When shopping for the best car seats around, you might want to opt for a 360 car seat to make getting your wriggly toddler or baby in and out of the car a whole lot easier. As well as having the option to position the seat so that it faces forwards or backwards, a swivel function makes accessing little ones a breeze, including getting them in and out and strapping them in nice and safe so that you can have peace of mind when driving, knowing they won't we wriggling anywhere they shouldn't!
We know that choosing a car seat isn't an easy task, but parents who have tried a 360 car seat don't generally want to go back to a regular one. So if you're here because you're thinking of switching to a 360 car seat, or you're upgrading from a current older model, keep reading...
In this guide, we've included everything you need to know about our favourite 360 car seats, with real-life feedback from our parent testers, who have shared their thoughts in detailed reviews to help you decide which car seat is right for you and your tot. But before we dive in, let's take a look at some facts - like what a 360 car seat actually is and how we selected and tested them for this roundup. Further down we share even more useful info on the differences between a 360 car seat and a rotating one, as well whether they're worth it, and our tips on on how to choose the best one.
The best 360 car seats at a glance
What is a 360 car seat?
Similar to rotating car seats, the 360 car seats are designed to spin the whole way around rather than just one way. This gives you the option of having your child rear-facing or forward-facing.
Having this option allows you to keep your child safely rear-facing, but then you can turn to forward-facing when they're old enough without having to buy a completely new car seat.
It's always important to follow GOV guidelines on car seat safety and not have your child forward-facing until they are over 15 months old.
360 car seats are also a huge help for parents when getting wriggling children in and out of the car. You can turn the car seat to face you and safely strap your child in without having to climb into the car and wrestle them into a seat from an awkward angle - trust us, we've been there!
How Mother&Baby selected the best 360 car seats
Our product recommendations are based on a combination of real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers and the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team and product specialists. Where we can, we also consult experts who specialise in that field to ensure you get the right advice and product, and we also listen to what you say.
Our thriving mum community on our Facebook group #mumtribe also often hold great insights as to which products mums really like best and why, helping us highlight the products that meet what you really want.
For the essential products, our annual Mother&Baby Awards shortlist the top products tested, and you can find full reviews from our mum testers provided on the product page. The winners and runners-up for each category then will appear in our top picks article for that product, along with other products that were rated highly by our team.
Testing the best 360 car seats
If you've been looking for the best 360 car seat to suit your needs, you'll be relieved to know your search may be over because our mum and dad testers have tried, tested and reviewed some of our favourites. We asked them to share their thoughts about design, safety and age suitability, the weight and size of the car seat, including compatibility with their car, the quality of materials, how easy they thought cleaning it would be, and the ease of installation and use. Plus, of course, how comfortable they felt it would be for their little ones and whether they thought it was good value for money.
In the top spot, Gold winner of the Mother&Baby Awards 2024 and best overall, the Nuna TODL NEXT, was a firm favourite. Our parent testers praised its smooth operation and lightweight construction, making it super easy to install and use. In fact, one of our testers even said it was the smoothest car seat he's ever used! There was so much to love about this car seat with the only drawback being that the base needed to be purchased separately.
Last year's Gold winner, The Joie i-Spin 360, also received glowing reviews from our testers again because described as "Amazing"; however, our testers thought it was worth pointing out that it's not the lightest, weighing 13.9kg. Gold winner of 2022, the Silver Cross Motion All Size 360, is still being praised for being extremely good value for money as it accommodates babies and kids all the way up to 12 years old! Our testers like the antibacterial bamboo fabrics too, making it a more sustainable choice, even offering a free car seat recycling service for planet-conscious families.
The best 360 car seats 2024
Best 360 car seat overall
©MOTHER&BABYwww.johnlewis.com
The Nuna TODL Next Won Gold in the Mother&Baby Awards 2024, taking the top spot on our list. We love its sleek, modern design, smooth operation, high-quality construction, and customisability. It's lightweight, coming in at just over 8kg, and can be front or rear-facing, depending on your child's height.
Its five recline positions and ventilation panels make for a comfortable ride, and the shoulder harness expands with each of the six headrest positions. For extra safety, the side impact protection pod is designed to absorb energy earlier and significantly reduce the impact force should the worst happen.
Suitable from newborn until up to four years, our tester, Joe, found the Nuna TODL to be "the smoothest car seat" he'd ever used.
