Nuna Revv 360 is the newest addition to the slowly but surely growing list of convertible car seats that swivel. I believe Maxi Cosi was the first brand to introduce a revolving car seat in 2007, the Axiss, an option that rotates just 90 degrees.
Then Cybex introduced their spinning Cybex Sirona S and a bunch of other rotating models. Evenflo jumped in and gave us the popular Evenflo Revolve 360 Gold. Now Orbit Baby, Baby Jogger, Nuna, and a few others make turning car seats, but the list is still pretty short.
Related: 5 Best Swivel Car Seats You Can Get Today
I take this chance to prep for you a detailed Nuna Revv vs Evenflo 360 Gold comparison. And here’s a review of the Evenflo 360 and this is a review of the Cybex Sirona S in case you’re interested.
In this review, my job is to illuminate the features, technologies, and capabilities these 2 swivel seats share while also pointing out areas that could use some improvement.
Nuna Revv vs Evenflo 360 Comparison Table
* To see hidden text on the table below, place your cursor on the gray bar at the bottom and drag the gray bar to the right or left depending on what you want to see.
It’s a Growing Trend, and You Sure Want In
Nobody enjoys getting sleeping babies from a rear-facing vehicle, especially if the roof is low and the backseat space-starved. If you’re not careful, the baby’s head might hit the roof, and your back will hate you for forcing it to be a contortionist.
With a car seat that swivels, none of these scenarios take place. Buckling baby in is a cinch as is getting them out at trip end. All this convenience happens because the seat swivels, facing the baby towards the door for easy-in easy-out rituals. This newish technology is a back saver (no straining at all), and because it makes buckling babies rear-facing
A Brief History of Swivel Car Seats
While swivel car seats may seem like a brand new car seat technology, rotating seats were popular in high-end Chrysler cars of the 1960s according to a NYT contributor and motoring enthusiast named Jim Motavalli. The rotating seat first appeared in Father Alfred A. Juliano’s Ultimate Safety Car of 1957-1958.
A person riding in a car could rotate their seat 180 degrees if they believed a crash was about to happen. The seats worked best in 2-door vehicles, and they still do.
Well, the idea never really caught on, not even when Chrysler tried to revive it in 2008. Still, Motavalli predicts that the swivel seat might make a come back in self-driven vehicles.
Fast-forward to 2007, and Maxi Cosi say they invented the first real swivel car seat, the Axiss, a car seat that rotated just 90˚. But it’s safe to assume that Maxi Cosi, Cybex, Nuna, Baby Jogger, Orbit, Evenflo, and everyone else borrowed the swivel idea from the earliest inventor, Father Juliano.
Before we begin comparing the Nuna Revv and Evenflo 360 Gold, below are the key features and spes of each convertible swivel car seat.
Evenflo 360 Revolve Gold Key Features and Specs
As far as I’m concerned, the Evenflo 360 is the best swivel car seat for the money. It spins great, fits newborns and even preemies better than most, looks good, and features easy-to-clean and reasonably plush padding. Also, it supports extended rear-facing and fits taller kids better than any other comparable swivel car seat.
Plus, it installs relatively easy with seat belt and LATCH, but be sure to use the seatbelt to make it a one-time-install.
But it’s heavy and not aircraft-approved, so forget about traveling with it or even frequently switching it between vehicles. And while it’s not cheap, it won’t feel like they took advantage of you.
Specs
- Weight: 29.6 pounds
- Max weight and height limits rear-facing: 4-40 pounds and 17″-40″ respectively
- Maximum weight and height limits forward-facing: 22-65 pounds and 28″-49″ respectively
- Lower anchor limits: 35lbs rear-facing and 40lbs forward-facing
- Booster mode weight and height limits: 40-120 pounds and 44″-57″ respectively
- Car seat width at widest point: 19.5″
- Max harness height: 19″
- Crotch buckle positions: 3
- Lifespan and safety rating: 10 years, motor vehicle-safe but not FAA-approved
Features
- LockStrong Belt Tensioning Arm
- No-rethread 5-point harness
- Side-impact protection and anti-rebound design (seat’s base)
- 360 swivel, top tether rear & forward-facing, seat lock indicator, belt lock indicator
- High-backed booster seating mode
- Harness covers, adjustable headrest, foldable infant insert
- Seat pads washable
Nuna Revv Convertible Car Seat Key Features and Specs
If you prefer the nicest-looking things even if they have a major limitation or 2, the Nuna Revv convertible car seat might just be what you’re looking for. It’s possibly the cushiest convertible car seat that rotates, making loading little ones and unloading them easier than easy.
Its spin is unrivaled, and its soft, breathy fabrics give it an incredibly stylish feel and look. The headrest adjusts as does the crotch buckle, and the 5-point harness requires no re-threading after headrest height adjustment.
