Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat review

Tested by

Journalist and first-time mum Nicola, has been testing the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 with her 3-month-old son, Louis, in the backseat of her Mercedes A Class. She’s been using the seat for short journeys into town and for longer road trips to visit friends.

First impressions of the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat?

My first impression was it’s extremely big and heavy. That being said, it did look very sturdy (as to be expected from the weight), safe and comfortable. This made me excited to see Louis in it.

The car seat also looked as though it would be easy to set up as it came in one piece – nothing needed putting together.

Is it easy to install?

I didn’t find the car seat easy to install at all due to its weight. Louis weighed a very cuddly 10lbs when he was born via an emergency C-section, and ever since, I have struggled with back pain. I’m currently seeing a physiotherapist and as I was afraid of doing more damage to my back, I had to ask my husband to install the seat. He also found it fairly heavy to lift in comparison to other car seats, but once it was in the car, it was simple to install and took just a few minutes. Although we found it heavy, the weight seems to be fairly comparable to other 360 swivel seats.

How do you install the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat?

First off, you need to decide whether you want the seat to be front or rear-facing and adjust accordingly. Once the seat has locked into the desired position, align the restraint with the Isofix anchorage points and connect into place.

There are visual indicators on the chair which turn green when it’s been installed correctly which gives parents that extra peace of mind. You then have the option to tighten the installation further by pushing the restraint’s base into the vehicle seat – do this until it’s as firm as possible.

To finish, pull the support leg down so that it is connected to the floor of your car. When this has been done correctly, another visual indicator will turn green. Simple!

Once installed, I thought that the car seat took up quite a lot of space. If I had a smaller car, I would be concerned about whether the front passenger would have enough leg room.

What are the key safety features of the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat?

The Ickle Bubba Radius 360 comes with a number of safety features to give parents that extra reassurance that their little ones are secure. For example, the chair comes with a built-in headrest which not only provides extra comfort, but also absorbs any impact, protecting your child’s head.

The support leg used to install the car seat is “anti-rebound”, meaning it adds extra support by stopping the chair from spinning should you be in an accident.

However, in my opinion, the best safety feature the Radius 360 offers is its ability to be used in the rear-facing mode for longer than most standard car seats. This is incredibly important as rear-facing car seats are up to five times safer, and reduce the risk of serious injury when compared to a forward-facing one.

Another safety feature I like is that the seat locks into either the rear or front-facing position. That reassures you that setup is complete before you embark on a journey.

How long can the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 be rear-facing for?

It’s rear-facing until your baby weighs 13kg – which is approximately 15 months. For a truly extended rear-facing car seat, something like the Joie Verso can be used up too age 4, while the Axkid Minikid 2.0 can be rear-facing up to 6 years.

Does the Radius 360 car seat rotate?

Yes. It rotates 360 degrees which is extremely helpful for parents. Not only is it easier on a parent’s back, but it also means that disturbance for your little one is kept to an absolute minimum. The rotation is completely smooth, so much so, moving the chair did not wake Louis when he was sleeping.

I used the 360-degree feature for every journey to put Louis into the car and take him out. It makes life easier for me and road trips more comfortable for him.

Does the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat have any unique features?

The main attraction of the Ickle Bubba Radius is its 360-degree rotation feature, which the multi award-winning brand says makes daily car trips with little ones “a breeze”.

I found this feature really helpful when travelling with Louis. No matter how long the car journey, he’s guaranteed to fall asleep and the last thing I want to do when we get to our destination is wake him. If it weren’t for the rotation feature, I would find this much harder – especially as he’s a bigger baby!

Although Ickle Bubba isn’t the first brand to introduce this feature, it is a game-changer for parents. Personally, I wouldn’t buy a car seat that didn’t have a 360-degree rotation feature.

Is the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat comfy for your baby?

Louis loves his car seat! Judging by the smile on his face, it must feel just as comfortable as it looks. The material is super soft and the padding is thick.

When we set off on longer journeys, Louis falls asleep before we reach our destination, which is a good indication to me that he was as comfy as can be.

Are the straps easy to fasten and adapt?

