The Cybex Anoris T i-Size is THE first seat on the market with built in airbags that deploy in a collision. It is also THE very first forward facing car seat ever made and tested that has scored very well for safety in independent crash testing by ADAC. 

I was given the opportunity to review the Cybex Anoris T for a week with my daughter who is 3 years and 10 months old. She weighs 18kgs and is 110cm tall. 

My daughter is currently rearfacing (and will be until she is  5 years old)  and I am a huge advocate for rearfacing until at least 4 years old but I was very impressed with the Cybex Anoris T and with the amazing safety rating, I was confident that she would be safe even though it was forward facing.

What are the height and weight limits for the cybex Anoris T?

The Cybex Anoris T can be used from 76cm until 115cm or 21kgs. This is approximately 15 months until 6 years old for the average sized child. The Anoris T is forward facing only. Since the seat is i-size approved, a child under 15 months old must not use the Anoris T.

The Anoris T will last approximately 2 years longer than most other forward facing seats on the market.

Please note that we recommend rearfacing until at least 2 years old but preferably until 4+ years old. 

pros and cons OF THE CYBEX ANORIS T
(based on general information as well as my personal experience): 

Pros

• It is the highest scoring forward facing seat ever made
• It has Built-in airbag technology
• It has higher weight and height limits than nearly all traditional forward facing seats (115cm and 21kgs)
• It contains On-board safety assistant to ensure correct installation (my daughter loved seeing the various parts light up on the indicator)
• Strapping my daughter in was quick and easy
• It contains Advanced Linear Side Impact Protection
• My daughter found it extremely comfortable with extra padding and super soft material
  
• My daughter fell asleep in it twice and was very comfortable due to the recline positions
• My daughter liked having her shoulders free from her traditional 5-point harness
  
• It is Great option for kids who are already forward facing but are about to outgrow or have outgrown their current forward facing car seats (which is usually 18kgs or 105cm).

• It doesn't convert into a booster seat
• We have found that some parents (and children) don't like the impact shield over the traditional harness
• It is forward facing only
• It encourages parents to forward face their children before the recommended age of 4 years old
• It can only be installed in cars with isofix
• It is quite expensive 
• It cannot be transported on an airplane due to the airbags so you would have to rent a seat at your location
• It is quite heavy to move from car to car
• My only con from personal experience would be that the shield can only open from one side so, depending on which side the seat is on in the car, the shield might open out by the door of the car which can get in the way.
• The only Con my daughter had was that she couldn't keep the seat!

What are the safety features of the cybex anoris t?

The Anoris T is i-size approved which means it meets the new R129 safety standard. However, over and above that, ADAC performed their own testing on it and the crash test results definitely surprised us. 

It is the only forward facing car seat ever tested by ADAC to receive a safety score categorized as "Very good". Any other forward facing seats have been either been on the verge between "good" and "average" or were "average", "sufficient" or "insufficient". 

It is common knowledge that forward facing seats do not perform well in crash testing due to the tremendous forces placed on the child's neck and spine in an accident but due to the Anoris T having airbags built into the impact shield, which deploy upon impact, the forces on the childs neck and spine are reduced by up to 50%. The airbags stop the childs head from flying forward reducing the risk of serious injury (internal decapitation, spinal cord injury, brain damage, and death).

Have a look at this crash test video that shows the incredible difference between the Anoris T and a traditional forward facing seat:

The Cybex Anoris T was tested by ADAC and received a safety score of 1.2 (the score is out of 5 and the lower the score, the better). In testing, it showed a very low risk of injury in a frontal collision and a side collision.

The Anoris T has an onboard safety assistant which basically tells you if your installation of the seat is correct. Before installing your seat you need to pull out a tag under the seat to activate this. On the top of the load leg there is a small picture outline of the seat and its Main parts needed for installation. When one of the parts is installed correctly, that specific part will illuminate GREEN on the little picture. If any part is not installed correctly, it will illuminate RED on the specific part that is incorrect. If the impact shield is clicked in but another part of the seat isn't correctly installed, it will illuminate red AND beep as well to alert you before driving with your child. My daughter LOVED this and was very fascinated by it as when we got to our destination and I unclipped the shield, it illuminated red and she knew it was time to get out of the seat. She also double checked every time that the shield turned green when I strapped her in. So I believe this is a very helpful feature for both child and parent. 

