Child car seats have become synonymous with parenting. There is hardly any parent that doesn’t need one. Whether poor or rich, a car seat becomes essential once you own a car. No wonder the market space keeps receiving more and more car seat brands and models.
This sudden increase in infant car seats on the market is a big challenge for parents. They find deciding on the right product for them tricky and frustrating. This article centers on two great car seats on the market: UPPAbaby MESA and KNOX.
These are two reliable products from the same manufacturer. Maybe this is one of the reasons many parents compare them, trying to see their similarities and differences.
The main difference between UPPAbaby MESA and KNOX is that MESA is designed with babies and toddlers in mind. On the other hand, KNOX is intended for older children.
UPPAbaby MESA Review
This infant car seat is based on intuitive innovations and intelligent technology. It offers the best security to your infant. Taking it apart, we can talk about the seat fabrics, the headset and lashes/crotches, and the base.
UPPAbaby MESA’s fabrics are naturally fire-resistant and chemical-free. They are also removable and washable. In addition, you have choices along with colors and texture. If you need a close-up observation before deciding what to go for, you can request swatches, which will be delivered to you free of charge.
UPPAbaby MESA comes with a well-thought-out headset that promotes the baby’s safety. It has an advanced side impact protection mechanism to absorb and neutralize the force from side-impact collisions. This adjustable headset also wraps your child’s head and neck so that they can only move with the whole car seat, which is firmly rooted.
It also comes with an infant insert that comes in handy with tiny newborns and preemies. Both the harness and the crotch strap settings are adjustable to ensure the safety and comfort of the baby.
These car seats have a mechanism to absorb impact in case of a crash. These crash forces can cause fatal head or neck injuries. Fortunately, with UPPAbaby MESA, your kid is safer. Built to ensure safety and comfort, UPPAbaby MESA comes with a tightness indicator harness. With the indicator, it can never be too tight or loose.
Finally, UPPAbaby MESA stroller compatibility echoes its technology’s modernity and versatility. Parents can quickly get their children out of the car and into the stroller.
UPPAbaby KNOX Review
KNOX is another mind-boggling infant car seat with state-of-the-art features. Its design preempts likely dangers and forestalls them. As a convertible car seat, children can travel while in the rear-facing mode. This feature is in tandem with all known child passenger safety measures.
UPPAbaby KNOX has flexible mechanisms that facilitate the car seat’s adaptability to children’s growth. It means you don’t need another car seat for your toddler. The same UPPAbaby KNOX he used as a baby will still serve him well.
As your kid grows, you can adjust the harness and the headrest to fit. The same can be done with the recline position, which has four different levels. The two-piece inlay also helps you utilize the size-adaptability features of KNOX.
Comfort and safety are also central to KNOX’s design. From the headrest to the inlays, many of its parts provide these two essential functions.
Its multi-directional tether minimizes the mobility of the seat and the force impact on the child’s head and neck if there is an accident. The tether is particularly useful when used while the child is traveling in the rear-facing position.
The integration of Koroyd Technology is a big fortification for the KNOX Convertible Car Seat. This technology effectively smoothens the impact force just at the car seat’s base, ensuring zero to minimal stress gets to your child when there is an impact crash. At the same time, the multi-directional tether keeps your child cozy in the seat and endows you with a reassured mind.
The signs of comfort and luxury are evident in the fabric and foam used for this convertible car seat. They are naturally fire-resistant, chemical-free, and washable. There is also a removable cup holder to ensure your child has what they need.
UPPAbaby MESA Vs. KNOX Comparison Table
Let’s use a table to compare the key features of UPPAbaby MESA and KNOX.
Functions | MESA | KNOX |
SmartSecure System | Yes | Yes |
Convertible | No | Yes |
Fire Resistance | Yes | Yes |
Side Impact Absorber | Yes | Yes |
Multi-directional Tether | No | Yes |
Removable/washable seat fabrics | Yes | Yes |
UPF Hide Away Canopy | Yes | No |
Infant Insert | Yes | No |
Carry Handle/Scroller Release Button | Yes | No |
Harness Buckles Storage Pocket | Yes | Yes |
Age/weight limits | 6 months, 4 – 35 lbs | 1 – 6 years, 14 – 65 lbs |
UPPAbaby MESA or KNOX – Which is Better?
This depends on what you need the car seat for. While parents with newborn babies, especially preemies, will almost certainly go for UPPAbaby MESA, those with older children will likely settle for UPPAbaby KNOX.
But why?
UPPAbaby MESA has features that make it the most suitable for newborn babies. It seamlessly meshes with VISTA or CRUZ strollers and even has a hideaway canopy with UPF to protect your baby from the sun.
There are also the inlays for babies or preemies as little as just 4 lbs. It also has a handle for easy carriage with the baby inside.
KNOX does not have all of this. Yet it does not make it any less good.
What the designers did was that in place of every feature it does not have that MESA has, KNOX has something else that promotes its purpose. It is convertible so that children can travel in rear or forward-facing mode. It has an adjustable headrest that you can set to fit when your child grows taller. There is also a removable cup holder, which is age-appropriate since bigger children can handle their bottles themselves.
In a nutshell, asking which is better is not the right question. Instead, what an individual needs the car seat for will determine whether they need UPPAbaby MESA or KNOX. While they are both car baby car seats, they are the best in different spaces.
Conclusion
Just as MESA and KNOX are similar, they are different too. They are identical in the areas of safety, comfort, and aesthetics. When it comes to the aspects of purpose, they are pretty different.
Though users may have their choices between the two, neither beats the other in every respect. Each has its pros and cons, but they share many strengths.
Of all the main qualities that make a car seat outstanding, safety and comfort rank high. Both UPPAbaby KNOX and MESA are built to provide these two essential features. The makers incorporated in them top-notch innovative safety features and mechanisms for comfort. All materials used in the production are also safe and toxic-free.
These car seats are easy to install and maintain. Their installation is computerized to ensure a secure installation.
Paulo is a passionate dad who founded Wumblers to share his parenting journey with other new parents. He graduated from Concordia University and worked as a test engineer for over a decade. Paulo loves dad jokes and craft beer.
Learn more about Paulo and Wumblers here.