Eliza has been in her baby car seat pretty much since she was born, but she is definitely ready for something bigger now. Choosing the right car seat is a real minefield. There is so much to consider – safety is obviously the top priority, but I also want something that will last as she grows, something that is easy to install, and something comfortable. The Joie Bold seems to tick all those boxes and then some.
Essentially the Bold is 3 car seats in 1. Suitable from 9-25 kg with the 5 point harness, and then up to 36kg with the seatbelt, this car seat will last you from the toddler stage right through to the age where you no longer need a car seat. I really love the fact that you can use the 5 point harness for a lot longer than you can with some child seats, as I do feel this is much more secure for most children. The seat features Guard Surround Safety panels, which offer side impact protection from head to hips, keeping little ones safe in an impact.
Installation is pretty straightforward. There is a 9 position ISOFIX connector, making it easy to slide into the car seat whatever the angle. For extra security on top of this, you fasten the seat into position using the seatbelt (there are very obvious guides for this) and a top tether. Once installed, it feels incredibly secure and there is no movement. There is a handy vehicle compatibility guide on the website to make sure the Joie Bold will fit safely in your car.
Adjustability is an important factor in a car seat, and the Joie Bold delivers here too. The headrest can be moved up and down easily – you just push in the button on the top of the headrest and slide up or down until it clicks into one of the 10 available positions. The bottom of the headrest should be level with your child’s shoulders. The seat also features 3 recline positions, which can be accessed by using the button underneath the seat. Adjusting the headrest automatically relocates the harness into the correct position, meaning you don’t need to rethread the harness straps every time your child has a growth spurt! The harness is simple to use too – you simply clip the shoulder and waist straps together with the crotch strap, then pull the adjustment strap between the legs to get the right amount of tension. There is a removable insert for smaller children, to ensure they are sitting in the optimum position for the harness, and the sides of the seat are ventilated for extra comfort on those hot days.
The Joie Bold is well padded and seems to offer a good level of comfort for Eliza. It is spacious while still being secure and holding her in a good seating position. She loves the cupholder on the side – this is something she hasn’t had before, but is really useful for longer journeys, and definitely safer than trying to retrieve a dropped bottle from the floor! It’s handy for small toys too.
As Eliza gets bigger, eventually we can remove the 5 point harness and use this seat with the seatbelt instead. The harness can be stored within the seat to keep it safe and out of the way along with the installation manual.
I am really impressed with the Joie Bold. It is incredibly versatile, offering car seat safety from 9 months – 12 years approximately. It is easy to adjust as Eliza grows, and it keeps her snug and comfortable even on longer journeys. It is compact too, not taking up much room on the back seat of our car. We can still easily fit 3 car seats in a row using the Joie Bold. The extra side impact gives me peace of mind, so I know her whole body is protected. Overall, the Joie Bold is definitely one of the best stage 1,2,3 car seats we have had, and we will continue to use this for may years to come.
I could have done with one of these car seats when I was working as a registered child minder, having a seat that can be adapted to suit different ages and sized is a brilliant idea
I love the JOIE car seat range. We have 2 already the stages and trillo. I really love the look of this seat, but I am a ERF fan (Finlay was rear facing until recently, then when we brought the trillo and Emmie will remain ERF) I don’t think this would be one I would go for as we wouldn’t use all the features, looks great though #triedtested
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This looks great and she looks so comfortable in it! #TriedTested
What a fabulous car seat, I love how long it lasts and that you can use the five point harness for longer. My daughter had a neck injury at 7 yrs and had to have a five point harness for a couple of years after that.
#triedtested
I love the look of this we are looking to upgrade soon for the twins so on the look out for reviews. #TriedTested
That looks really well padded for a super comfy ride #TriedTested
Aww Eliza looks very happy in there. Love the padding and the safety features. Great review #TriedTested
That looks like a great car seat, very snug and secure. I love the padding and safety features xx
This is a great review for us as we are going out this weekend to get Mia a new car seat! We almost panic bought the car seat she is currently in and although its been great, I wish we had of bought one that took her all thee way through until she’s aged 12! I prefer her to have a 5 harness seat as I think they are a lot safer so I love that about this seat!
#TriedTested
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Oh this looks really comfy, love the headrest. She looks like she’s very much enjoying herself in her new seat 🙂
#TriedTested
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Not a brand I had heard of. She looks very happy there
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Thank s for the review, very helpful and informative especially about the harness weight limit and adjustable headrest. My daughter is 2.5 but over 1 meter and 19kg so most 5 point harness systems are no longer safe for her yet she’s not mentally ready to go into a high back shoulder strap seatbelt seat and I wouldn’t want her to either. We’ve been told we have 2 options, this Joie bold and a britax model. I’m worried that the harness straps would not be high enough for her but since they adjust with the head height it has put my mind at rest and I think I will order one for her now. Thank you again, from a well researched mum who was running out of options!
Hello, very useful review. You mention fitting 3 of those car seats in a row. Do you mind me asking which cat? Also are all 3 on isofix? Thanks!
Author
Hi! Yes, we have 3 Isofix car seats in the back of our Peugeot 5008
Hi, May I ask you opinion / experiance please:
Planning to change my daughter`s (4.5) current car seat (Britax Evolva) as it seems not very comfortable on a long trip. Her head is keep `dropping` .
She can fall a sleep in a car easily plus we will go for a long journey soon. I come around this one and would like to know if it reclines back enough in order to have a decent nap in the car?
thanks in advance
Author
Hi. It seems to work well for us, and reclines enough for a short nap. Hope that helps!
I recently bought this car seat, and I agree with everything that has been said about it,but can the crotch buckle actually be adjusted, it just seems to be a little tight,or very close to the groin area??
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Hi, It has come to our attention that you are using our client’s photographs on your site without a valid licence. We have already posted out all supporting documents to the address of your office. Please confirm once you have received them. In the meantime, we would like to invite you to settle this dispute by making the below payment of £500. Visual Rights Group Ltd, KBC Bank London, IBAN: GB39 KRED 1654 8703, 1135 11, Account Number: 03113511, Sort Code: 16-54-87 Once you have made the payment, please email us with your payment reference number. Please note that a failure to settle at this stage will only accrue greater costs once the matter is referred to court. I thank you for your cooperation and look forward to your reply. Yours sincerely, Visual Rights Group Ltd, Company No. 11747843, Polhill Business Centre, London Road, Polhill, TN14 7AA, Registered Address: 42-44 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1JJ