PRODUCT FEATURES

How does it work/compare to a regular booster?	A regular booster seat lifts the child to be in the position of an adult. mifold does the exact opposite, instead of lifting the child up it holds the seatbelt down. It does this at three points: there are belt guides on either side of the child’s hips, to hold the lap belt correctly against the bones and off the soft stomach. These belt guides are adjustable to three sizes to make sure that the belt is always held snugly in place. There is a third clip on a strap that pulls the seatbelt chest strap down correctly onto the bones of the shoulder; away from the face and neck. So like a regular booster, mifold holds the seat belt in exactly the correct position on the bones of the hips and the bones of the shoulder, without needing a big, bulky seat to lift the child. In a collision, the child is protected in the same way. mifold simply works to hold the adult seatbelt correctly on a child.
Why should we use mifold?	mifold is a revolutionary new car safety solution. There are many journeys where children do not have a booster (we estimate as much as 25% of all child journeys – and research has shown that 50% of kids in the USA don’t have the right booster when carpooling for the school run) we want to eliminate these risks completely. With a compact and portable device, a child can always be safe no matter whose car they are in.
How does the Shoulder strap work?	The adult seat belt chest strap must lie on the child’s clavicle (collar bone); not on the face or neck and not over the edge of the shoulder. The mifold shoulder belt positioning strap and clip is attached to the back of the mifold seat and goes behind the child’s back. The clip is attached onto the adult seat belt chest strap. The length of the belt positioning strap and clip is adjusted to pull the adult seat belt chest strap into the correct position on the child’s clavicle.
Is mifold comfortable?	One of our priorities has been to design mifold to be comfortable as well as safe and easy to use. During the development we have had carloads of children (and parents) using mifold and they really do love it. The comfort comes from two places: there is a foam fabric layer on the product that provides cushioning, keeps the seat cool in hot cars and prevents sweating. In addition, when the child sits on mifold, it pushes down into the actual car seat providing additional comfort, support and cushioning. This is exactly the same as with a regular booster seat. They only have a thin layer of foam/fabric on a plastic/styrofoam base and most of the comfort comes from the underlying car seat (the same thing happens with a hard-backed book … try it!)
In what colours is mifold available?	mifold comes in 6 exciting colours: Perfect Pink, Denim Blue, Lime Green, Slate Grey and Pearl Grey, Yellow Taxi.
How is mifold the first innovation in booster seats for more than 50-years?	In 1963, Dean C. Hunter filed a US patent for the “Safety Seat” … a box that lifted up a child and held a lap belt in place across the bones of the child’s hips. Today, half a century later, boosters are essentially the same … blocks that lift a child up to meet the adult safety belt. mifold changes this. Instead of lifting the child up, mifold does the opposite and holds the seatbelt down to fit the child. Our patent “Apparatus for adapting a seatbelt for a child” is already granted in one country and pending in 45 others.
Can mifold be cleaned in the Dishwasher?	At this stage, the mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat cannot be cleaned in a dishwasher. We have designed mifold to be easy to clean by washing the surfaces with a mild solution of soap and water. Do not use bleach. Remove the soap by wiping with clean water after washing and then air dry. Although we had hoped that the mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat could also be cleaned in a dishwasher, at this stage we have not tested how a dishwasher may affect components and specifically, how a dishwasher may affect performance and the flame retardant properties of the materials. If there is an update on this issue we will publish revised guidelines via our website and social media channels.

TECHNICAL SPECS

What is the age and weight for mifold?	mifold is designed for children aged 4 years +. However, car seat regulations can be quite confusing and are different in each country; they can be based upon age, weight, height or a combination of all three. In Canada, mifold is designed for children weighing from 40 Ibs to 100 lbs, and 40 – 57” in height.
How durable is mifold?	mifold is constructed using aircraft grade aluminium 6061 and a super tough plastic polymer called Delrin® 100ST from Dupont™. It has been successfully crash tested and each component rigorously tested to ensure its longevity even under the most extreme use as a child car seat. Also, we can’t wait to get mifold into the hand and bags of children all over the world … so we can prove we have designed it to be totally kid proof!
Where is mifold manufactured?	mifold is manufactured in China. Our manufacturing partners are world renowned manufacturers that are ISO approved and operate at the highest level of manufacturing and quality control standards. They already manufacture child restraint products for several other well known companies.
Does mifold work with a UAS system?	mifold is designed to work without a UAS system. Regular booster seats lift the child to be in the position of an adult, mifold does the exact opposite. Instead of lifting the child up it actively holds the seatbelt down, positioning it correctly on the hips and on the shoulder of the child. A UAS system does not help with this mode of operation. Also, there is no installation required with mifold, it is designed for ‘quick-in-quick-out’ usage for every journey in every type of vehicle.
Can mifold be used by small adults?	mifold is not designed for adult use and should not be used by adults. Many people do ask this and, in fact, Jon’s wife is only 150cm (~5 foot) tall and she often complains about the seatbelt bothering her. Our main market is the child restraint market and that is what we are focussing on in terms of regulatory approval. When we are well established in the child market we will evaluate the feasibility of designing a mifold for adults.

