Doona i Car Seat & Stroller review

First impressions

When the Doona i landed on my doorstep, it was hard not to get a little bit giddy! Arriving in two neat boxes - one containing the car seat as standard, and the other containing the optional ISOFIX base we also requested. The Doona i was out to make an impression from the get go.

There was little to no assembly required, which again aligns with the Doona mantra of “Parenting made simple.” Upon lifting the Doona out of the box, I encountered my first niggle - it’s weight. Yes it looked stylish and the prospect of being able to nip anywhere and everywhere in the blink of an eye was very appealing BUT it was heavy.

How easy is it to install the Doona i car seat?

Ease of use is one of the Doona i’s Unique Selling Points (USP’s), so you would expect the installation of the seat to be easy.

The pictorial cue cards and manuals included in the boxes of both the car seat and the ISOFIX base were really clear to follow and within two minutes I had mastered the art of placing and removing the seat on and off the base. Popping the base into the car was also super swift and only took 5 minutes. Again, nice and simple and fuss-free!

Lifting the Doona into the car was a task, especially with a 5-month-old on board. The weight of the shell of the Doona i still surprised me every time I used the carry handle to lift it.

Lifting the Doona i into my husband's car felt like far less of a task, as the car seats were lower down. Lifting it into my people carrier was a bit more of a bind as the seats are higher and it required a lot more strength to get the seat into place.

As the baby gets older and heavier, I do worry that the weight of the Doona i will be a little bit unbearable. That being said, this is the only niggle that we have found so far.

How can you install the Doona i car seat?

The Doona i is i-Size (R129) regulated, meaning that its primary use is to be installed with ISOFIX for added safety. However if you need to, you can install it with the seatbelt as well.

Personally, the added peace of mind that installing the Doona i ISOFIX base gave us was invaluable. We simply aligned the base with our cars’ ISOFIX anchors clicked the base into place and extended the support leg. The coloured indicators clearly showed us when the base and the seat were in place properly and there was no margin for error.

On the odd occasion that we have used the Doona i without the ISOFIX base, again, we have found installation a pretty easy process. You do need to be more aware when using this method as the seatbelt guides over the baby's lap are black and blend in with the shell of the car seat. The seat belt secures through the blue catch on the back of the seat and across the baby's lap with the belt guidebooks.

When using the Doona i without the base, the carry handle needs to be pushed into position against the back of your car’s seat to act as a rebound bar. After three weeks of use, I would absolutely recommend spending the extra £159 on the ISOFIX base to make installation simpler and give you peace of mind in terms of safety and correct installation.

We must admit, in terms of safety features, we felt the Doona i seat itself and the base was quite simple but still absolutely effective and this, of course, is another aspect that aligns with the ‘parenting made simple’ motto of the Doona company.

How do you convert the Doona i car seat to a pushchair?

This is the party trick of the Doona, and the part that every single parent we encountered along our travels wanted to ask or to have a go at doing! At every baby group, party and school run we were always asked, ‘can I try?’ or ‘is it easy?’

The operation of putting the wheels up is as simple as putting one hand on the palm button and trigger on the back of the seat and the other on the carry handle. The wheels extend up as you lift the car seat.

We have to admit, this motion was far smoother than we ever expected. There is no need to worry about waking your sleeping baby by popping the wheels up. We were very impressed by this. When the wheels are up, you need to press the grey buttons on either side of the carry handle simultaneously to put the carry handle into the stroller position and then extend using the black pull-up height positioning levers.

Putting the wheels back down took a few more practices to really perfect the motion. The process needs reversing and you do need to complete it a bit more carefully if you have a snoozing babe in the seat.

One tip that we did pick up after a few weeks of using the Doona i, was that to convert back into car seat mode, the back wheels need to fold under first. A little swipe of the back wheels with your foot helps this process along but is by no means necessary. We just found it made the process smoother.

How does the Doona i compare to similar car seats for this age range?

As car seats go, we have to admit that we found the Doona i very basic. The positioning of the backrest is slightly more upright than other car seats we have used. For the £399 price tag, there is no denying that there are more technically designed, safety-conscious car seats available on the market but none of them have the magic Doona i party tricky of retractable wheels.

How does the Doona i compare to the original Doona?

