A car seat is the one piece of baby and child equipment where style should come second to safety. The new Thule Elm toddler seat certainly looks the part, but do its safety credentials justify the premium price?
What’s Hot:
+ Excellent ADAC safety rating
+ Easy to install and adjust
+ 360-degree swivel makes getting children in and out easier
What’s Not:
– Seat and base are bulky and heavy
– Not ideal for small cars – needs 75cm+ of space when rear-facing and reclined
– Premium price
Thule Elm Toddler seat: What is it?
The Thule Elm is a premium 360-degree rotating car seat that accommodates children from 6 months to 4 years of age (67-105 cm in height). With a three-step recline and well-padded cushioning, your Mini Joe or Jane will be comfortable and relaxed during every journey.
Designed and engineered in Sweden, Elm features the Thule Impact Protection System, which provides protection in the event of front, side and rear collisions. This all-round protective shell, coupled with a 5-point harness and energy-absorbing headrest, led to the seat achieving an overall score of 2.2, with good or very good results in every category in ADAC
testing, which is one of Europe’s most widely respected child seat tests.
Is it easy to fit and adjust?
The Thule Elm toddler seat fits into the Alfi base unit, which is sold separately. It’s the same base unit that secures the Thule Maple infant car seat, so if you’re just sizing up within the Thule ecosystem, you’ll already have one installed.
If not, you will need to purchase one, which does bump the price up, but installation is fairly intuitive. Pressing the two yellow buttons on the base extends the ISOFIX connectors, which click into place and are tightened with the handle on the base unit. The Thule SenseAffirm System lets you know if the seat base isn’t correctly attached — green lights show when everything is in place — and an alarm sounds if the stabilising leg isn’t unfolded and extended as it should be, making installation errors harder to make.
Once the base is installed, the seat drops easily into position, and once again, the SenseAffirm System gives the green light when it is securely in place.
One slight downside to the Thule Elm toddler seat is that it’s pretty heavy, so if you have to move it regularly between cars, it can be a bit arduous. In all fairness, it probably isn’t any heavier than other similarly designed seats, but if you need to swap it around regularly, consider getting a second Alfi base, so the only part you’re having to move is the seat unit, which in itself weighs 7.7kg. It’s a bigger investment, but it may still work out cheaper than having a seat in each car.
Once everything is installed, adjusting things to fit your child perfectly takes very little time and effort.
The 360-degree swivel base works by pressing (very firmly) the grey button towards the front of the base unit and twisting the seat around. There are pros and cons to how stiff the button is to press: the very firm press required means that it won’t be accidentally pressed, releasing the seat unit, but it does mean that you need both hands to operate the swivel base, which can be difficult if you’re holding a squirming or sleeping child.
To recline the seat, you squeeze a handle just under the front of the seat. The 3-level recline works whether the seat is rear- or front-facing, giving plenty of flexibility.
As they grow, you can easily adjust the headrest by pulling the tab up to the required height. As it moves up, the strap height adjusts automatically, ensuring the shoulder straps are always at the correct height.
Once the child is strapped into place and the buckle fastened, the straps are adjusted by pulling the single tail that you’ll find at the bottom edge of the seat. Pulling the tail tightens both the left and right straps at the same rate, so the child is evenly secured.
One minor downside is that you need to remember to loosen the straps as you take the child out of the seat. If you do forget this step and your toddler is in an anti-car-seat mood the next time you go out, trying to get flailing arms into the tightened straps can be a bit of a battle.
Thule Elm Toddler seat: Choose between front- and rear-facing
The 360-degree swivel feature lets you choose between front- and rear-facing. Unlike some rear-facing seats, Elm doesn’t slide backwards to accommodate growing legs for longer, but the seat is fairly roomy, so keeping your toddler safely rear-facing for as long as possible should remain comfortable for them.
As they grow, the machine-washable comfort liner can be removed, allowing them to slide a little further into the seat, making more space for longer legs.
Once you decide that rear-facing is no longer your preference, simply swivel the seat the other way and lock it into position.
What other features are there?
A nice, well-thought-out feature of the Thule Elm toddler seat is the magnetic strap holders, designed to make getting your child into the seat just a little easier.
For the most convenient use, you do need to release the straps as you take the child out. Having done that, you can flip the buckles to the side, and they are caught by the embedded magnets. The magnets are strong enough to hold the straps out of the way, so you can lift the child in or out without getting tangled in straps or having to fish them out from under them.
Initially, I thought that having single straps might make use a little problematic, but after experiencing them firsthand with the magnetic points, I found that they do work well.
Thule Elm Toddler seat: The verdict
Car seats are among the biggest investments we make in children’s equipment and safety, so you need to feel confident you’re making the right choice.
The Thule Elm toddler seat is well-constructed, using high-quality materials that are befitting its premium price tag. But as well as looking good, the Thule Elm feels robust and secure, with the right tools in place to keep your little one safe and protected.
But with the high levels of comfort and protection come a little bulk and weight. The base and seat together weigh in at a fraction over 15kg, but if you have a small car, it’s the physical size that could be more restrictive. When rear-facing and reclined, you’ll need a gap of at least 75 cm from the back of the rear seat to fit Elm in comfortably, so be sure to get your tape measure out before you commit.
Depth dilemmas aside, the Thule Elm toddler seat is spacious, luxurious and comfortable, with plenty of adjustability. The swivel base makes getting kids in and out of the car much easier, and while you’re investing a decent amount in the seat, its quality, adjustability and safety credentials make the cost feel worthwhile.
Tested: Thule Elm Toddler Seat
Price: Thule Elm – £319, Thule Alfi base – £249
Average Joes Rating: ★★★★☆
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