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Over the past few years, the United States has seen an increase in the number of “spinning” or rotating car seats. They have been available in Europe for some time, and now Americans can finally take advantage of those designs. In the United States, Cybex was the first manufacturer to introduce a rotating car seat, and the majority of major brands quickly followed suit.
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What You Need to Know About Best Rotating Car Seats
Because they spin on the base, rotating car seats make it much simpler for parents to get their young children into and out of the vehicle. They are convertible and suitable for children from late toddlerhood. The car seat’s base is stable and unmoving, but the seat itself is slightly bowl-shaped at the bottom and runs on a track on the base, turning either 180 or 360 degrees. This is how they work:
- The car seat is secured to the base via the latch system in your vehicle.
- A slide-like mechanism secures it in the forward- or rear-facing position by clocking in at the back.
There are best rotating car seats made by the majority of major brands, and some, like Cybex, have more than one. However, we’ve only included the best rotating car seats on this list. Let’s take a look!
Top 5 Best Rotating Car Seats
1. Maxi-Cosi Emme 360 ($500)
This is the best rotating car seat in the entire list as it helps your child when they’ll require a booster seat. You can’t pivot it by then, however, the additional worth is great, particularly considering that this car seat costs around $500.
- This Emme 360 is huge, and it’s very weighty at almost 30 pounds.
- However, thankfully, installation is simple.
- Using the magnetic chest clip and the QuickFit 10-position shoulder harness you can get your baby into and out of the seat. No more grappling with the arm lashes.
- Additionally, once they are inserted, the red/green indicator indicates whether the harness is securely fastened.
- The PureCosi fabric and padding, which can be machine washed, are made without wool or fire-resistant treatment and rely on a tight weave to keep them safe.
- The foam is designed to withstand side-impact impacts and does not feel rigid or uncomfortable in comparison to other car seats.
- The base never gets gunked up, and the machine-washable, dryer-safe textures are not difficult to take apart and clean.
- The cup holders are likewise dishwasher-safe.
The box is too heavy for some to be carried around. Also, getting the adjustability right takes some fiddling, but once you learn, it becomes second nature.
2. Cybex Sirona S SensorSafe ($550)
The greatest fear that many parents have is that their overworked minds will forget that their child is still in their car seat when they leave the vehicle, resulting in the unthinkable.
- Because the chest clip on the Sirona 360 is “smart,” it can connect to an app and set an alarm on your phone to alert you if your child has opened the clip while the car is moving or if they are still in the car.
- This car seat has a load leg stabilizer for additional support and can rotate 360 degrees.
Other features of Sirona’s laundry list include
- A single installation of the vehicle belt for both forward-facing and rear-facing modes
- 12 places of lean back
- A harness with 12 positions
- Indicators at two levels
- A latch system that is easy to use and understand
The fact that this is a spot-clean-only seat and that the base and load leg can get pretty sticky due to their position makes it not the overall best rotating car seat. Even though the one-handed turning mechanism is the smoothest on the market, you may find it to be a little bulky and take up a lot of space in the backseat.
3. Graco Turn2Me ($450)
This is yet another best rotating car seat just like the Maxi Cosi Emme that can also be used as a high-seat booster for older children. This car seat stands out because Graco is known for making high-quality seats at lower prices.
- Graco’s simple latch system makes it easy to install in under a minute.
- The seat has been tested to both American and European standards and features a headrest with a 10-position, no-rethread harness.
- Additionally, the cushioning is among the best we’ve on this list.
Getting the machine-launderable cover off of the seat may not be as natural as it ought to be. It is also not dryer-protected the plastic around the cupholders gets gross, and is difficult to clean.
Amazon Reviews
We’ve had this seat for almost 2 months. No complaints. I am short mom so love that I can turn the seat to put baby in, instead of lifting baby up to my chin up over a seat.
I did see a reviewer on here saying you have to push the buttons on both sides of the seat to turn it. that isn’t correct.
You only need to push in the buttons on one side. I can do it with one hand while holding my baby in my other arm.
For more product reviews visit Amazon
4. The Baby Jogger City Turn ($550)
This is a rotating convertible car seat that is the coolest of the bunch. Baby Jogger refers to the lightweight Coolmax as a wicking fabric that lets the seat breathe in a way that many technical fabrics do not.
- The City Turn is huge, there’s no question about that. However, one advantage of that size is that the car seat brings the infant 10 inches closer to you when spun.
- This only rotates 180 degrees, unlike others, so you can’t take your baby out from the other side of the car.
- The 10-position headrest and bridle are easy to work, and shockingly, a few sorcery on them makes them impervious to vomit, which usually sticks to the safety belt like glue.
