How to Shop for Rotating Car Seats

Convertible car seats will be one of your family’s bigger baby gear purchases—and will be used for years—so investing in a little research before you hit add-to-cart is worth it. And if you’re considering a rotating car seat that’s newer to the American market, learning how to shop for them will really simplify the process. We’ve huddled with our baby gear experts and rounded up our favorite tips for how to shop for rotating car seats so you can pick the best option for your family.

What Is a Rotating Car Seat?

Common in Europe for years, rotating car seats—you may see them called swivel or revolving car seats—are a type of convertible car seat that can rotate or swivel so that your little one is able to face multiple directions. Veteran parents know that getting kids into car seats can be tricky, especially once they’re heavier and more mobile. Rotating car seats have been designed so that it’s easier to get your child in and out of the car seat, without straining your back (or requiring you to be a contortionist!).

Similar to an infant car seat, rotating car seats, rotating car seats have a base that is securely installed in your car, and the seat itself rotates or swivels on the base. The base has an integrated mechanism that allows the seat to turn towards your car’s door (or even between rear- and forward-facing, depending on the model). Once you’ve safely secured your child in the seat, it can be rotated back to the correct position.

Rotating car seats feature both 180° and 360° of rotation, depending on the model, and often feature bonus safety features like extra side impact protection, or load legs.

Are Rotating Car Seats Safe?

All new car seats must pass federal safety regulations set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including rotating car seats. Any car seat available to purchase in the US has met or exceeded all federally required safety standards.

Another (perhaps) unintended safety benefit of the rotating car seat? Extended use in the rear-facing position. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission, and scores of the nation’s leading pediatricians and researchers all recommend children rear-face for as long as possible, until they reach the maximum height or weight limit for their specific car seat model.

Because a rotating car seat makes getting a squirmy irritable toddler into a rear-facing seat much easier, parents are more inclined to keep their kiddos rear-facing longer.

Why Is Rear-Facing in a Car Seat Safer?

Simply put, riding rear-facing is the safest way for your kid(s) to ride in a car. Rear-facing is safest for several reasons, including:

Child passenger development and physiology. In a crash, all bodies in a vehicle move towards the point of impact—if you’re involved in a front-end collision, that means everyone will move towards the front of your car. Adults and children in forward-facing car seats will have their bodies held in place by a seat belt or a harness. And while the momentum of your body will be stopped quickly, your head will continue to be thrown forward until your chin touches your chest, and then it quickly whips back (whiplash). Babies, toddlers, and young children have proportionally larger heads, so their heads move forward with more force than an adult’s, increasing the chance of a whiplash injury.
Extra protection for the head, neck, and spine. If you brake suddenly, rear-facing car seats provide better support to your child’s head, neck, and spine (the most vulnerable areas), and better distribute crash forces over a larger area.
Reduction of crash forces. Rear-facing car seats better position your child’s back to be in direct contact with the car seat, helping to distribute the force of a crash evenly across the whole body. Vulnerable spots, like the head and neck, are less stressed and the risk of injury is reduced.

Worried your older toddler’s legs are squashed while rear-facing, and could be injured in a crash? Good news alert: there’s zero documentation of leg, hip, or foot injuries during collisions when the child is rear-facing in their car seat.

Who Needs a Rotating Car Seat?

A swiveling car seat is going to give any parent’s back a break, but they’re an especially great option for anyone with back or mobility issues, for shorter parents who drive trucks or SUVs, and for grandparents or older caregivers.

When Will You Need a Convertible Car Seat?

Because rotating car seats are a type of convertible car seat (the Orbit Baby G5 and Cybex Aton G Swivel being the one exception), they have the same basic usage: rear-facing for infants until height and/or weight limits are maxed out, and then forward-facing until your child meets the requirements for using a booster seat.

If you plan to use an infant car seat before transitioning to a convertible seat, once your child outgrows either the weight or the height restrictions, it’s time to switch to a convertible. Children will typically outgrow the height restriction first.

