Nuna Cari NEXT Carrycot Car Seat

When choosing a baby car seat, there's no denying that you will probably do a lot of research, and if you've come across the Nuna Cari NEXT Carrycot Car Seat you'll be pleased to know that it lives up to expectations.

Choosing a lie-flat car seat like the Nuna Cari has many benefits for your baby. It helps to allow your baby to breathe easier and helps promote healthy spine and hip development.

Find out how mum tester Amber got on when she tested the Nuna Cari Next and compared it to standard car seats.

Testing the Nuna Cari NEXT

Mum of one, Amber, tested the Nuna Cari NEXT with her two-month-old son.

Design

The car seat itself is really stylish and I really like that it has a sun safe canopy. I was a bit worried about the light material inside the car seat, and how it would keep clean but it's easy to wash.

I think it's a clever design as it does keep my son laid flat which I think would make it comfier to sleep rather than being scrunched up in a standard car seat.

Another thing I really liked was the fact the ISOFIX base can be used for all the Nuna Cari seats, so once it's installed you don't have to worry about changing it over when you upgrade your car seat.

Usability

I found installing the ISOFIX base a little bit difficult as it was heavy to lift while heavily pregnant. It would be worth getting someone to help install the base into the car. Another thing was getting used to all the functions of the base to make sure it was secured correctly into the car.

It took a while to figure out which buttons adjusted which part of the car seat, even when following the instructions, but once installed I knew it was safely secured and I didn't need to move it.

The car seat base felt really sturdy and was hard to move once installed. It was also really easy to attach the carrycot onto the ISOFIX base as well. The base has a clear function that goes green once the base is installed correctly and when the car seat is clipped in correctly, which was extremely helpful in knowing everything was secure.

The Nuna Cari NEXT Carry Cot itself was really lightweight to carry which was helpful, but due to it being longer than a standard car seat, I wouldn't say you could walk long distances with it to move it around unless you had the pushchair for it to attach to.

I found adjusting the three-point harness system easy to do as well and I like the protective padding that makes sure the straps don't rub against son.

Performance

I wanted to like this car seat a lot more than I did, but my son is not a fan of laying down and prefers to contact nap, so I think he was associating the Nuna Cari with his Moses basket and really isn't happy being in it. I think over time he'll get adjusted but we haven't had any long trips where he would probably settle in it.

As I don't have the pram base that the Nuna Cari NEXT would attach to, I don't feel as though we got the full benefit of using the car seat, but I would say it would definitely be worth having the pram. I do like that it's an option to have.

With the carrycot being lightweight, even with my son in it was easy to lift and move from the house to the car, and it was easy to install onto the base.

When carrying, my son looked really secure and fastened into the harness which was really reassuring when moving. I have used a standard car seat and his head does drop forward slightly if being moved, so the fact he's laid down in the Nuna Cari is a huge positive.

Final verdict

Overall, the design of the car seat was great. It's lightweight and soft for my son to lie in. I liked how easy it was to attach to the ISOFIX base, but I would advise getting some help to install the base, especially if you're installing when pregnant. If you wanted to rotate the carrycot too so your baby was rear-facing, you do have to move the car seat in front all the way forward, making it difficult for a second passenger in the front.

I would recommend the Nuna Cari NEXT as a lay-flat car seat as it did give me more peace of mind when my son was asleep in it, however, I wouldn't say it would be compulsory to have over a standard car seat. The fact the base works with other stages of Nuna Cari car seats is helpful though, as you wouldn't need to buy a completely different base.

Nuna CARI FAQ

Can babies sleep in the Nuna Cari?

As the car seat lies completely flat in the same way a Moses basket does, it allows your baby to sleep safely and comfortably in the car, while fully reclined.

How long can a baby sit in a lie-flat car seat?

Babies are able to use a lie-flat car seat from birth, up until around 12 months old, or until 75 centimetres in length. Some parents may choose to stop using lie-flat car seats when their baby can sit up unsupported.

Samantha Ball is a Product & Lifestyle Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.