Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max Review

Looks Great | Standard Safety Features | Very Comfortable | Great for Warm Climates

Although the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max meets or exceeds all standard safety requirements, the only additional safety bell/whistle it has is side impact protection. That said, this car seat looks great, is super comfortable, is great for warmer climates (moisture wicking fabric!), has a no re-thread harness, great recline, and an easy install. Our biggest reservation about this car seat is that the straps are sticky/difficult to tighten and we always prefer to see more safety features rather than fewer.

Things We Love

Great Looking: The Maxi Cosi Pria 85 Max is a modern, great-looking seat, especially in Night Black and Nomad Sand.
Newborn Compatible: The Pria 85 Max is suitable for babies five pounds and up using the included infant insert cushions.
Forward-Facing Until 85 Pounds (But Only 52 Inches): This is one of the higher forward-facing five-point harness weight limits out there, but know that most kiddos will hit the car seat’s height limit of 52 inches long before they hit that 85 pound limit.
No-Rethread Harness: The height adjustable headrest automatically positions the harness into the correct spot. The operation of this headrest is very smooth, especially compared to the Pria's less expensive siblings– the Pria 85 and the Pria 70.
Easy Install: The install is uncomplicated and straightforward.
Easy Recline: The Pria 85 Max has push-button recline.
Great for Warmer Climates: The self-wicking fabrics keep moisture (sweat!) away from baby’s skin and help promote airflow.
Washable Cover… But Beware: The Pria 85 Max cover can easily be removed and washed, but beware! The color can fade. For best results wash in cold water and hang to dry.

Things We Don't Love As Much

Difficult-to-Tighten and Loosen Harness: For whatever reason, the Pria 85 Max harness tends to be a bit sticky and difficult to tighten. Since you have to tighten your kid's harness every time they're in the seat, this could be a deal breaker. Maxi Cosi recommends pulling the straps from the back of the seat to tighten and loosen to prevent snags.
Standard Safety: The Pria 85 Max has pretty standard safety features, including Air Protect side impact protection and multi-directional energy management, but nothing fancier than that. Maxi Cosi is a brand known more for its good looks and cushy feel than its stellar safety features.
Standard Rear-Facing Weight Limit: The Pria 85 Max is designed for rear-facing until 40 pounds, which most kids hit sometime between ages three and five.
Too Wide for Three Across: If you need to fit three carseats in your backseat, Maxi Cosi convertible car seats are not for you.
Medium Weight: At 23.8 pounds, the Pria 85 Max is neither tremendously heavy nor wonderfully light. Regardless, it is not a car seat you want to be moving from car to car with any sort of frequency. Most people rarely move their convertible car seats from car to car, so weight is really not much of an issue.