Best Rotating Car Seats of 2023
A handful of new car seats have added a new innovative twist: a seat that can rotate. Previously only available in Europe, rotating car seats (car seats that swivel either 180° or 360°) are finally available in the US, and our Albee gear enthusiasts have rounded up everything you need to know about our favorite booster car seats so you can shop with confidence—consider this your rotating car seat cheat sheet.
How We Choose Our Best Rotating Car Seat Picks
We take baby product advice seriously and pride ourselves on helping parents find the gear that’s just right for their family. We’ve combed through reviews of real Albee parents and polled our own gear enthusiasts (who have decades of experience in the baby retail space—and are parents themselves!) for our best rotating car seat picks.
Best Rotating Car Seat with a Travel System
The Albee’s rundown:
- Ideal for newborns and low birth weight babies
- 360° rotation
- Part of a modular stroller system
Orbit Baby launched in 2004 and helped create the luxury stroller market in the US—their innovative SmartHub technology allowed their car seat to rotate 360° on its base, and it could be paired with an Orbit stroller for use as a travel system.
Orbit recently relaunched in the US, and their G5 infant car seat became the first rotating infant car seat on the market. The G5 “docks” into the SmartHub base from any angle and rotates 360°. It’s compatible with all 3 of Orbit’s strollers for use as a travel system, a feature totally unique to this brand.
The G5 infant car seat has a deep cradle design for maximum side impact protection, and the SmartHub base is made from aerospace-grade aluminum for added security. You won’t break a sweat installing this car seat: Thread the belt through a lockoff and buckle, then twist the StrongArm knob until you achieve a tight fit (it’s really that easy).
The full-coverage UV sunshade has an extension for extra protection (and uninterrupted naps), and the fabrics are soft and breathable. A low birth weight fit kit is included to improve the harness fit on extra tiny newborns.
It’s worth mentioning that the G5 is heavy for an infant car seat—something to consider if you’ll be using the seat in multiple vehicles or with the stroller and have back or mobility issues.
Noteworthy specs:
- Weighs 13.8 lbs
- Rear-facing 4-30 lbs and 19-32”
- 2 year warranty
Best Affordable Rotating Car Seat
The Albee’s rundown:
- 360° rotation
- 10 years of use
- Incredible value
The Evenflo Revolve360 is an incredible value—a rotating car seat that can be used from birth through the big kid years for less than $400. But if that price has you thinking, “There must be a catch”, we can assure you, the Revolve360 doesn’t sacrifice style, safety, or convenience.
This car seat grows with your child and can be used in three modes: Rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster. The Sure360 Installation System includes color-coded belt baths, tensioning arms, and a seat lock indicator that make proper installation a breeze, and if you opt for a seat belt install, it’s the only installation you’ll need to do.
Other highlights include four recline positions, a fourteen position headrest, an anti-rebound bar, and premium fabrics that can be machine washed.
It’s worth noting that the seat won’t fully rotate in the rear-facing position unless it’s fully reclined (it will still swivel to the door, so we wouldn’t call this a dealbreaker). The Revolve360 is also long front-to-back, so it may not be the best fit for families with compact cars. Finally, it may be difficult to get a proper fit for newborns and low birth weight babies.
Noteworthy specs:
- Weighs 29.6 lbs
- Rear-facing 17-40 lbs and 17-40”
- Forward-facing 22-65 lbs and 28-49”
- Belt positioning booster 40-120 lbs and 44-57”
- 10 year expiration
- Lifetime warranty
Best Rotating Car Seat for Warm Climates
The Albee’s rundown:
- 180° rotation
- Ideal for hot climates
- Easy to install
The Baby Jogger City Turn has a one-handed 180° rotation that swivels the seat towards your open door, bringing your child 10” closer so you can get them into and out of your car without bending over (your back deserves a break!).
The fabric on the City Turn is soft, lightweight, and moisture-wicking thanks to the COOL-MAX material, making it a great choice if you live in a warmer climate. The base has built-in RAPIDLOCK belt-tensioning technology and integrated push-button LATCH for quick and foolproof installation.
This car seat has higher weight limits for a swivel car seat, so you’ll get more use out of it, and it includes removable inserts so you can achieve the proper fit for a newborn (something that can be challenging with convertible car seats).
Some other features we love include the steel reinforced frame, ten position headrest, six position recline, and energy absorbing foam. The City Turn is also a narrower seat if you’re trying to spare some space in your back seat or need to fit three across.
Noteworthy specs:
- Weighs 28 lbs
- Rear-facing 4-50 lbs and 49”
- Forward-facing 22-65 lbs and 28-49”
- 10 year expiration
- 1 year warranty
Best Rotating Car Seat with Innovative Safety Technology
Cybex Sirona S 360 Swivel Convertible Car Seat with SensorSafe
The Albee’s rundown:
- 360° rotation
- Load leg
- SensorSafe technology
The Cybex Sirona S rotates 360°, allowing you to rotate the seat from rear-facing to forward-facing, or towards your open door. While we love the convenience of a rotating car seat, what we really love about the Sirona S is its innovative safety technology.
The Sirona S is the only convertible car seat on the market with a load leg (a metal support bar that unfolds from the base of a car seat, and rests on the floor of your vehicle). Like a top tether, they reduce forward momentum in a crash, and provide stability by absorbing energy during the collision. Other highlights include an anti-rebound bar, linear side impact protection, and twelve recline positions. The car seat base has vehicle lock-offs to guide seat belt installation, taking the guesswork out of a proper installation.