The Doona i has several upgraded functions from the original Doona seat. Firstly. The headrest of the seat can be altered with just the simple pull of a little yellow loop cord. When the headrest is heightened, the harness automatically adjusts to the correct height for your passenger - so handy and again, fuss-free!

There is also the added bonus that the stroller mode handlebar height is 102cm high on the Doona i but just 99cm high on the original Doona. This is definitely a deal breaker for most parents above 5ft3.

Other additional features include the fact that all four wheels can be popped on and off with the clip of a little button - This was really handy when the wheels of the Doona i needed a quick wipe after strolling around town in the wonderful British weather.

What are the key safety features of the Doona i car seat?

The Doona i alone is a pretty safe option as car seats go. It has passed the most rigorous car seat safety tests and it is R129 (aka iSize) certified. A huge plus of the Doona i is the added safety of always knowing that it is correctly and safely installed into your car using the Doona i ISOFIX base.

The composition of the seat itself means that it is made up of several layers of durable plastics and fabrics, which in itself provided several layers of strong and sturdy protection, to begin with. In addition, the Doona i comes complete with a little gadget called a ‘Doona SIP’.

The Doona SIP is an add-on that simply attaches to the side of your seat via a really strong magnet and provides an enhanced layer of side impact protection to absorb energy in an accident. The Doona SIP needs to be attached to the side of the car seat nearest the door. We found it really handy to clip on and off with the magnet and just left it in the footwell of the car seat when not in use.

What do you think of the Doona i seat?

There’s no denying that the Doona is a well-made and quality product. The materials used, from the seat shell to the wheels, to the brakes and seat fabrics are all of the highest quality. The addition of the leatherette handlebar cover is a lavish extra touch that makes pushing the Doona i much more comfortable for parents too. The height-adjustable headrest and automatically adjusting harness were also a dream to use as a parent.

The seat itself is large and roomy and our little passenger always seemed comfortable when strapped in. The angle of the backrest is without a doubt more upright than other infant car seats, which did make us think twice about the length of time that we left our little one in the seat.

The Doona X model is the model which has the addition of the reclining backrest, which would be much more suited to slightly longer shopping trips or travels. The Doona i is certified to accommodate your little one until they are 13kg in weight, which is usually around 15 months old, the same as your average i-size infant carrier car seat.

Although the Doona i definitely wins us over with its simplicity and convenience there are a few niggles that we must mention. At 8kg, the seat is very heavy. Although it pushes as light as a feather on its super-smooth rolling wheels, lifting in and out of the car is a task! In stroller mode, the handle sits at a height of 102cm, which is 3cm higher than the Doona + model. At 5ft 6in this height suited me perfectly, anyone taller than this might find the handlebar a little on the low side.

Last but not least - in terms of cons - is the lack of storage. A mesh basket underneath when the Doona i is in stroller mode would make all the difference. There is the option to buy a snap-on storage bag that attaches to the back of the seat, however, this is an additional cost and also needs to be removed each time you collapse the wheels of the seat. On-the-go city dwellers or shoppers will most definitely miss the storage, so this is worth bearing in mind before you splash out.

Does the Doona i rotate?

There is no recline or rotation to the Doona i car seat, which we thought was a shame, as a rotating base would definitely make lifting the weight of the Doona i into the car a little easier. The new Doona X model doesn’t recline in car seat mode either, but it does outside in all other modes.

Are there any unique features of the Doona i car seat?

The most obvious unique feature of this car seat is the wheels! Before trying and testing the Doona i for myself, I would probably have said this feature was a ‘gimmick’, but now, having experienced first-hand just how useful the Doona can be on quick trips and urban school runs, I can absolutely say that the USP of the Doona wheels is extremely useful and something that I would miss now if i didn’t have it.

I had heard parents say previously that the wheels were difficult to raise and lower but we always found the motion smooth and easy.

How do you find the Doona i car seat to carry around?

By far the biggest downfall of the Doona i is its weight. At 8kg, you wouldn’t want to be carrying it anywhere. Thankfully, the super smooth rolling wheels are always there to save the day so that very little carrying is needed.

