Buying a car seat is a minefield. I know I have had the experience five times and it never gets any easier. Every year there’s new advice, new features, and new laws.
From side impact to i-size, and rear-facing until 4 years old. Choosing the car seat that is going to potentially save your child’s life if they are ever involved in a car accident is a huge responsibility and can be extremely stressful.
Even if you manage to at least narrow it down to a certain brand your worries are still not over as every brand has a huge variety of seats, that are all different and have different key features.
To try and make this process a little less painful we have put together a comparison of two of Maxi Cosi’s seats the Pria 70 vs Pria 85.
| Title | Price | Prime | Buy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2015 Maxi-Cosi Pria 70 Convertible Car Seat, Grey Leather | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 Max Convertible Car Seat, One Size | PrimeEligible | Buy Now |
In this article
Main Differences Between Maxi Cosi Pria 70 vs Cosi Pria 85
Although these seats may seem like they’re very similar actually almost identical on the surface, there are a few key differences that you need to be aware of before you make a choice.
- The Pria 70 has a weight limit of 70 pounds whereas the Pria 85 has a maximum weight of 85 pounds. This increased maximum weight allows children to remain in a car seat with a five-point harness for an extended period of time.
- The Pria 70 is 2 inches wider than the Pria 85. This may not seem like much but those 2 inches could make the difference between your child being comfortable in their car seat for another 6 months and not being able to use it any longer.
- Then there is the price tag – personally, I don’t think that the Pria 70 is expensive as car seats go (I know not everyone feels this way) but the Pria 85 is more expensive than the Pria 70. So for many parents, this may be the deciding factor between these two seats.
There are no huge differences between these car seats and that is going to make the choice a little more difficult.
Both these seats are designed and produced by one of the biggest car seat brands in the world and both reach or even exceed the industry safety standards.
Both seats offer many of the same features but they do stand alone as two separate car seats. Here are our reviews of each car seat to ensure you have all the information that you need.
Maxi Cosa Pria 70
The Maxi Cosi Pria 70 has one of the highest weight limits of a forward-facing 5 point harness car seats with a maximum weight of 70 pounds.
Although this is brilliant, it only has a maximum height limit of 52 inches. And the vast majority of children will reach that height limit before they get anywhere near the weight limit.
It has safety features such as air protect side impact protection that provides the protection at your child’s head where they need it most. It also has a system for multi-directional energy management.
For convenience, this seat comes with one-hand harness adjustment, there’s no need to re-thread harnesses as they’re automatically adjusted by the height-adjustable headrest and it comes with one push-button recline.
The Pria 70 is available in a range of colors and all covers are easily removed for easy machine washing.
The only thing that you need to note is that the colors can fade from the washing process. For best results wash in cold water and hang to dry.
Main Features and Issues
Weight Range
This car seat has one of the higher forward-facing five-point harness weight limits. But be aware that most children will hit the maximum height of 52 inches way before they hit that 70-pound limit.
The Pria 70 is suitable for babies from 9-40 pounds rear-facing and from 22-70 pounds forward-facing.
Safety Features
The Pria 70 comes with some very standard safety features including Air protect side impact protection, a flex tech system for multi-directional energy management, and one-hand harness adjustment but nothing more groundbreaking.
Material and Quality
The seat is available in a variety of colors and looks really nice in all the colors available. It looks modern and stylish too.
Issues
From the adjustable headrest to the recline, it all sticks and makes it very difficult to adjust. The seat feels generally poorly made compared to the Pria 85.
Pros of the Pria 70
- Available in a variety of colors
- Newborn compatible from 5 pounds with the Tiny fit system
- Forward-facing up to 70 pounds
- No-rethread harness
- Super easy to install
- Nice and easy to recline
- Washable cover – be aware that the color may fade.
Cons of the Pria 70
- Quite difficult to loosen and tighten the harness.
- Standard safety features nothing fancier
- The car seat is too wide for 3 car seats to fit in most rear seats.
- It is average weight for a car seat, weighing in at 23.8 pounds
Maxi Cosa Pria 85
The Pria 85 is very similar to the Pria 70 and does not come with many more features that would warrant the extra price tag.
It’s suitable for newborns using the newborn insert and has a maximum weight of 85 pounds forward-facing but it does not have an increased maximum height which is still only 52 inches.
