Multimac--What do you think?

zeo2ski · 09-29-2008, 10:59 AM

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http://www.multimac.co.uk/multimac.html

No SIP. There are head pillows for an option but they don't look to be too helpful and you can't use them at the same time as using the headrests, although maybe the head rests in the car would do the trick.

Maedze · 09-29-2008, 11:30 AM

Whoa, that is really interesting. They've completely forgotten about head support though. The rearfacing seat shows the baby's head sticking out the top, and the forward facing kids only have support up to their necks.

crunchierthanthou · 09-29-2008, 11:36 AM

those have come up a few times here. Are they actually available for sale in the UK now?

I guess the bottom line is that all seats have to pass the same testing. If it makes it to market, then it's likely not categorically unsafe.

I can see it being a beast to install and it has all the same downfalls of an integrated seat- namely non-adjustable harness height, little physical SIP, requiring a second seat for travel or any other vehicle, and possibly being stranded without seats in an emergency situation.

I'm glad to see they've added headrests, even if it's just an optional accessory. And one thing to remember about SIP is that it's not only about physical barriers. 5 point harnesses provide a good level of protection on their own- as does sitting next to another passenger according to one study.

it definitely wouldn't be my first choice, but I can see it filling a niche and would consider it if it were my only choice (provided it fits your vehicle, your children and your budget, yada yada yada...).

christineka · 09-29-2008, 11:41 AM

There are headrests. Just for some reason they decided they weren't photogenic and removed them for the pictures.

I think it is fairly common for car seat companies to test seats with the heads sticking out of the rfing seat. I've seen it done in other places too.

If you look at "How the Multimac works" you can see that the harnesses are adjustable. It looks like there is a hook on the harness and you hook it into the proper place for the child.

I'm really excited about this thing. My kids are small and won't be the size of 12 year olds till about age 14 or even later, so I could harness my kids extra long. It has been discussed on another thread that the 5 point harness actually provides sip, so that is probably why it tests well. They aren't just buckling the 12 year old dummies into backless boosters with a seat belt.

Someone on another board emailed about the harness limits. (They weren't on the website at that time. I believe she even got torso measurements as well.) They plan to make a Swedish rfing attachment seat once they get the multimac on its way with the UK standard rfing seat. I think it would be awesome to get one just for the big rfing seat when they get to that.

Maedze · 09-29-2008, 11:48 AM

It said 13 kils for rearfacing and 36 kilos for forward facing. Pretty weak rearfacing but a nice ff weight. Also the harness height is adjustable.

mommytojoshmadty · 09-29-2008, 12:43 PM

i live in the uk and never seen or heard about this before.
i have just filled in my details and they will contact me when available - will keep you posted if interested?

crunchierthanthou · 09-29-2008, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maedze

Also the harness height is adjustable.

oh yeah. I forgot about the weird peg system.

Jenifer · 09-29-2008, 01:28 PM

Think about it though. If you were a family with 3 or 4 kids close in age and you could put all 4 in the back of your RAV 4 or HHR?? In Europe I don't think you see everyone running around Expeditions, mini vans or other SUVs. With the cost of gas these days, I can see it filling a niche if it passes crash tests and is affordable enough.

Maedze · 09-29-2008, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenifer

Think about it though. If you were a family with 3 or 4 kids close in age and you could put all 4 in the back of your RAV 4 or HHR?? In Europe I don't think you see everyone running around Expeditions, mini vans or other SUVs. With the cost of gas these days, I can see it filling a niche if it passes crash tests and is affordable enough.

Me too. I think it's one step closer to expecting car manufacturers to make the cars rideable for everyone, not just grown up men.

UlrikeDG · 09-29-2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenifer

Think about it though. If you were a family with 3 or 4 kids close in age and you could put all 4 in the back of your RAV 4 or HHR?? In Europe I don't think you see everyone running around Expeditions, mini vans or other SUVs. With the cost of gas these days, I can see it filling a niche if it passes crash tests and is affordable enough.

I'd love to be able to put 4 kids (plus me!) in Hubby's car when the minivan goes in for an oil change or whatever. Heck, we could even do weekend trips in a sedan with 2 suitcases in the trunk if we dropped off the dogs at the kennel before loading the kids.

strollerfreak · 09-30-2008, 08:18 AM

If that thing ever comes to fruition I'm so importing one...don't care if it's illegal or not...

Kabes · 09-30-2008, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strollerfreak

If that thing ever comes to fruition I'm so importing one...don't care if it's illegal or not...

Let's stay in touch! I want one too!!

skipspin · 09-30-2008, 08:43 AM

Yep, I would love a 3 seater for the 2-seat back seat of our wrangler. We would probably just use it off-road or going to trails, but as of March we won't all fit. :-( I wouldn't care so much if it's legal. After all, in my state it's legal to let DD ride in a lapbelt in the front seat!

zeo2ski · 09-30-2008, 10:11 AM

ugh a lap belt in the front seat

makes me sad.

