Review: Cybex Aton Carseat

Cybex is a German baby gear company that manufactures a sleek car seat called the Aton. I love all of the safety features and the easy to install base. Plus it’s great that there is absolutely nothing cutesy about this baby gear!

Aton carseat

Pros:

• The Aton is lightweight and easy to carry. The handle bar has 3 positions, for carrying, storing, and resting.  I love the resting mode for when we are at home because it keeps my toddler from rocking the car seat and sleeping baby too roughly.
• The car seat is deep so my baby is well protected. Everything is nicely padded, including the sides and the straps. There’s a newborn inlay for the bottom and an infant insert for the head and shoulders. I am still using the infant insert at 5 months and it keeps my daughter’s head and upper body nice and secure in her car seat. I also tuck the shoulder strap padding in a little so that the chest buckle can rest higher on my daughter.
• The base is easy to install and the car seat snaps in and out with ease. My husband likes the proprietary belt tensioning mechanism that works when installing using the latch connectors or seat belt. You simply press down and the lever clicks into place resulting in a snug and secure installation every time. It is also easy to use without a base, in case you need to take the baby in someone else’s car.
• When my daughter spit up ALL over her car seat, it was very easy to wash and clean. The seat cover is on snug but it was easy to remove and to reassemble. The seat belt is also very easy to adjust to the correct level.
• The sunshield is made of this nice black mesh fabric that blocks the sun but is breathable to let air through. The sunshield also “disappears” when not in use, making it less tempting for my toddler to play with and potentially damage.
• The Aton won awards in Germany and is a popular car seat in Europe. You’ve got to love German engineering! The only reason we are just hearing about Cybex now is that they are breaking into the US market.

Cons:

• The Aton does not fit in our Kolcraft Universal Infant Carseat Carrier (stroller similar to a Snap N’ Go or Car Seat Stroller Frame). Unless I purchase the Cybex Callisto stroller, there is no way I can keep my baby in the Aton car seat and go for a leisurely walk or on errands. I did not try the Aton on other infant car seat/ stroller adapters (like the one for the BOB) but I’m guessing the base of the Aton would be too large for any car seat adapter. When I looked into purchasing  the Callisto stroller, I found it was close to $350. I guess if you figure it’s the only stroller you need from birth on up, the cost seems more reasonable.
• The cost of purchasing a second base is pricey (about $100 for the base alone). My husband and I both drive our baby around in our cars equally so we have to factor this cost into the total cost of the car seat. If you don’t need a second base, then the price of the Aton is comparable to the other car seats out there.

If safety is a priority, I would recommend the Cybex Aton as a smart way to drive around with your infant. It’s a great car seat with an easy to use, safe base attachment that will give you peace of mind on the road. However I would highly recommend buying the Cybex Callisto stroller in addition to the car seat to make it into a travel system.