The main drawback of the Nuna Revv rotating convertible car seat is that nearly 100 percent of kids outgrow its forward-facing limits before booster seating age. This necessitates buying a second convertible or a combination car seat, which is exactly money you may or not want to spend. I’d skip this car seat if buying for one baby and hoping to use the seat until booster age.
It’s ideal for those who want the plushest, nicest-looking, densest swivel car seat for rear-facing use only. It works best for families planning on having multiple kids all of whom will use the same car seat as their first car seat, obviously not at the same time. I’d definitely get the Evenflo 360 Gold if I needed a do-it-all swivel car seat for baby, because the Nuna Revv definitely isn’t that.
Specs
- Weight: 32.7 pounds
- Max weight and height limits rear-facing: 5-40 pounds and 43″ respectively
- Maximum weight and height limits forward-facing: 25-40 pounds and 43″ respectively
- Lower anchor limits: 30lbs rear-facing and 30lbs forward-facing
- Booster mode weight and height limits: N/A
- Car seat width at widest point: 22.5″ (widest point, with cupholders) and 16″ at narrowest point (w/o cupholders)
- Max harness height: 14″
- Crotch buckle positions: adjustable
- Lifespan and safety rating: 10 years, motor vehicle-safe but not FAA-approved
Features
- Belt Tensioner/True Tension Door
- No-rethread 5-point harness
- Side-impact protection and anti-rebound bar
- 360 swivel, top tether rear & forward-facing, seat lock indicator
- Numbered recline indicator
- Harness covers, adjustable headrest, merino infant insert (not washable)
- Plush seat pads, washable
Now that features and specs of the Evenflo 360 Gold vs Nuna Revv are out of the way, let’s see who comes out on top.
Product Weight and Safety Certifications
Weighting in at almost 33 pounds, the Nuna Revv is probably the densest swivel car seat that can be had. To be fair, it’s not way heavier than the Evenflo 360. Even though the latter is 3.1lbs lighter, it’s still a heavy and bulky choice.
But I refuse to count being heavy and bulky against either option. I mean, these are convertible car seats, and they’re by design heavy and bulky. It’s like manufacturers designed them to stay in one vehicle rather than be moved frequently from vehicle to vehicle.
But I’m not saying that they’re too heavy that an able and strong person can’t carry them between cars at all. I’m saying carrying massive car seat with a fixed base isn’t much fun.
With such weight numbers, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that neither is certified for use on planes anywhere. That’s no bummer if you ask me. I mean, you don’t want to haul a thing this heavy through airports.
Both the Nuna Revv and Evenflo 360 are NOT FAA-approved. They suck at being a traveling companion.
Related: Best aircraft-approved car seats
Rotational Performance: the Nuna Revv Outshine Everyone
I used to believe no car seat spins better than the Evenflo 360, but I was wrong. After giving each car seat a spin with one hand, I find that the Nuna Revv is the unbeatable master of the swivel. The difference in spin smoothness isn’t easily noticeable, though, and it mainly comes down to my personal perception of the overall quality of each. Highly subjective, I must say.
Car Seat Comfort During Use
Car seats for kids need to be comfortable, or they won’t want to be in them for any length of time. And these two are comfortable, nudging tots to fall asleep as soon as you buckle them in.
With that being said, I assert that the Nuna Revv blows the Evenflo 360 Gold under the water in the padding department. While padding on both choices is decent, the Nuna Revv takes comfort to a whole new place called luxury.
Its fabric feels softer and looks like better quality than Evenflo’s, and both seat pads are removable and machine-washable. Just don’t toss the insert wedge of the Nuna Revv in the washer because the manufacture says to spot clean it only.
Weight and Height Limits Rear-facing and Forward-facing
Pay attention, because remarkable differences between the Nuna Revv and the Evenflo 360 are about to emerge. The Evenflo has a rear-facing weight range of 4-40lbs vs. 5-40lbs for the Nuna Revv, making both swivel car seats ideal options for extended rear-facing.
Everyone including the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses on the importance of prolonged rear-facing, arguing it’s the safest option for children.
As for the height limits rear-facing, the Revv outshines the Evenflo (43″ vs 40″), but this difference doesn’t mean much at all. I mean, you can do rear-facing for longer in both cases.
Are You Planning on Buying a Second Convertible Car Seat?
If the idea pf sinking more of your money into a second convertible car seat doesn’t sound exciting to you, stay away from the Nuna Revv. Get the Evenflo 360 Gold instead, and I’ll tell you why.
The max harness height of the Nuna Revv is a shockingly low 14″. Please tell me you made a mistake listing this spec, Nuna.
Compare this number to the 19″ the Evenflo 360 offers, and tell me if you can figure out why the Revv costs $200 more than the Evenflo. What the 3″ difference in harness height means is that your kiddo will definitely max out the forward-facing weight and height limits before they reach booster seating maturity.
