Made for the modern family on the go, the Doona car seat is a revolutionary product that has combined safety and convenience to give you a stroller and car seat in one. Perfect for those big-city adventures, the Doona car seat can switch between the two with just the click of a button, giving you a compact travel seat for your little one both inside and outside the car. Suitable from birth up to 13kg, it’s a great travel gadget for your newborn that’ll take them from A to B safe and sound.
This two-in-one system has been developed to provide a convenient travel system for today’s busy parents while maintaining comfort and safety for your young one. The big advantage is not having to buy a separate folding pushchair and car seat.
Sound too good to be true? We’ve broken down all the pros and cons of the Doona car seat and shared our verdict as to whether this is the right choice for you. See all the details below after a quick summary.
The best Doona car seat products at a glance:
Best seat/buggy combo: Doona Infant Car Seat – View on Amazon UK
Best for easy and convenient installation and removal: Doona Baby Car Seat ISOFIX Base – View on Amazon UK
Best combination system: Doona infant car seat bundle – View at the Doona shop
Shop the Doona car seat:
Best seat/buggy combo
Pros
- Easy to change from seat to buggy
- Uses hypoallergenic, breathable and washable fabrics that come in nine colours.
Cons
- Heavier than expected
Best for easy and convenient installation and removal
Pros
- Colour-coded safety indication
- Easy removal
Cons
- Only compatible with Doona Car Seat and Stroller
Best combination system
Pros
- Safe and convenient
- Easy-to-use system
Cons
- Not compatible with other systems
The Doona Car Seat in detail:
Pros:
Convertible
The biggest selling point of the Doona car seat is the fact it’s two-in-one, saving you the hassle of trying to store and juggle a separate stroller and car seat at the same time. Not only that, but it allows you to move your baby inside and outside the car without having to move them between travel systems – great if they’re finally napping, giving you some peace and quiet.
The Doona car seat is easy to convert, so you can seamlessly switch between the two in one simple motion, transforming from one to the other in seconds. This completely unique feature helps the Doona car seat stand out from the crowd.
Safety features
Being both a stroller and car seat, you may be concerned that it doesn’t tick all the safety boxes for both baby products. However, the Doona has been tested to meet European standards for car seats, strollers, and reclined cradles and is the only product that meets the quality and safety requirements for each. The company tested the Doona in more than a hundred crash tests and it continues to test in its in-house testing facility.
As a result, the Doona car seat is packed with safety features:
• Rear-facing only: The safest possible way of transporting your baby in the car.
• Five-point harness: Designed to direct impact forces into a child’s rigid parts and into the seat, a five-point harness protects the child’s abdomen area.
• Two-layer side impact protection: With a double wall structure, the Doona’s body is made of durable, impact-absorbing plastic for enhanced protection from side impact.
• Energy-absorbing foam: Alongside the double-wall structure, the wall has additional layers of EPS, foam, and textiles to absorb some of the impact forces that occur during a crash.
• Anti-rebound bar crash technology: Thanks to the unique nature of the Doona, the carry handle doubles as an anti-rebound bar that will absorb impact in the event of a collision.
• Baby-safe materials: As well as being breathable, the Doona’s materials are free of any hazardous chemicals, were tested for durability and quality, and approved under American and European standards.
• Ergonomic infant insert: This ensures the baby’s body is properly supported, ensuring the neck and back are ergonomically aligned.
• Fail-safe mechanisms: The Doona’s design and engineering teams developed multiple fail-safe mechanisms to prevent misuses such as unintentional folding.
Compact
Measuring 99 x 44 x 82cm when unfolded, the Doona has a compact build, making it ideal for navigating the big city, riding public transport, and whipping around a busy supermarket.
Weighing in at just 7.5kg, it’s lightweight for a stroller (though on the heavy side for a car seat) and easy to store. If it’s not in use, you can even buy a Doona Padded Travel Bag that’ll compactly store and protect your Doona with a backpack design for easy carrying on the move.
