Chicco Nextfit Zip Max Review

The C hicco Nextfit Zip car seat is a parent’s and a child’s dream car seat.

With all that extra legroom, how could he not be smiling?! 🙂

Measurements

Lowest harness position: 6.5 inches with insert
Highest harness position: 17 inches
Crotch buckle positions: 5 inches, 7 inches
Shell height: 26 inches with headrest fully extended
Width at widest point: 19 inches at the child’s shoulders
Seat weight: 26.6 pounds
Front to back footprint: 31 inches – most reclined without headrest extended
This measurement was taken on a flat surface. The actual front to back footprint will vary depending on the vehicle.

The Chicco NextFit Zip Max has the same easy remove cover that other Chicco Zip series car seats have – they zip right off without needing to uninstall the seat. This feature can be especially helpful for families who have potty training children or children prone to motion sickness – anyone who requires frequent washing may find that zipper pretty handy! In addition to the zip off feature, this cover also has a breathable “3D AirMesh” panel along the backrest that helps with airflow and keeps children cooler while they’re riding in the seat.

The Chicco Nextfit Zip Max includes two detachable cupholders – Chicco cleverly calls these “cupfolders.” The cupfolders can be used on either side of the seat. The outer half of the cupholder is flexible and able to fold in on itself. At the time of this review’s writing, the cupfolders were very stiff and did not stay folded very well. Perhaps over time they will lose some of that stiffness and remain folded rather than popping back open.

Since this seat has a new 4 pound weight minimum, it isn’t surprising that it has redesigned padding to help fit even the smallest, squishiest babies. All of the padding accessories – including the harness covers, crotch buckle pad, and waist belt pads – are optional. The newborn positioning insert and head insert are both limited to use only when the child weighs between 4 and 11 pounds. The crotch buckle pad must be removed while the body insert is used.

The chest clip on the NextFit Zip Max goes back to the two position chest clip that we saw on the original NextFit. This type of chest clip has a smaller and a larger setting that will position the harness straps a little closer together or a little farther apart, respectively. This can be helpful when using the seat with a small baby to prevent the harness straps from sliding off of the baby’s shoulders. As the child grows, moving to the outer position could help with comfort by preventing the harness straps from rubbing on the child’s neck.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the chest clip to figure out which setting works best – there are no requirements about when each setting mu
The Chicco NextFit Zip Max combines many of the ease of use features from the other NextFit models with some new features to create another well rounded seat in their lineup. Perhaps the most appealing feature of this seat is the new rear facing weight range with a lowered 4 pound minimum weight and an increased 50 pound maximum weight. While we found that the preemie fit could be inconsistent, we are glad to see the wider weight range to provide a safe option for children who fall on the lower or higher ends of the growth charts.

Overall, i can truly say we love this carseat and think it’s worth every penny!

Thanks for stopping by!