You really can’t feel the weight of the Doona i when pushing it on its wheels but you do feel the strain when lifting the 8kg car seat along with the added weight of baby into place in the car. To put it into perspective, the Cybex Cloud T weighs 4.5kg and the Maxi Cosi Pebble 360 Pro weighs 4.7kg, there is no other infant car seat that weighs as much as 8kg, that being said, other models do not have retractable wheels!

Does the Doona i have a sunhood?

The Sun canopy on the Doona i is another handy feature. We found ourselves using it pretty much every time we used the seat.

We loved the peace of mind that the UPF50+ fabric gave us. The sun shade clips into each position really securely and is also just as simple to clip off the shell of the Doona i if you ever need to.

How do you rate the Doona i straps?

The straps are exactly what you would expect of a high-quality, well-made car seat. They were easy to adjust in height and length thanks to the height-adjustable headrest and the buckle itself gave a reassuring ‘clunk’ when securing my little one into the seat.

We were never in the position when the straps got twisted but what we would say is despite the straps' velcro fasteners, designed to stick the straps out of the way, we preferred the ‘stay-open harness’ feature that our previous car seat had, which would have been handy to have on the Doona i as well, to make getting baby in and out of the seat that little bit easier.

How robust does the Doona i car seat feel?

There’s no doubt about it, the Doona i most certainly feels robust. The double-layered car seat shell, durable materials and dare I say it again, weight, makes for a really robust feel. We always felt that the baby was travelling in a very safe space when using the seat.

Does the Doona i recline?

Sadly, no. This is one feature that we really would loved to have seen on the Doona i, however, this feature is only available on the Doona X. For this reason, with safe sleep and ergonomic position in mind, we were always conscious not to use the Doona i for long periods, even with the newborn support in place.

How good is the Doona i headrest?

The Doona i headrest and newborn support have had an upgrade from the previous model. We found the headrest really supportive and comfortable and the added convenience of being able to alter the headrest height with just one pull or push in the desired direction, really made the seat easy to use.

When it’s in pushchair mode; how good is the Doona i to push and steer?

Smooth and nimble are the two words that I would use to describe the Doona i when in pushchair mode. The wheels roll so incredibly smoothly on indoor surfaces and smooth pavements that it is like pushing a cloud.

When it comes to park paths and any rougher terrain, you will need two hands on the handlebar to steady the ride. The Doona i wheels are far more suited to pavements and indoor shopping spaces.

Kerbs were easy enough to navigate going upwards but we sometimes found them trickier to navigate coming down, we always tried to stay to crossings and dropped kerbs. We were also conscious of putting pressure on the folding mechanisms of the wheels.

Even though we never once felt any movement, we were conscious that this could be an area of the seat that took wear over time.

We did hear the odd squeak of the wheels every so often, but it soon disappeared and we put it down to the seat being new and the wheels needing a little bit of use and greasing.

How do you rate the Doona i buggy handle?

At 5ft6in tall, the 102cm handlebar height was just right for me. For my 6-foot-husband, the handle was a little low. Again, fine for occasional use, but if you are above 5ft 10in, the handlebar height may prove uncomfortable for longer use.

How easy is the Doona i to clean?

I often found myself giving the Doona i a quick wipe down with trusty baby wipes to keep it in tip-top condition. The fabrics are fully removable, if needed, and can even be thrown in the washing machine on the cold wash.

The leatherette handlebar also zips off and can be removed for a deep clean. The matte black frame of the Doona did inevitably gather the odd scuff, but nothing that a damp cloth could not neaten up.

If the wheels or stroller frame did gather any mud or grime whilst out and about, again, the quick-release wheels came into their own and were very easy to pop off and on again to clean. You also find that the Doona ISOFIX base needs a wipe down every so often as well, as the dirt from the wheels can transfer to the base if the weather has been really wet and miserable.

What are the Doona i wheels like?

The Doona i wheels are comparable to those of any light-use travel stroller. They are well made using quality materials. They roll smoothly on any smooth outdoor or indoor surfaces but if you plan on off-roading or shopping where there are cobbles and flagstones, you might want to rethink the use of the Doona i in these circumstances.

We used the Doona i on a quick trip to the local travel agents which just so happened to be on a street of cobbles and found ourselves in a bit of a pickle with the wheels refusing to play ball! One very big positive of the wheels that we must mention, is their ability to turn on a sixpence. The tight aisles of supermarkets and tight spaces of crowded shopping centres were always a breeze to navigate with just one hand.

