WHAT ARE ROTATING CAR SEATS?

A rotating/ swivelling car seat can be rotated on its base towards the vehicle door. They can either rotate 180 degrees or a full 360 degrees, depending on whether the model is strictly rear facing or can rear and forward face. 

Newer models have bases that install using Isofix brackets and a support leg. Some models use top tether anchor instead of the support leg. And there are still a few older models which install using seatbelt. 

The appeal of the swivel feature, is to make it easier on parents’ backs when loading your child in or out of the car. You simply rotate the car seat towards the vehicle door, so that you can place your child and strap them in, without having to lift them over the car seat (and potentially knock their head!). 

The swivel feature is especially useful in 2-door cars and high clearance SUVS, which can make it tricky to place your baby into a rear facing car seat. 

The swivel feature is also appealing as it makes it easier to change the car seat from rear facing to forward facing, without having to reinstall it. 

IS A SWIVELLING CAR SEAT SAFE?

All car seats sold legally in South Africa will have passed the ECE R44/04 or R129 regulations and have been deemed safe and legal to use. Ensuring that a car seat is correctly installed is always vital in order for it to perform optimally in a crash. 

There are several high safety rated infant and toddler car seats available from Europe that have undergone additional, more stringent crash testing and have proven to prove exceptionally high levels of safety. 

Some swivel car seats offer extended rearward facing up to 18kg/105cm (approximately 4 years). Crash tests have shown that rear facing is FIVE TIMES SAFER than forward facing. We therefore strongly recommend that you choose a car seat that will allow rear facing for as long as possible, and that you not be tempted to turn your baby forward facing before it is safe to do so.

Things to consider when buying a rotating car seat

Rotating car seats are convenient and easier to use for parents to buckle children into their car seats. And which parents isn’t eager for anything to make this process more manageable! 

 Parents who have joint problems, a 2-door car or even a high clearance SUV will love the convenience of a rotating car seat. Here are some important factors to consider before buying a rotating car seat.

How does it rotate?

Some rotating car seats swivel 180 degrees in a semi-circle, from rear OR forward facing towards the vehicle door. Whereas rotating car seats that can rear AND forward face are able to rotate a full 360 degrees circle from rear, to door, to forward, to the other door.

How easy is it to rotate?

The lever to rotate the car seat can either be found on the side of the base, or at the recline lever where the tail of the harness is. 

If you have a 2 door car, it is much easier to reach the lever if it is on the side of the base rather than towards the backrest of the car (when used in rear facing). So this is something to bear in mind. 

How heavy is it?

As most rotating car seats are attached to their rotating bases, they’re more heavy to move around. Although this does also make them quicker to move in one go. 

If you are likely to be transferring the car seat between cars often, you can consider the Maxi Cosi FamilyFix 360, FamilyFix 360 Pro or Cybex Base T, as you can buy additional bases for a secondary vehicle. This would mean that you only need to transfer the seat unit between cars, without having to reinstall the bases.

THE SAFEST ROTATING BABY CAR SEATS

There are Group 0+ infant car seats available that can be removed off the base and clipped onto a compatible pram in order to make a convenient travel system. Alternatively, there are Group 0/1 car seats that last longer (until approximately 4 years) but cannot be clipped onto a pram.

Infant car seats 

If you would like the option of clipping the car seat into the pram to make a travel system, the Cybex Cloud T, Maxi Cosi Pebble 360 Pro and Maxi Cosi Pebble 360 are the safest options available in South Africa at the moment.   They can both be installed using the seatbelt without their isofix bases, but then lose the swivel function. When installed with their respective isofix bases, they can be swivelled 180 degrees toward the vehicle door.

Convertible car seats 

The Maxi Cosi Mica Pro Eco, Maxi Cosi Pearl 360 and Besafe iZi Turn B are approved from birth to 18kg/105cm (approx. 4 years). They cannot be clipped onto a pram.

THE SAFEST ROTATING TODDLER CAR SEATS

Our toddler car seats can all be used rear or forward facing until 105cm (approximately 4 years) and they all install with isofix and a support leg.