My two sons, aged four and seven, have spent the last fortnight having two main arguments (for the record, they have lots of arguments but these two have been the most consistent!). One of these arguments centres around creative differences on how best to utilise the Apramo Modul Max car seat cardboard box to design a ramp for their toy cars (to be fair to them, the box is a fun L-shape which does lend itself well to ramp design!). The more regular and heated argument is whose turn it is to sit in the seat itself for the next car journey.
The frequency of the latter argument is testament to my children’s love for this car seat. And what’s not to love? Voted best multi-stage high back booster by Loved By Parents, the Apramo Modul Max is suitable for children from 100cm to 150cm (roughly the 3 to12 year age bracket). Its wide-fit dimensions (the internal seat is 355mm at its widest), as well as the adjustable headrest, with twelve positions, ensure your little one has plenty of room to grow into a not-so-little one. At 484mm wide, including the support around the internal seat, it’s no wider than its counterparts in terms of the room it takes up in the back seat, so you get the best of both worlds – a seat that doesn’t take up too much room whilst accommodating your growing child.
Safety is paramount and is evident as soon as you take the car seat out of the box; despite its light weight (4 kg), it feels sturdy and therefore safe. But don’t just take my word for it; the Modul Max undergoes rigorous testing in an independent test lab, above and beyond the required standards. It is equipped with triple layer integrated side-impact protection (or TRI-Isip as it is referred to on the product’s website) which essentially means various impact-absorbing foams surround your child’s head as well as providing protection within the seat base. As the parent, I felt reassured by how little the car seat moved about during journeys.
The materials used to provide such high levels of safety also provide unrivalled comfort. Both my children have experienced their fair share of car seats, with different makes and models being provided by childminders and grandparents alike, but both are adamant that the Apramo Modul Max is the most comfortable yet, hence the aforementioned arguments! My eldest son was particularly pleased with the lack of arm rests, present in all his previous car seats. He felt their absence made it easier to get his seatbelt on and off and to reach for his all-important toys and books for the journey (“I’m so much speedier at getting my seat belt on now!”). My youngest son was equally impressed with the comfort the seat provided him if he wanted to readjust in any way (“It just fits me so well but doesn’t stop me reaching for Hulk next to me, if I need to”). It should be noted that the seatbelt still stays securely in place as, instead of an arm rest, the Modul Max has small plastic curves on either side of the seat to ensure the seatbelt does not rise up from the waist area.
Comfort and safety are also combined with excellent eco-credentials; the Apramo Modul Max is made from 100% recycled and recyclable materials, including (surprisingly) coffee waste, making it one of the most sustainable options on the market. My children are really keen on being as environmentally friendly as possible so this was a real selling point for them, especially the fact that they could tell their friends they were sitting in a car seat made partly from coffee beans! But sustainability does not come at the expense of design. It has a sleek shape and comes in four colour options: blue ocean, grey twilight, pink aurora and orange sunset, all tastefully combined with black so as not to overwhelm the eyes of a tired parent!
Ease of use is at the heart of the seat’s design; with its Avia-fix setting (Apramo’s term for iso-fix), the seat can be installed and removed in a few seconds. This makes transferring the car seat between different cars a breeze.
Purchase of the Apramo Modul Max is accompanied by Avia Care – an extended lifetime warranty. When a two-year warranty is the norm amongst other car-seat providers, this extra touch testifies to the value an Apramo car seat provides.
At £199 RRP (currently on sale at £129 for Grey & Pink and £99 for Orange and Blue), the Apramo Modul Max is tremendous value for money, considering the age range it accommodates and its lifetime guarantee. In my children’s words, “it’s really comfortable, it doesn’t stop us reaching for nearby things we need and it’s really easy for mummy to move between cars”. A winner all-round then.