Rotating car seats are a game changer for parents and even grandparents who drive their grandkids around.
The struggle of getting our kids in and out of the car may be behind us!
No more hurting our backs when trying to get our babies or toddlers into their car seats, accidentally banging their heads on the car’s roof, or even hitting their legs with the cup holder because we can’t see it!
(I know we’ve all done it)
And since there are a few rotating car seats in the market today, selecting the best one for your child and your budget is easier!
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I recently researched the market’s top 3 best rotating car seats based on the following criteria:
- It must be able to rotate a full 360 degrees in both rear-facing and forward-facing mode, as a 180-degree rotation would be useless if I can’t turn the car seat with my toddler.
- It should be a convertible car seat that can grow with the child, as rotating car seats tend to be pricier.
- It should be easy to turn with just one hand.
- It should be easy to install, as safety is the highest priority, and if it’s difficult to install, it’s not worth the investment for parents and or grandparents.
What is the Best Rotating Car Seat?
Here are my top 3 picks for the best rotating car seat in 2023.
- Best Overall Rotating Car Seat: Evenflo Gold Revolve360 Extend
- Best Affordable Rotating Car Seat: Safety 1st Turn and Go 360 DLX
- Best Premium Rotating Car Seat: Nuna Revv Rotating Convertible Car Seat
1. Evenflo Gold Revolve 360 Extend (Overall Best Rotating Car Seat)
KEY FEATURES:
- Rear-Facing Extended to 50 lbs.
- Sensorsafe Technology
- Zip-on leg rest
- 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat.
- Easy One-hand Swivel
The best rotating car seat overall is the Evenflo Revolve360 Extend All-in-One Rotational Car Seat with Sensorsafe.
The Evenflo Revolve360 has increased its rear-facing weight limit from 40 lbs to 50 lbs for the Evenflo Revolve360 Extended rear-facing car seat, which experts recommend to keep our kids rear-facing as long as possible for best practice.
This rotating car seat swivels 360 degrees from both rear-facing and forward-facing modes, making it super easy for us parents to get our kids in and out of the car seat without anyone getting hurt!
And to make it even better, this Evenflo Revolve360 Extend comes with the sensor safe technology seat belt option, which connects to your phone and informs you in real-time when the seat belt has been unbuckled, when the baby is getting too hot or cold or if you accidentally forgot your baby in the car!
(This is the feature that made the Cybex Sorna S so popular).
The revolve360 extend is also easy to install; it’s the only rotating car seat that allows the seat to be removed from the base for installation. You only have to install it once and still have the option of rear-facing and forward-facing modes.
This Evenflo Revolve 360 Extend is also easy to swivel; you can easily rotate the car seat with one hand! So you can carry your kid in one hand and swivel the car seat towards you with the other.
To make Evenflo revolve360 extend even better, this car seat is a 3 in 1 convertible car seat, which is great because it grows with your child since it has the options of rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster seat in one car seat.
And if you are not yet convinced that the Evenflo Revolve360 Extend is the best rotating car seat overall, this car seat also comes with a zip-on ergonomic leg rest for extra comfort as our children grow, zip-off car seat padding for easy wash, and aircraft approved.
Pros
- 3 in 1 convertable car seat
- Extended rear-facing up to 50 lbs.
- Easy One-hand swivel
- Removable car seat for easy base installation.
- Zip-off seat padding for easy cleaing.
- Sensorsafe technology
- Zip-on leg rest
- FAA Approved.
Cons
- Heavy Car Seat
- No Backless Booster
KEY FEATURES:
- 3-in-1 convertible car seat.
- SecureTech Magnetic Chest Clip
- SecureTech Sensitive Red to Green Indicator that lets you know when your belt has tension and secure in place.
- Budget Friendly (less than $350!)
- Premium Antibacterial-reated fabric.
The Safety 1st Turn and Go 360 DLX rotating car seat is the best affordable rotating car seat.
It is the cheapest car seat amongst all the other swivel car seats in the market and rotates 360 degrees. It is also easy to clean and easy to install. The Safety 1st Turn and Go 360 can be installed once for all three modes.
This swivel car seat also has a magnetic chest clip to strap your kids in easily. It uses a SecureTech to keep the seat belt tension secured with a green indicator to inform you when you have installed the car seat correctly.
Here’s a big bonus, If you are a big fan of the Maxi-Cosi Emme 360 rotating car seat or have been interested in the Maxi-Cosi, then I’m here to say that the Safety 1st Turn and Go 360 DLX car seat is almost identical to the Maxi-Cosi Emme 360 rotating car seat except for a few features like it’s cup holder design and the car seat fabric. You get a similar product for a fraction of the price!
Now some of the things I dislike about this car seat are that you need two hands for rotating the car seat, one hand to squeeze the latch and the other to spin the car seat.
