Ah, the Aton.
I first fell in love with this seat at Lifesavers in March. At the time, I was newly pregnant and not planning on using an infant seat this time around…until my eyes fell upon the lovely, colorful little capsule that is the Cybex Aton
.
Shortly after the seat arrived on my doorstep, and shortly before my baby was born, it looked like the seat would be short-lived in the United States as the US distributor seemed to be getting out of the car seat market. I wondered whether there would even be a point in writing a review. Then word came that the Aton will indeed be sticking around, and there was much rejoicing.
So without further ado, here are my thoughts on the Aton, now that I have used it for a few weeks with my son, Oliver. Heather already covered the specs and basics of the seat in her very thorough review, so I’m going to focus more on the day-to-day applications. There is a lot to like, and a few drawbacks, one of which I think is fairly significant and will get to shortly.
I had played with the Aton at Lifesavers and found it very easy to install on their test seat. Installing in real life was just as easy. I’m not sure it’s the easiest base to install (the Keyfit is pretty darn simple), but it’s at least a close second.
My first installation was with LATCH in the center of our Dodge Ram MegaCab. Now, in all fairness, the back seat in that vehicle is huge, and the two other seats I have in there (Radian and Monterey) are relatively narrow, so it’s not like getting three-across was going to be a problem. Still, though, you can see the enormous amount of room between the Aton and the Monterey, and there was an equal amount on the other side. The Aton would definitely be a good bet in a tight three-across situation.
After the baby was born I installed the Aton in the driver’s side captain’s chair of our 2010 Honda Odyssey using LATCH. Again, super-fast, easy install.
I first put my son in the seat when he was about five days old. The harness covers were a bit long, so I removed them. You can see the difference below. (Yes, he slept through the whole thing.)
Heather’s review mentioned that the seat rattled a lot without a baby in it, and we also found that to be true. With a baby in the seat, though, it is silent (the seat that is; not necessarily the baby).
Something else Heather mentioned was the release mechanism, and how some people are concerned with the two-step process to remove the seat from the base. (It involves pushing one button in and another down.) Although there are technically two steps, they can easily be completed as one motion. In fact, it’s one of my favorite features of the seat, and I wish all infant seats had a release that smooth.
One complaint I have–and that others have mentioned, too–is the short canopy. If it rotated all the way forward, it would be great. As it is, though, it doesn’t offer much protection or privacy. For example, when I park at my older son’s taekwondo class, the sun hits the car from the side, and the canopy doesn’t rotate enough to shade Oliver’s eyes. They could definitely make an improvement there.
My other complaint (the one I feel is fairly substantial) is that I found the harness very difficult to loosen and impossible to tighten while it’s in the base. Upon examination, I realized that the splitter plate gets stuck on the lock that protrudes from the base. (In the photo below, I have the harness loose and the seat tilted up so you can see how it will hit the orange lock.)
If you’re like me and tend to leave the seat in the car, it gets very annoying to have to remove the seat just to get the baby in and out. I realize that most people do take the seat out of the car each time (that is, after all, the main attraction of an infant seat), but even people who typically carry the seat with them might leave it in the car now and then.
This also won’t be an issue if you don’t tighten and loosen the harness each time, but I’m a tightener/loosener, especially with squishy newbies. I also imagine this wouldn’t be a problem with a larger baby on a higher harness setting, as the splitter plate wouldn’t wind up as far down. For me, though, the issue was aggravating enough that I almost stopped using the seat.
Initially my plan was to use the Aton for a couple weeks to get a feel for it, then put it in my husband’s truck as a back-up seat. Over time, though, I found that I wanted to keep using it, despite the splitter-plate problem. For that to make sense, though, I would need to get a stroller to put the infant seat on. After all, if I’m going to have an infant seat, I might as well make full use of it, right? Being able to put the seat in a stroller would also alleviate some of my problem with the splitter plate since I’d be likely to take the seat in and out of the car more often.
I have a Baby Jogger City Mini, so I talked to my friend Janine, who works at a stroller store, about getting an adapter for it. She offered to meet me at her house after work one evening so I could try it out.
When I got to her house, Janine was excited to tell me that for Maxi Cosi (and, by extension, the Aton), you don’t need the bar that typically goes across the stroller; you just need these clips on the side. I thought that was great, because it meant my 2-year-old could ride in the stroller without my having to make any adjustments.
