Getting your baby in and out of the car can sometimes be a massive struggle but if you’ve been through that, you’ll be pleased to know that there is a great solution for it! A rotating car seat can finally put an end to that struggle due to the fact that it allows you to swivel it towards the car door and take your little one in and out with the utmost ease.
Furthermore, there are models that let you rotate them to a full 360 degrees which means it can swivel to forward facing and also offer the flexibility of extended rear facing.
You’ll be pleased to know that there are many great options on the market, many of them you can find in our best rotating car seats article, but before that, here are some more things you should know about rotating car seats so that you can make an informed choice, taking all the guesswork out of the equation.
So why should you get a rotating car seat for your bundle of joy?
As mentioned before, rotating car seats allow the parent to take their babies in and out of the car much easier since the product can swivel to face the car door.
This way, you’ll never have to awkwardly bend over the seat to unstrap your baby and lift them out, oftentimes waking them up.
It’s good to know that rotating car seats can be used for many of your child’s years as well, some of them being able to transform from rear facing, which is recommended for newborns up to 15 months (13 kg) to forward facing, which is great for older children as well.
However, once your child is around 9 months or 9 kg, you can decide whether or not you even want to switch them to forward facing at that point.
This is because many rotating car seats, if not most of them, are in the Group 0+/1 category, giving you the option of having your young child rear facing up to the age of 4 or 18 kgs.
At first, it might sound like a personal preference but in reality, rear-facing offers much more protection for your young child in the case of a car accident, especially if there is a head-on collision so it’s wise to keep their seats rear facing as much as you can.
But once your little one is finally ready, or is starting to get quite uncomfortable in the rear facing position, you can finally rotate them to the forward facing position with the swivel car sear, which means that you won’t have to re-install the seat or purchase another one for the next stage of their life.
What to look out for when purchasing your rotating seat
If you are someone who deals with any mobility issues or back pain, which most parents do, let’s be honest, a rotating car seat will definitely make a difference whenever you need to take your baby in and out of the car.
Just keep in mind that they are often big and bulky due to the fact that they come with a non-detachable base which is what makes them swivel.
But because that base is also heavy to carry around, it’s not the ideal option if you do a lot of traveling and would rather have a car seat you can carry around with your baby in it while outdoors.
As mentioned before, however, most rotating car seats let you use the rear facing option until 4 years of age which is great in the case of an accident, the seat being able to protect your little one’s under-developed head, spine and neck for longer.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not all rotating car seats swivel to a full 360 degrees.
Some only turn to 180 degrees which means you can swivel the seat either to the rear or forward facing positions but you’ll still be able to turn it to the car door, taking your little one in and out of the car easier so in the end, it’s not that big of a problem.
So how do you choose the perfect rotating car seat for you?
There are undoubtedly way too many options to choose from out there, which sometimes makes for a really hard decision to take for something you need to pick only one of.
With that being said, there are some factors you should take into account as not to make a bad choice when purchasing your first rotating car seat.
Is it easy to rotate?
While all of rotating car seats rotate of course, some are more efficient at it than others depending on the methods used to enable the spin base.
For instance, some of them have a button, while others feature a lever but there are also options that let you unclick them from the base to swivel them to another position.
The best ones out there let you turn them easily and smoothly with just one hand.
Is it easy to install?
Most models of rotating seats can be installed with ISOFIX connectors you can find on the base of most car seats.
Some can offer extra peace of mind to new parents by allowing an intuitive rear and forward facing locking system, which means that the seat can be installed instantly with the utmost ease.
Furthermore, there is an added benefit of featuring color-coded indicators so you can always be 100 percent certain you did not install it wrong.
Will your little one be comfortable in a rotating car seat?
Now that the safety and convenience questions have already been answered, you may wonder if your child actually feels comfortable in one of these as well!
Well, that is usually not a problem with these types of car seats, especially if you pick one that reclines!
Some of them offer several recline positions whether you have them forward or rear facing, for the ultimate relaxation while also offering great support for your infant’s neck, back and head.
Furthermore, the no-rebound bar provides them with more legroom in rear-facing made than other types of car seats, which is, of course, a plus of comfort for them.
Finally, if you are still not convinced if you need a rotating car seat or not, here are some more questions that can help you figure it out.
– Have you ever felt back pain contorting yourself in awkward positions while trying to take your baby in and out of their car seat?
– Does your toddler throw temper tantrums everytime you try to place them into their car seat?
– Are you worried about waking up your sleeping baby while taking them to and from the car?
– Is reinstalling your rear facing seat just for it to face forward a struggle?
– Would you like for your baby to continue rear facing in their car seat for a longer period of time as to increase their safety when young?
If you answered “yes” to at least one of these questions, rest assured that a rotating car seat is indeed the best pick for your particular situation.
