Silver Cross Motion 3 All Size 360 car seat review: a rotating car seat designed to last from birth to 12 years

Our verdict

Getting your child in and out of a car seat can be tricky at times, particularly when they’re still small or have decided they’d rather be anywhere else. With its 360-degree rotation feature, the latest Silver Cross Motion 3 is designed to make that daily task easier. Mum of two, Rebecca put it to the test with her six-month-old daughter to see how it performed in everyday life.

After four weeks of nursery runs, errands and longer journeys, the 360-degree rotation was the feature she noticed most. Being able to turn the seat towards the car door made getting her daughter in and out much easier, and Rebecca found she could rotate it with one hand when needed. Her daughter also regularly fell asleep in the seat, including on the journey to Centre Parcs, which suggests the seat was comfortable enough for longer trips.

The Silver Cross Motion 3 is a fixed car seat, meaning it’s designed to stay put in the car and can’t be used as part of a travel system – and, unlike an infant carrier, you can't lift out a sleeping baby and take them into the house. The good news, however, is that it’s designed to grow with your child from birth to around 12 years. Rebecca also tried it with her six-year-old daughter and found it straightforward to move from the five-point harness to using the car's seatbelt. She liked that the integrated ISOFIX base meant there wasn't a separate base to remove or keep track of.

There are some compromises, though. The Silver Cross Motion 3 is a fairly large car seat, and Rebecca found space was tight when using it rear-facing in her BMW 1 Series, particularly for the front passenger. Its width also meant that while two car seats could fit across the back, there was little room left for a passenger in the middle.

Overall, Rebecca was very pleased with the Silver Cross Motion 3, particularly its build quality, comfort and 360-degree rotation. As she puts it: “The 360-spin feature is its standout feature just making everyday parenting life easier, especially if you have a toddler who fights you to get them to sit in their car seat.” For families looking for one car seat to use through the different stages of childhood, it offers plenty of longevity, but its size is worth considering carefully before buying.

Rebecca found the five-point harness felt secure and reassuring, with thick padding and straps that stayed firmly in place once adjusted.

What’s the difference between the Silver Cross Motion 2 All Size 360 and the Silver Cross Motion 3 All Size 360 car seat?

If you're familiar with the Silver Cross Motion 2, the updated Silver Cross Motion 3 won't feel too different except for a few key upgrades. Both are R129/03-approved, all-stage car seats for children that rotate and are designed to take kids from birth up to around 12 years old, or 145cm.

The main updates relate to the price, fabrics and included accessories. The Silver Cross Motion 3 launched at around £30 less than the Motion 2's original launch price and comes with the Ultimate Comfort Kit as standard (which is also available to purchase separately). This includes an AirTech breathable summer liner, a window sunshade and an additional seatbelt comfort pad for use in high-back booster mode.

The fabrics have also been refreshed, combining bamboo, waffle jersey and fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. There are also some minor ergonomic updates designed to make the transition from the five-point harness to high-back booster mode a little easier.

Both the Silver Cross Motion 2 and Silver Cross Motion 3 share the same core features:

• 360-degree spin for easier loading and switching between rear-facing and forward-facing modes

• Integrated ISOFIX base with support leg

• Rear-facing use up to 105cm or 18kg (around four years old)

• Forward-facing use up to 145cm

• Silver Cross Always Active Side Protection System

• Hydro Protect reversible, machine-washable liner

How we tested the Silver Cross Motion 3 All Size 360 car seat

• Tested with a six-month-old baby for four weeks

• Used most days for school runs, errands and longer journeys

• Tested in both a BMW 1 Series and Nissan Navara

• Also tested with a six-year-old to assess the high-back booster stage

Rebecca used the Silver Cross Motion 3 as her main car seat for around four weeks, putting it through daily school runs and errands as well as longer journeys, including a family trip to Centre Parcs. Her daughter regularly slept in the seat during longer journeys.

She also tested it in two different cars. It fitted the Nissan Navara with ease, while space was much tighter in the BMW 1 Series, particularly for the front passenger. Rebecca also tried the seat with her six-year-old daughter to see how it worked as she moved into the high-back booster stage.

Everything included with the Silver Cross Motion 3, including the Ultimate Comfort Kit with its AirTech summer liner, window sunshade and seatbelt comfort pad for older children.

What’s in the box?

The Silver Cross Motion 3 comes with:

• The car seat with integrated ISOFIX base

• Hydro Protect liner

• Instruction manual

• List of compatible car makes and models, including which seating positions can be used

Ultimate Comfort Kit

New for the Silver Cross Motion 3, the Ultimate Comfort Kit is included as standard and contains:

• Breathable seasonal liner made with Airtech mesh  

• Window sunshade

• Seatbelt comfort pad for high-back booster mode

How easy is it to install?