Also, the body pillow inserts must remain in the car seat until your child reaches 30 lbs. In the other car seats mentioned, you can remove them after your baby is no longer an infant.
However, if these cons are not a big deal for you, and If you have been looking for a budget-friendly rotating car seat with the basic features we all want from a rotating car seat like, 360 rotation, 3 in 1 convertible car seat (rear-facing, forward-facing, and high back booster seat), and easy-to-install. Then the Safety 1st Turn and Go 360 DLX is the best rotating car seat for you!
Pros
- 3 in 1 covertible car seat.
- SecureTech to secure seat belt tension. Just look for the green indicator.
- One time installation for all three modes.
- 2 removable dishwasher-safe cup holders.
- Easy installation.
- Recline bottom is on the back of the seat.
- SecureTech magnetic chest clip for easy buckle and unbuckle.
- Antibacterial-treated fabric
Cons
- Body pillow inserts need to remain in car seat until 30lbs rear-facing and forward-facing mode.
- Seated hardness height goes up to 15” pretty low to its competitors.
- Two hands swivel
- No backless booster.
- Rear-facing up to 40lbs.
- Heavy
3. Nuna Revv Rotating Convertible (Best Premium Rotating Car Seat)
Key Features:
- (Non-Toxic) Fire Retardant Free Materials.
- Aeroflex Side Impact Protection System.
- Steel Strength Technology
- Magnetic Buckle Holders
- Integrated Rebound Bar.
- Made with Premium Organic Fabric.
The Nuna Revv Rotating Car Seat is the Best Premium and Non-toxic rotating car seat of 2023!
This car seat is made with the best premium organic fabrics and is free from chemical flame retardant. It is Greenguard Gold Certified.
The Nuna Revv is also easy to install and only has to be installed once for either rear or forward-facing mode.
The Nuna Revv also rotates 360 degrees using just one hand and reclines in both rear-facing and forward-facing modes! And if you are concerned with the seat belt hurting your child at the thigh, the Nuna Revv comes with a crotch pad for added comfort and removable organic cotton head and body inserts.
The three things that would have made the Nuna Revv the best rotating car seat of the three listed is one, if the car seat weight limit in both rear and forward facing mode was greater than 40 lbs, two, if the Nuna Revv turned into a booster seat and three if the price was a bit lower.
If you love the Nuna Revv car seat, but you are stressing the fact that its weight limit is 40 lbs, I would argue that if your child falls in the average weight expectancy for toddlers, then by the time your child turns four years of age, they will be around 40 lbs “on average” and ready for a booster seat anyways.
For example, my daughter will be four years old in 2 months and weighs 34 lbs.
Therefore making the Nuna Revv Convertible Rotating car seat an excellent option for me with a Four-year-old and it can be for yours too.
Pro
- Premium material.
- Crotch pad.
- One hand rotation and recline.
- Two dishwasher safe cups for cup holder.
- Rotates 360 degrees from both the rear-facing and forward-facing mode.
- One hand height adjustment, up to 43 inches.
- Removable organic cotton head and body inserts.
- Integrated seat belt magnet holder
- Greenguard Gold Certified.
- Free from chemical flame-retardant
- You can recline while forward facing as well
Cons
- Does not turn into a booster seat.
- Rear and Forward-Facing mode weight limit is 40 lbs.
- Not FAA approved.
Are Rotating Car Seat Safe?
Yes, rotating car seats are safe. They must follow the same federal safety standards as car seats that don’t rotate.
This means that they are crash-tested, structural integrity tested, side-impact tested, and rollover tested, to name a few.
As long as they are correctly installed and used as the car seat is intended, following the rear-facing and forward-facing weight and height limits, you should be good.
Is Getting A 360 Rotating Car Seat Worth it?
Absolutely! A car seat that rotates 360 degrees is genuinely a game changer and a gift to parents. 360-rotating car seats make it fun and easy to get babies and toddlers in and out of the car.
Swivel car seats are expensive, so getting a convertible car seat like the Evenflo Revolve360 Extend or the Saftey 1st Turn and Go DLX, which are more affordable, will make the money spent worth it because they convert into a high back booster.
That being said, 360 rotating car seats are worth it!
Last Thoughts
Selecting the best rotating car seat for your child comes down to what features are important to you and your budget.
Is the sensor-safe technology or the zip-on leg rest in the Evenflo Revolve360 Extend important to you? or is the non-toxic free from chemical flame-retardant in the Nuna Revv a non-negotiable? Or do you want an aesthetically pleasing car seat that rotates 360 degrees but is budget-friendly, like the Saftey 1st Turn and Go DLX?
I hope these top 3 rotating car seat listed in this post has made it very easy for you to decide which car seat would be best for you without the stress of choosing between a list of 5 or 10 car seats!