He said, "With other competing seats available, the two key points to take away from this seat review are its smooth operation and lightweight construction... Add on the ease of installation (you can install with the seatbelt if you do not have ISOFIX in your vehicle), its sturdy but lightweight build, and its age range being suited to most families' needs, and you won’t go wrong opting for this baby and toddler car seat."
The only drawback we could find? The base needs to be purchased separately.
Read our full Nuna TODL NEXT review
Pros
- Extremely light and easy to install
- Easy to use with smooth operation
- High-quality build and materials
- Comfortable for baby with a secure harness
- Adjustable features
- ISOFIX compatible
Cons
- Base has to be purchased separately
| Suitable for:<strong> </strong> | Birth to 4 years/105cm |
| Rear-facing until: | 105 cm and less than 18 kg. Forward facing from 76 cm to 105 cm and less than 18 kg. |
| i-Size: | Yes |
| Rotation: | 360° |
| Weight: | 8.02kg |
- i-Size safe
- Removable infant head and body inserts
- Five recline positions (both rear and forward facing)
- Steel strength technology
- True lock base installation
The Joie i-Spin 360 was awarded Gold in the Mother&Baby 2023 Awards, as we believe it's not only brilliant value for money but also really makes life easier for parents. In particular, we're big fans of the fact that it comes with an ISOFIX car seat base to attach to your car and spins in every direction at just the touch of a button, locking it in place securely for travelling.
With customisable body and head supports and a multi-height headrest and harness system, it can grow with your child, lasting until they're around four years old. It isn't the lightest on our list, weighing 13.9kg, so that's worth bearing in mind.
Our mum tester, Rebecca, called this product "AMAZING", noting that she suffers from back pain and found that "using this to turn my child and get them out of the car with ease was a lifesaver. It’s 100 per cent made my life easier and I don’t actually know if I will ever be able to go back to a normal car seat now.”
For peace of mind, it comes with side impact protection for added security for the head, body, and hips. It can also be reclined into six different positions so that your little one can stay snuggly. Plus, with a removable and washable cover, this car seat ticks very few boxes.
Read our full Joie Baby i-Spin 360 review
Pros
- Comes with ISOFIX base
- Button feature makes it easy to use
- Removable and washable seat cover
- Guard Surround Safety panels for extra safety
Cons
- It can be heavy if needing to move
| Suitable for: | Birth to 4 years/105cm |
| Rear-facing until: | 4 years/105cm |
| i-Size: | Yes |
| Rotation: | 360° |
| Weight: | 13.9kg |
- Guard surround safety panels
- Multi-height headrest and harness system
- Tri-protect headrest
- Six recline positions
- Grow-with-me infant inserts
- Retractable ISOfix connectors
Best 360 car seat for value for money
©MOTHER&BABYA Gold winner in the Mother&Baby 2022 Awards, Silver Cross Motion All Size 360 grows with your baby up to 12 years, making it extremely good value for money. We like that it can be front or rear-facing, is easy to install, is adjustable, and is made from antibacterial bamboo fabrics, making it a more sustainable choice.
Our mum tester, Emma, loved how quick and easy it was to install using the ISOFIX points, taking less than five minutes. She said, "I was confident that it was installed securely and correctly with all the green indicators showing as well as little to no movement in the chair. The quality of the fabric and general make-up is of a high standard, reassuring me it will last my son for the next 9-10 years – unlike my daughter's seat, which is a cheaper brand and definitely won't last the 6-7 years I would like it to."
Adding to its sustainability credentials, Silver Cross offers a free car seat recycling service, in which the brand will collect your car seat free of charge and ensure every part of it is recycled. What's more, every Silver Cross car seat is covered by its replacement scheme, so if your insurance does not cover a replacement car seat, Silver Cross will provide one in the event of an accident.
It has eight headrest positions but only three recline positions, fewer than some others on the market.
As it's built to last several years, it's larger and heavier than some on our list, so it may be more difficult to switch between cars.
