Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 Car Seat review

If you're after a versatile, well-made and excellent value car seat which promises to grow with your child from newborn right up to approximately 12 years of age (150cm), the Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 Car Seat could be the one for you.

The 360 car seat features an integral, rotating ISOFIX base, clear visual indicators which confirm proper installation and conform to i- Size standard, meaning baby can be in a safer, rear-facing position up to 105cm (approx. 4 years).

Scroll down to find out how Mother&Baby tester Matt got on with Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 Car Seat with his daughter.

Testing the Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 Car Seat

I’m a first-time dad to a baby daughter who was born in January 2023, and a writer for M&B’s sister publication, Practical Classics Magazine. With my daughter having outgrown her first car seat as she approached her first birthday (where did that first year go?!), we were seeking a replacement seat which combined ease of use with value for money. We wanted a seat that would grow with our daughter, having already seen so much of the initial, not inconsiderable, spend relegated to the loft. The i-Size Plus 360 appealed due to its advertised birth-to-150cm (approx. twelve years) age range and rotating ISOFIX base, a feature we had become great fans of with our first car seat.

Once unboxed, the seat was quick and easy to install following directions in the supplied instruction booklet. The standing support leg unfolded from the base and it was easily adjustable to ensure a secure and stable connection in the car once the two ISOFIX connectors were clicked into place. Two plastic guides were supplied with the seat, which made accessing the buried ISOFIX connectors in the test car straightforward.

Having removed the infant insert and adjusted the headrest to the correct position (a simple enough procedure), our twelve-month-old took to it immediately. A top tip from the enclosed instruction booklet, slackening the straps fully, placing them over her arms, latching then tightening, ensured she was well secured by the five-point harness without a fight! One problem we have faced is that, while rear-facing even in the most reclined position, our daughter’s head tends to lol forward once she falls asleep. It feels as if the seat should recline further than it does.

My wife and I have both got to grips with using the seat quickly and our daughter seems comfortable and secure in it. The rotating base makes getting her in and out far easier on the back than the fixed seat we have in another car, in which it can be a real struggle to install a wriggly baby as time ticks down towards nursery drop-off.

In addition to the convenience and back-benefits, the ability to strap baby while they’re facing you allows you to ensure the straps are properly secure with full sight of them. It’s then a quick and easy motion to unlatch the seat from its outward-facing position and spin it to rear (or front in the fullness of time) facing.

Final thoughts

Overall, this is an incredibly cost-effective and adaptable car seat which could serve your child from birth to around 12 years old (150cm). Conforming to i-Size safety standards, which promote rear-facing sitting for longer, is a real win for the Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360, while the rotating ISOFIX base makes it quick, simple and painless to get your child seated and strapped.

The rotating mechanism is intuitive, as are all the features in fact, from installation to strap tightening and loosening and memory foam headrest adjustment. It lacks the advantage of a traditional infant car seat which can be lifted out and plonked onto pram wheels or carried into the house, sleeping baby in-situ, however, if finances are tight, this is a nicety which could be sacrificed in favour of longevity. Even if, like us, it’s only used from 12 months or so, it still promises to offer extraordinary value over a decade or more!

Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 Car Seat FAQ

What age is the Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 suitable for?

The Radial car seat is suitable from birth thanks to the memory foam headrest and modular infant insert.

How can I keep the Ickle Bubba Radial i-Size Plus 360 clean?

The handy removable fabric cover can be machine-washed for easy cleaning, ideal if you've got a mucky little one.

First-time dad Matt Tomkins is a motoring journalist and classic car enthusiast who writes for Practical Classics Magazine. His baby daughter was born in January 2023.