FAQs
Yes, an extended rear facing seat is currently under development. We do not have a release date at the moment.
The Swedish Plus test is only for rear-facing seats that work independently of other car seats. As our rear facing minimac only works when attached to the multimac it cannot be Swedish plus tested.
The United Kingdom recognises the European standard that we are crash tested under and the multimac has been approved for use in the UK by the VCA, ABI, and British government.
The multimac is tested at the standard 50km/h. Despite popular belief it is not the speed at which the crash test rig moves but the force generated when it comes to a stop that is the most important measure of car seat safety
Multimac has been approved to the European Safety Standard for child seats, ECE 44-04 and greatly exceeds all crash test requirements. It is tested using 11 different age/load combinations to ensure it is extremely safe.
Absolutely, the multimac has been crash tested with dummies from 9kg and still passes with flying colours. We would highly recommend keeping your children rear facing in the minimac until they outgrow it at 82cm but it is perfectly safe for them to forward face with the Ylva headrest and 5 point harness once they do.
Contact us if you have any concerns.
Multimac is approved under ECE-44-04 and is therefore safe and legal for use in countries all over the world excluding the United States, Canada, and Australia. These countries have their own approval processes and do not recognise the European car seat safety standard.
No. Tests conducted to date have demonstrated that side airbags will not cause injury to children in child restraints provided they are fitted and used properly. Problems will only arise if the child is resting or sleeping against the door, so the MINIMAC and YLVA will give adequate protection for young children.
Contact us. If you haven’t been able to fill in a finance application or complete your order send us an email to [email protected] and we’d be happy to assist you.
Our interest rate for finance is 15.9% APR.
You can spread your monthly repayments across 12,24,36,48 or 60 months
When you add a multimac to your purchase you have the choice of applying for our finance option. Just fill in the details and follow the checkout instructions you’ll then be handed over to our finance partner Novuna to fill in your details.
The whole process only takes a few minutes and is simple and secure. Once your finance application is approved, you will then need to e-sign the agreement emailed over to you. Your order will then be placed!
No. There are no arrangement fees or hidden extras.
Absolutely. Circumstances change and just because a previous application has been refused, it does not mean that a further request will automatically be turned down.
In addition to credit scoring, Novuna also takes into account confirmation of your identity, validation of certain application details, existing commitments and information held at the credit reference agencies. Though Novuna is unable to provide you with a main reason for the decline of your application, it is usually based on one, or a combination of the following:
- Your credit score (please note that every finance company will score you differently)
- Adverse credit reference agency information
- You are considered to be overcommitted
- You are aged under 18
- Your existing account performance with other lenders
Your repayments will begin 1 month after your multimac is delivered.
To apply for online finance, you must be over the age of 18, work at least 16 hours a week, or be retired with an income. You must also be a resident of the United Kingdom and have lived in the UK for the last 12 months or more.
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer online finance to residents of Ireland. Homemakers aren’t excluded from applying under their own names; however the employment details of your spouse / partner will be required in order to process your application.
The Multimac will convert your car from a 5-seater to a 6-seater but this should not void your insurance. Major insurance companies int the UK and EU are aware of the Multimac, and have given their approval, acknowledging that it does actually increase the number of passengers carried in a car whilst welcoming its contribution to enhanced child safety and covering our customers.
However, you should advise your insurer you are using one so you are covered in the event of an accident or theft
Yes: It has been tested and approved to the European Standard ECE 44-04 where its results were dramatically better than the specified requirements.
This makes multimac legal all over the world except for in the US, Canada, and Australia who have their own car seat safety regulations and don’t recognise ECE 44-04
As the first multiple child seat, it has probably been subjected to more scrutiny than any child seat in history, including from BSI, TRL, VCA, British government, European government, Swedish Road Administration and VTI but all have approved multimac.
All major insurance companies should cover the multimac.
We have had meetings with the ABI [British Insurance Association] before launching Multimac, and having looked at all the crash test data they concluded that this was a safe option for transporting multiple children. We have subsequently had similar discussions with all the European Insurers. We recommend that you notify them that you have a Multimac, in case your car is involved in a big accident or is stolen, and needs replacing.
Please note, it is best to inform your insurer that the multimac is a child car seat and not a modification to your car. It is not legally defined as a ‘modification’ as it can be removed within 5 minutes and labelling it as so may prevent your insurance company from insuring you.
Whilst our models are not made specifically for each car we make a variety of sizes so you can select the widest model that fits on your back seat.
Fitting kits are entirely unique to each car (based on make, model AND year), one is included in your seat order but if you move the multimac into a different car in the future you will need to purchase a new fitting kit from us.
If your car is a standard fitting and you/someone you know is technically minded then you can fit it yourself. But if it is a special fitting you will NEED to have it fitted at one of our specialist fitting agents.
The multimac is fitted into your car using two tether straps that are fastened to the existing car seat bolts at the back of your seat. You can read more in our installers manual but in most cases we recommend going to one of our special fitting agents for the initial installation.
To tighten your child’s harness pull the strap feeding through the bottom of the unit towards you. To loosen the harness push up the button on the bottom of the seat.
Yep, you can easily install our plug in buckle for use on the two end seats to use the regular car seat belt – or you can remove the multimac and use your regular back seat as normal within 5 minutes.
No, ISOFix points are not strong enough for the Multimac and must not be used. Instead the multimac is fitted with two tether straps fitted into your car using the existing adult seat belt mounting points under the backseat.
