How essential is a swivel car seat?

[Flossie333]

Morning All,

I'm looking at buying a car seat and and am going to get one with the Iso fix base. Ive been told that we should get one that swivels to the side, how essential is that? I'm looking at the Maxi Cosi Pebble Pro which doesnt appears to twist. Thanks x

Honestly, not at all. I have the next stage car seat and bought one with a swivel seat, SilverCross imotion I think it’s called. The only time I’ve ever used it was to get the covers off after dd projectile vomited all over the car . Day to day I never bother with it. With a smaller baby it might have been useful I suppose but we had a Pebble Plus and never bothered with an Isofix base as we have two cars and it’s just as easy to strap it in. It’s worth mentioning if you do go for a car seat that swivels from birth you’ll likely be looking at isofix, and they are seriously heavy. Not a problem if you only have one car, but I still have to change our seat over every week or so and it’s very awkward to do.

I have three children and only got a swivel seat recently and I absolutely love it. It's a game changer getting her into the car when she is tantruming and refusing to co operate . I wish I'd bought it earlier to be honest.

I've got a non swivel seat, hasn't caused me any problems, but I've nothing to compare it to!

They are a little easier (my sister has one) however I don't. My kid just turned two and is happy to climb in and out my maxi cosy pebble. The pebble is great, especially the straps they never seem to tangle.

I love the swivel for DD, makes getting her in and out so much easier, less stressful overall

I much preferred it to the fixed position one when they're babies. I'm very clumsy though and doing buckles and straps sideways was hard for me and I would always wake the baby hitting something on the way out. Mine didn't last long with DC one though as they take up more room and he's tall in a small car. Petite DD I'm hoping to get longer in it.

I guess it depends in the child how useful it is, but I had one and never bothered using the swivel function. Just couldn't be bothered. Definitely not essential. A little bit useful for some children

I bought the maxi Cosi axxisfix and wish I had it for my older kids but they weren't a thing when they were babies.

It's so much easier, saves your back and is a dream for getting them in or out when they are sleeping.

To me it's essential and I wouldn't be without one again if we were to have another baby. I highly recommend one to everyone.

I think it's useful but not essential, depends on your mobility.

It’s certainly not an essential. I’ve never had one and don’t have any grumbles about my standard car seats. I’m sure it makes life a little bit easier though so get one if the extra expense is no bother to you.

It doesn't matter for the first seat as you take the seat out of the car with them in most of the time.

Next stage up it's amazing! Also as it swivels you can turn it sideways so that two children can get out the same side as the other child can get past (I don't have a small car either but when it's rear facing there's no space to get past it)

Also if you ever go to a safari park you can turn them forwards 🤣 so many practical uses!

Also if you ever go to a safari park you can turn them forwards 🤣 so many practical uses!

We have the Joie 360 spin, in fact we have two because as someone mentioned up thread, they’re really heavy so you don’t want to be moving them between cars. DS is 26 months and it has been great having the swivel seat. When he was a baby was had the Jane Matrix 2 car seat which also spins and lays completely flat, it was so easy to get in and out I was a bit disappointed when he outgrew it.

When they're little? No. Easier to get a car seat that attaches to the base that you can lift in and out to get them places.

When they're moving? Absolutely. We just got the Nun Rebl Basq (not suitable from birth). So much easier to strap DD in facing us, then turn her so she's rear facing. Had it less than a week and already love it.

I wish we had got one. Our son was big for his age and heavy, it would have been so much easier to be able to swivel the chair round. I'd definitely get one if we had another.

I used a non swivel with first and I have a swivel one now with second and omg it is SO much easier!!

I have the Joie 360 and love it! I think it makes things so much easier.

Swivel seats are mainly really helpful when they're bigger, we had the Cybex IsoFix that fits onto the pram which was brilliant when she was a baby. When she was bigger we got the joie 360 which is a game changer. I'd start with a pram one and change later.

Wow thank you all - I love this forum 😊. So helpful! Xxx

Depends. Some multi stage seats just aren't suitable from birth - ie the Joie 360 - if you car seats are slanted, the isofix can raise the seat forward too much, which results in not enough recline for a newborn. Also, the vast majority of the spin seats only go to 18kg/105cm. If you have a child on the higher end of the centiles for height/weight, they would have outgrown the seat long before it's physically safe to turn them forward facing in a HBB, and you would have to buy another seat anyway. I would always buy a dedicated infant carrier, use that until it's almost maxed out then decide whether you can get away with an 18kg or 25kg seat.

I had a normal maxi Cosi seat for the first 11 months, handy for not waking her up if I had to nip to the shop as could just clip onto the pram base. Switched to a swivel after that and had it for around eight months, and it was recalled so we ended up with one that was fixed. The swivel was handy for getting her in if she was tantruming and easier to get her out when asleep. I did miss it, because she was a nightmare for getting in the car seat and would just climb over into the back as soon as I started trying, was easier to control that with the swivel. Saying all that though when our swivel had been recalled I went with what had a high safety rating at the time, rather than what was easier.

It doesn't matter for the first seat as you take the seat out of the car with them in most of the time.

We never took the car seat out other than the very occasional times that it was going into a grandparent's car for the day. Probably only came out less than 10 times per baby.

The swivel is not essential but it's bloody useful. Especially if you are in a tight space. Much easier to do straps up facing you than sideways if you can't open the door fully.

For a tiny baby I’m glad I didn’t bother - MUCH preferred having one that could clip onto buggy frame without removing baby. DD from five weeks would wake when transferred, and seeing as she was a nap fighter and we were in and out of the car a lot (village life, can’t walk to supermarket/pharmacist/post office etc) it saved my sanity.

Now she’s a toddler (20mo) I really value the spin function in her next stage seat for lifting her in and out. She’s so heavy and my car is too high for her climb in and out of herself safely.

I have one for dc2. I didn't buy one for dc1 because I knew he would out grow it (tall) before I was comfortable putting him in a booster seat with the adult belt. He did outgrow it height wise by 3.5 but he is still happily rear facing in a 25kg seat.

The spin is nice but not essential but I do like the fact that it reclines on the go, ie baby falls asleep and you can pull over and recline them without waking them. Dd is looking like she'll outgrow it between 3.5-4 height wise so then I'll put her in the 25kg seat.

I blather on but please be aware that the spin seats only go to 18kg and some children can outgrow them before 4 either by weight or height. Then you'd be in the situation of having to put them in a booster earlier than you'd like or buying a 25kg seat.