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Joie iSpin 360 compatible Citigo

13 replies

Harrison27 · 31/05/2025 19:35

Hi all,

I've just bought a Joie iSpin 360 for my Skoda Citigo 63 (2013) reg. This is to do nursery drop offs for my 12 month old and my wife will do pick ups in our bigger car.

It says compatible with isofix and the last in the shop assured me as long as isofix is fitted, it will be fine. However, looking at the Joie website it seems to suggest the iSpin isn't compatible with the Citigo. Does anyone know if this the case and if so, why?

I don't want to open it up if I'm going to need to return it for the Joie 360 spin or similar.

Thanks in advance!

OP posts:
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BertieBotts · 31/05/2025 20:06

If your car is manufactured after February 2013 you likely have i-size seating positions in your car - do you have little labels on the back seats showing a small "i" and child seat symbol? The manual should also identify these.

If so you don't need to check any fit lists as i-size seats (which Joie i-Spin is) are automatically compatible.

But also, fit lists are never set in stone. If the seat can be fitted without issue then it's fine, it doesn't matter what the fit list says.

BertieBotts · 31/05/2025 20:12

OK, after some investigation apparently the Citigo doesn't have i-size positions (and having been in a Volkswagen Up! I understand why Grin)

But Honest John has it listed as fitting:

https://kit.honestjohn.co.uk/car-seat-chooser/skoda/citigo-2012/joie-i-spin-360/

Skoda Citigo (2012 - 2019) - Car Seat Chooser | Honest John

https://kit.honestjohn.co.uk/car-seat-chooser/skoda/citigo-2012/joie-i-spin-360

Harrison27 · 31/05/2025 20:24

I saw honest John had it as compatible
.. I should also point out that it is compatible according to the fit list of it is forward facing, just not rear.

OP posts:
FamilyAreEverything · 31/05/2025 20:27

Does it physically fit? My understanding is that this seat is pretty bulky and I imagine that the Citigo is quite tight for space in the rear cabin. Do you have isofix in the front and can you turn off the passenger seat airbag?

Harrison27 · 31/05/2025 20:29

FamilyAreEverything · 31/05/2025 20:27

Does it physically fit? My understanding is that this seat is pretty bulky and I imagine that the Citigo is quite tight for space in the rear cabin. Do you have isofix in the front and can you turn off the passenger seat airbag?

I'm not too sure if I'm honest as I don't want to open the box if I need to return it. Maybe I need to go back to the retailer on the Citigo to see (I went in the bigger car as had baby with me.

OP posts:
MikeRafone · 31/05/2025 20:30

I had a 360 Joie car seat from my neighbour and could fit it in my seat Mii - 2014

it was tight but I have the I fix

I'm not sure what model car seat other than it was a 360 joie

we managed to get 2 cars seats in the back and a buggaboo donkey double pram in the boot

BertieBotts · 31/05/2025 20:38

Go back to the retailer and ask if you can return the seat if it doesn't fit in the car. I believe you have 14 days to return items under the distance selling act if bought online but it will be easier if you clarify their policy first.

Or it's a bit cheeky, but go somewhere like Halfords, ask for a fit check with their display model and then say you don't want to actually buy the seat today but you'll talk to your partner and come back.

Did you manage to fit a baby seat in there? The Joie 360 Spin and the i-Spin take up the same amount of space on the fullest recline as a Cybex Aton infant carrier (which is an average sized seat) on the base. When it's RF but less reclined, it takes up less room. We had it in a Suzuki Swift and didn't need the front seat all the way forward.

If you know the Joie 360 Spin fits, the i-Spin will fit. They are the exact same size. The i-Spin does have one extra level of recline which might add maybe 1cm to the depth but you can also just not use that recline setting.

BertieBotts · 31/05/2025 20:42

Oh or if you bought from a brick and mortar store - then I would drive it back there and ask if you can do a fit check with their display model before opening the box.

The Joie 360 Spin / i-Spin are no bulkier than other spin seats. They are actually one of the most compact, or used to be (I might be out of date now). It's due to the lack of rebound bar.

Harrison27 · 01/06/2025 07:26

BertieBotts · 31/05/2025 20:42

Oh or if you bought from a brick and mortar store - then I would drive it back there and ask if you can do a fit check with their display model before opening the box.

