one will be travelling in one of the safest car seats ever made.

R44 is now no longer available to buy in Europe, but because of Brexit it can still be sold in the UK.

Click here for more information on the different regulations and the Swedish Plus Test.