Axissfix Air Deep Dive: How and why would a car seat come with air bags?

How does the Axissfix Air work?

In connection with this month’s promotion on the Axissfix Air, we've been sent some FAQ from Maxi-Cosi on the Axissfix Air which we'd like to share with you.

But before we get into the nuts and bolts let's just take a moment to GEEK OUT about how frigging awesome Maxi-Cosi are as a company! They are literally SAVING OUR BABIES LIVES!

Did you know that Maxi-Cosi were the first to:

• Win a 5 star rating for a car seat with the Cabriofix capsule in international testing results.
• Launch the first i-size compliant baby car seat with the Pebble Plus capsule.
• Launch a rotating car seat with the Axiss (R44) and Axissfix (i-size 360).
• Develop easy out harness systems.
• And now, introduce the first car seat with an inbuilt air bag system, the Axissfix Air.

So yeah, they are basically the rock stars of the car seat world!
But that's not what you came here to see... so without further ado, here are some FAQ from our Maxi-Cosi Distributor on the Axissfix Air - the world's first seat with in-built air-bags for additional safety!

Q. Is the Axissfix Air the same as the Axissfix?

A. Yes, except for the airbags. Maxi-cosi make a full suite of rotating seats, the Axiss, the Axissfix (with isofix), the Axissfix plus (isofix and infant insert suitable from birth), and the Axissfix Air (with isofix and airbags). 

The Air is not suitable directly from birth but can be used from around 61 cm tall so approximately 4-6 months old.

Q. I have heard airbags are dangerous for little ones, is this actually safe?

A. Great question! We love parents who care about safety. However, the answer is yes the airbag in the Axissfix Air is safe for your child.

Specific tests from a US standard (FMVSS208) have been conducted to check the safety of the system. The airbag actually reduces the impact of a collision as it deploys in the direction in which the child is moving.

We’re not stopping the head (like a regular frontal airbag in cars) but we catch it very gently. Tests prove that the Maxi-Cosi Air Safety technology^® leads to reduction up to 55% of the forces acting on the neck vertebrae in the case of a collision. The cold air coming out of the airbags is harmless.

Q. Will this be safe if my child wears glasses and the airbags deploy near the face?

A. Yes it is safe. there is no higher risk if a child wears glasses or is drinking from a bottle. The air bag is soft and will not hurt your child's face.

Q. Is there any risk of suffocation in an accident?

A. There is no risk. In the case of a collision, the airbags located in the two shoulder pads of the harness of the Axissfix Air inflate within 50 milliseconds. The airbags automatically deflate just 1 second after the collision.

Q. Is it guaranteed that the airbags will deploy when they should?

A. Yes they will deploy when they should. The airbags are triggered with a minimal impact of 10 G force.  This value of 10 G force is the threshold to activate passenger airbags in cars.  This force represents an impact speed between 10 to 20 km/h.

Q. What happens in case of a side or rear impact?

A. The airbags will deploy with every kind of impact of 10 G or more, and even in a rear accident with a rearwards faced car seat, the AxissFix Air is still adding safety.

 Q. Is it possible that the airbags could inflate spontaneously?

A. No, the airbag will only inflate when the airbag trigger system gets a signal from the ISOFIX installation. If the product is installed, it will only deploy with an minimal impact of 10 G force, the threshold to activate passenger airbags in cars. Until this happens, the system is ‘asleep’.

Q. Do the airbags also inflate when there is no child in the seat?

A. Yes. The system is active once the car seat is properly installed with ISOFIX. It does not detect the presence of a child in any travelling direction.

Q. What happens if I have an accident and the airbags don’t go off?

The airbags will always deploy at an impact above 10 G force, the threshold to activate passenger airbags in cars.  Even if the airbag is not activated, the AxissFix Air is still R129 compliant, which is the highest safety standard of this moment.

Q. Does the Maxi-Cosi Air Safety technology^® function in a rearward-facing car seat?

A. Yes, the Maxi-Cosi Air Safety technology^® in a rearward-facing car seat will function in the case of a collision. In this position, the inflated airbags will provide additional protection during rear impact or during the rebound phase of the frontal impact.

Q. Are forward-facing seats without airbags safe?

We have good, better and best child car seats. All our car seats are of course safe and fully in line with EU regulations. But like all consumer products, children car seats evolve over the years and get better each year. In ten years, car seats will be even better than now.

Q. Does the AxissFix Air need any maintenance?

The AxissFix Air is designed to work for at least 10 years without any additional maintenance needed.

Q. Does the car seat need to be replaced once the airbag(s) have been deployed? Does the SWAP service apply?

A. In case you were in an accident, we (Maxi-Cosi) will replace the full product in our SWAP service, as with any other Maxi-Cosi car seat. The product that was involved in the accident will not be repaired, but recycled accordingly.

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Congratulations! If you have read this far you now know more about the latest innovations in car seat technology than 99% of parents! Chat with us via our website if there are any questions about this car seat we haven't answered for you.