The Complete Axkid Minikid 2 Review

Posted by Julie Monson on

Complete Axkid Minikid 2 Toddler Car Seat Review

Julie Monson

Julie Monson
Occupational Therapist & Car Seat Technician


The Axkid Minikid 2 is a rear facing toddler seat, approved to 25kg/125cm. It installs with seatbelt and lower tether straps. It is ideal for taller/bigger than average children, for cars without isofix and for fitting 3 across.

Axkid is a Swedish manufacturer, founded in Gothenburg in 2009. They offer products that provide maximum safety and always recommend rear-facing travel for as long as possible.

PRO'S AND CONS OF THE AXKID MINIKID 2

PROS

  • Good Safety Ratings
  • It has one of the highest height limits of 125cm for rear facing, so will last tall children the longest
  • One of the easiest extended rear facing car seats to install due to self-tightening tether-straps
  • Automatic headrest that adjusts automatically to the child’s length 
  • Narrow & compact. Can often fit 3 across
  • Can be positioned further back to give child more legroom
  • Recline wedge available to recline it further
CONS

  • It can cause head flop in cars with sloped back seats For babies over 6 months, this is not a safety concern but can be uncomfortable. This can be rectified by using the Axkid Angle Adjusting Wedge  (sold separately) 
  • Need to uninstall seat to adjust recline
  • Less legroom for child when installed compactly
  • Difficult to remove the cover
  • Can cause buckle crunch in cars with very long buckle stalks

WHAT ARE THE WEIGHT AND HEIGHT LIMITS OF THE AXKID MINIKID 2?

axkid minikid 2 review

The Axkid Minikid 2 is a rear facing only seat. It is approved from 0 to 25kg. However, it is NOT suitable for newborn babies and is only recommended from 6 months.  It has a long backrest, allowing children to rear face up to the age of approximately 6 years. It has the highest height limit of all the 25kg rear facing car seats, so will last tall children the longest.

The Minikid 2 cannot be used forward facing. It is 5 times safer for children to rear face as long as possible, anyway.

WHAT ARE THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THE AXKID MINIKID 2?

The innovative Axkid Side Impact Protection (ASIP) is developed with the most prestigious crash institute in the world – ADAC in Germany. Upon a side collision, ASIP is built to deform and absorb the crash energy before it reaches your child. 

AXKID MINIKID 2 FEATURES

The seat has a support leg which reduces the downward rotation forces in a crash. It cannot be installed on top of underfloor storage compartments. Furthermore, it has lower tether anchors which reduce rebound forces and ensure a tight installation. The tether straps are installed to the front seat and do not require anchor points.

25kg belted rear facing car seats are more complicated to install, and take time and muscle to do so. However, the unique self-tightening tether straps featured on the Minikid 2 makes the installation easier as the seat can be “wiggled” into place. Thanks to the Minikid 2 tethers, everyday handling is easy and secure and does not become loose over time, like the other 25kg rear facing tethers may do.

Axkid Minikid 2 has passed the world’s toughest rear-facing crash-test; the “Swedish Plus test” and has been awarded “Good Choice” by Folksam.

In 2020 Minikid was the only belt-attached seat to be named top 3 in the rear-facing category of Mother & Babys yearly test. Proof of how easy it is to use the Minikid is despite using belt attachment

AXKID MINIKID 2 SWEDISH PLUS TEST

WHAT ARE THE COMFORT FEATURES OF THE AXKID MINIKID 2?

The Minikid 2 can be installed to give the child more or less legroom. In more compact cars, it can be installed right up against the backrest of the backseat, giving the child less legroom but the adult in front more legroom.

Even when installed in the most compact position, children are perfectly comfortable crossing their legs or resting them against the backrest. To give the child more legroom, the Minikid 2 can be installed with the lip hanging over the vehicle seat. 

AXKID MINIKID 2 COMFORT FEATURES

The reclining leg in the front allows you to use 5 different positions for a comfortable and secure recline for your child, depending on age, length and backseat angle. If your vehicle has a sloped back seat, the Minikid 2 can be too upright and cause your child's head to fall forward while napping. For babies over 6 months, this is not a safety concern but can be uncomfortable. If more recline is needed, the  angle adjusting wedge can be purchased to recline the Minikid 2 further. The wedge does achieve better recline, but also makes the seat take up more legroom from the front seat.

