You’re here for a detailed comparison of the Baby Jogger City Turn vs Nuna Revv Rotating Car Seat. And that’s exactly the goal I set out to achieve. I’m here to shine a beam of light on either deal and perhaps nudge you in the direction of the better option.
Also Read: Convertible and Infant Car Seats that Swivel
The both of them have a swivel mechanism. And they place tons of convenience within reach of every parent who’s tired of wrenching their back each time they attempt to load and unload baby in the rear-facing mode.
Nuna Revv vs Baby Jogger City Turn Comparison Summary
Both swivel, but while Nuna Revv swivels 360˚the Baby Jogger City Turn rotates just 180˚. While both turn toward the door for super easy loading and unloading, the City Turn doesn’t swivel at all in the forward-facing mode. And while the Revv offers an anti-rebound bar, the City Turn doesn’t, but this isn’t a requirement.
Installing the Nuna Revv with the seatbelt can be quite the struggle versus installing the City Turn.
The Nuna Revv isn’t FAA-approved while the City Turn is. However, you can’t install the City Turn rear-facing on aircraft. But this difference amounts to little because both are heavy and aren’t the best choices for anyone who travels frequently.
Nuna Revv loses out to the Baby Jogger City Turn as far as weight and height limits rear-facing and forward-facing. The same can be said of the maximum harness height of the Revv versus that of the City Turn (14″ vs 17″).
You may be able to use the City Turn from birth to well beyond year 3 while almost no baby fits in the Nuna Revv past the rear-facing phase at year 2.
Finally, Nuna Revv costs about $50 more than its competitor.
In the final analysis, I found the City Turn to be a better deal compared to the Nuna Revv.
Nuna Revv Convertible Car Seat Specs and Features
Specs of the Nuna Revv Convertible car seat
Rear-facing weight range: 5-40lbs
Rear-facing height limit: 43″
Forward-facing weight range: 25-40lbs
Height limit, forward-facing: 43″
Forward-facing age: 2 years and older
Lower anchor weight limit: 30lbs, rear-facing
Lower anchor weight limit: 30lbs, forward-facing
FAA-approved? No
Features
Rotation: 360˚
Top tether: required for both seating modes, forward-facing and rear-facing
No rethread harnes, no pain when returning seat pad to place after washing
Strong & durable steel frame (Steel Strength Technology)
Multi-position head support, gives 10 adjustment options
Recline positions: 10 positions, 5 rear-facing & 5 forward-facing
Energy-absorbing EPP foam
2 removable cupholders: They’re optional, and Nuna says they’re dishwasher-safe even though the manual omits this information
Magnetic buckle holders
Anti-rebound bar: Yes
Side-impact protection (Aeroflex Side Impact Protection System)
Fabric: Plush, highly breathable, & washable. Manual says to wash in a gentle cycle with cold water and mild detergent
True Tension Door: It tightens the seatbelt/lower anchors for a safe, secure install
Fire retardant-free materials and no added chemicals that could harm your child
GREENGUARD GOLD-certified: Satisfies the emissions standards for 360+ VOCs and chemicals.
Important measurements
Dimensions: 21.5″-22.5″ L X W16″ (w/o cupholders) or 22.5″ (w/ cupholders installed) X 22.5-29.5″H (headrest and recline positions determine actual length and height)
Weight: 32.7lbs
Max harness height: 14″
Lowest harness height: 6.5″ (w/insert), 8″ w/o insert
Width: 22.5″ at the widest point (with cupholders installed) & 16″ with the cupholders removed
Baby Jogger City Turn Specs and Features
Below are the specs and features of the City Turn.
Specs
- Expiration date: 10 years from date of manufacture
- Rear-facing weight limits: 4-50lbs
- Rear-facing height limit: Use the car seat until the little passenger’s noggin is 1″ below the headrest’s height adjustment handle with the headrest maximally extended
- Forward-facing weight limits: 22-65 pounds
- Forward-facing height limit: Slightly less than 49″
- Lower anchor weight limit rear-facing: 35lbs
- Forward-facing lower anchor weight limit: 40lbs
- Crotch buckle positions: 2 positions, the correct position is the one that sits nearest to the little passenger child. However, that position mustn’t be located underneath baby’s bottom
- FAA-approved? Yes, but only in the forward-facing mode
Measurements
Seat weight: 28 pounds
Max harness height: 17″
Lowest harness height: 6″ (w insert on)
Lowest harness height: 7″ (w/o the insert)
Width of the car seat: 19″ at the widest point (with cupholder installed)
Features
3 part infant insert
Rotation: 180˚
RAPIDLOCK belt-tensioner (actually 2)
Premium LATCH
Harness: 5-point no-rethread harness
Headrest adjusts 10 positions
Recline positions: 5, three rear-facing & two forward-facing.
