The Complete Cybex Sirona S2 Review
Posted by Julie Monson on
Julie Monson
Occupational Therapist & Car Seat Technician
The Cybex Sirona S2 is approved from 61cm to 18kg/105cm. It can be used from birth with the addition of the newborn inlay (sold separately). It rotates 360 degrees, making it easier to put your child in and out the car. It is fairly compact, without compromising on legroom for your child. It is quick and easy to install but heavy to transfer between cars. Read more for an in-depth review of this popular toddler car seat.
PROS AND CONS OF THE CYBEX SIRONA S2
PROS
- 360 degree swivel making it easier to put your child in and out
- Ideal for parents/carers with back/joint problems
- Most affordable toddler car seat from our range
- Easy and fast installation with isofix
- Multiple recline positions in rear and forward facing
- Compact for smaller cars
- It allows more legroom for your child as they get older and use the more upright recline settings
CONS
- Food, toys & dirt can easily fall into the base and prevent it from locking. This can only be repaired by the supplier in Johannesburg.
- Heavier seat to transfer between cars, as it does not come off the base
- It is not easy to reach the rotating lever in 2-door cars
WHAT ARE THE WEIGHT AND HEIGHT LIMITS OF THE CYBEX SIRONA S2?
The Sirona S2 is an iSize approved car seat from 61cm to 105cm/18kg in rear facing or 76-105cm in forward facing. This usually lasts average-sized children from 3 months until they are approximately 4 years old. It is worth mentioning, that we have found the Sirona S2 to only fit babies well from 6 months upwards, as it does not always recline sufficiently for babies who are not yet able to sit unsupported, and the harness does not always reach low enough to their shoulders.
Sirona S2 can be used from birth with the addition of the newborn inlay from 45 to 60cm (sold separately). The Sirona S2 cannot be clipped onto a pram to make a travel system, if you plan to use it from birth.
It is safest for children to rear face as long as possible, and the Sirona S2 does allow extended rear facing..
WHAT ARE THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THE CYBEX SIRONA S2?
The Cybex Sirona S2 i-Size has an integrated isofix base, meaning that it is attached to its base and cannot be separated from it. The base has visual indicators that turn from red to green, to ensure correct installation. It meets the severe UN R129 (iSize) side impact criteria.
The integrated L.S.P. (Linear Side Protection) System increases safety in the event of a side-impact collision. In combination with the energy-absorbing shell, it can reduce the force of a side impact.
Energy Reduction Technology improves safety performance during front-facing travel. Impact forces are transmitted directly into the car seat via the harness system, where they are partially dissipated by energy-absorbing materials. This reduces the forces acting on the child’s sensitive neck by approximately 20%.
**Please note that Sirona S2 itself has not been tested by ADAC. However, the Sirona SX2 has been and scores well for safety (see ADAC results here). The Sirona SX2 and SIrona S2 have the same ECE certificate number, in other words, they have the same shell.
The Sirona S2 is compatible with Sensorsafe clip (sold separately) which attaches to the harness system and links to your smartphone via bluetooth, keeping you informed of the safety and health of your seated child at all times. It makes it harder for children to escape out of their harness as well.
SensorSafe provides essential alerts to help prevent critical situations: when your child unbuckles the clip, when your child is getting too hot or too cold, if your little one is left unattended in the car, and if your child has been seated for too long.
All alerts are received via Bluetooth on your smartphone through a user friendly app that also provides guidance on installation, how-to videos, FAQs and more.
WHAT ARE THE COMFORT FEATURES OF THE CYBEX SIRONA S2?
The Sirona S2 has 5 recline settings for rear facing, which offer maximum comfort for naps and prevents your baby’s head falling forward. This is particularly helpful in cars with steep vehicle benches.
As your child gets older, the seat should be used in more upright recline settings. This also gives older children more legroom in rear facing as they grow. There are 3 recline settings that can be used in forward facing.
There are 12 height adjustments of the integrated headrest and 5-point harness, to allow you to raise them up as your child gets taller.
The Sirona S2 has hooks on the sides of the seat in order to keep the harness out the way while putting your child in. This is very helpful in preventing your toddler from leaning back on the harness while you are trying to strap them in.