Cybex’s SensorSafe technology is integrated into the chest clip, which sends an alert to your car or phone if your child is in a potentially dangerous situation, like being left in the car or an unbuckled chest clip.
One note on the Sirona S: once your kiddo is forward-facing, you’ll need to detach and reattach the tether strap each time you swivel the car seat towards the door.
Noteworthy specs:
- Weighs 30.4 lbs
- Rear-facing 5-50 lbs or 49”
- Forward-facing 22-65 lbs or 49”
- 8 year expiration
- 2 year warranty
Best High Style Rotating Car Seat
Nuna REVV Rotating Convertible Car Seat
The Albee’s rundown:
- 360° rotation
- Bonus safety features
- Sleek design
The Nuna PIPA and RAVA car seats are two of the most loved items of baby gear at Albee, year after year. The REVV adds a convenient and much-loved feature to Nuna’s car seat lineup: 360° rotation. And even better, you can swivel the seat with one hand.
The REVV, like all Nuna products, has tons of high end bells and whistles, including sleek design, steel strength technology, and extra side impact protection. The REVV is GREENGUARD Gold Certified, PFA free, and made with fabrics that are naturally flame retardant and contain zero flame retardant chemicals.
The REVV features an anti-rebound panel that minimizes rotation in the event of a collision, and has magnetic holders to keep buckles out of the way when you’re getting your child into the car seat. Its ten position recline makes it fit a wide array of vehicles, and the no rethread harness is super convenient. It’s also a narrower seat and a great option if you have a compact car or need to fit multiple car seats across.
One note on the REVV’s weight and height limits: The REVV’s rear- and forward-facing weight limits are the lowest of any car seat on our list. It also has a maximum height of 49”—what that means practically is that your child may outgrow the REVV before they’re ready for a booster, necessitating the purchase of another convertible car seat.
Noteworthy specs:
- Weighs 32 lbs
- Rear-facing 5-40 lbs or 49”
- Forward-facing 20-65 lbs or 49”
- 10 year expiration
- 1 year warranty
Best All-in-One Rotating Car Seat
Maxi-Cosi Emme 360 All-in-One Rotational Convertible Car Seat
The Albee’s rundown:
- 360° rotation
- 10 years of use
- Easy to install
The Maxi-Cosi Emme 360 is the newest all-in-one rotating car seat on the block, and we’re impressed. It has a 360° rotating seat and evolves with your growing child from birth to ten years: first as a rear-facing car seat, then forward-facing, and eventually, a belt-positioning booster. And it’s budget-friendly compared to most other rotating car seats, especially considering its lifespan.
Seat belt installation is a breeze, too. The tension plate makes achieving a snug installation without brute force easy, and the TensionFix indicator turns from red to green when the belt is tight enough. The 10-position headrest and harness adjustment and 5-position recline ensure comfort and safety in every stage.
The ClipQuik magnetic chest clip means struggle-free in-and-out buckling, and innovative dual cup holders rotate to accommodate all kinds of sippy cups, even those with handles. The PureCosi naturally fire-resistant fabrics are machine washable (and dryer safe!) for quick and convenient cleaning.
Noteworthy specs:
- Weighs 38 lbs
- Rear-facing 5-40 lbs and 19-40”
- Forward-facing 22-65 lbs and 29-49”
- Belt-positioning booster 40-100 lbs and 43-52”
- 10 year expiration
- 1 year warranty
Best Rotating Infant Car Seat
Cybex Aton G Swivel SensorSafe Infant Car Seat
The Albee’s rundown:
- 180° rotation
- Lightweight
- SensorSafe technology
The Aton G Swivel is the newest rotating infant car seat on the market, and the first ever to feature an anti-rebound bar. Like all models in Cybex’s car seat family, it’s jam-packed with bonus safety features, like integrated linear side impact protection and exclusive SensorSafe technology. The in-base recline and SafeLock belt tensioner make it easy to get a quick and secure installation in a wide variety of vehicles.
The Aton G Swivel has an ergonomic 180° rotation, allowing you to smoothly swivel the seat towards your open door with just one hand, so loading and unloading your “floppy” newborn is easier than ever. And the Aton G doesn’t sacrifice the best benefits of traditional infant car seats, either: it’s still incredibly lightweight—just 9 lbs—and is compatible with all Cybex strollers for use as a travel system.
The Aton G Swivel has an 11-position headrest with no rethread harness (comfy for kiddo and extra safe), and in-shell ventilation so little bums get plenty of airflow on hot summer days. The easy-to-clean machine-washable fabrics are flame retardant free, and the XXL canopy ensures your baby can snooze without interruption.
Noteworthy specs:
- Weighs 9 lbs
- Rear-facing 4-35 lbs or 32”
- 8 year expiration
- 2 year warranty
Finding What’s Right for You
Albee Baby is the oldest family-owned specialty baby shop in the US, and we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the best assortment of baby products anywhere, at fair prices, always. We’re committed to being an inclusive resource for parents, and hope you’re feeling empowered to find the right car seat for your family. Still have questions? Feel free to contact our baby gear experts at 877.692.5233 or by email at [email protected].