The Joie 360 Spin / i-Spin are no bulkier than other spin seats. They are actually one of the most compact, or used to be (I might be out of date now). It's due to the lack of rebound bar.

Could it be that the car is of an age it's only registered for the old regulations? I noticed that the car seats recently have met both the r129 and 44 standards. This one seems to meet only the r129 moving away from the 44??

I may be reading too much into it but from what people are saying it's about whether it fits more than anything else? I don't want to compromise safety is obviously the main concern.

OP posts:
nannyvodka · 01/06/2025 08:24

Hello. I have a Skoda Citigo 19 plate and have the graco turn to me car seat. It’s a tight fit having the passenger front seat very forward but it does fit facing rear and forwards in the back. Thought that may help if you have to take the joie car seat back.

BertieBotts · 01/06/2025 20:03

R44 is an older standard dating from the 80s although the most up to date version of it was 2008 IIRC. R129 is a newer standard which was rolled out in three phases between 2013-2018.

There are no car seats which meet both R129 and R44 standards - you might be thinking of the quasi "dual-approval" which some infant carriers had if they were released roughly between 2015-2017, because R129 rolled out in three phases and for the first phase, only isofix seats could be approved, while belt fitted seats could only be approved under R44.

That posed a problem for infant carriers which are only isofix fitted when combined with a base. A lot of parents like the functionality to be able to seatbelt fit as well so there was a loophole allowed where the manufacturers could certify a seat + base combo under R129, but separately approve the car seat itself without base through R44. That loophole was not allowed for other kinds of seats, even if they had two different fixing methods, and it was closed once belt fitted seats came under R129 approvals as well.

The Joie 360 Spin is an older seat which is approved under R44. Joie i-Spin is an updated version of the same seat which uses the same seat shell and mechanism but allows an extra recline position and there are some differences with the inserts and they added side impact pop out wings and changed the headrest so that it would meet the side impact protection guideline of the R129 regulation. The original Joie 360 Spin doesn't have great side impact protection.

The fit list on the Joie seat is done by Joie, so it doesn't matter about the age of the car. It's also just a guide and you can contact Joie customer service and ask them why it's not approved if you like. They may give you some information as to why they have given it that rating.

In cars which predate the R129 regulation, you might only find reference to R44 child seats (e.g. Group sizes) but it's perfectly fine to use R129 car seats in older cars, they are designed to be backwards compatible as the seatbelt and isofix standards had not changed. The car manufacturer usually sets out general guidelines allowing or prohibiting various kinds of child seat in their manual, but it shouldn't prohibit you from using an R129 seat even if they are not mentioned. As the car version changed in 2012 I believe, it might be that the manual does reference R129 because it was in discussion by then, but equally it might not mention it at all.

In terms of safety, if the seat gets a good fit (all isofix indicators show green, no issues contraindicated by car seat manual) and there is nothing in the car manual prohibiting use of something about that seat e.g. some cars have a minimum distance between the back of the front seat and a rear facing child seat, then there are no safety problems. The vast majority of older isofix seating positions will accept an i-size seat, and even modern cars without i-size designated seats can use an i-size seat if they have isofix. Being able to certify a car seating position as i-size is to do with a certain invisible box worth of space within the cabin, which I understand this car does not have. But some i-size seats will be smaller than that invisible box.

The Graco Turn2Me is the same seat again, it's a direct clone of Joie Spin 360 and so it is the same size.

The Seat Mii and VW Up! are the same base model of car as the Skoda Citigo. Technically, they are identical and child seat requirements will also be identical. So it sounds like two posters have managed to fit the Joie 360 Spin if not the i-Spin itself in this model of car, plus the Honest John guide suggests it fits. As said, the i-Spin is very slightly longer front to back if it's used in the 6th recline position, because the Joie Spin 360 does not have that 6th position. But if your child is 1 year old, they don't need the 6th recline position, so it should not be a problem.

Harrison27 · 04/06/2025 12:33

Thanks all.

Have got back and had the iSpin 360 fitted in the car and it fits fine. Actually fit better than the 360 GTi which Joie said was recommended. Joie also responded and said that the fitting list is a guide. It fits, it's secure and so have got it!

OP posts:
Lhawk · 07/08/2025 18:40

This is good to hear I was going to buy one then checked the list which said doesn't fit my Mii. Now feeling more confident thanks

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