Easy to use
Anything that makes parenting easy deserves a gold medal, and the Doona is made to do just that. As well as being easy to convert between a stroller and car seat, it’s easy to take in and out of the car.
It’s easy to clean, too, in the case of spillages or little accidents with textiles that are removable and washable.
Check out this video to see how easy to whole process is:
Great for travel
If you’re a jet setter or have family that lives abroad, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Doona is airline-approved. The Doona car seat has been TUV and FAA aircraft certified and approved for travel, so your little one can sit safely throughout flights. Of course, it’s worth checking if it’s permitted with your chosen flight company, but this is a massive plus for avid travellers.
Design
We know looks aren’t everything, but the design of the Doona wins serious style points. It has a sleek charcoal frame, an all-black seat cover, and a choice of stylish canopy colour options for fashion-conscious parents; Blush Pink, Flame Red, Racing Green, Royal Blue, Urban Grey, Nitro Black, Desert Green, Storm Grey, Midnight, and Gold. It’s no surprise it’s become a favourite with celebrities and us regular folks alike.
It also comes with available accessories, including a rain cover, sunshade extension, sun and insect protection, winter cover, footmuff, and more. Each makes the design more versatile and comfortable for your baby in all seasons.
Good for newborns
The Doona Infant Car Seat is a Group 0+ rear-facing car seat, which makes it suitable from birth up to 13kg, approximately 15 months old, and is packed with all the suitable safety features for that age group. The Doona is also good for premature babies, supporting them even if they weigh as little as four pounds.
Cons:
Safety concerns
Like all infant car seats, the Doona is not intended for your baby to be in all day and would, therefore, not be recommended for long walks or trips in the stroller. There are safety concerns over the extended use of car seats, and according to the Lullaby Trust, “infant healthcare professionals, safety experts and most car manufacturers recommend that babies should not be in a car seat for longer than 2 hours at a time and they should be taken out frequently.”
It’s also been reported that leaving your baby in an upright position in a car seat for long periods of time could risk breathing difficulties and an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
So, whilst the Doona is super handy for travel and quick trips out, it’s not recommended as your baby’s all-day, everyday stroller.
Short term use
Compared to some other car seats and strollers on the market, the Doona has a limited lifespan as it can only be used until your baby is approximately 15 months. As a result, you may find it a bit pricey as a short-term travel solution for your baby.
Stroller drawbacks
As the Doona is primarily a car seat, there are a few features missing from the Doona car seat that you may have found useful in a stroller. For starters, it doesn’t have any recline options available, and it lacking in storage. You can buy a snap-on storage accessory to add to your stroller, but this will come at an extra cost.
You might also find that the build of the stroller doesn’t suit you. The handlebar height for the Doona is 99cm from the ground which might not be the most comfortable for taller parents.
Not ISOFIX compatible
The Doona alone is not ISOFIX compatible and so would need to be installed using the seat belt instead.
ISOFIX is a valuable feature to have in a car seat as it’s quick and easy to fit and safer as it is ‘locked’ into your car’s ISOFIX anchor points. If you do want ISOFIX as an option, you’ll need to buy the Doona Isofix Base separately (RRP £139.99 but you can save £10 when bought in the bundle).
Here’s a video to show you how the convertor works:
Our verdict:
The Doona car seat is a great mobility option for travel and city living, with a stylish and innovative design that makes parenting on the move a whole lot easier. It’s quite expensive for short-term use, but it’s a worthy investment if you’re after a travel system that can free up space in your boot and be easy to move around in and out of the car.
While it’s designed to be safe, we would recommend using the Doona primarily as a car seat. You should buy an alternative everyday stroller for typical use day to day due to the safety concerns around children remaining in car seats for long periods of time.
Eleanor Weaver is the Deputy Homes & Garden Product Editor for A Modern Kitchen, Modern Gardens, Yours, and Take A Break Pets, writing for us here at Parkers.
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