SAFETY & CERTIFICATIONS

What safety regulatory certificates does mifold have?	The mifold booster car seat is designed to conform to the most universally accepted global booster car seat regulations including CMVSS 213.2 in Canada. Final products have already been crash tested multiple times in testing facilities around the world (including MGA in the USA,Tass International in Holland and PMG in Canada) , and have successfully complied with the performance requirements of all these regulations. The mifold booster car seat has also been designed to provide convenient, compact portability and straight forward installation that properly positions the vehicle seat belt onto the child. To ensure good vehicle seat belt positioning, mifold has been designed to conform to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Booster Belt Fit Ratings.
How do mifold booster seats differ when sold in different countries?	There are several core differences between international versions of the mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat. The mifold booster car seat is designed to conform to the most universally accepted global booster car seat regulations such as ECE R44.4 for the EU, FMVSS 213 for the USA and CMVSS 213.2 in Canada. These standards are different, and as a result, there are some minor design changes between the versions. Specifically, the product dimensions differ slightly from country to country. Secondly, the labelling and language requirements vary between territories. This means that the labels and instruction manuals are different based upon the market. Finally, in all territories the mifold booster seat is designed to be used by children from the age of four years old. However, there are also height and weight recommendations that vary according to the country. All the relevant information concerning.
Can we see your crash test results?	Over the past three years we have conducted research and compliance crash tests for all mifold prototype booster seats, pre-production and production models. These comprehensive tests have been successfully performed at several independent crash test facilities around the world (Calspan and MGA in the USA, PMG in Canada, TRL in the UK, Tass International in the Netherlands, and UTAC in France). The results form the core of regulatory approvals, in accordance with global booster car seat regulations such as: FMVSS 213 in the United States; RSSR regulations in Canada; and European Union ECE R44.4. While we are proud of the fact that we not only meet the associated standards, but exceed them in several ways, the films of these tests are not being made public. The primary reason for this is that consumers and advocates are not in a position to understand the test configurations, acceleration corridors, anthropomorphic test device, or the data collected. The results are far more complex than the often stated 30 m.p.h. frontal crash measuring head excursion, knee excursion, and chest acceleration we learn about as technicians. The mifold booster seat is also innovative, and some of its components are patented, so the tests and results are proprietary, just as they are for other child restraint manufacturers.
Does mifold provide side impact protection?	mifold is a backless booster seat that will ship fully compliant with CMVSS 213.2 (booster seats) in Canada as well as EU R44.04 which covers the UK and Europe; these standards do not include side impact protection. There are other products available that offer different features, some that exceed the standards (we have used them with our own children over the years). mifold is creating a whole new solution. There are many journeys where children do not have a booster (we estimate as much as 25% of all child journeys – and research has shown that 50% of kids in carpools for school runs don’t have the right booster). We want to eliminate these risks completely. With a compact and portable device, a child can always be safe no matter whose car they are in. The massive improvement in child car safety over the last two decades has come from the adoption of car seats. Statistically, there can only be a minor reduction in the current rates of injury or death by improving the protection in existing car seats. However, continuing the increase in the use of approved seats, where one is currently not available, can still offer a major improvement and we are excited by the prospect of mifold contributing to this car safety objective.
You claim that mifold is “more than 10x smaller and just as safe as a regular booster seat.” What is this claim based upon?	The “more than 10x smaller” size claim is based on the external dimensions of the mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat, and the volume it occupies. Compared to regular booster seats commonly available in the markets where mifold is available. mifold is less than one-tenth of the size, or as we say, “more than 10x smaller”. The “just as safe” claim is based on the mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat’s compliance with booster seat safety regulations for child restraint systems in different territories. See our other FAQs for specific details of the territories where mifold is compliant with local booster seat safety regulations.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Does mifold have an expiry date?	mifold carries an expiry date of 7-years from the date of purchase (proof of purchase required) or manufacturing date otherwise. Every car seat is different, so always read the user guide to find out the seat’s expiration date and other important information. Please keep a copy of your invoice with your instruction manual in the manual storage location of the booster seat.
Will mifold have a warranty?	Yes, mifold will have at least an industry standard warranty for car seats and depending on the country, the warranty may be better than this. Full details will be posted on the mifold website www.mifold.ca.
Where can I buy it?	Right here, right now on www.mifold.ca.