Maxi-Cosi Mico & XP Max Review

Updated April 2022

Maxi-Cosi, a popular car seat brand in Europe, is well-liked in the states as well — especially in urban areas. Boiling it down, people generally buy the Mico because they want one that’s not crazy expensive, but fashion-forward (I hate that phrase – gag).

Before Nuna and UPPABaby debuted their infant seats (several years ago), the Maxi Cosi Mico (and variations of it) were very popular with parents looking for compatibility with luxury, European strollers. Nowadays…. it’s not as popular (in the US, at least).

The entry level model is the Mico 30 ($219), but I’ll be honest: it’s not one I would recommend (cheap, flimsy and a poor quality canopy). At that price-point, you’re much better off with the Chicco Keyfit (same price).

Mico XP Max

That leaves us with the higher-end option, the Mico XP Max. The Mico XP Max has the air protect “AP” side impact protection feature that Dorel offers in most of its brands (the regular Mico 30 does not). Furthermore, the XP Max has an anti-rebound feature in the form of a stability leg (the previous iteration of this seat had an anti-rebound bar built into the base). Read more about anti-rebound features.

The XP Max also has a large, extended canopy, though it does feel flimsier than most.

The Mico XP Max also has PureCosi™ fabrics that are made without added fire retardant treatment that are machine washable and dryer safe. Again, this is a trend we’re seeing across the board in many higher end car seats…. it’s a good thing. Nobody wants their baby bathing in toxic chemicals all day.

At 9.5 lbs, this seat is definitely on the heavier side of infant car seats (whereas the big selling point for the regular Mico 30 is that it is quite light). A potential downside: while this seat may seem petite, it’s actually quite long when installed in the back seat, so I don’t recommend it for compact cars.

Note also that you may have difficulty finding stroller adapters for some of the popular American strollers. For example, you won’t be able to use this car seat with a Graco stroller. If you’re sold on a European stroller, however, you’re probably in good shape.

Bottom line: The Maxi Cosi Mico and Mico XP Max infant seats are an option if you’re looking for a car seat that’s compatible with a Euro stroller. The entry level Mico 30 is not our favorite, though the Mico XP Max has nice safety features, beautiful soft goods, a large canopy and an anti-rebound “leg”. Not recommended for smaller cars.

*All of these seats have an American belt path, so maybe #not-so-Euro.