Are Rotating Car Seats Worth It?

Picking the best car seat for your baby is a big (and expensive) decision, and even more so with the convertible options: you’ll use your convertible car seat for years to come. Before committing to a rotating car seat, we suggesting rolling up the sleeves and making a pro/con list

The good stuff:

Extended rear-facing. Swiveling car seats make it easier to wrangle your peanut into a rear-facing position, making it more likely that your child rides rear-facing longer.
Single installation. Traditional convertible car seats will need to be installed twice (once for rear-facing, and once for forward-facing). Most rotating car seats only need to be installed once, because the seat will swivel from rear- to forward-facing. (Note this applies to seat belt installations only. If you choose LATCH installation, your car seat and child will eventually exceed your vehicle’s lower anchor weight limits, requiring you to reinstall with a seat belt. Make sure to check your vehicle’s instruction manual for specifics.)
Ease of use. Getting your little one into a rotating car seat is quicker, more convenient, and easier on the back than traditional car seats, especially if your child is rear-facing.

The less-than-good stuff:

Cost. Rotating car seats tend to be more expensive than traditional car seats.
Lower rear-facing weight limits. While rotating car seats do make rear-facing easier, they also have lower rear-facing weight (and sometimes height) limits than traditional convertible car seats. It’s likely your child will outgrow a rotating seat before they’d outgrow a traditional or all-in-one convertible car seat.
Size. The rotating seat needs space to swivel, so you may not be able to place it directly next to an additional car seat (or passenger). If you need to fit three seats across, your rotating car seat options may be limited. Some rotating car seats are long front-to-back, which may not work for tall drivers or families with compact cars.

How to Shop for Rotating Car Seats

Rotating car seats are big ticket purchases, so finding the right one for your family can feel seriously high pressure. Every seat will have its own pros and cons, but shopping with these factors in mind will help guide your shopping journey (destination: the rotating car seat that’s perfect for you).

(Your) convenience. A car seat that can rotate towards the door is, without a doubt, seriously convenient for parents and caregivers trying to buckle a squirmy baby into place. Some rotating seats allow you to rotate the seat from rear- to forward-facing, eliminating the need to reinstall the car seat base. And if anyone in your family has mobility issues, a rotating car seat is a game-changer.
Kiddo comfort. Car seats that offer multiple points of adjustment—whether that be the recline angle, head support, or harness—will not only keep your child more comfortable while riding, it will also make it easier to achieve a safe and secure installation in a wider range of vehicles.
Rotating mechanism. The best rotating car seats swivel smoothly with just one hand (also keep an eye out for certain models that may require removing the tether while forward-facing before you can rotate the seat).
Bonus safety features. Any rotating car seat on the market available for purchase has met or exceeded all federal safety regulations, but some offer extra safety features for added peace of mind. Depending on the model, the car seat may have energy absorbing foam, added side impact protection, a load leg, or integrated technology that alerts you to improper car seat use.
Cost. Rotating car seats do tend to be more expensive than traditional convertible car seats, but there are options that will suit a small budget if this isn’t where you’d like to splurge. The Maxi-Cosi Emme 360, Graco Turn2Me, Evenflo Gold SensorSafe Revolve 360, and Safety First Turn and Go 360 DLX are all under $500.
Weight limits. Rotating car seats often have lower rear-facing weight limits than traditional convertible car seats. You will be able to use any rotating car seat on the market right from day one, but keep in mind that you may need to switch to forward-facing sooner than you’d expect.
Size. The base of rotating car seats are bigger than those you’d find with an infant car seat, and the seats tend to be heavier than convertible car seats, as well. Rotating car seats need room to swivel, so if you need to fit three seats across they may not be the best choice.

Now that you’d pass the Albee Baby rotating car seats pop-quiz, hydrate and get ready to shop the Best Rotating Car Seats of 2023.

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].