HOW IS THE CYBEX SIRONA S2 INSTALLED?
The Sirona S2 is quick and easy to install, using isofix. It installs quite compactly for a rear facing toddler car seat, taking up approximately 72cm of cabin space. It cannot be installed in cars without isofix brackets. The loadleg should not be positioned over an underflooor storage compartment as it can break through it in the event of a collision.
The Sirona S2 does not come off the isofix base, making it heavy to move between cars as it weighs 15kg.
HOW TO INSTALL THE CYBEX SIRONA S2 REAR FACING?
Attach the isofix connectors and check that the indicators turn green. The base should then be pushed as close to the vehicle backrest as possible for a secure installation.
The support leg should then be adjusted to the correct height in the footwell of the car, with the base of the Sirona S2 sitting level on the vehicle backseat, until the indicator turns green. You can then adjust the seat to one of the recline positions. The seat should be more reclined for younger babies.
HOW TO INSTALL THE CYBEX SIRONA S2 IN FORWARD FACING?
The Sirona S2 is very easy to switch from rear facing to forward facing. Simply squeeze the lever and swivel the seat around. The seat can then be reclined to one of the 3 forward facing recline positions. It is mandatory to use rearward-facing up to an age of 15 months and a size of 75 cm.
HOW TO REMOVE AND WASH THE CYBEX SIRONA S2 COVERS?
The covers can be removed and are machine washable.
There are six components fixed to the seat shell by hook and loop fastener, elastic piping, snap buttons and brackets. Once you have released all the fastenings, you can remove the individual components for washing. The manual is quite clear and provides step-by-step instructions on how to remove the cover. It is a little more tricky to put it back on. It is a good idea to take photos of each step as you remove the covers, so you can reverse the process when you put them back on.
The cover should be washed at 30° C in a delicate wash cycle. Washing at higher temperatures than 30° C or by hand may result in colour bleeding. Wash separately from other items and never tumble dry. Never dry in strong sunlight.
An optional summer cover is available, which not only keeps your child cool and protects the fabric, but it makes cleaning the car seat much easier.
HOW LONG CAN THE CYBEX SIRONA S2 BE USED FOR?
Cybex recommends that the Cybex Sirona S2 must not be used for longer than 8 years provided it has not been in a crash. Due to ageing, the quality of the material may change as the seat ages.
WHAT IS THE WARRANTY ON THE CYBEX SIRONA S2?
The warranty is 3 years on the seat excluding textiles. The Cybex importer in South Africa carries the tools and can import spare parts if needed, to carry out any repairs.
IS THE CYBEX SIRONA S2 COMPATIBLE WITH MY CAR?
In order to install the Sirona S2, the car requires isofix and no underfloor storage compartments. A rear facing car seat must never be installed in front of an active airbag. Click here to check if your car is on the approved fit list. Please contact us if your car is not listed here:
WHAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE CYBEX SIRONA S2?
The Cybex Sirona S2 including the base weighs 15kg. Its dimensions are
H63.5cm x W43cm x L70cm.
OUR VERDICT
The Cybex Sirona S2 is a lovely, comfortable seat for toddlers and a convenient seat for parents, with the 360 degree swivel. It is easy to use and install, but heavy to transfer between cars.
Although it has not been independently crash tested by ADAC, it has the same shell and ECE certification number as the Sirona SX2, which has been tested by ADAC and scores well for safety. Cybex do their own research, development and in-house crash testing and are a reputable European car seat brand.
It is the most affordable rotating toddler car seat from our range, and is fast becoming one of our most popular toddler car seats!
Our Products
Precious Cargo is a proud retailer of Cybex products in South Africa. Feel free to contact us for more information or to arrange a fitting.
CYBEX INFANT INLAY
Hi Linda. DO you have an American Sirona S or European version? The European version has Driver Direction Control (DDC). Please refer to your manual on how to switch the DDC off, to allow the seat to forward face. But rear facing is 500% safer than forward facing ;-)
Once I changed my sirona s to forward facing I can’t get it to move at all. No recline no swivel. The advertisement info claims it’s 360 swivel front and back. Does it swivel to side facing after changing to forward position. I purchased this expensive seat just for that because I have a 45 lb disabled child. Any help us appreciated as I can’t be response from company