Read our full Silver Cross Motion All Size 360 car seat review
Pros
- Brilliant value for money
- Easy to use with pne-button to rotate
- Made from premium, antibacterial materials
- Support from the Silver Cross app
- Free recycling service
- Covered by the Silver Cross Crash Replacement scheme
Cons
- Only has three recline positions
- On the heavier/larger side at 14kg
| Suitable for: | Birth to 12 years/145cm |
| Rear-facing until: | 4 years/105cm |
| i-Size: | Yes |
| Rotation: | 360° |
| Weight: | 14.2kg |
- Suitable from birth up to 12 years
- Removable soft fabric inserts
- App guides and tutorials
icklebubba.com
If you're after a versatile, well-made and excellent value car seat which promises to grow with your child from newborn right up to approximately 12 years of age (150cm), the Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 Car Seat could be the one for you. The 360 car seat features an integral, rotating ISOFIX base and clear visual indicators, confirming proper installation and conforming to Size standards, meaning the baby can be in a safer, rear-facing position up to 105cm (approximately four years).
Mother&Baby tester Matt Tomkins said, "the seat was quick and easy to install following directions in the supplied instruction booklet." He did feel that the seat should recline further than it does, saying, "One problem we have faced is that, while rear-facing even in the most reclined position, our daughter’s head tends to lol forward once she falls asleep", however, still thought his daughter seemed comfortable and secure in it.
May found the rotating mechanism, along with many of the other features - from installation to strap tightening and loosening and memory foam headrest adjustment - to be intuitive, but felt; "It lacks the advantage of a traditional infant car seat which can be lifted out and plonked onto pram wheels or carried into the house, sleeping baby in-situ."
Read the full Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 Car Seat review
Pros
- Long lifespan, suitable from birth to 150cm (approx. 12 years)
- Rotating seat allows easy ingress/egress
- Clear indicators display green when seat is correctly latched
- Adjustable headrest and infant insert allow seat to grow with your child
- Removable covers for ease of cleaning
Cons
- Even in the most reclined position, baby’s head can easily lol forward when asleep
- Seat does not lift off the base to clip onto pushchair or allow to be carried in while sleeping (this would have been a disadvantage had we used the seat in the infant months)
| Suitable for: | 40cm – 150cm (birth to approx. 12 years) |
| rear-facing: | 40cm – 105cm (birth to approx. 4 years). Forward facing from 100cm - 150cm (approx. 15 months to 12 years) |
| i-size: | Yes |
| Rotation: | 360° |
| Weight: | 15kg |
- Meets i-Size safety standard – improved side impact protection & rigorous testing
- 360 degree seat rotation for easy access to your child
- Includes ISOFIX installation anchors and connection indicators for quick, easy-fitting
- The standing support leg provides additional stability
- Includes memory foam headrest and modular infant insert
- 3 recline positions in forward facing mode so baby can snooze
icklebubba.com
The Ickle Bubba Radius 360 Spin seat is designed to take your child all the way from newborn to seven years old, starting them off facing rearwards and then spinning around so they can see out the front of the car from around 15 months onwards. The benefit of having this seat is that you can keep your children rear-facing for longer – this being safer when babies are younger, due to the development of their muscles. So when they are old enough, there’s no need to shell out for a new unit.
Mother&Baby tester and dad of two, Tom, tested the car set with his 20-month-old daughter who was seated facing forward in the car right from the start. When commenting on his experience with the car seat, he said, "It releases relatively easily, so you can give the seat a slight nudge to get it out of its locked position. It is possible while holding a small child, but it is a little fiddly." Tom liked the adjustable nature of the seat and how it can be tilted to different angles, saying, "Bea loves to look forward and engage with everyone around her the majority of the time, but at others, we have tried to encourage her to sleep in the car so being able to lie her back a little was handy. It’s an easy one-handed process to adjust the angle, too."
Our second Mother&Baby tester and mum of two, Gemma, liked that the Ickle Bubba Radius was a better price than the Joie 360 Spin, which she also uses, saying, "In comparison, the Ickle Bubba offers the same level of safety, comfort and usability. However, it is a better price than the Joie." She said, "The seat feels very robust and secure, and the build and quality of the safety features offered are undeniable. We love that the seat allows you to keep your child rear-facing for longer and that the 38-degree recline is a safer position for newborns - as well as being helpful for car naps - so we intend to use this for our next baby."
Read the full Ickle Bubba Radius 360 Spin Car Seat review
Pros
- Relatively lightweight and easy to manoeuvre for a rotating seat
- Simple to spin
- Comfortable shape for toddler
- Soft padded straps in fixed position
- Good value for money
- Straightforward to install
- Good value and long lasting, as it adjusts to fit your growing child
Cons
- ISOFIX bars independent of one another
- No coloured indicator on the leg
- Sticks out quite far when left facing the car door
- Not iSize compliant
- Strap loosening and tightening a little fiddly
| Suitable for: | Newborn until 25kg (apx. 7 years) |
| Rear-Facing: | up until 13kg (15 months apx) |
| i-size: | Yes |
| Rotation: | 360° |
| Weight: | 10kg |
www.cosatto.com
The Cosatto All in All Rotate i-Size Car Seat is a 360 rotate car seat. Cosatto is a household brand that is known for creating amazing products with adorable designs. It has a lot of safety features, too, making it a great choice for a car seat.
