The new multi-stage Silver Cross Balance car seat is made from the softest natural bamboo fabrics while being secure and safe. With its smart easy lock ISOFIX system, nine headrest and four recline positions, the long car journeys that may be a pain, have never been so comfortable for you and your child.
How did this product make your life easier?
Kate: The Silver Cross Balance is lightweight and so when you have to transfer to another car it makes life much easier. We currently move a car seat to the grandparents’ car one day a week and it was much easier with this model compared to our current one. It also makes life easier as my little girl loves to go in it so I haven’t had any of the usual car seat battles and bribery, in fact, she is most eager to get in! The safety harness is very quick and easy to do up but I would say the positioning of the tensioning control is not well thought out – it is hard to adjust as they block it with their legs and as it’s right in front of them they want to fiddle with it. I wouldn’t drive with it on my own as I wouldn’t be able to have my full attention on the road.
Anna: The fact that this Silver Cross Balance car seat lasts until your child no longer needs a car seat means that once you have purchased it, you don’t need to think about buying another. There are already enough essential items to buy when you have children, and this is one thing to cross off the list as they get older! Unfortunately, as it only goes from 9kg you would have to move onto this from a newborn seat, so it doesn’t completely exclude the usual multiple purchase issue that comes with car seats and growing children.
Susannah: It looked great and seemed very comfortable for my child. The material was of great quality and it was well padded making it very comfortable for long journeys. I was not impressed that it did not have a rear-facing option and a child would have to be forward-facing from 9 months. Also, the lever to slacken the straps was very accessible for the child making it a concern.
Would you recommend this to other mums?
Sharon: I would recommend this product to another mum because of its sleek and stylish design. It is a pleasing grey colour and is made of soft natural bamboo fabric which is breathable and therefore comfortable for my child. The fact that is used from 9 months all the way up to 12 years makes it a good long term purchase and is great value for money.
Kerry: I would recommend this product to a fellow mum friend as I feel it is a good quality product. Once it is fitted into the car it is very sturdy and has no movement. The material of this product is also fantastic, it is very comfortable which is great for Car naps but also wipes clean easily which is essential!
Alix: I’d highly recommend this to a friend or family as I found that as soon as it was all buckled in there was no sliding in the car even slightly. It was easy to put into the car. It’s very comfortable as well. It reclines with ease. It is also made out of natural bamboo fabric which is great for kids with sensitive skin! How awesome is that!
Would you choose this product to win?
Hayley: I would choose this Silver Cross Balance car seat above others as what I found was the best feature is the green indicator to tell me if the Isofix connectors are correctly fitted. I think this is a great feature to have as it puts your mind at rest assuring that everything is safe and secure. Also with just how easy it is to clip in.
Kimberley: No, the lack of the 360/spin feature for me rules this out as a primary car seat to purchase, I would use this as a spare. Wriggly toddlers, combined with the narrow car park spaces we suffer from in the UK make it difficult to get children in and out of cars without a spin. I did however particularly like the material of the seat as it felt of premium quality and was very plush.
Jane: This product should not win or even be considered for any type of award. It's far too dangerous and I feel silver cross has gone for a more eye-catching and good looking design compromising the safety of the child using it. It's disappointing and the material used to cover the seat is of good quality and looks like its easy to remove to wash.
What changes would you make to this product?
Sharon: I feel like this Silver Cross Balance car seat would benefit from having the swivel to the side when getting the child in and out just to make it easier for both child and parent. I feel the car seat is quite highly-priced considering you can purchase swivel seats on the market for a similar price. However, it is a great car seat which will last.
Kate: The accessibility of the tension button to the child is a major, major design flaw and compromises safety. If this was changed to where the lever moves the opposite way (towards the parent adjusting the straps which are more logical anyway) and is positioned further away from the child down on the front edge of the seat then this car seat would be near perfect. The rest of the specification is just spot on and it’s a real shame that this was not better thought out in the design process.
Anna: The strap release button, as detailed above. I honestly have no idea why a designer would place such an important button within easy reach of a toddler! It’s madness to think that they wouldn’t be fiddling with it all the time. It is completely unsafe, and it worries me that there are people out there using this seat, whose children have not yet discovered the button. I can only hope that when their child does discover the button, they are not on the motorway.