Fiat 500 - Help!

[Dreams2727]

Hey there! I have a 14 month old and I'm looking to upgrade from the Cybex cloud.

I have a Fiat 500, which has isofix.

I'm looking for something that has an isofix base and has a 360 spin as the 3 door small car thing is a touch nightmarish. Looking for stage 1 as I've read that multi stage seats aren't as good.

I find car seats an absolute pain / minefield and I want to cry every time I start looking. Please help point me in the right direction

Hi,
Unfortunately I don’t think a 360 will work well for you in a small car. They’re often big and bulky, and there’s a high chance you won’t be able to spin the seat due to lack of space around the seat. They’re also outgrown quickly, especially if you have a child who sits above the 50th centile for height/weight.
Is there a particular reason that you’d like an isofix seat? They are no safer than a correctly fitted belted/tethered seat, which will also have a higher weight limit and so be longer lasting.
At 14 months I assume you’d like to continue rear facing? If so, an ERF seat will be more compact than a 360 and offer you more longevity.
I’d recommend visiting your local independent retailer where you could try some options in your car and work out which is best for you.

As PP, you'll really struggle with a 360 seat I would think, they are so big!

I don't think it's a given that a 360 seat won't fit, even though it's a small car. If you go to somewhere like John Lewis, or even better an independent nursery specialist (Look on e.g. Britax/Cybex/Joie website for stockists and pick the nearest one that isn't a chain), you can try out some models and see if any of them work.

You want to check position of the button to spin the seat and check whether it will spin with the back of the seat facing the outer edge of the car.

Another option is to get a belt fitted ERF type seat, like Axkid Move, and fit it in the front with airbag disabled? It means you will need to let any extra passengers into the back via driver's side. But it could work and be more practical.

Or, keep baby in infant carrier as long as humanly possible - some of them can be used up to about age 2 - and then change to forward facing (e.g. Maxi Cosi Titan Pro). But this would be a less safe solution so not really preferred.