Joie i-Spin 360 review

For babies up to 15 months, it is recommended the seat is kept rear-facing. After that, the chair can swivel around to be front-facing.

Its key selling points are the fact that it swivels so it's easy to place a child in the seat, it has 6 recline settings and it has a snug and comfortable fit for your child. It also has great safety features – such as guard surround safety panels – and is fitted into the car using the Isofix system.

Buy The Joie i-Spin 360: John Lewis, Amazon, Very and Samuel Johnston

Tested by

Ima tested the Joie i-Spin 360 with her 13-month-old daughter in a 10-year-old Nissan Qashqai. She trialled it with her daughter facing rearwards in and around London – from quiet streets to the motorway.

What age child is the Joie i-Spin 360 suitable for?

The car seat is suitable from birth up to 18kg/105cm/4 years. I tested the i-Spin 360 with my 13-month-old daughter, who is about 72cm tall. It felt sturdy and safe and she seemed very comfortable in the seat.

How does the Joie i-Spin 360 install in the car?

The seat only installs with Isofix connectors so you can’t secure it using the seat belt. As my car is 10 years old the Isofix points sit a little lower, but once the Isofix guides were secured to the points it was fairly straightforward to figure out how to install the seat.

However, it would have been easier to install the i-Spin 360 if the base and seat were separate – I could have connected just the Isofix base first, then the car seat on top of it. Trying to install the whole seat and base in one go was a bit tricky as I couldn’t reach over the other side to click in the Isofix base easily. However, customers of John Lewis, Halfords, Very, Argos and Smyths found the seat easy to install.

Does the Joie i-Spin 360 feel securely installed, once in place?

Once installed, the i-Spin 360 does jiggle a little, but does not move out of position, so it does feel secure and I like the 6 settings that allow you to set how upright or reclined you want the seat to be – something Halfords customers also appreciated.

There are green light indicators to confirm you've fixed it securely, which helped as I have to admit I wasn’t very confident initially about how secure the Isofix base was – but I think that is because I am not used to having an Isofix car seat.

I like the fact it has 'Guard Surround Safety' panels for extra side protection, which pop out when the child has been strapped into the seat.

How easy is it to strap your child into this car seat?

It is really convenient that I can turn the i-Spin 360 around to face me as I stand by the open car door. I can put my daughter into the seat, strap her in and then spin the seat around so it faces the rear, and this function was the feature 75% of Halfords customers, as well as those who bought their seat at John Lewis, Smyths and Very mentioned most often and rated most highly.

Strapping my daughter in was quite easy once I understood how to clip it all together, and it was also easy to adjust and release the straps once I found the button that was hidden under some padding.

What do you think of the i-Spin 360’s design?

I think the seat looks very cosy and my daughter looks secure and protected in it. I did find the whole seat and base clunky, because the two cannot be separated. In parent reviews on Argos and John Lewis the seat mostly received full marks for design.

In terms of functional design, you have to hold the Isofix leg as you carry it, otherwise it shoots out. It would have been good if there was a slot under the base that the Isofix leg could click into to make it easier to carry.

Does the Joie i-Spin 360 feel sturdy and safe?

Yes, the car seat feels sturdy and the more I have used it the more I have felt confident about its safety.

At the same time, the i-Spin 360’s sturdiness has meant it is really heavy and a bit bulky, making it a bit difficult to install. I would be reluctant to try moving it from one car to another.

Doe the i-Spin 360 have different seat positions?

This car seat has 6 different positions and to recline it there is an obvious button to press – so it is very easy to do.

How do you adjust the height of the car seat as your child grows?

The i-Spin 360 has inserts that can be pulled out to accommodate a growing child.

When should you remove the inserts for the Joie i-Spin 360?

Joie recommends using the full infant insert while the baby is under 60cm, to increase side impact protection.

• Remove the head support portion of the infant insert when your child’s head no longer fits comfortably
• Remove the body portion of the infant insert when the infant’s shoulders no longer fit comfortably
• Remove the infant insert cushion by detaching the snaps to allow more space when the child does not fit comfortably.

How comfortable is the Joie i-Spin 360 for your child?

My baby appears to be very comfortable in the i-Spin 360. She is not a great fan of car seats, and often cries because she wants to come out, but I have found with this one she does not cry as much. What’s more, most Argos customers gave it 5/5 for comfort, as did an impressive 88% of Halfords parents.

Tell us about the i-Spin 360’s safety features…

The Joie i-Spin 360 complies with the latest i-Size regulations. i-Size is the new European-wide standard for child car seats. It was introduced in July 2013 and the first i-Size compliant car seat was introduced in October that same year by Maxi-Cosi, who offer a similar car seat to Joie i-Spin 360 with the Maxi-Cosi Axiss (£199 on Amazon). Currently, i-Size is running alongside the existing R44/04 standard, but at some point in the future will replace it.

i-Size seats keep the child rearward-facing for longer, protecting the child’s head, neck and vital organs. Using a child’s height rather than weight is designed to make it easier for parents and carers to know they are using the right car seat. You can read more about the regulations here.

How easy is it to get the i-Spin 360 in and out of the car?

I find the weight of this Joie car seat and the attached base quite heavy to carry, particularly as I have to carry it down the stairs to go outside.

This means it was a bit tricky and cumbersome to install. It’s definitely the kind of seat that, once installed, I would not want to move too often or transfer between cars.

Is the Joie i-Spin 360 easy to clean?

Yes, I found the seat easy to clean with a hand vacuum cleaner or a cloth.

What feature do you like most in the Joie i-Spin 360?

In common with Halfords, John Lewis, Smyths and Very customers, I loved the rotating car seat and option to recline the seat.

Is it a stylish product?

The style of the seat is modern and attractive – a feature appreciated by John Lewis and Argos parents alike – and it looks really safe and snug for the baby.

What’s in the box?

• The Joie i-Spin 360 car seat and attached Isofix base
• Instructions
• Isofix guides

How easy was the Joie i-Spin 360 to assemble?

There was nothing really to assemble as the seat and Isofix base are attached. The instructions were fairly useful but I would have really liked it if there were more pictures in the manual. I found the installation video on the Joie website helped me a lot.

Which type of family is this car seat best for?

The Joie i-Spin 360 is ideal for families with children aged up to 4 years old.

Would you recommend the i-Spin 360?

Like the majority of Halfords and John Lewis parents, I would recommend this car seat. I think it looks sturdy and secure.

Are there any accessories needed or available?

For older cars that have Isofix points but do not have the Isofix guides installed in the car, the i-Spin 360 comes with Isofix connector guides which can be attached to the Isofix points in the car.

Is the Joie i-Spin 360 good value?

It is a bit pricey, but as it has the potential of lasting up to the child is 4 years old, that is definitely a plus.

Around 90% of Halfords parents, and a number of Smyths parents gave the seat 4/5 or 5/5 for value, a view also shared by John Lewis and Very customers, so I'd say you get great quality for your money.

Where can I buy it?

You can purchase the Joie i-Spin 360 from, John Lewis, Amazon, Very and Samuel Johnston

MadeForMums verdict

Despite being cumbersome to install, I really like the look and feel of the Joie i-Spin 360 once it’s set up, and my daughter looks protected and comfortable in it.

I like the fact that the seat can turn around so I can easily put my baby into it and I also like the recline option, which can help her to feel more comfortable and send her off to sleep quicker.

I would recommend this car seat because it does look and feel secure, and the headrest provides excellent support.

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