Several years ago, I saw a video for a start-up company for a product they dubbed as “the most advanced, compact and portable booster seats – EVER”. At the time both my girls were still in booster seats so this definitely peeked my interest. To have a grab-in-go booster that fits inside my purse or the kid’s backpacks sounded awesome! But, I couldn’t buy one yet since they were still in development…so I clicked off and moved on to something I could buy – that day. For the next few years, the RideSafer Travel Safety Vest became our go-to for portable booster seats.
Fast forward to 2017. The product – mifold – has officially launched and is ready to use. When I was asked to review the product earlier this summer my interest was peeked yet again.
While Princess One is now out of a booster seat, Princess Two isn’t and has a VERY difficult time using the Travel Safety Vest. Her little fingers are just not strong or nimble enough to get the seat belts into and out of the small, metal attachments; this was never an issue for Princess One. Every child is different but for Princess Two this “difference” has meant transporting the HUGE booster seat to and from school, birthday parties and other events when we’re carpooling. We’ve still relied on the vest when traveling since I’m there to manage the process.
When I showed Princess Two the mifold even she was excited to test it out. Not only was it tiny – 10x smaller than a regular booster seat – but her little fingers could easily slip and snap the seat belt into place. She’s now retired our Travel Safety Vest and is loving the mifold. (See the video below and she’ll show you just how easy it is!)
How the mifold Works
The mifold is completely different than other car seats, especially in the routing of the seat belt and size of the seat. Unlike other booster seats that lift the child to position the seat belt around their lap and their chest, the mifold adapts the belt to fit the child. The lap belt is designed to be low on the hips and contacting the top of the thighs, which has been shown to be a very safe and effective positioning. It’s so simple, kids can do it themselves. See for yourself…
The mifold is fully tested around the world and meets or exceeds the United States NHTSA standard FMVSS 213, the Canadian RSSR CMVSS 213 and the European standard ECE R44.04.
The Bottom-line
Somethings are worth waiting for, including the launch of the mifold. I’m so happy the mifold has launched and is available! It’s perfect for traveling, carpooling and everyday use. My kids can EASILY do it without any help and can simply keep it in their backpacks for those last-minute playdates/carpools. And, for Princess Two, who’s eight now and thinks booster seats are for babies, it’s the perfect thing to stash for her use. For me, it’s tiny size makes it easy to toss in my purse when we’re traveling and cabbing or Ubering our way around town.
The Princess Rating: TWO THUMBS UP
Elaine Schoch is an award-winning travel writer, wine judge, American Wine Specialist and certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET II). At Carpe Travel she shares wine travel destination guides for ALL WINE LOVERS – from novices to experienced pros – to help them plan their wine adventures, arming them with insider tips, must-visit spots, and things to see and do beyond the vines.