What is a 360 spin car seat?
A 360-degree car seat is a car seat that swivels or rotates a full 360 degrees. A 360 spin car seat allows you to turn the seat towards the door before clicking back into your chosen direction of travel - rear or forward facing.
What are the benefits of using a 360 spin car seat?
The main benefits of a 360 car seat are accessibility. The swivel nature of the seat means it can be turned towards the door, making getting your child in and out of the seat a breeze - you won't have to stretch or place strain on your back. If you have mobility issues or are recovering from a c-section - this feature can be especially useful.
Unlike 90 or 180-degree swivel seats, 360 car seats allow parents to choose between forward-facing and rearward-facing seating positions, rotating the entire unit in a few simple steps without needing to unclip or reinstall the seat.
Is a front-facing or a rear-facing car seat safer?
In the UK, the law requires that your baby must be in a rear-facing car seat until they’re at least 15 months old. Having your child rearward facing for as long as possible (until around four years old) is recommended as it offers greater protection in the event of an accident, particularly for your child’s head, neck and spine.
Read next: Car seat regulations in the UK
How to choose the best 360 spin car seat
What age is it suitable for? Most 360 car seats are suitable from birth, but some require newborn inserts (sold separately) or are only suitable for older babies (4 months plus). Check the age specifications carefully before you buy to ensure they meet your needs.
Is it travel system compliant? Due to their weight and size, very few 360 car seats are travel system compliant (with the exception of the Maxi Cosi Pebble 360). Consider what’s more important to you - taking the car seat out of the car or being able to get them in and out easily as required.
How long can your baby be rearward facing? If you intend to keep your child rearward facing for as long as possible, check the full specifications of each seat. Some 360 car seats, such as the Maxi Cosi Axiss Fix Plus can only be used rearward facing until two years, which may not meet your needs.
Is the base included? Most 360 car seats include the base and seat as one entire unit, but some have separate ISOFIX bases which you’ll need to factor into your purchase.
How easy is it to rotate? How does the seat rotate? Does it have panels or levels on the side or at the front? Front panels are often easier to operate, but the more simple the mechanism the better.
How easy is it to install? Does the car seat have an ISOFIX base and are there colour indicators for peace of mind?
How big is it? If you intend to move the seat between cars, or have a particularly small vehicle, it’s worth checking the size. 360 car seats tend to be larger and heavier than their fixed-seat counterparts.
What’s the best 360 spin car seat to buy?
When it comes to the best 360 car seat, Mumsnet users really rate both the Joie 360 i-Spin and the Britax Romer Dualfix. It’s hard to separate the two, but with a slightly cheaper price tag and a less complex install, the Joie i-Spin 360 gets our vote as the best 360 car seat you can buy today.
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About the authors
Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, as well as several other online publications including US parenting site Pregistry and the Evening Standard, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of baby products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help parents make confident purchases that benefit their families.
Lucy has personal experience of researching, buying and using car seats with her own children, including the first car seats compatible with her travel system to 360-degree swivel seats and the multi-stage car seats that her children, aged six and 10, still use today.
Laura Westerman is an editor, writer, Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet and mum to a three-year-old. With a passion for car seat safety, she has created trusted car seat buying advice for Mumsnet for the last eight years, working with experts and testers to bring parents the most up-to-date car seat guidance and product recommendations.