2 belt paths, a rear-facing belt path and a forward-facing belt path
2 recline angle indicators
EPP crash impact-absorbing foam
Steel-reinforced frame for longevity
Fabric: It’s moisture-wicking and plush, but good luck finding any color outside of gray
Padding: It’s plush and washes easily
Cup holder: Dishwasher-safe, but it should be installed each time you’re using the seat
It’s time to jump into the analysis of the Nuna Revv vs Baby Jogger City Turn. I’ll walk through every aspect that might help you make an informed buying decision.
Weight, Appearance, and Safety Certifications
In this duel, the Nuna Revv loses, but in the end, this win doesn’t mean much. I mean, both restraints are heavy, not the kind you want to travel with.
While the Revv weighs 32.7lbs, which is like very heavy, the Turn weighs 28lbs. Well, a difference of almost 5lbs isn’t insignificant. But I’m certain you won’t want to carry either choice between vehicles frequently.
But both are safe car seats, meaning they meet to their entirety the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) you can use either knowing that your little one will ride in comfort and safety.
How about FAA approval? Well, the Nuna Revv lacks this certification, meaning you can’t install it on any plane. But this isn’t a reason to give the seat a wide berth. Because ultra-heavy car seats and air travel don’t work well together.
In comparison, the Baby Jogger City Turn is FAA-approved. But there’s something you should know about this approval: it amounts to little advantage if any over not having it. As in you can only install this car seat on planes forward-facing and NEVER rear-facing.
Do you want to buy this seat and delay traveling with your LO until they can seat forward-facing? Besides, it’s still a heavy option at 28lbs. Hauling it around airports or anywhere else can’t be much fun at all.
As far as looks, both seats look like something anyone who likes beautiful things would like to own. They look stylish and modern, the lines are neat, and the overall build feels pretty solid. But the Nuna Revv does feel a tad sturdier, plus the padding is a tad plusher.
Anti-rebound bar: If you like having an anti-rebound bar on a car seat and won’t choose any option without this feature, definitely go with the Nuna Revv. This feature enhances the overall protective profile of this seat, plus this bar comes in handy when carrying the car seat.
The Baby Jogger City lacks the anti-rebound bar. But while not having this extra feature, it’s still a safety-certified car seat and can be used without worry.
Ease of Installation
Nothing sucks worse than a nice-looking product whose awesomeness you can’t access easily or without jumping through hoops.
If you have the right resources, you should be able to install either car seat correctly, especially using the lower anchors. But you don’t want to use the lower anchors (both choices come with premium LATCH) to install the Nuna Revv.
Not if you want to install the Revv once and only once. Since it swivels 360˚, simply install it once with the seatbelt, and you can swivel it to either mode anytime.
Nuna Revv is More Challenging to Install via Seatbelt
Installing the Nuna Revv with the seatbelt can be the ultimate challenge. Unlike most options, the instructions for setting up this one require using ONLY the lap portion of the vehicle’s seatbelt. I’ve yet to encounter any other car seat that installs this way.
The folks at Car Seats for the Littles explain in clear detail how to correctly the Nuna Revv correctly with both LATCH and seatbelt. Learn how here.
Here’s a video to empower you so you can install the City Turn rear-facing. And here’s how to set up the City Turn forward-facing.
What makes the installation of the City Turn in either direction easier than other car seats is the RAPIDLOCK Belt Tensioner. This arm requires a reasonable amount of force to lock into place and provides the tension needed to keep the seatbelt or lower anchor straps tight and secure.
While installing via the seatbelt is almost always the best approach, some have found that the lower anchors lead to a slightly better user experience.
If you look at this photo, you’ll see that the tester, a kid-sized lifeless form, had one foot caught underneath the vehicle’s seat belt. This little scenario tends to happen when swiveling the seat.
Make Sure to Read City Turn’s Instructions Manual
As far as installation, the City Turn definitely beats the Revv. However, the City Turn features a base that works differently than others. Setting up this base to install in either mode needs a bit of getting used to, but it’s quite if you read the detailed instructions booklet rather than the smaller, thinner one.
The way you adjust the recline angle for this seat is different than what it is on the Nuna Revv. Not hard, just different. Read the manual, seriously.
And don’t route the lower anchors or seatbelt through the T-shaped section on the base. Because that’s not the belt path. The T-shaped groove is a channel designed to help the rotational feature work flawlessly.
