Without a doubt, 360 car seats offer the best access to your child in the seat. Basically, you can turn them towards the car door to lower your child into or get your child out of the car seat. This is a massive advantage when you’re child is sleeping, as it makes for a much smoother transition.
They also allow you to turn your child from forward-facing to reward-facing. It is recommended that your child should be rearward facing up until they are four years old. However, we know that that’s not always possible; your child’s size and wants may limit this. Having the option to spin them around if they’re asleep or if you’re on a long journey is a great trick to have up your parenting sleeve.
While a rotating car seat will cost more than a standard baby seat, they offer unparalleled ease of use and versatility. Choose wisely and it may be the only car seat you’ll need. If you’re after a new 360 car seat, we’ve found the best examples, with help from the experts at Mother&Baby.
The best 360 car seats at a glance:
Editor’s pick: Joie Baby i-Spin 360 – Buy now from John Lewis
Best 360 car seat for comfort: Maxi-Cosi Pearl 360 i-Size Infant Car Seat – Buy now from John Lewis
Best 360 seat for babies: Graco Turn2Me – Buy now from Amazon
The best 360 car seats in more detail
Editor's pick
It's also packed with safety features, including side impact protection, ISOFIX, and adjustable cushions that also serve to increase comfort levels. The six reclining positions are a nice feature, as is the detachable cover for easy cleaning.
Read the full Joie Baby i-Spin 360 review on our sister site, Mother&Baby.
Pros
- Fantastic safety measures
- Simple to keep clean
Cons
- Quite heavy
Best 360 car seat for comfort
The FamilyFix 360 base is sold separately however, but the smooth rotation offered by this device really is unbeatable. It's suitable from birth up to four years of age, with a removable inlay included for smaller babies that then can be scooped out when needed.
Read the full Maxi-Cosi Pearl 360 review on our sister site, Mother&Baby.
Pros
- Plenty of tech in it
- Very safe and secure
Cons
- Bulky base
Best 360 car seat on a budget
Connecting to your car with ISOFIX as your child grows, it will stay connected via ISOFIX, and when they’re old enough, the five-point safety harness can be removed, and you can use the car’s three-point seatbelt to keep them secured in place.
Pros
- For all stages of growth
- Easy to install
Cons
- Bulky
Best 360 car seat for babies
Read the full Graco Turn2Me review on our sister site, Mother&Baby.
Pros
- Simple to adjust
- Perfect for babies
Cons
- Suitable for up to four years old
What to look for in 360 car seats
What to look out for?
Most of these models, if not all of them, will have ISOFIX. Many of them will be from birth, right up to when they no longer need car seats, but once they start moving into the group 2/3 category, their 360 ability becomes redundant, and most do not spin at this point.
This isn’t too much of a worry because once you reach around three years of age (or 15kg, when your child will move into Group 2/3), your little one will be well-versed in climbing all over your car.
- Look for a seat that will recline when forward and rearward facing; this will be super helpful if the little one drifts off to sleep in the car. When they fall asleep, their heads may wobble about a lot more, so if you can recline the seat, this will help them to relax and not wake up with a stiff neck.
- Good ventilation would be a bonus; cars tend to get quite warm for kids; they’re strapped into these big comfy seats in their clothes. Something that breaths well would help keep your child comfortable.
- Is it future-proof and how long will this seat last? They’re expensive things, and it’s about getting value for your money. Indeed, if you’re thinking of having a second child, can it be handed down to their younger sibling once they grow out of this seat? It is safe to do this with car seats providing they haven’t been in an accident. However, we wouldn’t recommend waiting twelve years to hand it down – it might be time to get a new one at that point.
Car Seat Groups
Car seats are separated into different groups for your child’s age, height, and weight. These three things are important parameters because it’s how you define if your child moves up a group. Weight, not age, is probably the most important because the child’s weight can affect the usefulness of a car seat.
The four groups are defined as such:
• Group 0 – suitable from birth to 10kg (around 12 months) – these are usually lie-flat carrycot options that combine with a buggy or pushchair chassis to form a travel system
• Group 0+ – suitable from birth to 13kg (around 18 months-2 years) – these can usually combine with a buggy to form a travel system and are also known as infant carriers
• Group 0+/1 – suitable from birth to 18kg (around 4-5 years)
• Group 0+/1/2/3 – suitable from birth to 36kg or 135cm tall (about 12 years)
What are the rules around car seats?
All children until they reach the ripe old age of 12 or get to 135cm tall, whichever comes first.
What is ISOFIX?
In your research, ISOFIX car seats will probably have sprung up at some point.
ISOFIX stands for International Standard Organisation Fix, possibly the best and safest way to ensure your car seat is secured. They’re effectively anchor points on your car’s internal shell, meaning when connected, the base of the child seat is attached to the vehicle rather than held in place by a seatbelt.
It became common to see these anchor points in cars released after November 2012, but not an industry standard. Since November 2014, all new vehicles are legally required to have ISOFIX fitted.
How do I know if my car has ISOFIX?
Happily, ISOFIX on modern cars is easy to find and access; they’re generally under covers on the back seats with a logo that looks like a person sitting in a seat.
Myles Warwood is an Autos Products Writer for both Parkers and CAR, specialising in child seats and e-bikes. In his spare time, he’s a freelance cycling journalist and dog owner.
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