If you/someone you know is technically minded and your car requires a standard fitting then you can fix it yourself for free, but in most cases we recommend going to one of our approved and insured fitting agents. On average they charge £150 per car
No, the only baby seat crash tested with the multimac and safe to use with it is our rear-facing minimac.
You’ll need to order a new fitting kit (£39-49) as these are made unique to each car. Then, as long as the multimac model you have fits in your new car you can transfer it across.
You can order fitting parts for the new car here.
At least one of our models will fit in any car with a backseat. Try our handy Will it Fit tool to discover which seat is the most compatible with your car.
If you are ordering from outside the UK, you will be responsible for paying the VAT charges to customs + an admin fee.
The VAT charge differs from country to country, and some countries have a reduced rate on child seats.
Some examples are listed below:
The Netherlands – 21% of order total
Ireland – 13.5% of order total
Spain – 21% of order total
Portugal – 6% of order total
Denmark – 25% of order total
France – 20% of order total
Belgium – 21% of order total
Italy – 22% of order total
Czech Republic – 15% of order total
Cyrpus – 5% of order total
Germany – 19% of order total
Hungary – 27% of order total
Poland – 8% of order total
Switzerland – 7.7% of order total
(There is no duty due if you are in the EU as the Multimac is all made in the UK)
7-10 working days from order to dispatch
Once your seat is dispatched you will receive an email from TNT with a tracking number and link so you can track your multimac and ensure it arrives with you safely.
We ship multimacs all over the world – although delivery prices can get expensive outside of Europe.
The only countries we do not deliver to are: the USA, Canada, and Australia
We use TNT/Fedex and and use their next day service for orders within the UK.
Outside the UK may take longer than 2 days depending on where abouts you are.
If you’re based outside the UK you will be responsible for paying your country’s VAT rate when the seat arrives at customs.
We will have removed the UK VAT rate of 5% automatically at checkout. You may have to pay a small admin fee to customs as well.
All our products are manufactured in the UK so no other import charges should apply.
This is a tricky one, but something we get asked all the time. Obviously, safety is at the forefront of our minds when it comes to buying a car seat full stop.
So it goes, you should never buy a used car seat in case it has ever been involved in an accident and of course, standard car seats are made of plastic which degrades over time.
The Multimac should be treated slightly differently, as it’s made of aluminium, which is obviously far more robust than plastic, and like your car is designed to last forever. You could say it is designed to aircraft standards.
On a couple of occasions we have sent the same Multimac down the test rig twice, and amazingly the second time, the results were within to the first
The most important thing to take from this is that if you do happen to buy a second hand Multimac – you cannot use the same fitting parts that the previous owner has. All cars are different when it comes to mounting the Multimac, and fitting parts are car specific. We have several different tether straps types, lengths of tether straps, sizes of bolts and eyebolts, as well as different threads, washers, spreader plates and we know exactly what each different car model requires. So, you must order a new fitting kit from us directly (starting from £29 – depending on the car) Once you have taken delivery of the fitting kit for your car, you are welcome to use any of our fitting agents listed on the website.
Having said all that, just be aware of the state of the Multimac you have seen advertised. After many years of children sat in it, with their sticky fingers, spillages, and other potential messes – parts may well need replacing. Luckily everything is replicable on the Multimac but by the time you have ordered new harnesses, chest pads and of course a new fitting kit – you may well find that the cost is adding up.
No, the multimac is a fixed unit so you cannot add a seat onto the unit or remove one.
As our seats are made to order there is a 4-6 week wait time, so to first secure your order we take a 50% deposit on order. Once you reach the top of our wait list you will receive a link to pay the other 50% of your order total. When this has been paid your seat will then be dispatched within 14 working days.
Our widest 3 seater does have wider seats than our widest 4 seater but different cars will take different seat models each of which have different widths.
Nope, in fact many of our customers have sent photos of their children fast asleep in the multimac.
We offer a fully customisable leather trim which includes up to two colours of your choice. Read more here.
No, we don’t currently have a buy-back scheme in place.
No, the normal car seat belt can only be used on the two end seats of the multimac so only 2 people can use the standard car seat belt.
No, we don’t usually sell ex-display seats as we have very few of them in the first place.
We only sell our seats online but if you’d like to see the multimac in-person you can visit our showroom in Birmingham, UK, just let us know when you want to visit.
Our founder Kevin Macliver had his fourth child and although he owned a 7 seater car he was uncomfortable with putting one of his children in the boot (crumple zone). Not to mention the increased cost of fuel, tax, and insurance. So he invented multimac to make life easier for his family and in turn many other families across the world with 3 or 4 children.
You can either remove the seat entirely – takes around 5 minutes after tether straps have been fitted. Or you can lift up each of the seat cushions and access underneath the seat this way.
Yep, the multimac is made of faux leather material (with the option of real leather). Both materials are easy to wipe down and you can also remove the seat cushion to get in all the nooks and crannies of the seat and fully clean it.
We have a small showroom in Birmingham (UK) that you are welcome to visit and see the seats in-person but please let us know if you’re planning on coming so we can schedule you in.
The 5-point harness takes children up to 12 years old. They can then use the plug in buckle on the two outside seats.
The use of the head hugger depends on your baby’s growth rate. We recommend using the largest foam insert when they’re newborn, then the smaller one at around 3 months, and then removing the head hugger at 6 months.
Multimac takes children from newborn up to 12 years old. With our plug-in buckle the seat can also be used beyond 12 by children and small adults.