Nuna released the Revv 360 recently. And it’s beyond me why they made such a short-lived convertible car seat this expensive. It’s ridiculous, to say the least. And it’s the main reason I elected the Evenflo Gold rotating car seat as the winner.
BTW, how long do you use the Nuna Revv? You’ll likely use it 2 years at most. Think of it as a premium rear-facing-only convertible swivel car seat. Also, you’ll have to purchase a forward-facing car seat with a booster mode or another convertible option and a booster car seat afterward. But neither decision is smart because you could get the do-it-all Evenflo 360 and use it until booster seating age.
Lower Anchor Limits and Installation
It’s recommended to use the seatbelt when installing a rotating car seat. Because installing via the vehicle’s seatbelt makes one-and-done installation possible.
Installing either car seat with the lower anchors is possible, but if you choose this method, be ready to reinstall the car seat rear-facing since the lower anchor limit is 30lbs for the Revv and 35lbs for the Evenflo.
And as soon as the child hits 40 pounds, you’ll have to uninstall and install forward-facing, assuming your kiddo has a petite build and will fit in the seat at that point.
However, many have found installing the Nuna Revv via seatbelt can a challenging endeavor. But if you watch the right videos and do the work, it’s doable. I suggest that you watch videos done by parents and car seat techs rather than Nuna ones as they tend to be more helpful.
Use this resource to learn how to install the Nuna Revv via LATCH and seatbelt and this one to learn how to install the Evenflo 360 Gold.
Here’s a little secret that’ll make installing the Evenflo 360 easier: recline the car seat full first and then install it on the base. If you don’t do this, you might encounter problems such as the seat not spinning.
The reason the Evenflo is a relatively easier install is that its belt path is wider compared to others.
Safety tip: never drive until the car seat locks into place. Fortunately, it’s very easy to tell whether the seat’s locked thanks to the seat lock indicators on these seats. The same goes for the True Tension Door of the Nuna Revv and the belt-tensioning arm of the Evenflo. Make sure they’re nice and locked after routing the seatbelt or lower anchor straps.
I like that the lower anchors store in the base of the car seat in both cases. You’ll have to open the place and get them out.
Booster Seating Mode: Up to 120lbs With the Evenflo Gold 360
This is one extra feature the Evenflo offers that the Nuna Revv doesn’t, booster seating mode. At 40 pounds, assuming your child is mature enough for it, you get to use the Evenflo Gold 360 as a high-backed booster. This is amazing because it means you won’t need to spend extra cash on a dedicated booster car seat.
The booster is for kids 44″-57″ tall and 40-120 pounds. Many states require kids to be at least 57″ before they can use adult seatbelt. Do you now see why they describe the Gold as an all-in-one or forever convertible car seat? The Nuna Revv offers neither allows for booster seating nor lets your kiddo max out the limits forward-facing.
Being able to convert to a booster seat was a BIG reason I picked the Evenflo 360 Gold as the winner of this showdown.
Top Tether, Anti-rebound Bar, and Fit 3 Across
Both have a top tether that keeps the seat secured in both directions. Most options have the tether anchoring the seat ONLY in the forward-facing mode.
But the tethering mechanism works somewhat better on the Evenflo Gold 360 than it does on the Nuna Revv. See the pics here to understand what I mean.
One thing parents can’t stop praising the Evenflo for is that the tether comes out of the base as opposed from the back of the shell as is the case with the Nuna Revv, Cybex Sirona S and others. This stroke of genius makes it possible to access the rotational feature rear-facing and forward-facing, something the Sirona S and others fail at.
With the Cybex Sorona S, for example, the swivel feature is totally useless in the forward-facing mode. So why pay a hefty price for a piece of car seat tech that works some of the time?
The Nuna Revv boasts an anti-rebound bar, a movement-minimizing mechanism, which the Evenflo lacks. However, the Evenflo’s base works as an anti-rebound panel rear-facing. And it’s not like the car seat safety standards in the US require an anti-rebound bar or leg.
Fitting 3 across: Every family’s situation is different, but in most cases, you can use either seat and still fit a seat belt-fitting youngster in the same backseat. You’d have to buckle in baby first and then ask the teen to hop on and buckle up, though.
Also, with a narrow backless booster, you can carry another child beside each swivel seat. And in roomy SUVs and other large spaces and with the right car seats (read narrow and compact), you may be able to fit 3 across, but good luck accessing the rotational feature.
Recline Level Indicators
A recline indicator helps a great deal when adjusting a car seat for the best possible seating angle. Both seats come with a color coded indicator to help with that. But parents (me too) like Nuna Revv’s bubble-free recline indicator better because it’s easier to use. It’s a numbered and color coded indicator with color blue for rear-facing and red for forward-facing. See below.
