Graco Turn2Me 360° i-Size R129 review

A fantastic group 0+/1 Isofix car seat that smoothly rotates 360° at an exceptional price with no compromise on safety or quality safety features, the Graco Turn2Me is brilliant for babies. An intuitive rearward/forward-facing locking system means easy and instant installation with the reassurance of an integrated colour-coded indicator.

As far as cheap car seats go, this is one of the best, thanks to its numerous features. A 12-position load-leg ensures the best fit for the car. Side impact protection ensures powerful head/body protection at each stage. The no re-thread harness guarantees a proper fit as your child grows.

The Graco Turn2Me i-Size R129 has also won a bronze award for Best Baby/Toddler Car Seat (Stage 1/2) at the 2024 Mother&Baby Awards.

Scroll down to find out how our tester Chris got on when testing the car seat with his daughter.

Testing the Graco Turn2Me 360°

As our daughter turns two years old this October, my wife and I have been aware for some time that our hand-me-down Group 0+ CarbrioFix seat, although used infrequently as a ‘spare’, needed replacing. We liked the idea of having something similar to her existing five-year-old Joie i-Spin 360. However, given that it wouldn’t be her primary seat, we weren’t so keen on spending the premium price required. That’s why the opportunity to test this seat from Graco, with similar features but notably more affordable (RRP £129), was so attractive.

Like our Joie seat, Graco’s Group 0+/1 Turn2Me i-Size R129 is a 360-degree rotating ISOFIX seat suitable for children height 40cm to 105cm (from birth to approximately four years old). It features a five-point harness, 10-position recline (five forward-facing and five backwards), and a six-position headrest that can, in addition to the rotation function, all be operated easily one-handed.

The product arrived bagged inside a large cardboard box with moulded cardboard packaging to protect the seat base and there was no visible damage on delivery. The seat’s Side Impact Protection pod arrived in a separate packet along with a small instructions booklet, plus a ‘scan to register’ QR code (the seat comes with a two-year warranty) and a pair of ISOFIX latch guides.

Instructions comprise a series of seven diagrams clearly explaining how to install the seat, highlighting key details such as how to ensure the base is secure, the load foot is in the correct position, and how to tighten/slacken the harness. First impressions are that it appears smart, sturdy and well-cushioned, with similar plush fabrics to those on our daughter’s current Joie i-Spin.

Those familiar with fitting ISOFIX car seats shouldn’t encounter any difficulties installing the seat. Red/green colour-coded indicators on the ISOFIX clasps and load leg confirm immediately that the seat is fitted correctly and securely fitting the seat for the first time took less than five minutes. When fitted, rocking the seat reveals minimal movement or flex in the seat itself.

In terms of design, the Turn2Me is quite chunky in its appearance, while removing the newborn inserts reveals it to be quite bucket-like with pounced sides. It appears to be less sculpted around our daughter’s body than her i-Spin, but it at all times kept her safe and secure, while the large headrest appears to offer plenty of support.

It’s not especially heavy (12.66kg, so lighter than the i-Spin at 13.9kg) but as is the case with all seats we’ve used with a load leg, it needs to be carried with both hands to prevent the leg swinging freely and potentially fouling on the door aperture, or worse damaging the car’s bodywork.

During our time testing the Turn2Me seat, it was used exclusively in our F20-generation BMW 1-Series five-door hatchback. It’s a car that does not have an especially large compartment for rear passengers, which is why we were so impressed by the seat’s compact base. The dimensions of the Turn2Me’s compact base mean it does not overlap the edge of the BMW’s seat bench. With previous seats we’ve owned, to prevent them from fouling on the passenger seat back, the passenger seat needs to be well forward, limiting legroom. Here, a more comfortable position, similar to that of the driver’s seat, can be adopted while still allowing full rotation of the Turn2Me seat, plus space for our daughter’s legs.

Although Graco states its seat can be used rearward facing up to four years old, our daughter is now accustomed to facing forwards and we used the configuration for the duration of the test. We do though believe Graco’s claims as the distance between the edge of the seat and the base provides sufficient space for young children’s legs.

When rotating the seat from door-to-forward-facing, there is some resistance against the seat back as a result of the side impact pod brushing against it, but this didn't really impact how it moved.

Helpfully, all the buttons for adjustment (rotation, recline, raising the headrest, plus the Side Impact Protection pod) are highlighted in light grey against the otherwise black plastic. What’s less than ideal however, is that the buttons for recline and rotate are in close proximity, located low down at the front of the seat. They’re difficult to see even when the seat faces the door and you’re working on feel alone when the seat is forward facing. Furthermore, they’re both quite difficult to access when in the rearward position. Familiarity resulted in the buttons being confused less often, but to our mind, it’s a problem that the more frequently used rotation button is the least visible/accessible of the pair.

The process for adjusting the harness is identical to that of the i-Spin – a strap is pulled to tighten the harness and by pushing a concealed button, accessed via a recess in the fabric below the crotch pad, then pulling on one of the harness straps they’re slackened. However, unlike the i-Spin the Turn2Me’s buckle features magnetic clasps that aid fastening. It’s worth noting also that the harness on the Graco seat does not need to be rethreaded as the child grows.

My wife did find that the length of the crotch pad meant that in most cases it was unavoidable for her to place out daughter on top of it and then fish it out from underneath her – a minor inconvenience. She did though, appreciate that the pad prevented the harness from rubbing the inside of our daughter’s legs. The shoulder straps also feature padded covers with a non-slip coating where they rest across her chest.

Unlike the load leg of the i-Spin, the Turn2Me has a pair of adjustment buttons for a total of 12 different positions. This allowed me to find a setting where the Turn2Me base could sit snuggly on the BMW’s seat bench, whereas the i-Spin, even with green indicators displayed, has a small recess between the two. This gave the impression of the Turn2Me seat being much more secure as a result.

The test period coincided with a spell of hot summer weather and the Turn2Me’s side-shell ventilation, which is said to enhance airflow to keep the child cool, seems to do the trick. Our daughter was in the seat for daily 10-minute journeys to and from nursey during weekdays, with some longer journeys (approx. 30 minutes) for weekend days at out. As no point was there any visible signs of discomfort (fidgeting, whinging, etc.).

We also noted that in its fully upright recline position, our daughter’s eyeline was above that of the top of the driver and passenger’s seat backs, allowing her to see her parent(s) in the front cabin and also easily see out of her own window – a bonus for growing children with more agile minds.

The seat cover and inserts have a black matt finish (described as ‘Midnight’ by Graco) and are machine washable. Based on the fabric’s strong resemblance to those used for our i-Spin, we wouldn't have any particular concerns about cleaning them. Likewise, it looks like it would be easy enough to use the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner to remove crumbs, sand etc.

In terms of features that are missing, the Turn2Me seat does not have any cup attachments, a newborn sun hood or any storage pouches on its side, but these are minor quibbles.

Final verdict

Graco is not a brand that either my wife or I were aware of prior to testing its Turn2Me seat, but we’re very impressed. It offers good value for money compared to its competitors (especially the Joie i-Spin) and we would certainly recommend it, especially to those with cars where rear passenger space is tight but who still want a seat that can spin. To our mind, it met our expectations in terms of being comparable to our existing i-Spin, with the only obvious drawback being occasionally getting the rotate and recline buttons muddled.

Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby and has written for the website and previously the magazine for six years. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases in the parenting industry.