The headrest and internal harness automatically adjusts’ according to the child’s length and size. This makes it easy to make sure the harness is adjusted to the correct height for your child's size.

The recline settings are adjustable but fixed; meaning that you have to uninstall the seat to adjust the recline setting. However, this only really needs to be done once a year as your child gets older.

HOW IS THE AXKID MINIKID 2 INSTALLED?

The Minikid 2 installs with the vehicle’s 3-point seatbelt.  It does not require isofix to install.

In addition, it has 2 lower tether straps which prevents the seat from rebounding in a crash. Volvo cars have lower tether anchors, but in other cars the tethers can be installed under the front runner rail or through the front seat. No additional tether anchors are required to install the tether straps. 

The Minikid 2 is a bit heavier (11.4kg) to move between cars. It is quicker to install than the other 25kg rear facing belted car seats. Additional tether straps can be purchased for a second vehicle if you need to move it between cars often.

Once it is installed properly, it is very secure. The seatbelt is routed through the front of the seat, so it does not get in the way when putting your little one in or out the car.  See the video below on how to install the Minikid:

HOW TO REMOVE AND WASH THE AXKID MINIKID 2 COVERS:

The covers are quite difficult to remove. It has Velcro sticking the cover to the car seat, elastic that attaches to hooks as well as press studs, and it also has a plastic rod with 5 pins.

It has bits and bobs that can get lost once you’ve removed the cover, so keep them safe. It requires the back of a butter knife or spoon to pop them out. You can tear the cover if you don’t do it correctly, so be sure to watch this video before you attempt to remove it.l. 

HOW LONG CAN AXKID MINKID 2 CAR SEATS BE USED FOR?

Axkid harnessed car seats have a lifespan of 8 years from the date of manufacture. The reason as to why they have set this time limit is because the plastic parts are more sensitive to differences in temperatures when installed in the car, but also because Axkid are continuously working with the development of their products.. 

WHAT IS THE WARRANTY ON THE AXKID MINIKID 2?

Axkid offer a 24 month warranty from date of purchase, on manufacturing defects.  The warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, damage due to incorrect use, neglect or accident.  Please note that spare parts and repairs are not readily available or accessible in South Africa. We have found that repairs are not carried out, and spare parts take excessively long to be brought into the country.

IS THE AXKID MINIKID 2 COMPATIBLE WITH MY CAR?

In order to install the Axkid Minikid 2, it requires a full 3-point seatbelt. It also needs the tethers to attach either under the front runner rails or through the seat bite.

A rear facing car seat must never be installed in front of an active airbag. The load leg must not be installed over an underfloor storage compartment:

Click here to check if your car is on the approved fit list: https://axkid.com/uk/vehicle-list/

Not all cars sold in SA will be found on European fitlists. Please contact us if your car is not on the approved fit list.

WHAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE AXKID MINIKID 2?

The Axkid minikid seat weighs 11.4kg and its dimensions are a height of 58cm and  a width of 45cm at the widest part and depth of 70cm in the most upright position.

Weight and DIMENSIONS of the Axkid Minikid 2

OUR VERDICT

The Axkid Minikid 2 is a high scoring, long lasting and compact car seat. It is quite narrow so can work in some cars to fit 3 across.

It is ideal for bigger than average children, especially tall children,  who are likely to outgrow other toddler seats (18kg/105cm) before they are old enough to move to a booster.

It gets good safety ratings and is easier to install that the other 25kg rear facing belted car seats. If you opt for a 25kg seat and need to move it between cars often, the Minikid is the quickest and easiest to move. My only complaint with the Minikid 2 is that the covers are very difficult to remove..

Our Products

Precious Cargo is a proud retailer of Axkid products in South Africa. Feel free to contact us for more information or to arrange a fitting. 

Axkid Minikid 2 Sale South Africa


AXKID MINIKID 2




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