Rotating Car Seats Compared
Some of the most frequent questions I get about car seats have to do with rotating/revolving/swiveling car seats, and in particular which one is "the best" or my favorite.
As a CPST I always remind caregivers that "The BEST" seat is the one that fits a child's age/weight/height/developmental level, fits the vehicle, and that they can install and use correctly 100% of the time. However for convenience, I've created this chart as an easy way to compare the various rotating seats currently on the market. There are a lot of reasons a person might choose a rotating car seat, and those reasons are likely a big factor to consider when choosing from the ever increasing number of these seats!
Factors you may want to consider:
1. "Swivability™": Some of these seats will rotate when used in both rear facing and forward facing modes. This is extremely helpful for caregivers who may have range of motion or strength issues making it difficult to get a child in a car seat. These are also great for people who sometimes need to transport different kids in the same car seat. When these seats are installed, they can be used in either mode as long as they are adjusted properly for each child, each time. They're also extremely helpful in two door cars! Others only rotate when used for children who are rear facing, and become locked in position when installed forward facing. This makes sense because, by the time mostkids are forward facing, kids are capable of climbing into a car seat on their own. However if a child has physical limitations that prevent this, a seat that rotates in forward facing mode may be helfpul .
2. Rear Facing Limits: As with any convertible or all-in-one car seat, you should consider how long you would like to keep your child rear facing when picking a car seat. Several of these seats have 50 lb limits for rear facing, and most have standing height limits that are close to or equal to that for forward facing. If you have a child who is high on the growth chart and you want to keep them rear facing longer, don't get a car seat that maxes out rear facing at a low standing height! For any kid, keep an eye on the 1" rules of those seats, because they want to make sure that a rear facing child's head is fully contained within the shell of the car seat. Once a child is forward facing, it's ok if the head starts to peek over the top as long as the ears are within the seat, however we need to keep an eye on harness heights as I will cover in point 3.
3. Forward Facing Limits: Most convertible car seats tend to max out at 49" when forward facing (Not all...some are lower!! Read your manuals!) but car seats are usually outgrown by torso/shoulder height well before a child hits 49". Sit your child against a wall and measure from the floor to the top of their shoulders to get torso height. When a child is forward facing, a car seat is outgrown once their shoulders are above the highest harness position of the seat. Some of these seats have very low max harness heights, so pay attention to that if your kid appears to be more torso than legs!
4. Top Tether Use & Requirements: Some of these seats allow use of the top tether in both rear and forward facing modes. Some of them are required, some are optional, and some are required if you have a tether anchor point. Consider your vehicle and where you plan to install the seats when choosing a seat.
5. Budget: Ideally, this should be one of your first factors even though it is last on my list. If a rotating seat is not in your budget, best bet is to buy a new, non-rotating seat that IS in your budget over a used rotating seat you don't know the history of. Some of these rotating seats have high prices considering their limited use (Nuna), and others may seem more budget friendly, but the lower max limits could mean that your child will outgrow the seat before they're ready to move to a booster, so you'll be stuck buying ANOTHER harnessed car seat.
For all of the seats I have made a few other notes that you may want to take into account! This page links back to a google sheet I've been maintaining for a while, and as more seats come on the market, I will add them to the spreadsheet. Please note, most of these links are affiliate links, which means that if you buy I will earn a small percentage to help support my website. There is no increase on prices. The original Evenflo Revolve is no longer for sale, but I keep it here in case you get one from a friend (keep an eye on those expiration dates!) The Nuna link is NOT an affiliate link, but I've chosen to link to a local small business that sells it. Of course these are also available on other sites, so find the best deal you can!
Last note: Rotating seats are cool. They're definitely the "IN" seat for car seat manufacturers right now, but there are so so so many great options for car seats out there that the best seat for you might not be one that rotates. Just because your friend loves their seat, doesn't mean it's the right choice for your child or your vehicle!
(Slide the bars right/left or up/down to view all of the spreadsheet)
As a CPST I always remind caregivers that "The BEST" seat is the one that fits a child's age/weight/height/developmental level, fits the vehicle, and that they can install and use correctly 100% of the time. However for convenience, I've created this chart as an easy way to compare the various rotating seats currently on the market. There are a lot of reasons a person might choose a rotating car seat, and those reasons are likely a big factor to consider when choosing from the ever increasing number of these seats!
Factors you may want to consider:
1. "Swivability™": Some of these seats will rotate when used in both rear facing and forward facing modes. This is extremely helpful for caregivers who may have range of motion or strength issues making it difficult to get a child in a car seat. These are also great for people who sometimes need to transport different kids in the same car seat. When these seats are installed, they can be used in either mode as long as they are adjusted properly for each child, each time. They're also extremely helpful in two door cars! Others only rotate when used for children who are rear facing, and become locked in position when installed forward facing. This makes sense because, by the time mostkids are forward facing, kids are capable of climbing into a car seat on their own. However if a child has physical limitations that prevent this, a seat that rotates in forward facing mode may be helfpul .
2. Rear Facing Limits: As with any convertible or all-in-one car seat, you should consider how long you would like to keep your child rear facing when picking a car seat. Several of these seats have 50 lb limits for rear facing, and most have standing height limits that are close to or equal to that for forward facing. If you have a child who is high on the growth chart and you want to keep them rear facing longer, don't get a car seat that maxes out rear facing at a low standing height! For any kid, keep an eye on the 1" rules of those seats, because they want to make sure that a rear facing child's head is fully contained within the shell of the car seat. Once a child is forward facing, it's ok if the head starts to peek over the top as long as the ears are within the seat, however we need to keep an eye on harness heights as I will cover in point 3.
3. Forward Facing Limits: Most convertible car seats tend to max out at 49" when forward facing (Not all...some are lower!! Read your manuals!) but car seats are usually outgrown by torso/shoulder height well before a child hits 49". Sit your child against a wall and measure from the floor to the top of their shoulders to get torso height. When a child is forward facing, a car seat is outgrown once their shoulders are above the highest harness position of the seat. Some of these seats have very low max harness heights, so pay attention to that if your kid appears to be more torso than legs!
4. Top Tether Use & Requirements: Some of these seats allow use of the top tether in both rear and forward facing modes. Some of them are required, some are optional, and some are required if you have a tether anchor point. Consider your vehicle and where you plan to install the seats when choosing a seat.
5. Budget: Ideally, this should be one of your first factors even though it is last on my list. If a rotating seat is not in your budget, best bet is to buy a new, non-rotating seat that IS in your budget over a used rotating seat you don't know the history of. Some of these rotating seats have high prices considering their limited use (Nuna), and others may seem more budget friendly, but the lower max limits could mean that your child will outgrow the seat before they're ready to move to a booster, so you'll be stuck buying ANOTHER harnessed car seat.
For all of the seats I have made a few other notes that you may want to take into account! This page links back to a google sheet I've been maintaining for a while, and as more seats come on the market, I will add them to the spreadsheet. Please note, most of these links are affiliate links, which means that if you buy I will earn a small percentage to help support my website. There is no increase on prices. The original Evenflo Revolve is no longer for sale, but I keep it here in case you get one from a friend (keep an eye on those expiration dates!) The Nuna link is NOT an affiliate link, but I've chosen to link to a local small business that sells it. Of course these are also available on other sites, so find the best deal you can!
Last note: Rotating seats are cool. They're definitely the "IN" seat for car seat manufacturers right now, but there are so so so many great options for car seats out there that the best seat for you might not be one that rotates. Just because your friend loves their seat, doesn't mean it's the right choice for your child or your vehicle!
(Slide the bars right/left or up/down to view all of the spreadsheet)
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