And below is what the color-coded strip (white and black) on the Evenflo looks like. You can see that it’s not number-based. Instead, it relines on a black ball, which can make it a tad hard to get the recline right. But it sure works.
Headrest, Infant Insert, Harness, Crotch Buckle
Both competitors come with a highly adjustable headrest and a removable infant insert. An infant insert is padding designed to lift baby off the the back of the seat so they can fit better in the harness.
You’ll appreciate that with both contenders, the headrest adjusts up and down a considerable amount. And when you pull it up to fit a bigger and growing kid, the no-rethread 5-point harness’ straps don’t get all messed up and twisty. That’s why there’s referred to as no-rethread.
Oh, and there’s a harness cover on both harnesses, and I’d say the one on the Revv looks a little more deluxe. Both are removable and washable.
If your baby is a really tiny, definitely choose the Evenflo 360 or a regular infant car seat. An very small newborn needs a really close fit, and being able to fold the insert in the case of the Evenflo 360 makes this doable. Refer to the manual to learn the recommended way of folding down the infant insert of this car seat.
The insert should be removed at 11 pounds in both cases. And if your baby isn’t too small, you may be able to create a better fit with the inserts removed.
To decide whether to remove or keep the infant wedge, turn to the good old trial and error method. And remember that you shouldn’t machine-wash the insert of the Nuna Revv. You can only spot clean it.
The crotch buckle adjusts on both seats with the Evenflo one providing up to 3 different positions so that you can customize the fit as best you can. This greater crotch buckle adjustability helps the Evenflo fit kids in different age ranges much better.
Nuna Revv’s crotch buckle comes with a cover, which is nice, but I did find that this cover struggles to stay in place. Be sure to move the cover back in position if it shifts, which often happens when moving the seat between cars.
Ease of Care
The seat pads and harness covers are machine-washable using a gentle cycle and mild detergent. But take care not to ruin the infant wedge of the Nuna Revv by machine-washing it.
With either seat, removing the seat covers is relatively easy if you follow the instructions on the manual. Returning the seat pads isn’t hard at all, and you won’t have to rethread the harness.
Related: How to Tidy Up a Car Seat
The cupholders, of which there are 2 for each contestant, are decent and dishwasher-safe, which saves time.
Both are easy to care for, but I’d say the Evenflo 360 cleans a tad better because you can detach the shell to pick any small bits of debris from the base if there are any. The Evenflo is the ONLY swivel car seat I’ve encountered that allows the shell to be removed.
Unfortunately, Evenflo offers no extra bases so parents can install it in different vehicles with ease. And no, you can’t use the top part of this car seat with a stroller or carry baby in it the way you do with an infant car seat.
Price Point: Is Either Swivel Car Seat Worthy It?
At time of writing, the Nuna Revv’s MSRP is $599 vs $329-399 for the Evenflo 360 Gold. Do I think that $600is is justified? No. Not when the Nuna Revv convertible rotatable car seat is a short-lived buy and might as well be a rear-facing-only car seat. If you have to shell out cash for another expensive convertible or combination car seat, how can this be a reasonable deal?
I say get the Evenflo 360 Gold and forget about buying any other convertible car seat for car use. But no matter which option you place your bet on, you may have to invest in a lightweight FAA-approved car seat if you expect to travel by plane a few times each year.
Even though $329-$399 is by no means cheap, it does feel like the Evenflo Gold 360 is worth the money. I believe that as more competitors enter the swivel space, prices could come down. Meanwhile, grab the best deal there is and get going.
Who Won the Superiority Contest Evenflo 360 vs Nuna Revv?
There are certain things that the Nuna Revv 360 does exceptionally well, but those things don’t do enough to position this swivel car seat as the ultimate winner. In the final analysis, the Evenflo 360 wins.
If you’re torn between the two, I say banish the fear and place your bet on the Evenflo. It works, especially if you install it right.
Nuna Revv 360 spins better, offers better/thicker padding, and looks nicer than the Evenflo 360. Both are sturdy and long-lasting (have an expiration date of 10 years counted from date of manufacture), rotate 360 degrees, and deliver loads of convenience to always-tired parents and caregivers. They make extended rear-facing of kids easier to do by eliminating pain and strain from the process of loading and unloading babies.
Here’s where the Evenflo 360 Gold trounces the Nuna Revv: it’s easier to install, offers more crotch and harness adjustability, and most importantly, parents can use it as a forever car seat. One that outlasts all the growth phases, from birth through booster age. It gets even better: it’s cheaper, substantially so.
I’m rooting for Evenflo 360 Gold because of all these reasons, and I’m convinced it won’t be a regrettable purchase for your growing family.
Now what? Get the Evenflo 360 if it impressed you.
Check Evenflo 360 Price On Amazon
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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