Maxi-Cosi Romi
The Maxi Cosi Romi convertible car seat can rear-face most children to at least two years old, has flame-retardant-free fabric, and is both narrow and super lightweight. For families looking for a travel-friendly car seat, a backup for the babysitter, or simply the most cost-effective option, this amazing little car seat might be the one! Find out with this thorough Maxi Cosi Romi Car Seat Review!
- You want to use a convertible seat from birth.
- You need to fit 3 across.
- You travel often.
- You have a tall child.
- You plan to use this seat forward-facing, too.
- Fabric is flame-retardant-free
- It is lightweight.
- It’s fairly compact rear-facing.
Our Review of the
Maxi-Cosi Romi
The Maxi Cosi Romi convertible car seat can rear-face most children to at least two years old, has flame-retardant-free fabric, and is both narrow and super lightweight. For families looking for a travel-friendly car seat, a backup for the babysitter, or simply the most cost-effective option, this amazing little car seat might be the one! Find out with this thorough Maxi Cosi Romi Car Seat Review!
Our recommendation: From birth until the seat is outgrown (average 2.5-3 years)
A convertible car seat that can be used rear-facing and forward-facing
From birth or after you’ve used an infant seat for a few months
Stand Out Features of this Car Seat
Fabric is flame-retardant-free
The Maxi Cosi Romi features Maxi Cosi’s PureCosi fabric, which is free of fire-retardant chemicals. Unlike many flame-retardant-free fabrics from other manufacturers, this one does not use wool. The fabric is machine washable and dryer-safe as well. For more information on car seats and flame retardants, check out this post.
It is lightweight.
The Maxi Cosi Romi weighs only 7.8 lbs, making it one of the lightest car seats in the category of convertible car seats. Yes, that’s as light as many infant car seats! Its small size makes moving this seat from place to place easy. Since it is so lightweight, it is possible to install this seat with the lower anchors for the entire time you use the seat. The lower anchors on this seat are the basic, hook-style connectors. If you find those difficult to use, you can always install the seat with the seat belt instead.
It’s fairly compact rear-facing.
While not the most compact seat on the market, its shorter shell means it does not take up much more space than many infant seats.
Seat is good for you if
You want to use a convertible seat from birth.
Although some adjustments to the harness straps are required (you can find instructions in the manual), the Maxi Cosi Romi fits newborns well. We recommend removing the adjustable head pillow, as it tends to cause chin-to-chest issues in newborns.
You need to fit 3 across.
The Maxi Cosi Romi is 17″ wide. If you need to fit 3 across in your vehicle, this is a good option to try since it’s one of the narrowest car seats out there!
You travel often.
After your child has outgrown the infant seat, this may be a great next step for you if you fly frequently. It’s lightweight at 7.8 pounds, and it’s narrow as well, so it works on any plane. The top tether is attached to the car seat shell in a way that turns it into a convenient carry strap. This makes it easy to carry around at your destination if you are using Uber or Lyft. It’s a fan favorite of our Wheels Up private Facebook group members!
You often travel via Uber/Lyft/taxi.
The Maxi Cosi Romi weighs just 7.8 pounds, so once your child outgrows an infant seat, this is one of the best options to tote around with you. You can easily attach it to a stroller handle with a bungee cord. We have also found that it works well with the Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller in the seat itself.
Use caution if
You have a tall child.
The Maxi Cosi Romi will allow most babies to rear-face until they turn two years old, which is the minimum age to turn forward-facing. However, it may not last much longer than the second birthday for bigger kids. Due to the weight limit (40 pounds), height limit (40 inches), and head height limit of 1 inch below the seat’s shell, parents of bigger littles will likely need to replace this car seat sooner rather than later. If your baby is above the 90th percentile in height or weight, this seat may not be suitable for you.
You plan to use this seat forward-facing, too.
We recommend maxing out the limits of your rear-facing car seat before switching to forward-facing. After all, rear-facing is the safest way to ride, and you can learn more about why here! Due to this car seat’s height, weight, and harness height limits, when you max it out rear-facing, you have nearly maxed out the forward-facing limits as well. When your child reaches the rear-facing limits, and they are at minimum two years old, and you plan to switch them forward-facing, purchase a forward-facing only combination (harness and high-back booster) seat.
Quirks to be aware of
Use the inside-out trick to install.
The Maxi Cosi Romi doesn’t have any fancy features to make installation easier, but that’s okay if you know this installation technique! Whether you’re installing with lower anchors or the vehicle seatbelt, pull the car seat cover up off one of the sides and tighten from inside the belt path. With the inside-out trick, this car seat can be securely installed in no time!
It’s usually outgrown forward-facing before it’s outgrown rear-facing.
The top harness height is only 13.5.” Many kids can use it longer rear-facing than forward-facing. This is because the harness should be at or below the shoulders when rear-facing but must be at or above when forward-facing.
It only has one allowed recline.
There is a line on the side of the seat that must be level with the ground. This means that it is very reclined, even for older children.
Child Fit Information
Installation Information
Airplane Use
The Maxi Cosi Romi is an FAA-approved car seat. It’s a very lightweight car seat, making it a popular travel car seat option. Because it is so lightweight, you can bungee it to your stroller, use a car seat strap, attach it to your carry-on suitcase, or use a travel cart to maneuver through the airport! It is narrow, so you may not even need to put the airplane armrests up for it to fit. For help with all things airplane travel and car seats, check out our Wheels Up Course and private Facebook group.
SITS Bottom Line
The Maxi Cosi Romi is lightweight, narrow, has flame-retardant-free fabric, and can be used from birth. It’s a great option for many people as an everyday car seat and one for frequent travelers who want an easier-to-travel-with option.
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Notable differences:
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Specifications
Maxi-Cosi
Product Information
Weight: 8lbs
Width: 17"
Highest Harness Height: 13.5"
Rear Facing Limits
Height: 19-40"
Weight: 5-40lbs
Head Height Rules: at least 1″ below the top of the car seat
Lower Anchor Connectors Weight Limit: 40 lbs
Forward-Facing Limits
Height: 29-43"
Weight: 22-40lbs
Head Height Rules: ears must be below the top of the headrest
Lower Anchor Connectors Weight Limit: 40lbs
No Back Booster Limits
Highest Belt Guide Settings
High Back Booster Limits
Other Important Details
Newborn Fit
fits from birth
Expiration Limit
8 years
Crash Replacement Policy
replace after a a moderate or severe crash
Harness
rethread
Lock-off
no
Vehicle Seat Protectors
This brand allows the Maxi-Cosi Vehicle Seat Protector or a thin towel