The Anoris T contains Advanced Linear Side Impact Protection which reduces the impact of a side collision by up to 25%. When taking the Anoris T out of the box, the LSIP's on both side of the seat pop out. 

The LSIP must always be out on the side closest to the vehicle door but the LSIP on the opposite side must be folded away. I struggled with this as the LSIP didn't fold away like other Cybex seats. However, after a quick search I found this video which is very helpful: 

What are the comfort features of the Cybex anoris t?

It also has two straps on either side of the front of the shield to tighten the shield properly on the child. This ensures the shield sits evenly on the child and eliminates the chance of one side being tighter than the other which would obviously compromise safety. Additionally the belt can be loosened by simply pushing in the grey buttons on the front of the shield.  

The recline is sufficient enough to prevent your child's head from falling forward when they sleep. The seat can be reclined easily using one hand with the lever on the front of the seat. 

The headrest on the Anoris T can be adjusted higher or lower to accommodate your growing child. This is done by simply lifting the lever on the back of the headrest. Cybex states that the headrest on the Anoris T must not be higher than 2cm (or two fingers) from the child's shoulder.

How is the cybex anoris T installed?

The Anoris T can only be installed with ISOfix. Therefore, if your car does not have isofix brackets, the Anoris T cannot be used. The Anoris T can only be installed forward facing.

The Anoris T is really quick and easy to install. This is all thanks to the on-board safety assistant which will tell you EXACTLY which part of your installation is correct or incorrect by means of visual and audio indicators. This makes the installation practically fool proof. 

How to remove and wash the covers of the anoris t:

The covers on the Anoris T are relatively easy to remove, although not the easiest to replace afterwards. 

The cover consists of 3 components which are attached to the car seat at several points (the seat cover, the head rest cover, and the impact shield cover). Loosen and unzip all parts. Then the individual parts of the cover can be removed. Make sure you only remove the top cover of the impact shield. To reattach the cover, proceed in reverse order. It is helpful to take a photo at each stage to ensure you put the cover back on exactly as it should be. 

The cover can be washed in a washing machine on a 30 degree delicate cycle. The cover can be laid flat out of direct sunlight to dry. Do not tumble dry the cover or place the cover in direct sunlight.

What accessories are available for use with the cybex anoris t?

Although there are a few accessories available in Europe for use with the Anoris T, here in South Africa, we currently only have the Cybex cup holder that fits onto the side of the Anoris T for your childs water bottle.

what is the lifespan of the Cybex Anoris T?

The Anoris T has been designed to be used for no longer than 10 years from date of first installation. This is only applicable if the seat has not been in an accident, dropped, or damaged in any way. The seat must also be stored appropriately to maximise the lifespan. 

The seat must be replaced after an accident even if the airbags did not deploy. 

What is the warranty on the Cybex anoris t?

The warranty is 3 years on all Cybex products. This covers any manufacturing faults. Cybex South Africa bring in any spare parts needed for repairs and can carry out repairs for you at their main office in Booysens Reserve. 

is the cybex anoris t compatible with my car? 

The Anoris T can only be installed in cars with isofix brackets and no underfloor storage compartments. Click here to check if your car is on the approved fit list. Please contact us if your car is not listed here:

What are the dimensions of the Cybex anoris t?

Our verdict

Cybex came to us in the beginning of last year to tell us about the Anoris T (before its release) and we were very skeptical that it would score well in testing (even though Cybex assured us that it would). But our opinion changed completely after seeing the crash test results and the incredible safety score.

The Cybex Anoris T i-size is definitely a breakthrough in the world of car seats. 10 years ago even the thought of a car seat with built in airbags would have been one met with major controversy and skepticism. But with the huge advances in technology and crash testing, Cybex has made this possible as well as surpassing all forward facing car seats on the market with its incredible safety ratings.  

Although rearfacing will ALWAYS be safer. The Anoris T i-size is an incredible alternative if you need to forward face your child or have your child forward facing already and want a safer option. It is also a great option for children who have outgrown a forward facing harness but aren't ready to move into a high back booster.