Nuna Prym car seat review

Ready to use from birth up to 18.5 kg (approx 4 years), this seat boasts added security thanks to its reinforced steel frame, load leg, and rebound bar. As well as the numerous safety aspects, the Nuna Prym is stylish, comfortable and grows with your child.

Tested by:

Fay tested the Nuna Prym with her 6-month-old son Chester around High Wycombe and further afield.

What were your first impressions of the Nuna Prym?

My first impression was how huge the Nuna Prym is. It is a heavy piece of kit thanks to the spacious seat and Isofix base. I could barely take it out of box on my own because of the weight.

What age is it suitable for? How long can you use it rear-facing?

The Prym is designed to be used from 40cm (birth) to 105cm/18.5kg (approx 4 years). It can be used as a rear-facing seat up to 105cm/18.5kg, but you can also switch to forward facing from 76cm.

It's recommended to have your child rear-facing for as long as possible, as it offers greater protection to the under-developed head, neck and spine of very young children, especially in a head-on crash.

My son is 6 months and using the rear-facing set-up. He is quite tall for his age but looks comfortable in it with plenty of room to grow. There are removable inserts so you can get the sizing perfect for you.

How does the Nuna Prym compare to similar car seats?

The Nuna Prym sits at a higher price point compared to some of its competitors which also offer a swivel function and extended rear-facing capabilites.

The popular Joie i-Spin 360 is very alike in comparison but more affordable at £280 (available on Amazon). It features similar Smart Ride technology too. In ADAC testing (one of the lead testers of car seats in Europe), the i-Spin 360 was found easy to install while the Prym was found to be more complicated.

The Jane iKonic 360 is a similar price to Prym at £379.95 (available on Amazon) and features similar no-rethread straps. A more affordable 360° rotating option is the Cozy N Safe Merlin (£179 on Amazon) but, while complying with current safety regulations, isn't i-Size.

How easy is the Nuna Prym to install?

I found the Prym difficult to install. After attempting it myself I roped in my husband and it took us at least an hour. The main instructions are pictures, which aren't clear to follow. There is a written description in a separate part of the manual, but I found it tricky flicking back and forth to find the corresponding parts.

This is also reflected in ADAC safety testing, where the seat was found to be a "little more complex" to install.

How do you install the Nuna Prym?

The car seat is installed with an Isofix base with a support leg. I found it very difficult working out how to fix the Isofix adaptors, which you then attach the base to. It would have been very hard to do it on my own because you have to push buttons on either side of it to get it to stay in place.

When it is correctly attached an indicator turns green, which is helpful otherwise there would be no way of really telling if it is secure. I am used to fixing a car seat with the car’s seat belt so it took me some time to feel comfortable attaching the base like that.

Our car is quite big but the Prym takes up the full seat. You would struggle putting someone in the middle seat and you are limited to how far the seat in front can go back.

What are the key safety features of the Nuna Prym?

The Prym is an i-Size seat, which means it meets it's designed to keep children rear-facing for longer, provide better side impact protection and has Isofix installation.

It features automatically deploying side impact shields that give instant protection. This is a nice touch and offered me some reassurance without having to do anything.

There is also the Smart Ride lock-off that gives you security when switching between rearward and forward-facing modes. You use it to lock in rearward facing mode until your child is at least 15 months (sliding to the right). In forward facing mode you slide it to the left. This prevents parents from turning their child forward-facing before the recommended 15 months.

Other safety features include steel strength technology, load leg, and rebound bar.

How easy is it to rotate?

The Nuna Prym rotates 360°. Gone are the days of leaning over in an awkward position to put your baby in. Instead, you press a button and swivel the seat in front of you.

I really love this feature as it makes putting my son in so much easier. He finds it fun when the seat moves, which is an added bonus. It also means it is quick and simple to go from rear-facing to front-facing when your baby is ready.

How comfortable does your baby find the car seat?

At first glance this seat looks very comfortable. The padding is made from patented Tailor tech memory foam, and EPS energy absorbing foam, which in layman terms means it is super snug and a great fit.

