For many parents, 360° car seats are the go-to thanks to the ease of being able to get your baby in and out of your vehicle. We all know how important our own health is, so being able to pick up your little one without straining your back in the process is something most companies are prioritising when it comes to releasing new items. The Nuna TODL Next Car Seat is no different, and with such an easy installation process, the sturdy car seat is a fantastic option.
Carly Duffy / Mother and Babywww.johnlewis.com
Pros
- Quick and easy intuitive installation in under five minutes
- Red and green light safety features are reassuring
- Loads of safety features for added reassurance
- 360 spin allows for easy harnessing
- Usable up to 4 years old or 18kg
Cons
- No handle on the seat to take it in and out of the car
- Had to move passenger seat all the way foward to acccommodate the big car seat
| Dimensions: | Length: 66cm x Width: 46cm x Height: 122cm |
| Weight: | 8.02kg |
| Weight Suitability: | Birth to 18.0 kg |
| Age Suitability: | Birth to ‘roughly’ 4 years old |
| Fabric Composition: | 10% metals, 75% plastics, 15% softgoods |
- 360° rotation
- 5 recline positions
- 6-position adjustable headrest
- Deep recline angles
- 5-point harness and magnetic buckle holder
- Removable inserts
- Side Impact Protection pod
- Integrated rebound bar
- True lock™ base installation
- Crumple zone within the stability leg
- Multi-adjustable ISOFIX positions
- Wash the soft goods with cold water under 30°C and line dry
Who tested this?
Carly is a first-time mum-to-be, trying to get as organised as possible before she welcomes her little one later this year. She says: last year, I decided to get myself a bigger car in preparation for my baby, so I had more fun than you’d expect finally being able to instal a car seat. I had looked at more than I care to admit before trying the Nuna TODL Next Car Seat, but the only non-negotiable for me was that it had to have the 360° feature – I'd heard too many positive reviews to not get one myself!
First impressions
When I looked at this car seat, I really wanted something that was easy to instal, could last a long time and would give me some kind of reassurance. As a first-time mum, doubt can run rings around your mind, and we all know about those not-so-subtle comments questioning whether you’ve done things right. So I knew I needed something that would tell me every step of the way if everything looked okay. Thankfully, this car seat gave me everything I would need to be reassured.
Installation
I had my husband join me in unboxing and putting the car seat together, but truth be told, I could have easily done it solo. We decided to put it together inside the house first as a practice run, and without looking at the instructions we’d managed to pull it all together in under five minutes. Consider me impressed!
Heading out to my car, it slotted into place so easily, and the clips that lock it into the back of the seat turned from red to green which was my first sign of reassurance that this was in a sturdy position. The support leg easily touched the floor and when I attempted to move the base I could feel that it was firmly in place.
Clicking the actual car seat into the base was so incredibly easy and, yet again, I found myself wanting the reassurance that everything was right – and I got it. At the front of the car seat is another safety feature which has a red or green light to confirm the support leg is down and the car seat is clicked into place. Once everything was green, I pushed the grey tab at the side in and was able to easily rotate the seat toward me and then back into place. It is quite a big seat, so I’ve moved my passenger seat all the way forward to make it fit, which is one downside.
Features
The seat also offers five recline settings, which are perfect if you’re trying to send your little one straight off into a snooze – and it has even more safety features to add that extra layer of reassurance. This includes ventilation panels, removal inserts to go into the seat on the side of the door to reduce impact and adjustable head support.
While this car seat isn’t the cheapest on the market, coming in at £330, the additional features which provide the extra level of reassurance makes it the perfect find for me. I’ll be using it as the permanent car seat for our household, so it will stay in my car and be used all the way until my child is roughly four years old, or 18kg.
Would you recommend this car seat?
If you drive around a lot and you want something safe and easy to keep in your car, I would recommend this – the only downside is there isn’t a bar on the car seat to carry the seat in and out of the vehicle, so it does suit best as a permanent fixture.
Final thoughts
Overall, I can’t really fault it. I was nervous to put a car seat together, they’re huge! So it looked like such a big job, but this couldn’t have been any easier if they tried. For me, the green light system has been the highlight of the seat and now that I have it, I can’t believe I looked at ones without it. To make it even better, this car seat will last for up to four years. If we want to break it down that’s £1.50 a week... that sounds good to me!
This will be the car seat I continue to use if I’m lucky enough to have more children. There are plenty of car seats on the market, so if you decide against this one, I’d encourage finding one with the same green and red safety lights. Especially as a first-time mum, it has helped me feel more confident and comfortable in taking my little one home from the hospital. The only additional feature I would add is a handle to be able to take our little one in and out, but having said that, being able to keep a car seat in the vehicle will make things a lot easier for me too. Perhaps if you live somewhere with difficult parking, you may want to swap for a seat with a handle, but it works perfectly if you can park close to your home.