Watch my video below for a full demo, notes about the differences between their Original and Comfort designs, and some safety notes. Then read on for more details, and enter to WIN one in my $1,000 value jackpot Spring into Summer Giveaway (ending April 7, 2021) at the bottom of this post!!
- ORIGINAL: has grippies on the seat, and the shoulder belt path snaps open and shut over the seat belt. Because it folds tighter, it stores a bit more compactly when stacking several of them together.
- COMFORT: newer design with a few upgrades - thicker padding for child i.e. more comfy, but doesn't fold quite as compact. Doesn't have grippies on the seat but has a few on the underneath to help it grip the seat of the car better. Also has a VERY HELPFUL visual guide on the shoulder strap for how to properly install it, which is great if you're not using it often and need a reminder, or if sending it with child to school where someone else may need to install it. The shoulder belt path does not open and shut, you simply slide the belt in there, just like you do with the lap belt guides.
- BOTH: are extremely compact and lightweight, have the same requirements for age (min 4 years old), height (40 - 59") and weight (40 - 100 pounds), and have adjustable width for the lap belt path and height for the should strap path.
While we love mifold for being so compact, lightweight, portable, and budget-friendly there are a few safety points you need to keep in mind:
- Be sure to check with car manual or directly with manufacturer, as every car has specific guidelines about whether or not you can install 3 car seats in a row, have 3 passengers of any sort in a row, if the middle seat may have issues with being on a hump or being too narrow - this goes for regular car seats, traditional boosters, and mifold. Car Seats for The Littles is a great resource, as well.
- As per mifold's CEO, the lap belt should lay across the upper part of your child's thighs right at or below hip bones. Across the tummy is too high, across mid thigh is too low. The red clip of the shoulder strap should be about 1 inch above your child's shoulder, so the strap hits them between the neck and shoulder.
- In any backless booster seat, including mifold, your child must be able to sit still and stay in proper positioning, which is hard for the younger crew especially. If they slouch, wiggle, scoot forward or to the sides, lean, take off the shoulder strap etc, it can become dangerous. As mentioned in the video, my son didn't do well in the mifold when he was younger, but now at 8 he's fine. One of our 5 year old twins didn't do well staying in position so I'm not comfortable with her using the mifold yet, but her sister did great. It's very individual - so make sure your children understand the importance of sitting properly, and then monitor to make sure they stay in position.
- Triple check the installation guides regarding how to install the mifold on flat vs. contoured seats, how wide to adjust the lap belt guides, and exactly where the shoulder belt and lap belt should fall on your child.
Enter to win here!!