My son seems very happy sat in it, particularly because of the headrest. It has detachable inserts so you can get the perfect sizing, and I liked how well my son slotted in it.

The Prym's comfort was also a feature praised in ADAC testing, which scored it highly for "good padding" and "very good space".

How easy is it to recline the Nuna Prym?

One of the aspects I like the most about the seat is there are 7 recline levels, which is not something I have seen in a car seat before. It’s easy to change between each level, with just a push of the button. This was really handy as I could keep my son upright if I didn’t want him to fall asleep on a journey and then let him relax into the seat if we were on a long trip.

How adjustable is the headrest?

The headrest is another selling point of the car seat because it has 8 adjustable positions. I like the fact you can adjust it with one hand, so it’s super easy to change as your child grows.

It’s made me feel confident that my son was comfortable in it. It has a really nice fit, so his head seems properly protected, which is another bonus point from me.

How do you rate the straps?

The straps on this car seat feel robust but are also comfortable. Unlike on my previous car seat, I find the straps on the Prym easy to lock into place thanks to the magnetic buckle holder.

A real plus is that you don’t have to rethread the straps when adjusting the size, you just pull a strap at the bottom to change them. Although, the straps did become twisted on a couple of occasions when putting my son in.

How robust does the car seat feel?

You can’t help but think this is a robust car seat due to the sheer weight and size of it. There is nothing flimsy in the design thanks to the steel frame, but even the straps look like they are great quality and will take a lot of wear and tear.

Nuna describes it as being made with ‘ultra resilient plastics’ and I can really imagine it lasting a long time.

How easy is it to clean the Nuna Prym’s covers?

The Prym comes with 2 seat covers, a warm one for winter and mesh one for summer, which is quite unusual for a car seat. They are both machine washable so you don’t have to worry about any stains.

The fact there are 2 means you don’t have to wait for one to dry before setting off. The rest of the car seat can be easily wiped down.

How heavy is the Nuna Prym? How easy is it to carry and swap between cars?

The car seat and its base weigh 14.8 kg together – quite hefty. But once it is fixed you don’t lift it up again so the weight isn’t really an issue.

I wouldn’t recommend it, however, if you’re planning on swapping between cars a lot. This seat is designed to stay put.

Does it have a sun hood?

The Prym really lets itself down because it doesn’t feature a sun hood and there is no other way of shielding your child. This was a real shame for me because my son hates getting the sun in his eyes, although it’s not unusual for this group of car seat.

How spacious is the car seat for a growing child?

Nuna states that the car seat goes from birth up to 105cm/18.5 kg (around 4 years). From what I can tell there is plenty of growing space, as you can remove the inserts and then adjust the headrest.

My son is quite tall for his age, but I can’t envision him growing out of it any time soon.

What’s in the box?

• 3 instruction booklets
• An extra seat cover
• The base and seat

What are the additional accessories that you can buy?

There are no additional accessories available to buy for the Nuna Prym.

Now you’ve tested it, what would you have wanted to know before using the Nuna Prym?

I would like to have a bit more help fitting it, a video tutorial would have been helpful. It’s also worth noting that you probably need two people to install it properly.

I would also want to know that there is no sun hood – although this is quite common for seats beyond infant carriers.

Does the car seat offer good value for money?

The Prym is certainly not cheap but it is a quality piece of equipment. You can’t put a price on the knowledge your child is safe and I think this offers that. It also has a luxurious feel to it, which you might not get with a less expensive seat.

Where can I buy the Nuna Prym?

It's available from Nuna, Pramworld and Kiddies Kingdom

MFM verdict:

If you are looking for the latest in safety features and a luxurious ride, then the Nuna Prym is for you. The price tag and the seat itself might be hefty, but it offers unrivalled security for your little one and peace of mind. With added touches such as the 7 levels of recline and interchangeable seat covers, this really is a premium product. Just make sure your car is big enough and you get some help fitting it.

Read More…

• Best Group 1 car seats – from 9 months
• Best Group 2/3 car seats – from 4 years
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