Car seats for twins - advice needed please!

[JimmyDS]

Afternoon everyone!

I have been going around in circles trying to make a decision on car seats for our soon to arrive twins.

We have used a Joie spin 360 since birth for our daughter and absolutely love the rotating feature. However with 2 babies I think we will appreciate the ability to remove the seats and pop them on pushchair or carry in to the house. We therefore require something with an isofix base.

My preference was the cybex Cloud Z, which ticks so many boxes, but at £400+ each (with isofix) is just too expensive.

I have narrowed down my search to the Maxi Cosi Marble and the Joie I Snug.

I love the recline feature of the Marble and it looks like a premium seat. This is probably the top of our budget at just over £200 with base.

The Joie I Snug is a more budget option, with my thought being that we will upgrade to a Joie I Spin or similar after 10-12 months anyway.

Please feel free to pursuade me otherwise or comment on these 2 options if you have used them. My main criteria is a good recline and headrest, we suffered with a flopping head with the Spin 360 which was at times scary. Other than that it needs to go on an Uppababy Vista and ideally not be too heavy. I have looked everywhere for the weight of the Marble with no luck!

Thanks in advance!

We used the Joie i-level for DD from newborn until this week when we got the Britax Romer dualfix M (i-size and spins like the Joie 360). The i-level is great, isofix base so the carrier just clicks in and reclines to almost lie flat for newborns, plus had great head support.

@InDreamland

We used the Joie i-level for DD from newborn until this week when we got the Britax Romer dualfix M (i-size and spins like the Joie 360). The i-level is great, isofix base so the carrier just clicks in and reclines to almost lie flat for newborns, plus had great head support.

I'm glad you mentioned the i-level! This was my #1 for some time and great value. I was put off after reading multiple reports of the head support being too narrow and babies ears bending as it was so tight. Some people said they had to upgrade after 4 or 5 months for this reason!

How old is your little one to now be moving up? Please let me know your experience of the narrowness!

Hi, I'm due twins soon too! I've got the Joie i-level i-size ones (in lychee as they were cheaper in that colour 😂).

Came with the bases and suuuuper easy to in my current car, which is a citreon DS3 (will be upgrading as it's tight in the back with 2 car seats).

Have you checked what's compatible with your pram OP?

@RustyCat do those joie seats fit onto prams?

(Following as fellow expectant twin mum here too!)

@mumofthreetobe2021 I haven't got a pram yet as i haven't decided which one I want yet, but I'm more than happy to lift the twins out and pop them in a pram or the carry cot things rather than needing the car seats to fit.

There is a list on Joies website to confirm what prams/buggies they fit onto and also I've read up that if the pram accepts the maxicosi adapter's they'll fit any pram (not tried myself yet as I've not got my pram yet 😊).

But the car seats were at a bargain price including the isofix bases and they fit what we were looking for. It's so hard with twins to find pram, car seats and isofix bases that all work harmoniously together without the eye watering price.

I have 10m twins. We use maxi cosis for them. Easy to click into the car and pushchair.

Congratulations/Commiserations to fellow parents and parents-to-be of twins!

@RustyCat I absolutely agree trying to put all the pieces together and hope they work is a nightmare and requires deep pockets for sure!

@MumOfThreeToBe2021 a local baby shop advised the marble fits on the Vista, however we had a virtual appointment and the seats all seemed quite wobbly. I didn't think too much of it but have since seen a thread on here from someone pointing out that same thing. I know the I-Snug and I-Gemm are confirmed compatible on Joie's website. My preference was actually the Cybex Gazelle S but as it was only launched late last year there is such limited information on it and naturally the shops advise the more longstanding Vista.

With regards the I-Level pictures like this are what put me off images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/28/2019/02/joie-i-level-car-seat_197946-ed14996.jpg?quality=90&resize=960%2C640

@JimmyDS my DD has just turned 13 months. She is a small baby though, 9th centile so still can get into quite a lot of 6-9 month clothes and in some 12 months clothes. TBH we could have got away with using the i-level a little longer with her but I was getting fed up of twisting to get her in and out of the seat when we were out and just wanted a spin seat. I think the head rest is snug but to me it's just very good support and I personally felt it was better to have that support when they're so young, it felt like the head was better protected.

Thanks @InDreamland for the info!

I've just popped in to halfords as I've realised Twins Trust give a 10% discount in store. Sadly they didn't have many options in stock but I did have a look at the i-level, as our twins are closer to the 90 centile I am certain it wouldn't work.

I've managed to get them to order in a maxi cosi marble (£206) and a Joie i-snug (£153) and will decide on these 2 within the days before arrival. My head is literally fried and my wife can't believe I still haven't bought any seats!

@JimmyDS oooh yes, good call on Halfords. If you have AA (automobile association not alcoholics anonymous ) membership they're doing 15% off with smart benefits until 31st March. Good luck in choosing your final seat!

[quote RustyCat]@mumofthreetobe2021 I haven't got a pram yet as i haven't decided which one I want yet, but I'm more than happy to lift the twins out and pop them in a pram or the carry cot things rather than needing the car seats to fit.

There is a list on Joies website to confirm what prams/buggies they fit onto and also I've read up that if the pram accepts the maxicosi adapter's they'll fit any pram (not tried myself yet as I've not got my pram yet 😊).

But the car seats were at a bargain price including the isofix bases and they fit what we were looking for. It's so hard with twins to find pram, car seats and isofix bases that all work harmoniously together without the eye watering price.[/quote]
Getting two out of seats and into a pram would be an absolute PITA. By the time you put up the chariot pram, clip on the seats etc its much easier to unclip the seat and carry them inside.

Make sure your buggy fits through your door though! I had the donkey and it didn't fit on mine once the car seat adaptors on. They may be better dimensions now this was ten years ago.

We used maxi cosi seats at first because they were compatible with the buggy.

@idontlikealdi I'm not going for the donkey 😂 I looked at the price and well my t-rex arms got shorter 😂.

Thanks for the advice will keep that in mind. We did think of the PITA bit of taking the twins out of the car seats to put them in a pram, but the car seats are right for what we need at the moment, the bases we can use for other car seats at a later date also which is handy.

Currently we are in a 1st floor flat (looking to move to a house asap) so pram is currently not super high on my to buy list but will get one eventually, potentially when we are in a house as it'll be so much easier to move the twins than from the flat down to a pram etc.

Picked up 2 x Maxi Cosi Marble yesterday and first impression is they look and feel really premium! Came out at £206 each with Twins Trust discount. I will be fitting in car later but am worried about the length! They are definitely on the bulky side

I use a pebble for my twins, both second hand (via trusted friends) I'll move mine into a britax dual fix as soon as they get too heavy to carry the car seats so didn't want to pay out loads for seats we won't use for that long. I don't find the width an issue with my donkey

I've attached some pictures on case anyone is interested how the Marble looks in a car (Audi A4 estate). Admittedly it's tight and I've had to move my driver seat forward. I'm also concerned about the tilt for babies' heads. Will find out this weekend!

So far we (parent & babies) are loving the Marble seats! They are heavy as hell but the munchkins sleep from the moment they are put in them until we take them out. Now I'm just hoping they fit my Bugaboo Donkey which arrives weds!