Mother&Baby tester and mum of three Hannah likes that it's a universal car seat that's suitable from 40cms to 150cms - which is approx. birth to 12 years, saying, "This is brilliant news for parents as it means that you should never have to buy another car seat for your child." She also liked that it's eco-friendly, being made from 12 recycled water bottles.
One feature she loved was the five-point harness plus an anti-escape system. She said, "Once your child figures out that they can take their arms out of the harness restraints, it becomes very difficult to keep them from doing so. Cosatto has included an anti-escape system which clips around the harness making it almost impossible for your little one to get their arms out and in turn keeping them safer. I love this feature as it means I can drive knowing my child can't remove their arms."
Read the full Cosatto All in All Rotate i-Size Car Seat review
Pros
- Great design
- Five-point harness system
- 360 rotate
Cons
- Quite a heavy car seat to move
| Suitable for: | 40cm-150cm (Birth -12 years approx) |
| Rear-facing: | 40cm-105cm (Forward-facing 76cm-105cm) |
| i-size: | Yes |
| Rotation: | 360° |
| Weight: | 10.9 Kg |
- i-Size All Stages Seat from 40cm-150cms / birth up to approx. 12 years old.)
- Complies with R129/03 safety standard
- Pop out SIPS (Side Impact Protection System)
- Side Protection System (SPS) keeping little one protected on every journey with impact-absorbing foam inlay
- Removable multi-stage liner
- Adjustable 11 position head rest
- Four recline positions in forward facing mode
- Extended rearward facing to 105cm mode with easy rotation
What's the difference between a 360 car seat and a rotating car seat?
Whilst both car seats are very similar in design, there is one big difference between the two kinds of car seats. The big difference between a 360 car seat and a rotating one could also be the deciding factor on the type of car seat you get.
Rotating car seats are designed to spin at least 180 degrees, meaning you can spin your child from rear-facing to the side, enabling you to get your child in and out with ease.
However, a 360 car seat is designed to rotate all the way around, meaning you have the option of positioning your child as rear-facing, or forward facing.
Are 360 car seats worth it?
While they are a lot more convenient, most only last until your child is around four years old. Some, however, have higher weight and height limits and recline adjustments that mean the seats will last longer. However, it is important to check this before purchasing.
How to choose the best 360 car seat
Check the age suitability
While you can use use most 360 car seats from birth, you may have to purchase a separate newborn insert, which can be an added expense. So, if you're on a budget and need a car seat for your newborn, look out for ones that are specially designed for newborns or that come with the insert included. Especially make sure to check that the seat isn't designed for older babies as some may only be suitable for little ones that are four months or older. Also, be aware of weight and height restrictions.
Make sure it's travel system compliant
Due to their weight and size, very few 360 car seats are travel system compliant, so if you need a car seat that you can take in and out of the car, a 360 car seta may not be for you.
Consider how long you want your baby to be rearward facing
Some car 360 car seats can only be used rearward facing until two years, so if you want to keep your child rearward facing for longer, make sure you check out the specs for the one you're interested in!
Ensure the base is included if you don't have an ISOFIX
If the 360 car seat you like doesn't include the base you'll have to purchase a separate ISOFIX base, which means an added expense. So if you don't already have one, this is definitely something to consider.
Check for easy rotation
Just because it says it's 360, doesn't mean it'll be easy to rotate. Check out how it actually functions to determine how easy it will be to use. For example, if it has panels or levels on the front it will probably be easier to operate. Take a close look at how simple the mechanism is for better ease of use.
Check for easy intallation features
If the car seat has an ISOFIX base check to see if there are colour indicators, as these will give you peace of mind knowing that you have installed the car seat correctly and it is safe.
Consider the size
The size of your vehicle may determine whether the sized of a car seat is suitable or not, which is especially so if your car is not very wide. This is even more important when considering 360 car seats as they do tend to be larger and heavier than fixed ones.
About the author
Samantha Ball is a Product & Lifestyle Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.