She showed me how to snap the brackets onto the side, then we put the car seat (complete with Oliver) into them. The seat gave a satisfying click, and we stood back to appreciate how nicely it worked.
Then Janine started fumbing around the back of the seat.
“How do you release it?” she asked.
I panicked.
“Oh my gosh! The release is on the base!”
“What? It’s on the base?” She seemed not to believe me.
“Yeah, that’s how they make it so light!”
“Then what’s this thing?” Janine pulled at something on the back of the seat.
“That’s the belt guide for installing without the base!” I panicked some more.
We pondered what the heck we should do. I resigned myself to the fact that the seat would have to stay in the stroller at Janine’s house until at least the next day, when I’d be able to call Cybex to find a solution. Janine is also a CPST and the mom to two young kids, so I figured she’d probably have a seat I could borrow to get Oliver home.
Janine poked around some more and sort of instinctively pushed these two little buttons (that I had never noticed) above the handles. Those released the seat, and all was well.
When I got home I checked the manual (which, yes, I should have had with me), and on the diagram of the seat there is, indeed, a little line pointing to the travel system release buttons. You can see the gray/silver rectangles here, just to the left of the handle:
I have used the seat with the stroller a few times, and, with three kids, it really is convenient in some situations, like when I need to change my dripping wet older kids into their street clothes after a swimming lesson. It’s also nice for getting compliments in the mall elevator, as I did the other day when another mom commented on how “cool and futuristic” the Aton looked.
I’m not sure if I’ll continue to use the seat until my son outgrows it, but I have no plans to abandon it yet. The harness-tightening issue still nags at me, but the overall charm of the seat outweighs its shortcomings. I’m glad the Aton is staying in the US market for now, because I do think it can be a real contender here.
Hi,
I’m buying the aton cybex 2 carseat and I already have a mini city jogger stroller just like yours! I’m so glad I found your post! Where can I get the adapter and will the car seat fit????
Thanks soooo much
D
Hi, Dawn. It was a long time ago, but I got the adapter from the stroller store where I bought the stroller. I believe these are the ones: https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Jogger-Adapter-Single-1967363/dp/B0047HSX7Y/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1483043499&sr=8-3&keywords=baby+jogger+adapter&tag=carseatblog-20
I have the 2015 version of the Aton Q (the side release buttons are now elegant ovals shaped buttons on the sides), and I am having the same problem as described above. Using the Cybex adapters, it will connect to the new Agis Air M4 stroller , but no amount of pressure on the release buttons (light or strong) will allow it to release. Very disappointing. I have an email into the company and have received no response (been few business days…there is no # to call, limited to email). I do not know if it is a defect of the release design or another issue….waiting to hear back from the company. The only way to currently get the adapters to release once seat is connected, is to release the adapters from stroller and work VERY hard to jiggle and wiggle them out while holding release…not safe if a baby is in the seat.
I have another stroller for my other child with maxi cosi adapters and this seat works fine on it. So its disappointing that I am having issues with a stroller from the very same manufacturer as the infant seat.
Did you hear back from the company I am having the same issue with my cybex Aton q 2015 version they don’t even seem like buttons! And I can not for the life of get the adapters out its really frustrating
Just wanted to say thanks for the post. My wife and I put our cybex aton q into our city summit X3 with the adapters. We had the exact same conversation you did apparently 3 years ago. I spent a couple minutes on google, and found this post. The two buttons look a little different on the Q, but it’s the same idea.
Thanks!
T.B. Dad- I’m sorry, I never experienced that. Hopefully if someone else has they’ll see this and chime in. I hope your problem gets resolved quickly! Please post back if you find out what the issue is.
Hi there! We purchased the Cybex Aton 2 along with a new Baby Jogger City Select, and also purchased the separate adapter sold by Baby Jogger to connect the car seat onto the stroller. However, the minute I connected the car seat to the stroller, one of the adapters (left side) refuses to release and remains stuck on the car seat. Has anyone had a similar problem? I called the retailer who in turn contacted the manufacturer. It sounds like this had happened before. Is this a problem with the car seat, or the adapter? or both? Your helps is truly appreciated!