The straps are thick, strong and appear to do a great job of keeping Louis safe. As he’s growing so quickly, whenever I put him in the car, I loosen the straps and tighten them again to ensure he is in securely and comfortably.

This is really easy to do with the Radius 360 and takes just a few seconds. I simply press the vertical adjuster lever and then pull on the straps to loosen them. To tighten them, I pull on the adjuster strap at the bottom of the seat until the harness is firm against him.

Does the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat feel robust?

It feels robust given how heavy it is. Although this is a car seat on the more affordable end of the spectrum, the materials feel high quality and it’s super easy to clean and maintain.

So, I think this car seat is easily robust enough to last the 7 years the manufacturer has said. An Ickle Bubba reviewer shared this view that the seat is robust and secure.

Does the Radius 360 car seat recline?

Yes. It has a 38-degree recline which provides additional comfort and extra safety, particularly for new-borns.

To make the seat recline is very easy:

• Squeeze the black adjustment handle
• Slide the seat into your preferred position
• Release the handle so that the seat locks.

At 3 months, Louis appeared very comfortable and cosy in the recline position. So much so, he fell asleep!

Is the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat headrest comfy?

The headrest is super soft and made from thick material, so appears to be very comfortable for Louis. It’s also a decent size and so, in my opinion, provides better support and protection than other car seats.

The headrest and harness can be easily adjusted so they grow with your little one

Is the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat easy to clean?

It’s very easy to clean which is reassuring to know when you’ve been struggling with leaking nappies!

The seat covers come off easily and can be popped straight into the washing machine on the delicate setting at 30 degrees. Afterwards, simply dry on the washing line inside out. Avoid the temptation to use a tumble dry to speed things up as the instruction manual advises against this.

To clean the plastic and metal components, use soapy water rather than cleaning products as per the manual. I found this to be just as effective.

Fortunately, as the seat is black, stains don’t show up too obviously. When Louis was struggling with a bit of reflux and some milk got onto the seat, it wasn’t at all noticeable – which is more than can be said for his outfit.

Is the car seat easy to carry around?

You can’t really carry this car seat around as it’s too heavy.

Does the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat have a sun hood?

No.

Is the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat big enough for a growing child?

Yes. It grows with your baby from birth to approximately 7 years old (25kg). However, Louis is a bigger baby on the 91st percentile, so I wouldn’t expect this car seat to last him until age 7.

What’s in the box?

• Car seat
• Instruction manual

Can you buy additional accessories for the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat?

No additional accessories are listed but I would invest in a sunshade to protect your baby from UV rays as it doesn’t come with a sun canopy. A baby car mirror might also be a good shout to help you keep an eye on your little one while driving.

Now you’ve tested it, what would you have wanted to know before purchasing the Radius 360 car seat?

I would have liked to have known how much it weighs. If my husband hadn't helped me, I simply wouldn’t have been able to install it due to my bad back.

Who would the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat be best for?

Because it’s quite chunky it would probably be better suited to parents with bigger cars. As it’s not travel system compatible, you’ll also need more boot space for your pram and carrycot.

Is the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat good value?

The car seat is reasonably priced and is a lot cheaper than similar models on the market. However, although it’s a good car seat with great safety features, I personally would rather pay extra to get a product that ticks more boxes, for example, that is travel system compatible. It seems strange that this isn’t the case when there’s such a strong focus by Ickle Bubba to make life as hassle free for parents as possible.

How does it compare to other similar car seats?

Where can I buy the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 car seat?

Available at Ickle Bubba, Baby Planet and Samuel Johnston.

MadeForMums verdict:

This car seat is fantastic value for money because it grows with your baby from birth right up approximately 7 years old. The 360-degree rotation feature means that journeys are as hassle-free as possible, and the high-quality soft material inside the seat is super comfortable for little ones.

However, while it ticks a lot of boxes, this product is just too heavy for me. I also don’t like the fact that this model doesn’t come with a sun canopy. Ickle Bubba clearly takes safety seriously but for some reason, hasn’t taken UV protection into consideration.

Not being compatible with a travel system is also very inconvenient and, for me, would be a deciding factor when choosing a car seat for a young baby, but the safety features and comfort factor can't be faulted.