Yeah one lady--I think cristineka-- was saying it's already in europe or will be soon, and should be in the states by next year. Maybe she'll chime in and say the specifics or where she heard that. I think she talked to the company.

There are a few things I don't like about it, but I think it's going to bring about a whole new way of building CRs! Could be awesome.

One major problem--what happens when you have 4 kids across a three seater, and the oldest outgrows the seat?? I guess it really is just delaying getting a new vehicle. But then too when you get that new vehicle you could continue using it I guess, like in the third row.I like how they have different widths of it to fit more cars, you'd just have to be sure it fits in the new car when it's time!

Anyone see how long it lasts before expiry?

musicmaj · 09-30-2008, 10:53 AM

I can just see this thing in the back of my corolla! Ha, Ha! It is just what I need!

aja · 09-30-2008, 11:51 AM

wow, we are about to have our 3rd and 4th kids in 3 1/2 years. this would be great for our subaru. we could probably get 8 years out of it. i wonder what the prices will be like.

zeo2ski · 09-30-2008, 12:52 PM

Well the site is european, so I believe the symbol is for Euros, but not sure. Anyway it's 1000 euros-or-whatever-it-is for the seat, plus 200 for each infant seat (you can use all 4!) and it's not clear whether the head rests and pillows are included or you buy them separate. Pricey, but you have to compare it to the price of 4 separate seats too. Plus the cost of a new car in some cases, lol.

UlrikeDG · 09-30-2008, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeo2ski

Well the site is european, so I believe the symbol is for Euros, but not sure. Anyway it's 1000 euros-or-whatever-it-is for the seat, plus 200 for each infant seat (you can use all 4!)...

I don't see the pricing information on the link above? Anyway, it's a British site, so it's more likely that the pricing is in British Pounds (£). The Euro sign looks a little different (€).

christineka · 09-30-2008, 01:50 PM

Everyone who signed up on the "contact us" page got an email a few months ago. The email said the multimac would be out in the UK in September. According to the website the date was the 18th. They said they planned it to be in the US by December. According to this news article http://www.whatcar.com/news-article.aspx?NA=222478
It is supposed to cost 1,000 pounds. According to the web calculator, that works out to be $1800 US.

strollerfreak · 09-30-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christineka

Everyone who signed up on the "contact us" page got an email a few months ago. The email said the multimac would be out in the UK in September. According to the website the date was the 18th. They said they planned it to be in the US by December. According to this news article http://www.whatcar.com/news-article.aspx?NA=222478
It is supposed to cost 1,000 pounds. According to the web calculator, that works out to be $1800 US.

Except that article was written in 2006...who knows what it's actually going to cost now, 2 years and probably several iterations of prototypes later...

09-29-2008, 11:30 AM	#2
Maedze CPS Advocate Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Invisible, but right behind you Posts: 9,820	Re: Multimac--What do you think? Whoa, that is really interesting. They've completely forgotten about head support though. The rearfacing seat shows the baby's head sticking out the top, and the forward facing kids only have support up to their necks.

09-29-2008, 11:36 AM	#3
crunchierthanthou Moderator - CPS Technician Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,605	Re: Multimac--What do you think? those have come up a few times here. Are they actually available for sale in the UK now? I guess the bottom line is that all seats have to pass the same testing. If it makes it to market, then it's likely not categorically unsafe. I can see it being a beast to install and it has all the same downfalls of an integrated seat- namely non-adjustable harness height, little physical SIP, requiring a second seat for travel or any other vehicle, and possibly being stranded without seats in an emergency situation. I'm glad to see they've added headrests, even if it's just an optional accessory. And one thing to remember about SIP is that it's not only about physical barriers. 5 point harnesses provide a good level of protection on their own- as does sitting next to another passenger according to one study. it definitely wouldn't be my first choice, but I can see it filling a niche and would consider it if it were my only choice (provided it fits your vehicle, your children and your budget, yada yada yada...).

09-29-2008, 11:41 AM	#4
christineka CPS Technician Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Utah Posts: 5,823	Re: Multimac--What do you think? There are headrests. Just for some reason they decided they weren't photogenic and removed them for the pictures. I think it is fairly common for car seat companies to test seats with the heads sticking out of the rfing seat. I've seen it done in other places too. If you look at "How the Multimac works" you can see that the harnesses are adjustable. It looks like there is a hook on the harness and you hook it into the proper place for the child. I'm really excited about this thing. My kids are small and won't be the size of 12 year olds till about age 14 or even later, so I could harness my kids extra long. It has been discussed on another thread that the 5 point harness actually provides sip, so that is probably why it tests well. They aren't just buckling the 12 year old dummies into backless boosters with a seat belt. Someone on another board emailed about the harness limits. (They weren't on the website at that time. I believe she even got torso measurements as well.) They plan to make a Swedish rfing attachment seat once they get the multimac on its way with the UK standard rfing seat. I think it would be awesome to get one just for the big rfing seat when they get to that.

