We gave a $150,000 dummy an ice cream and put it in a child seat with an airbag built-in to see how effective it is and Nico Rosberg helped us test it

We tested new child seat technology with the help of a $150,000 dummy, some ice cream, and F1 champion Nico Rosberg.

Experts recommend keeping children rear-facing for as long as possible, ideally until the age of four.

However, following this recommendation in everyday life is often more challenging in practice than it is in theory.

But Cybex may have found the ultimate fix, and we put it to the test.

We tested this new airbag technology with Tuesday, Johnny, Nico Rosberg, and… ice cream

The reason real-world tests matter

Spec sheets can help but you need real-world tests, and the Supercar Blondie team took a radical approach.

In order to test the system, we used a $150,000 dummy called ‘Johnny’, and also asked F1 champion Nico Rosberg for help.

Rosberg and Tuesday Leroux installed the passenger, made sure he was securely fastened, and then Tuesday gave little Johnny some ice cream.

The machine simulated a frontal crash, triggering the deployment of the airbag.

The result was dramatic damage to the ice cream cone – but zero damage to Johnny, which was the whole point.

Why 73 percent of parents switch car seats too soon

According to a 2025 YouGov study conducted in Germany, 73 percent of parents switch their children to forward-facing seats with a five-point harness before two years of age.

Factors like limited legroom, travel motion sickness, and toddlers wanting to interact with parents often lead families to make the turn earlier than recommended, but that’s obviously a dangerous transition.

Recognizing that awareness alone does not always translate into behavioural change, child safety manufacturer CYBEX is tackling the issue through structural design solutions.

The German brand is introducing a system engineered to mitigate the risk at the product level.

Built to support up to seven years of travel, it evolves with the child and offers flexibility in travel direction without sacrificing safety.

How Cybex’s airbag technology adapts to real-world needs

Cybex has integrated airbag technology built directly into a car seat.

Part of the new Platinum S-Line system, the Anoris S Airbag is designed for children aged 15 months to approximately seven years and incorporates a full-body airbag within its impact shield.

In a frontal collision, the airbag deploys within milliseconds to support the child’s head, neck, and chest.

Internal test data indicates the mechanism offers up to 50 percent higher safety levels in forward-facing travel compared to conventional forward-facing harness seats.

How Cybex is addressing different needs for different ages

The Platinum S-Line (Cloud S, Anoris S Airbag, Sirona S, and Solution S) is CYBEX’s most versatile product family with a modular system that offers three-fold flexibility up to 7 years of age, along with the freedom to choose your child’s travel direction without sacrificing safety

Cloud S is an infant car seat usable to age 24 months and then there’s also Anoris S Airbag, which integrates airbag protection from 15 months onward.

Sirona S is the answer for extended rear-facing suitable up to 4.5 years of age, and Solution S, a high-back booster designed for children from age 3 to 12.