Just in case anyone else is following these comments, another stroller that works great with the Aton is the Phil & Teds Dot. If you take the main seat completely off and just use it on the stroller frame, there is plenty of room for the doubles kit on the back (if you leave the seat fabric on you can still attach the car seat & adapters, but the recline gets in the way of the kid in the rear). I use it all the time both alone with the baby, and with my two year old in the doubles seat. Oh, and I leave the canopy on the stroller. It just meets the canopy on the Aton and helps with the sun coverage. Without that I’d have to use a blanket or something because the Aton canopy is definitely not full coverage unfortunately. This is baby #4 and I’m ashamed to admit how many car seats & strollers I’ve owned over the years… And this is my favorite combo so far. Very lightweight and compact on both accounts!
Umm…I honestly have no idea! I’m not much of a stroller person. Hopefully someone else can answer. You might want to ask at car-seat.org. Lots more stroller experts there!
Hi there! I noticed that, for the Baby Jogger Select, you could remove the seats altogether and just attach the Cybex Aton carseat to stroller frame. Can you do the same with the Baby Jogger Mini, or do you have to keep the seat in place as pictured? Many thanks!
What did you ladies do about shielding your baby’s eyes from the sun while using this car seat? Especially when attaching it to a stroller. Today I draped a blanket over the sun visor… But then I can’t see my baby.
MYLOVELYLL – where did you end up purchasing your Joolz Day from to have it shipped to the states? Hadn’t heard of it but based on your tip I looked around and we’re pretty sold on it now. Just trying to figure out the best option for where we purchase it.
A great stroller that works perfectly with this car seat is the Joolz Day. It is not cheap, but even with all the extras and shipping from Europe, we bought ours for under $1200. It is like a Bugaboo Chameleon, but with a higher seat, superior suspension and overall mechanical quality, and you don’t have to remove the seat before folding. The cybex Aton looks very nice on the Joolz.
I think I did wash it once, but I haven’t used the seat in almost a year now, so I really don’t remember–Sorry! Hopefully someone else who has one can respond.
Have you washed the cover yet? How does it hold up?
Yep. Most of the car seats require the bar, too, but the Aton and Maxi-Cosi only need the brackets.
So you buy the whole kit but just use the brackets?
thanks!
It’s just the regular car seat adapter that Baby Jogger sells. There are two available, I think: one for the Chicco KeyFit, and one for everything else. You want the “everything else” one. It comes with two brackets and a bar. For the Aton, you just need the brackets.
Jennie,
What are the brackets called that you need to snap the Aton onto a City Mini? (I have the Aton and City Mini GT) I assume you need to order these?
I don’t know a lot about strollers, but I do know that I love my Baby Jogger City Mini. With the car seat adapter (sold separately), the Aton worked beautifully. You might want to ask on the stoller board at car-seat.org for some more suggestions.
Hi Jennie,
I recently got an Aton in the same color as yours and I’m very excited about it. I’m due Feb 2013 so I have a little ways before using it, but I’ve heard really good things. I was looking into a stroller to use with it and I’m not too excited about Cybex’s strollers. Thanks for posting that it can be used with other strollers. Which stroller would you recommend? Just the Maxi Cosi? Thank you!
Thanks so much for the info 🙂 we are first time parents trying to figure out all this baby gear stuff. Talk about overwhelming. I appreciate the help.
It doesn’t clip onto the seat portion of a shopping cart, if that’s what you mean. Really, though, no seat should. (I believe BabyTrend does allow it, but even then I wouldn’t. Shopping carts aren’t made for seats to be clipped onto them.) Balancing a seat on top of a cart–even if it feels secure–is very dangerous, and babies have actually died or gotten seriously injured when the carrier toppled off.
A safer bet is to put the seat into the basket of the cart, where the groceries go. Because the Aton is so compact, it should fit there nicely 🙂
Does this seat fit in shopping carts? I cant seem to find that info anywhere. Looking to get this for our little man coming in Dec.
Good to know, and be able to tell parents about.
(By the way, did you see that the latest SRN says the X-Fix is also staying? Yay!)
Yeah, Jennie, you’re going to have a hard time living that down, lol! Glad you like it, but that’s a bummer about the splitter plate getting caught.
It is a nice looking seat.
What a pain about the splitter plate hitting the lock. At least for most parents the issue will be resolved by the time they start leaving the seat in the base.
I’m still laughing at you getting it stuck on the stroller.