2 Color-coded Seatbelt Paths for the City Turn
There are 2 belt paths, one for the forward-facing and the other for the rear-facing mode. This is a deviation from the norm where swivel car seats come with a single belt path that works for both seating positions.
As a result, you have to do at least 2 installs if using the seatbelt and at least 3 if using LATCH, 2 installs rear-facing because the upper weight limit exceeds the lower anchors limit (35lbs) and 1 install forward-facing via the seatbelt.
The belt paths are colored, blue for rear-facing and orange for forward-facing. A squeeze lever on the base enables you to set ready it up for either installation mode.
Weight Limits Rear-facing
One area where Nuna Revv plays the underdog to the Baby Jogger City Turn is the weight limits both rear-facing and forward-facing.
While the Revv’s limit maxes out at 40lbs, the Turn’s top limit is 50lbs. This means you can extend rear-facing on either, but the later has an advantage.
But while Nuna Revv seems like a loser here, it puts the vast majority of dedicated infant car seats to shame in the rear-facing weight limit arena. Most rear-facing-only car seats have a 30-35lbs range, which isn’t terrible but still lower than Nuna Revv’s.
For this reason, I decided not to count having a lower weight limit against the Nuna Revv.
Height Limits Rear-facing
For some reason, Baby Jogger didn’t indicate a specific height limit number rear-facing, but I’m certain this wasn’t because they’d be ashamed to reveal that stat.
I bet the height limit is more or less that of the Cybex Sirona S. If interested, find a review of the Sirona S here. BTW, these two buddies have the same rear-facing weight limit of 50lbs.
Don’t worry. It’s doubtful that any child could outgrow the City Turn before maxing out the stated weight limit of 50lbs. The headrest adjusts an entire 10 positions when you pull up the height adjustment squeeze handle around the top of the shell.
Weight Limits Forward-facing
If there’s one design upgrade Nuna Revv should get soonest possible it’s a revision of its weight limit forward-facing. While virtually all convertible and all-in-one car seats have a 22-65lbs weight range in this mode, the Nuna Revv limps in at a ridiculous 43″.
I really don’t know what to say about to say about this joke of a limit. The company still markets this seat as something your child will use from birth through preschool, but don’t believe this claim because it’s false.
I want to believe this wasn’t an attempt to wrench hard-earned money from parents by presenting a short-lived option as a forever car seat. Because that’d be deceptive marketing. But I still think Nuna is a credible brand that makes amazing products.
Height Limits Forward-facing
This is yet another battlefront where the City Turn leaves the Nuna Revv convertible in the dust. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that the forward-facing limit for the Nuna is 43″ versus 49″ for the Baby Jogger.
I feel like Nuna should start marketing the Revv as a rear-facing-only swivel car seat that pretends to be way more than it really is. If you’d like to check out a real infant-only rotating car seat, here’s a detailed analysis of the Orbit G5 Infant Car Seat.
Harness Height Limit
One big difference, one that threw me for a loop, is how shamelessly low the top harness slot sits on the Nuna Revv. The tallest harness slot is found at 14″ (which is the lowest height I’ve seen so far) while the number is 17″ for the City Turn.
Well, a 3″ difference may not seem like much, except it could mean the difference between using the car seat until booster age and having to purchase a higher-limit convertible car seat at age 2. As mentioned elsewhere on this comparison post, most kids have a snowball’s chance in hell of fitting in the Nuna Revv after they outgrow the rear-facing phase.
This reason alone makes the Baby Jogger City Turn convertible car seat, at least for me, a more appealing option compared to the Nuna Revv.
Lower Anchor Weight Limits
It’s 35lbs rear-facing and 40lbs forward-facing for the City Turn and 30lbs forward-facing and rear-facing for the Nuna Revv.
If extended rear-facing is an objective for you, consider installing via the seatbelt, otherwise, you’re going to need to reinstall either seat rear-facing once baby reaches 30lbs for Nuna Revv and 35lbs for City Turn.
5-Point Harness and Harness Covers
The harness on both car seats is no-rethread, something I really appreciate. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to trying to re-thread harness straps after putting the seat pads back into place.
But that’s not all. The harness on both deals is the most secure it gets, a 5-point harness. But a 5-point harness isn’t unique since it’s rare these days to see a car seat with a 3-point harness.
Also, each seat features harness covers. These little parts make for a more comfortable use of the shoulder section of the harness. Both covers are definitely high quality, but I found the ones on the Baby Jogger a little bulkier, which isn’t a bummer at all.