How good are the Doona i brakes?

The break is exactly what all parents need - robust and reassuring. The green lever on the left releases the brake and allows you to push the wheels freely and the red foot lever on the right engages the brake. It never skipped a beat throughout our whole testing time and we were really impressed with the quality.

How do you rate the Doona i basket?

This was one of our biggest bugbears with the Doona i - NO STORAGE! You can purchase additional bags that clip onto the car seat shell at an extra cost, however, there is nowhere to put your changing bag/ handbag/ shopping.

For a product designed for convenience and urban use, this was a real disappointment. We would have liked some simple storage to be included with the Doona i, especially for the £399 price tag. If you are planning on shopping, bear this in mind as you will need hands-free or an extra helper to carry your bags for you!

What’s in the Doona i box?

• Doona i car seat - Nitro Black
• Doona i infant insert
• Doona SIP
• Doona seat protector

What are the additional Doona i accessories that you can buy?

There are a variety of accessories that you can purchase if you really plan on being dedicated to the Doona i. Personally, we were a little put off by the additional costs of the accessories when with many travel strollers for the equivalent value, these accessories would come complete with the product. You are able to purchase a rain cover, which would definitely come in handy.

What did you think of the packaging of this Doona i?

The simple but effective packaging of the Doona i was a winner for us. The box the Doona i seat arrives in is sturdy and collapsible which meant we were able to pack it flat and store it ready for when we might need to use it again in the future. As sustainably conscious parents, we were really pleased to find minimal use of plastic.

How sustainable is the Doona i?

As we are on baby number 4, re-using. Recycling equipment and making the most of hand-me-downs is second nature to us. Doona recommends that all of its products can be re-used for multiple children.

As with all EU safety-tested car seats, each Doona i seat has an expiration date. But within this expiration time, Doona offers several spare parts for sale to ensure that your seat is as good as new for each new baby.

Each seat also comes complete with a 2-year warranty for peace of mind that your baby will travel in safety and comfort throughout their time using the Doona i. It was also really good to know that all of the materials that the Doona i is produced from are free of hazardous chemicals, so you can rest easy knowing that your baby is nestled in a safe place.

Tell us about repair options if the Doona i breaks

The two-year warranty covers you for much longer than you should need considering all babies will out-grow the seat by 13kg (around 15 months). It is great to know that it is there in the event of any unfortunate mishaps. It is worth noting, that the warranty is only against manufacturing faults and defects. If your seat is involved in a collision, you will need to contact your car insurance to make a claim for a new one.

Now you’ve tested it, what would you have wanted to know before purchasing the Doona i?

Without a doubt, the one thing I would have wanted to know before buying this product is just how weighty it is. At 8kg in weight, the seat itself weighs just as much as a 9-month-old baby before it even has a passenger in situ. Although the weight pales into insignificance when pushing on the smooth rolling wheels, there still are times we have to lift the seat and there is no denying that it is a back-breaking affair!

Who would the Doona i be most useful for?

If you’re a city dweller who hops on and off public transport, or you are lucky enough to hit the shops on a regular basis - the Doona i is definitely the product for you. For those wanting to use the Doona for longer periods of time and on rougher tracks and walks, it might be best to re-evaluate.

Is the Doona i worth the money?

The Doona i is a pricey piece of kit at £399 for the seat and £159 for the base - a whopping £559 combined. Yes, it is a big initial outlay but after using the Doona i for several weeks, we can say it is a very handy piece of kit. The fact that spare parts can be purchased and that the Doona i can be used until its expiry date ( usually a full 6 years after manufacture), it is possible to get value for money out of the Doona i, especially if it is used for multiple children. We would definitely recommend the Doona as more of an investment purchase than a quick fix or fling!

The Doona i is available from Doona, Boots and John Lewis

MadeForMums verdict:

It is pricey and heavy, but the Doona i did still have a lot to offer us as parents. The convenience of not having to disturb a napping baby whilst we nipped into the shops or did the school run was well worth the price tag from our perspective. The quality build and materials do not disappoint but it is always worth bearing in mind that the Doona i is definitely suited to a niche market of city-dwelling shoppers who are on the go quite frequently - if this is you, then the investment of a Doona i may be well worth your while moving forwards.