The integrated ISOFIX base makes installation fairly straightforward. Rebecca explains: “The car seat is very easy to install, all you do is remove the protective cover, press the buttons on the side to extend the ISOFIX arms and click it into the car’s anchor points.”

The support leg then extends down to the vehicle floor, and Rebecca found the indicators helpful for checking that everything was correctly positioned and locked. “There are red and green indicators on the side arms to know if it is fitted correctly, also on the 360-spin lever to know that it’s been locked into position.”

The instruction booklet is clear, while simple reminders on the base itself provide useful prompts once you're familiar with the seat. One thing to note is that Rebecca recommends removing any floor mats before positioning the support leg, as it needs to sit directly on the car floor.

Available in either Iconic Black or Natural Taupe, the Silver Cross Motion 3 has a clean, modern look that should suit most car interiors.

How does the Silver Cross Motion 3 All Size 360 look?

Like other Silver Cross products, including its range of pushchairs and travel systems such as the Silver Cross Breez, the Silver Cross Motion 3 has a classic look with a choice of two neutral colours including Iconic Black and Natural Taupe. Rebecca liked the feel of the fabric and the amount of padding around the seat, describing it as good quality and durable.

“The car seat itself feels very durable and if looked after should definitely last as long as the car seat is designed to,” she says. The Silver Cross Motion 3 is also a substantial-looking seat, with its solid construction adding to the overall feel of the design.

What are the safety features like?

The Silver Cross Motion 3 is R129/03-approved and supports extended rear-facing up to 105cm or 18kg, which is around four years old. It has an integrated ISOFIX base and support leg, Always Active Side Protection and a five-point harness.

Rebecca liked how secure the seat felt once her six-month-old daughter was strapped in. “The car seat feels weighty and sturdy; it has side impact supports built into it, also a sturdy harness that feels lovely and secure around my daughter.” She also liked that the harness release button requires a firm push to release.

As your child grows, the Silver Cross Motion 3 converts into a high-back booster, using the car's seatbelt once they have outgrown the five-point harness. The internal harness can be stored away for this stage, while integrated belt guides help position the seatbelt across the child's shoulder and lap. The adjustable headrest can also be raised as your child gets taller, and the Always Active Side Protection system continues to provide side-impact protection.

Rebecca tested the booster stage with her six-year-old daughter and found the transition straightforward: “As it goes to 12 years, I tried it with my six-year-old daughter too. It is easy to transition the seat from the five- point harness to the car seatbelt.”

The Ultimate Comfort Kit also includes a padded seatbelt comfort pad for use in high-back booster mode. Red and green indicators on the ISOFIX arms and 360-degree swivel provide a visual check that the seat is correctly fitted and locked into position.

How adjustable is the Silver Cross Motion 3 All Size 360 car seat?

Rebecca found this seat to be very versatile for both children. The Silver Cross Motion three has three recline positions. All three can be used when rear-facing, but when Rebecca used it forward-facing, she found that only the most upright position was possible in her car because the back of the car seat was already sitting closely against the vehicle seat. The recline is adjusted using a lever underneath the seat.

“Any adjustments can also be made while your child is in the seat,” says Rebecca, which she found useful when making changes on the go. The harness runs smoothly when tightening, and Rebecca found it easy to adjust once her daughter was clipped in. The headrest can also be moved up or down using the handle at the top, allowing it to be adjusted as your child grows.

Rebecca also found the seat easy to move between positions, describing the rotation as smooth rather than jittery. She says it “can easily be done one handed while holding your child if needed.”

Rebecca also tested the Silver Cross Motion 3 with her six-year-old daughter, finding it easy to adapt from the five-point harness setup to high-back booster mode.

What’s it like to use day to day?

The Silver Cross Motion 3 is designed to stay secured in the car, with its integrated ISOFIX base and support leg remaining in place rather than being removed each time you use it. The seat then adapts as your child grows, from the newborn stage through to the high-back booster stage.

Rebecca also found the 360-degree spin a really useful feature for everyday trips with her daughter. Once her daughter was in, Rebecca found the harness comfortable and well padded, with the buckle clipping in easily. Tightening the straps was straightforward too, as she could simply pull the strap until it was secure. Releasing the harness was a little more fiddly, as you need to press the button underneath the pull cord while pulling the straps out.

The only real downside of having a fixed seat was when her daughter fell asleep in the car. Rebecca says she would have liked to avoid being “nap trapped” in the car while waiting for her to wake up, as there’s no option to lift the whole seat out and bring a sleeping child inside.