Crotch Buckle & Crotch Cover
The buckle is adjustable on both seats, and this makes customizing the fit easier and better. I like that the buckle on the Nuna Revv boasts a plush cover, which the City Turn lacks. Keep an eye on this cover as it tends to sort of stray, especially when carrying the seat.
Seat Lock Mechanism
It’s not safe to crank up the engine before making sure that your swivel car seat’s locked into place. Most options feature a kind of indicator that uses color to communicate the current status of the seat. Green usually means the seat is locked and ready while red means it’s still in swivel mode. This is the kind of indicator found on the Nuna Revv.
The seat lock indicator on the Baby Jogger is different though. It’s unique in that instead of a color-based indicator, an audible click announces when the seat finally swivels into a secure position. Don’t worry; neither choice ever rotates while the vehicle is in motion.
Recline Positions and Ease of the Swivel
Both recline with ease, but I found that Nuna reclines easier. This is mainly because the recline angle indicator on the Nuna Revv isn’t a bubble as it is on the Turn and many other alternatives. It’s a numbered recline indicator which many find easier to use compared to the typical bubble indicator.
But it’s nice that Baby Jogger added two bubble indicators on the base instead of one, which increases convenience. If I could suggest anything to this company’s designers though, I’d say place these indicators at a more accessible position, such as on the shell.
Both have a really smooth spin, and you can easily rotate the car seat one-handed while holding baby in the other. Still, I’d say the Nuna Revv spins minimally better.
Top Tether Use
The top tether is required for both rear-facing and forward-facing with the Nuna Revv, and it doesn’t get in the way like it does with the Cybex Sirona S. I like that. For the City Turn, the top tether is ONLY require in the rear-facing seating position.
Infant Insert and Headrest
The two contenders come with a highly and easily adjustable headrest. Working an easy-to-operate handle makes increasing headroom a breeze. Most options adjust 10-12 positions and it’s not any different with these two.
As is the norm with convertible car seats, the both of them offer caregivers a set of removable infant inserts. Each set works as it should, and both have adequate padding that translates to a decent amount of comfort for tiny passengers.
The job of a newborn insert is make fitting of a newborn or smaller baby easier by raising the passenger to get them closer to the harness straps and buckling mechanism.
All that said, I like the optional newborn wedge on the City Turn because it’s does more. This insert features 3 easy-to-attach-together sections namely head, body, and lumbar region padding. You can can use each piece individually if you like.
And when you remove the body and head padding at 11 pounds (or before this as long as baby fits comfortably), you can continue using the lumbar support until 25lbs, something I’ve not seen any other car seat do.
Cupholders and Fit-3-Across
The City Turn offers little passengers one dishwasher-safe cupholder while its competitor offers 2. And while this cupholder is detachable from the shell, the manual instructs users to always have it on every time they install the seat.
The cupholder on the Turn juts outward a bit, and while it makes the seat wider, the new width becomes 19″ versus 22.5″ with the cupholders of the Nuna Revv installed.
If you have a mid-sized SUV such as a Honda CRV, you could achieve a 3-across configuration with either choice. You’d have to use seats or boosters with a slim design since all swivel car seats need lots of space all around for a smooth rotation.
Also read: Compact Vehicle Car Seats
Jogger City Turn vs Nuna Revv: Final Verdict
In a duel between these two tough guys, the Baby Jogger City Turns comes out on top. Both restraints support extended rear-facing, but the Baby Jogger’s limit in this mode is 10lbs higher than that of the Nuna Revv.
Forward-facing, the few kids can use the Nuna for long since the topmost slot sits at 14″ versus 17″ for the City Turn.
Unless you’re OK with upgrading to a convertible car seat with a higher weight and height range in the future, the City Turn blows the Nuna Revv under the water in the limits department.
Also, the City Turn makes an audible click when the rotation completes while the Revv has you checking a color-coded seat lock. It’s harder to make a mistake in the first instance.
Besides that, the Nuna Revv is $50 or so pricier than the Baby Jogger City Turn even though it’s NEVER going to be a forever swivel car seat for your LO.
However, our winner provides 1 cupholder which isn’t optional while Nuna offers 2 optional ones. But while this required cupholder increases the width, the difference isn’t significant.
Another area the Revv outperforms the Turn is that it revolves 360˚ while its equally good-looking competitor swivels only 180˚. Besides, the Turn doesn’t rotate forward-facing, but it still makes loading and unloading baby rear-facing remarkably easier, which is the whole point of investing in a rotating car seat.
As a medical professional practicing in the United States, Joe Waweru medically reviews every piece of relevant content at kiddofreddom.com, but nothing he says here should be construed as medical advice of any kind.
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