Again, most children will exceed the height limit long before reaching that 85-pound weight limit. The seat comes with the sir protect advanced cushioning system to help protect your little one’s head.
The seat is available in a variety of colors and comes with a self-wicking material making it the perfect choice for warmer climates.
For ease of use, it comes with a no-rethread harness that’s automatically adjusted when you move the height-adjustable headrest. It’s easy to install and has handy harness holders to keep them out of the way when loading and unloading your little one.
The Pria 85 comes with a lovely recline that is operated with a one-push button. The seat cover can be easily removed for washing but be aware that the color can fade. The best option is to wash in cold water and hang to dry.
Main Features and Issues
Safety Features
The Pria 85 meets or exceeds all safety standards. There’s only one additional safety feature and that is the addition of side impact protection.
It also comes with wings on either side of the headrest that is designed to prevent your child’s head from slumping over on long car journeys, this also adds to the comfort of the seat for your little one.
Weight Range
The Pria 85 is suitable from birth with a minimum weight of 5 pounds using the infant insert cushion.
It has a maximum weight of 85 pounds forward-facing which is brilliant as it means most children can remain in a car seat with 5 point harness for longer.
Unfortunately, the maximum height is only 52 inches which may limit how long it can actually be used.
Material and Quality
The car seat is really nice looking and comes in a variety of colors. It also uses moisture-wicking material making it great for warmer climates.
It comes with a no re-thread harness, so no more removing straps and re-threading when your child grows an inch in height. The Pria 85 is super easy to install and has a great recline that is easy to use.
Issues
There is one issue with this car seat and that is that it is very difficult to adjust the straps and to be honest I would prefer to see more safety features above and beyond the standard requirements.
Pros of the Pria 85
- A very modern looking seat and looks especially good in Night Black.
- Newborn compatible from 5 pounds using the infant insert cushion.
- Forward-facing until 85 pounds
- No-rethread harness required
- Super easy to install.
- Great for warmer climates with its self-wicking material.
- Fully washable cover but be aware that the color may fade.
Cons of the Pria 85
- Quite difficult to tighten and loosen the harness
- Basic standard safety features – nothing groundbreaking.
- Standard rear-facing weight limit of 40 pounds, which most children will hit between 3 and 5 years old.
- Although 2 inches smaller than the Pria 70, you will struggle to fit 3 seats in most rear seats.
- It is an average weight for a car seat of this standard, weighing 23.8 pounds.
The Winner Is…
Both these car seats are quite evenly matched with the biggest difference being that Pria 85 has a higher weight limit.
Although personally, I don’t think this makes a huge difference as most children will reach the height limit of 52 inches well before they reach either weight limit of the Pria 70 or Pria 85.
But if I had to pick one, I would go with the Pria 85 as it is the slightly stronger option. It comes with the self-wicking material as standard which is great for warmer climates.
If you decide to go with either of these car seats, they will certainly get the job done. Could they use some more advanced safety features? Of course, you can never have too many safety features.
But that said they do both either meet or exceed the industry safety standards.
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FAQs About Maxi Cosi Car Seats
Why do car seats have to be rear-facing?
Parents have been advised to keep their children rear-facing for as long as possible due to the fact that children, especially young babies are at an increased risk of injuries.
That’s because if they were involved in a car crash, their ligaments and bones are still not fully developed.
What is the age limit on a Maxi Cosi car seat?
Car seats aren’t bound by age limits but by height and weight limits. For example, you’ll never get two 4-year-olds who are exactly the same weight and height.
The best advice would be to check the height and weight limits of your car seat to ensure that your little one is within those limits.
Does the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 have a steel frame?
The Maxi Cosi Pria 85 does not have a steel frame like many other brands do.
How many years is a Maxi Cosi car seat good for?
The specific expiration date of a car seat varies from seat to seat. The lifespan of a car seat depends on a variety of different things. The expiration date is easy to find either on the car seat itself or in the manual.
Maxi Cosi expiration dates range from 8 to 12 years depending on the product. The Pria 85 has a lifespan of 10 years.
The Final Thought
Choosing a car seat is never easy and you will almost always feel that you have made the wrong choice. To be honest, no parent ever gets it right and many issues with car seats are not discovered until you are actually using them daily.
If you have mom friends who use car seats chat with them and see what they have to say as they will be able to offer you a real day-to-day insight into the car seats they use and any issues that they have come up against.