09-29-2008, 11:48 AM	#5
Maedze CPS Advocate Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Invisible, but right behind you Posts: 9,820	Re: Multimac--What do you think? It said 13 kils for rearfacing and 36 kilos for forward facing. Pretty weak rearfacing but a nice ff weight. Also the harness height is adjustable.

09-29-2008, 12:43 PM	#6
mommytojoshmadty Carseat Crazy Join Date: May 2008 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 191	Re: Multimac--What do you think? i live in the uk and never seen or heard about this before. i have just filled in my details and they will contact me when available - will keep you posted if interested? __________________ Joshua 16th Aug 03 - 46lbs Britax Adventure High Back Booster Madison 14th Sept 05 - 42lbs Britax Adventure High Back Booster Tyler 19th Mar 07 - 38lb Britax Adventure High Back Booster

09-29-2008, 01:28 PM	#8
Jenifer CPS Technician Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ohio - Go Bucks! Posts: 98	Re: Multimac--What do you think? Think about it though. If you were a family with 3 or 4 kids close in age and you could put all 4 in the back of your RAV 4 or HHR?? In Europe I don't think you see everyone running around Expeditions, mini vans or other SUVs. With the cost of gas these days, I can see it filling a niche if it passes crash tests and is affordable enough.

09-30-2008, 08:18 AM	#11
strollerfreak CPS Technician Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Saline, MI Posts: 537	Re: Multimac--What do you think? If that thing ever comes to fruition I'm so importing one...don't care if it's illegal or not... __________________ ~Mel, CPST & Mom of 5!!! Tri-Goddess Triathlon 6/24/2012

09-30-2008, 08:43 AM	#13
skipspin Moderator - CPS Technician Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: FL Posts: 2,091 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Multimac--What do you think? Yep, I would love a 3 seater for the 2-seat back seat of our wrangler. We would probably just use it off-road or going to trails, but as of March we won't all fit. :-( I wouldn't care so much if it's legal. After all, in my state it's legal to let DD ride in a lapbelt in the front seat! __________________ 9 yr old in a pink zebra NBB and 5-stepping 6 yr DS1 old in a Harmony 4 yr old DS2 in a Nautilus and Radian 18 mo DS3 rfing in a MyRide65

09-30-2008, 10:11 AM	#14
zeo2ski CPS Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: upstate NY Posts: 1,079	Re: Multimac--What do you think? ugh a lap belt in the front seat makes me sad. Yeah one lady--I think cristineka-- was saying it's already in europe or will be soon, and should be in the states by next year. Maybe she'll chime in and say the specifics or where she heard that. I think she talked to the company. There are a few things I don't like about it, but I think it's going to bring about a whole new way of building CRs! Could be awesome. One major problem--what happens when you have 4 kids across a three seater, and the oldest outgrows the seat?? I guess it really is just delaying getting a new vehicle. But then too when you get that new vehicle you could continue using it I guess, like in the third row.I like how they have different widths of it to fit more cars, you'd just have to be sure it fits in the new car when it's time! Anyone see how long it lasts before expiry?

09-30-2008, 10:53 AM	#15
musicmaj Carseat Crazy Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 687	Re: Multimac--What do you think? I can just see this thing in the back of my corolla! Ha, Ha! It is just what I need! __________________ Angie mama to R 4 years, 33 lbs/38 inches in a radian W 7 years,66 lbs/51 inches in a parkway M 9 years, 58 lbs/51 inches in a parkway

09-30-2008, 11:51 AM	#16
aja Carseat Crazy Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: providence village, tx Posts: 306	Re: Multimac--What do you think? wow, we are about to have our 3rd and 4th kids in 3 1/2 years. this would be great for our subaru. we could probably get 8 years out of it. i wonder what the prices will be like. __________________ Jet 6/05 48 lbs Marvel 8/06 40lbs Cash 2/09 30 lbs Fox 2/09 27 lbs

09-30-2008, 12:52 PM	#17
zeo2ski CPS Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: upstate NY Posts: 1,079	Re: Multimac--What do you think? Well the site is european, so I believe the symbol is for Euros, but not sure. Anyway it's 1000 euros-or-whatever-it-is for the seat, plus 200 for each infant seat (you can use all 4!) and it's not clear whether the head rests and pillows are included or you buy them separate. Pricey, but you have to compare it to the price of 4 separate seats too. Plus the cost of a new car in some cases, lol.

09-30-2008, 01:50 PM	#19
christineka CPS Technician Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Utah Posts: 5,823	Re: Multimac--What do you think? Everyone who signed up on the "contact us" page got an email a few months ago. The email said the multimac would be out in the UK in September. According to the website the date was the 18th. They said they planned it to be in the US by December. According to this news article http://www.whatcar.com/news-article.aspx?NA=222478 It is supposed to cost 1,000 pounds. According to the web calculator, that works out to be $1800 US.

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Multimac--What do you think?

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Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Orbit, Recaro, Safety 1st, Diono & more!