- The cool belt tensioner makes belt introduces significantly simpler – however, the hook is comparably simple assuming you have that in your vehicle.
- The sliding turn is smooth and simple, and the entire thing is very stable.
- The proximity of your child to you in this seat was a particular favorite part.
First of all, while the straps appear to be magical, the fabrics cannot be cleaned. For many parents, the only option is to spot-clean them. Additionally, the seat is extremely large, requiring a significant amount of space to fit perfectly.
Amazon Reviews
I spent countless hours researching rotating car seats. None of them seemed perfect to me. I wanted a car seat that has a high weight limit and can rotate in both forward and rear-facing positions. I tried the City Turn and the Evenflo Gold in my car, and while the Evenflo does have a high weight limit and rotates in both positions, I didn’t like that the seat felt a bit wobbly (though I’m sure it’s safe, having passed the safety tests) and the seat seemed to slant up quite steeply, which made my kiddo look like he was seated with his butt pretty low, legs sticking up at a sharp angle. Although the City Turn does not rotate when in the forward-facing position, the materials and overall build felt like higher quality to me, and I decided to let go of the forward-facing rotation capability. I imagine that by the time I turn my kiddo forward-facing, he’ll be able to climb in himself, and all I’ll have to do is tighten the belt.
All that said, I am extremely pleased with the City Turn. I have recurring back problems and the rotation makes getting him in/out of the car nearly pain-free. The seat is cushy and he looks comfy in there. The belt tightens smoothly. The install was relatively straightforward after I watched a video. If you’re considering a best rotating car seat, do it!
For more product reviews visit Amazon
5. Nuna Revv ($650)
This list of the best rotating car seats couldn’t stop raving about the Nuna Revv Rotating Convertible Car Seat.
- It has a tank-like feel and is made of high-quality materials.
- You can use the spinning mechanism even while holding another baby and your keys.
The Revv needs to feel like a tank at that price, and the fabrics need to feel amazing. Thus, like the majority of Nuna products, every penny feels worthwhile.
- It has a 10-position bridle and headrest, a simple to-change fit tie, and more than adequate pads.
- Since the seat locks when it stops in a rear- or forward-facing position, it doesn’t need a leveling indicator.
- Although the initial installation is a little trickier than others, the seat feels grounded and stable once it is in place.
- Like others on this rundown, the Revv is fire-resistant.
- However, unlike others, its merino wool keeps it very breathable.
- We simply adore the Nuna’s magnetic buckle holders, which keep the buckles out of the way when putting the baby in the seat. This may not seem like a big deal, but it is.
Although Nuna claims that installation is simple, the latch buckles are difficult to open, and the initial setup is also a little challenging. Here are 8 reasons why a Nuna car seat could be the best choice for your baby!
The Bottom Line: Best Rotating Car Seat?
These car seats are unquestionably innovative, useful, and convenient. Anyone who has attempted to place a baby in a car seat when the child decided to plank can appreciate the value of these. However, that does not mean they are flawless. There are a couple of issues that could mean these vehicle seats are not ideal for your loved ones.
- First: They occupy a ton of room. They’re never going to be a model that you can fit three across, similar to something from Clek. They make the center seat of seat practically unusable except if the individual is tiny and gets out before the child and after the child is secured.
- One more staying point for a ton of families is that these seats are difficult to fit in certain vehicles, or in vehicles where the front or center line seat is near the column where the seat is introduced. It does not affect safety, but it may begin to damage the seat’s corner.
- When used in the rear-facing position, these also have lower weight and height limits than standard car seats. This is an automatic no for some parents.
- Additionally, rotating car seats are more expensive than conventional fixed-position ones. Two of the rotating car seats on this list cost less than $500, but the majority of them cost more than $500.
When shopping for a car seat, there are a few important things to think about: the dimensions of the seat, the weight, height, and care requirements, as well as the design of the leveling indicator.
- Seat dimension: Can it fit in your vehicle? Look at the dimensions of these car seats and add a few inches to each side except the side closest to the door to see if it fits in their space. The top does protrude, which could either clip your seat or simply not fit in the space.
- Weight and height restrictions: Give close attention to these, particularly on the off chance that your children are on the taller or heavier side.
- How to keep it clean: Is the cover machine-washable or can only be spot cleaned? Is it simple to clean the base? It can feel like a full-time job to clean up after children because they are wonderful but gross little people.
- Indicator of leveling: The rotating car seats rely heavily on this component to function properly. This is the indicator that lets you know if the seat is secure and ready to drive. Some are bead indicators, while others, like the Nuna, don’t have any because the connection is always there.
