Reflect on this
For our latest parenting gadget review we're back in the car
with another great piece of thinking from Diono. After new legislation has been
released in the UK about the importance of rear-facing child car seats, we take
a look at something to help junior feel that little bit less lonely in the
back, the Easy View Back Seat Mirror.
As the UK finally starts to catch up to Europe in terms of child safety in the car, new recommendations have come in stating that a child under 12 months is far safer in a rear-facing seat in the back of the car. Obviously this creates a problem for the child, as more often than not they may be alone in the back and with no clear view of mummy or daddy in the driver's seat. Fortunately Diono (whose Cambria Booster Seat we reviewed here) has come up with a simple solution, the Easy View.
This adjustable mirror attaches to the head rest of the seat
that the child's chair is placed onto and angled to have a direct view of the
car's rear-view mirror. That way mama or dada have only to glance up to check
on the babe and see them gleefully smiling back.
The Easy View Back Seat Mirror features an adjustable strap
to lash it to the head rest of the seat, and also a flexible (but reassuringly
sniff) ball-socket joint to change the angle. In practice we found it took a
couple of attempts to find just the correct angle so the person in the driver's
seat can see the baby in a rear-facing seat, both from the rear-view mirror and
by quickly turning their head. Once we had it tough, the Easy View stayed
firmly put and never slipped about (even when traversing those bumpy country
roads).
Because the Easy View's position on the back seat it does
not block rear visibility for the driver and allows the wee baby to constantly
see someone else, regardless of if you are looking back at them in your own
mirror. This, in our experience, kept the child far happier than simply being
stuck facing the back of a chair for the whole journey. And, of course, a
happier child means a happier, less distracted driver - meaning a safer journey
all round. Cheers for that Diono.
Around £10-15