Non-isofix lie flat car seat compatible with bugaboo chameleon

[CatCaretaker]

Hello,

I'm looking for some guidance if anyone can help.

We've been offered a Bugaboo Chameleon pram second hand, and are looking for a lie flat car seat that may be compatible, that is also compatible with a non-isofix base.

I'm finding the whole thing very confusing. Are most car seats compatible with any pram base, as long as you have the appropriate adapter?

Are all car seat bases compatible with cars that don't have isofix?

Would any have any guidance or suggestions on systems to get?

Baby due in December 🙂 (and no, we can't buy a new car!).

The maxi cosi pebble 360 pro and the cybex cloud t are your best bets for lie flat car seats. Though the cybex cloud t is only lie flat on a buggy and when used in a car with a seatbelt (instead of isofix) isn't particularly flat. I can't speak about the pebble as I have the cybex, so know about it, but not as much. I debated between those seats quite a lot. The maxi cosi pebble series, don't all lie flat, so check the right model.
The issue that my quick google indicates the chameleon is rather old and may not have been tested on the newer seats. But just because it hasn't been tested doesn't mean it won't work.
Also both of these seats are good, and compatible with most pushchairs.

@negomi90 thank you! So it looks like both of those bases are only compatible with isofix, so if we went with one of them they would just be standalone, couldn't be used with an easy click in/out car seat base?

They can both be used with seatbelts. Or their isofix. Most easy click/out styles are isofix and they need specific bases.
If you don't have isofix in your car, just plan on using the seatbelt.

I don't think any of the true lie flat car seats are compatible with no isofix (I've just bought one myself). And because of the design they don't fit on normal adapters, so the Maxi Cosi Jade won't fit on Bugaboo Maxi Cosi adapter, but does fit on a couple of Maxi Cosi brand prams. Their website tells you which.

The lie flat cat seats are great for long journeys but are outgrown quite quickly.

There are very few seatbelt fitted bases on the market any more. Isofix has been required in new cars since 2013 and available in most of them since the mid 00s so it's just a less common want for consumers. It used to be belt fitted bases were more common.

As others have said, most car seats have the option to fit with a seatbelt without using a base at all. So at least you have this option.

I don't think any of the lie flat type ones have belt fitted base options - I will go and have a look in a minute. But in any case most of the "lie flat" is more of a gimmick than useful anyway.

Pram compatibility is fairly widespread as the market has gone that way - so all the popular brands of pram typically have these "universal" or "multi-brand" adapters and then all the popular brands of car seat make their car seats compatible with those. While each model of pushchair will have a very narrow-looking list on the website for car seat compatability, that's not usually a complete list, it's just whatever car seat models that company has in their factory/testing lab. In reality the list is much wider. From memory the brands which go onto the Bugaboo Maxi Cosi adapters are Maxi Cosi, Cybex, Besafe, Joie (not Juva), Britax (current models not older ones), Avionaut, Recaro.

OTOH base and car seat compatibility is much stricter - usually one base fits one brand, and it's not uncommon for brands to have specific bases for specific seats as well and they aren't cross compatible. So you need to make sure you have the right base + seat combination.

Also, if you are fitting the car seat with seatbelt, it would be well worth making an appointment at a local car seat or nursery goods shop and testing different car seats in your car. There are various possible fit issues which happen with seatbelt which just aren't there in isofix (belt too short, belt buckle too long, belt buckle too far forward) and you want to be sure the seat will fit your car rather than buying it online and then having a hard time returning if it doesn't.

This is the only current belt fitted base I could find which work with Bugaboo universal adapters - none of them are lie-flat types:

Joie i-Base 2 - with Joie i-Snug 2 or i-Gemm 2

Graco SnugLite with SnugLite base is confusing - it looks like it has a belt path and belt lock off for the base, but the instructions and video only show the isofix installation. However it does look like this car seat uses the "universal" type pram adapters, which is new for Graco. You could send them a message and ask. Again not lie flat.

Some discontinued ones which you might still find stock of (but you'll struggle) - again not lie flat.

Maxi Cosi Easybase - with Cabriofix R44 (NOT Cabriofix i-size).

Cybex Aton Base 2, or Base 2-Fix - with Aton, Aton Q, or Aton 5 - but NOT other Aton seats e.g. B2, S2, G.

Then I found this lie-flat seat which has a belt fitted base option, but it doesn't work with Bugaboo pram adapters:
Bébécar Easymaxi LF

And you might also want to look at this which doesn't have a belt fitted base but does have a lie flat belt fitted option, though again isn't compatible with Bugaboo prams.
Jané Matrix Light 2

Out of the "standard" lie flat types these are the ones which can be reclined in the car when fitted using seatbelt (no base):

Cybex Cloud T (up to first recline level, not second)
Britax Babysafe 5Z2

So much great advice, thank you everyone. Does look like I'll need to give up on the lie-flat.

Honestly, I had the Maxi Cosi Jade for my first child, and I've bought it again for the next. It was very useful in our specific circumstances of long drives with a very small newborn + suitable for overnight sleep.

But otherwise, it takes up 1.5 seats in the back of the car at least, it doesn't fit on any of the major pram brands 'universal adapters' because it is a completely different width, and it is outgrown in 3 to 4 months.

For me, this was still the cheaper and better option than other modes of travel but I will use a 'normal' shaped car seat where possible just for convenience.

The only other option I looked at is the new B Safe Go Beyond which apparently lies flat during car rides and can be fitted with isofix or a seat belt. I never managed to find one to look at in real life though!

@CatCaretaker hello, did you find out whether the bugaboo Cameleon is compatible with the maxi cosi pebble 360? I have an old bugaboo, but need to buy a new car seat

I never did, but I gave up because we got a new car, that had isofix, and a Yoyo, which is compatible with the Pebble 360. We keep the Yoyo permanently in the car and the donated Chameleon at home.

If you have or buy the Maxi Cosi type adapters for the Cameleon, they work with modern Maxi Cosi seats as well

Since you are looking to buy the seat new, the Pebble 360 is fine, but personally if I was shopping it's not what I would pick - it doesn't last as long as some of the other lie-flat type seats and it's expensive unless you can find a super deal.

Actually - I just came back to edit and say there is a really good deal at John Lewis currently, £349 for the Pebble 360 + Pearl 360 + base. This is worth it, but I'll leave the rest of the post up in case you wanted to look at some others too.

The Pearl seats which go onto the same base also don't last as long as other next-stage seats as they have a low weight limit of 17kg.

All the following also fit onto the Maxi-Cosi type adapters.

Cybex Cloud G is similar and cheaper, with a lie flat function and rotating base. This is one of the longest lasting infant car seats on the market.

Avionaut Pixel / Cosmo also have the rotating base and their inserts/positioning for newborns are unbeatable.

The Britax i-Sense baby carriers also have some good deals at the moment with the lie flat and rotate features. (Britax used to have different adapters, but they now use the Maxi Cosi type as well.)

Besafe Go Beyond is also well worth looking at - it's slightly more expensive than the Maxi Cosi, and still doesn't last as long but it's the only one where the next stage seat lasts up to ~6 years rather than 3-4 years.

If you like Maxi Cosi there are also some bundles with the Cabriofix i-size and base for about £200 all together which is a good price, although you of course then don't get the recline or the rotate feature.