New Joie i-Spin Safe infant car seat review
The Joie i-Spin Safe takes safety to the next level, but it does come with some limitations
Verdict
The Joie i-Spin Safe is the perfect fit for those parents who value safety above everything else. It does have its limitations when it comes to transporting your child in and out of the car but, if you’re happy to live with that trade-off, then it’s one of the best all round infant car seats on the market.
- Price: Around £300
- Contact: uk.joiebaby.com
The name of the Joie i-Spin Safe describes exactly what this new car seat is all about – safety. It’s a proven fact that keeping your child in a rearward-facing position for as long as possible is a good thing, and the i-Spin Safe allows you to do that up to four years of age.
It means you can buy this seat secure in the knowledge that your child is in the safest possible position, and you’re not going to have to go out a buy a new seat one year down the line as your child has outgrown it.
There’s plenty of other safety kit included as well, with the ‘Tri-Protect’ headrest boasting three layers of protection inside the wings and the ‘Guard Surround Safety’ panels that auto-engage and lock outwards when the harness is tightened.
Used - available now
2020 Volkswagen
Arteon
70,577 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £15,197
2023 Volkswagen
T-Cross
23,440 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £14,397
2027 Volkswagen
Polo
42,434 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £13,697
2017 BMW
2 Series Coupe
78,000 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £9,450As with safety, the i-Spin Safe also majors on simplicity. There’s an easy solution for everything from the initial set-up to dealing with your baby growing in size. The standout feature is the ‘Grow Together’ headrest and harness system, which adjusts simultaneously. Simply move the headrest up and the harness system grows to accommodate the extra size. It’s a genius set-up that means you don’t have to spend hours finding the manual and then wrestling with the straps.
The ‘grow-with-me’ infant inserts are also easy to install and the seat has six reclining positions, which can be adjusted without having to remove the seat.
Of course the i-Spin Safe does have one Achilles’ heel, and that’s the fact that you can’t remove it from the base and transport your child inside still in the carrier. Ask most parents and they will tell you the last thing you want to do is wake a sleeping child in the back when you reach your destination.
But that’s the trade-off you get for the extra safety with the i-Spin Safe. The problem is eased slightly by being able to swivel the seat 90 degrees to the side, meaning you can easily lift your child in and out without too much strain, but keeping your baby asleep will be a challenge.
If you do have to take the seat out it’s easy to remove (and fit again), though thanks to the retractable Isofix points included and it’s relatively lightweight for a seat this size at just 14.6kg. The handy installation indicator also ensures that you’ve got the seat in the correct position.
Click here for more information on the UK's child car seat laws....