Rebecca also tried the Motion 3 with her six-year-old daughter, giving her a chance to test how the seat works further along the age range. She found the transition from the five-point harness to using the car's seatbelt straightforward, which adds to the practicality of having one seat that can be used through different stages.

How well does the Silver Cross Motion 3 All Size 360 fit in a car?

Rebecca tested the Silver Cross Motion 3 in both a BMW 1 Series and a Nissan Navara, and found that the amount of space available in the car made a noticeable difference. The Motion 3 can be used rear-facing for longer, up to around four years, so it's worth considering how much room you'll have in your particular car if you plan to make the most of its extended rear-facing capability.

In the BMW 1 Series, Rebecca found that the rear-facing position took up a fair amount of space in front of the seat. At 5ft 8, she found the front passenger space quite tight, particularly for legroom. The seat is also fairly wide, taking up the full rear seat and then some. Two car seats could fit across the back of the 1 Series, although this left little room for a passenger in the middle.

The fit was much easier in Rebecca's Nissan Navara, where the Motion 3 fitted with ease. This highlights the importance of checking the space available in your own car, particularly if you want to keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible.

Rebecca also found it straightforward to move the seat between cars when needed. You release both side ISOFIX arms and the downward arm, then lift the seat out.

How comfortable is it?

Very. Rebecca found the Silver Cross Motion 3 super comfy for her daughter, particularly on longer journeys. She regularly fell asleep in the seat and was happy to stay there for extended periods.

The removable padding (liner) can be taken out as your child grows, although Rebecca found her daughter was at a slightly awkward stage for this adjustment. With it removed, she sat deeper in the seat and was comfortable when awake, but Rebecca noticed that when she fell asleep, her head could fall forward and no longer sit back into the head support.

Temperature was another consideration during testing. Rebecca's daughter tends to get warm, and during warmer weather she noticed that she could become quite sweaty while sitting in the car seat. The included breathable seasonal liner (that comes with the Ultimate Comfort Kit) could be useful for babies who tend to get warm in the car.

Is the Silver Cross Motion 3 All Size 360 easy to clean?

Crumbs are bound to find their way into a car seat, and Rebecca found they tended to collect in the bottom of the Silver Cross Motion 3 where her daughter sits. Fortunately, she found them easy to hoover out.

For smaller marks and spills, a quick spot clean with a cloth was enough, and Rebecca found that the fabric held up well during testing. The removable padding can also be taken out as your child grows and put straight in the washing machine.

The seat also comes with removable liners, so unless it becomes heavily soiled, you shouldn't need to remove all the fabric and padding to give it a clean. This makes the more routine clean-ups fairly manageable without having to strip the whole seat down.

Adjustable from birth to around 12 years, the Silver Cross Motion 3 is designed to see your child through every stage in one car seat.

Is the Silver Cross Motion 3 All Size 360 good value for money?

Yes! When it comes to the Silver Cross Motion 3's lifespan, Rebecca points to the fact that you can use this car seat from birth through to around 12 years old. The 360-degree rotation was another feature she felt added value, particularly during the early years when children need more help getting in and out of the car. She says, “The 360-spin feature makes getting children in and out so much easier especially when they are smaller and unable to support themselves.” She did acknowledge that this is a feature not used as much as they get older.

She also felt the fact that the seat rotates is super useful, particularly when children are young and need more help getting in and out of the car. “The 360 feature makes getting children in and out so much easier especially when they are smaller and unable to support themselves.” She did note that this is “a feature not used as much as they get older.”

Longevity was another positive for Rebecca. “This car seat is well made and super comfortable for my children, so I think it will stand the test of time and continue to be used.”

Her main advice is to check the amount of space it leaves for the front passenger in your particular car, especially if you plan to use it rear-facing for longer. She also noted that it is a larger seat than the Cybex travel system she compared it with, although that seat only lasts until around four years.

About the author

Tammy Jacks has over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, holding key roles such as Managing Editor and Health & Beauty Editor for Woman & Home magazine in South Africa, and Assistant Editor for Living and Loving - a parenting title focused on children's health and development. She has also contributed to various lifestyle publications (including magazines, journals and newspapers) and edited books for fitness influencers and health professionals.

As a researcher and writer, Tammy specialises in children's development, wellbeing and safety, particularly focusing on car seats, having written extensive guides for Mumsnet on rear-facing car seats as well as car seat regulations in the UK.

Her expertise in this area is informed by both professional knowledge and personal experience as a mother. As a keen runner and cyclist Tammy has also reviewed numerous baby travel products with her daughter in tow, including strollers and pushchairs, child bike seats, all-terrain prams and the best running buggies on the market, thus offering valuable insights into safety, comfort, and convenience for families.