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Sometimes, choosing a car seat for your baby is about more than finding a cutesy pattern or a print that showcases their favorite cartoon characters. Mostly because let’s be real – they don’t have a favorite anything at this point, and also because sometimes it’s nice to have baby accessories that are sleek, simple, and to the point.
The Cybex Aton Q Review is all about a car seat that provides the kind of safety for your infant that will make you feel more than at ease, especially if you’re a new parent who is so sure that you aren’t tightening the straps enough. Or too much. It’s always something – trust me, I get that.
The Cybex Aton Q is also super lightweight, which can be a Godsend if you’re carrying around a particularly chubby baby in the carrier car seat.
Don’t get me wrong – chubby babies are kind of the best, but lugging them around in car seat carriers can be a horror on your forearms if the carrier car seat itself is heavy. Since the Cybex Aton Q Car Seat is just nine pounds on its own, you’re not looking at too much extra weight in addition to your baby as he or she grows.
For some, car seats are just that and they prefer to leave it nestled in the car and take the baby out as opposed to carrying around the car seat, but as any parent will tell you, waking a sleeping lion, er, baby, is never a good idea. So let’s go over the Cybex Aton Q Car Seat Review to find out what can do for you and your baby.
Table of Contents
What It Says It Does
The biggest selling point for the Cybex Aton Q is that it features what they call the Aton Linear Side Impact Protection System, which uses a shell that, while flexible, absorbs impact.
In addition to this protection, the car seat also has energy-absorbing foam protection built-in which would give any parent peace of mind. It’s also big on being able to be installed in cars with or without the base, which can make for easier travel and switching the car seat between you and your partner’s cars, as needed. Dealing with installing and uninstalling a car seat base is legitimately one of the most annoying things about baby gear, so no thank you.
It is also said to come with an extra-large canopy that provides up to UV50 protection from harmful rays. Have you ever used the standard canopy attachment on a car seat? It’s basically there for decoration since it shields next to nothing on your baby.
What It Actually Does
Although the canopy is bigger than that of your average car seat, it’s still not big enough and also tends to detach easily and as a result, becomes a lot more trouble than help when trying to shield your baby from the sun. It does keep your baby snug and safe, and the lightweight claims are totally legit, but the material on the outside of the car seat tends to be subject to scuffs a lot easier than some others.
In-person, the sleek design of the Cybex Aton Q Car Seat is plenty apparent and when you’re strapped for a room in your sedan, it’s kind of the perfect car seat to be able to fit in the back seat with another one, without feeling like they’re on top of each other. It’s also easy to install and the option to use or not use a base makes it that much easier and convenient.
The Pros
It has a sleek design
The simple black color throughout the car seat makes it one that is both unisex and parent-friendly. You won’t be driven crazy with the too cheerful images of cartoon bears staring back at you, and if you’d rather not cart around a pink frilly car seat, this one makes it so you don’t have to.
It’s easy to install
If you choose not to use a base, you can use the LATCH belt system in your car or the seatbelt installation option that keeps the car seat snug and safe in your backseat. If you opt to use the base, though, that’s a whole other story.
The Shock absorption is a huge plus
Not only does it give you peace of mind as a parent, but knowing that there is extra shock absorption installed in your baby’s car seat means that if your golden retriever happens to bump into the car seat out of excitement while you’re putting away your groceries, the baby will likely be just fine.
It’s light enough to carry around
The whole nine pounds thing is something I really can’t get over, to be honest. A car seat that weighs less than your baby is hard to come by.
It’s also easy to clean
Instead of resorting to spot cleaning for fear of not being able to replace the padding of your baby’s car seat, the Cybex Aton Q’s is easily washable in the washing machine and can be dried quickly.
The price is decent for what you get
If your budget for a car seat is around $200 and you have no problem spending that much, then the Cybex Aton Q will likely give you what you expect out of a car seat, as far as protection goes. Of course, you can always check out the latest prices and discounts here!
The Cons
- The canopy is a big disappointment. The canopy, which is supposed to be larger than normal, is a lot less durable than you would expect it to be, and as that might be part of the selling point for you, it’s kind of hard to get around.
- The outside material isn’t as high of a quality as you expect. After trying to install the car seat, you’ll likely be left with several scratches and a few dings to the exterior of the car seat. And while that doesn’t necessarily alter the safety of the car seat, it kind of diminishes that new car seat joy.
- The base (should you use it) it kind of a pain. Car seat bases are a pain in general, that’s just a fact. But the base for the Cybex Aton Q Car Seat seems to be working extra hard against you as you try to install it without wanting to kick the side of your car in frustration.
- The packaging process could be a little more thorough. Some owners of the Cybex Aton Q have complained of getting their car seat in the mail without any instructions, while others have noted that their car seats arrive with the patched logo already pretty faded. Not cool.
Some Other Choices We Like
Maxi-Cosi Mico AP Infant Car Seat
Like the Cybex Aton Q Car Seat, the Maxi-Cosi Mico AP Infant Car Seat provides a special kind of impact protection. In this case, it’s the Air Protect superior side impact protection. It also has an extended canopy with a pull-out extender for extra protection from the sun.
Now, the Cybex Aton Q’s supposedly extra-large canopy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but both of the car seats claim larger canopies than normal.
The Maxi-Cosi Mico AP Infant Car Seat also has easily removable pads and fabric to wash and then reattach without much of an issue. The Cybex Aton Q also has easily washed fabric, which you’ll need for those ground-up cereal crumbs and splotches of chocolate milk that make your car smell amazing (read: terrible) on a hot summer day.
Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat
The biggest aspect that the Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat offers is its SafeCell technology that provides impact protection in the base of the car seat, the sides, and even within the steel frame throughout the car seat. Basically, if it had a middle name, safety would be it.
It’s significantly heavier than the Cybex Aton Q, but that’s probably because of its main point to provide more safety for your baby, and all of that padding and shock-proof material adds up.
Still, the safety is more than enough to put you at ease, just like the Cybex Aton Q’s claims of having the kind of impact protection technology to keep your baby safe in the event of a bumpy ride or a car crash.
Both B-Safe 35 and Elite are great options but we have given the B-Safe 35 a slight edge because it's the budget friendlier option of the two and you might end up paying more than you should for the Elite Car Seat for the equal safety, protection, and comfort levels.
The Final Say
Sometimes, just because something costs a whole lot of money, it doesn’t mean that it is necessarily worth every dollar spent. Now, the Cybex Aton Q Car Seat isn’t super expensive, at around $199, but it’s also a lot more than your average Walmart car seat that might very well do the same job for you.
It’s hard to ignore all of the little nuisances with the Cybex that add up to what could be continued problems in the long run.
Would I buy the Cybex Car Seat for my second child? Given its sleek and simple design, as well as the fact that it’s lightweight enough to carry it around without feeling like a weeble-wobble, I might be persuaded to, but it also might not be my first choice.
