Mee-go Swirl 360 i-Size car seat review

Offering easy access to secure your child and saving sore backs from leaning over, the demand for rotating car seats has soared in recent years and the market has responded with a whole host of seats to cover all tastes and budgets. Prices range from £200 right up to £400 and those that meet the enhanced safety requirements of i-Size command the highest price tags, making the Mee-go’s RRP at just under £250 great value.

Tested by:

Amy and her 7-week old son, Max, tested the Mee-go Swirl 360 i-Size in the family’s Mercedes CLS55.

What were your first impressions of the Mee-go Swirl 360?

It arrived in an L-shaped box so huge that it was an effort to drag it through my front door! After heaving it out of the packaging, I was relieved to discover the Swirl 360 comes as one unit, ready assembled.

The padding features an embroidered illustration of a car, which is a nice touch and I was impressed by the plush feel of the quilted fabric. The car seat has a luxury look and it certainly felt like a premium product.

How do other similar car seats compare?

When it comes to rotating car seats, one of its best-selling rivals is the Joie i-Spin Safe, which ticks many of the same boxes as the Mee-go Swirl 360 but for a higher price. Unlike the Mee-go however, the Joie i-Spin Safe only spins 90°, and it doesn’t have the option to forward-face, only allowing extended rearward facing to age 4. However, in safety terms, the Joie i-Spin Safe is tough to beat, boasting the highly coveted Swedish Plus Test certificate, which represents the gold standard in car safety.

The Cybex Sirona i-Size (£365 on Amazon) is another crowd-pleasing car seat, again priced slightly higher than the Mee-go Swirl 360, at £300 but with similar key features. It has enhanced safety features, including Driving Direction Control, which prevents the seat moving to forward-facing until your child reaches the correct height and Energy Reduction Technology which reduces the forces on the neck during a front-on crash.

If you’re after a seat that’s slightly easier on your bank balance – the Cozy n Safe Merlin (£179 on Amazon) is exactly that, priced at an affordable £189, it’s £60 less than the Mee-go Swirl 360. While it’s one of the cheapest rotating car seats available, the Cozy n Safe doesn’t comply with i-Size regulations, which include enhanced safety testing. That said, it has many excellent safety features, including side impact protection and high-density foam padding.

How easy is it to install?

The Mee-go Swirl 360 comes with an instruction manual tucked neatly under the harness, but installing the seat was so intuitive, I didn’t need to refer to it. The seat slotted effortlessly onto the back seat of our 4-door saloon.

Then, to install, I simply slotted the base’s Isofix prongs into the corresponding plugs in the car and extended the supporting leg to sit on the floor of the car.

Indicators on the supporting leg turn green to reassure you that it’s correctly locked in place, although I found them quite hard to see in the dark footwell. The Swirl 360 cannot be used with a seatbelt alone, so check your car has Isofix before purchasing. Once installed, it felt very sturdy.

How safe does the Mee-go Swirl 360 i-Size feel?

Rotating car seats are proven to be safe providing they lock into position before setting off, which the Mee-go Swirl does with a reassuring click.

It comes with internal side protection, to protect your child's head and body in the event of a side on collision.

The support leg provides extra stability, with indicator lights that turn green to show that the seat is correctly fitted. The heavily padded newborn insert provides extra reassurance too. I would feel confident bringing a new baby home from the hospital in this seat.

Many of the Mee-go Swirl’s closest competitors offer similar safety features, most commonly side impact protection and extended rear facing until age 4.

The only seat worth noting that exceeds these measures is the Joie i-Spin Safe, which goes one better and has a Swedish Plus Test certificate, a rigorous safety test said to be one of the toughest in the world. The Nuna Norr, £350, is another rotating i-Size car seat that has passed this test.

How comfortable is the car seat for your baby?

The newborn insert has thick, plush padding and my baby is supported by a headrest, side-wings and shoulder straps as well as padding between his legs and over the harness. All in all, he looks extremely cosy.

The seat comes with the newborn insert ready installed (this is removed once the child is over 60cm), so it was ready for use straight away with my 7-week-old son. The first time I placed Max in the Mee-go Swirl 360 he was asleep before I’d finished fastening the harness, but perhaps that says more about newborns than it does about the seat itself. On subsequent longer journeys, he’s flitted between being awake and asleep, but he has always been content and comfortable.

How do you rotate the Mee-go Swirl 360?

The 360° swivel motion is controlled with a handle underneath the front of the seat. The first time I tried the handle, it kept jamming. So much so that I thought I was doing it wrong, but a YouTube tutorial confirmed I’d found the right handle. I persevered and the handle finally shifted and the seat rotated. The handle has worked smoothly ever since, so perhaps it just needed an initial strong pull.

How easy is it to adjust the harness?

Adjusting the 5-point harness to fit Max is simple. A release button on the front of the seat allows you to loosen the harness by yanking it towards you and then pulling the strap at the base of the seat tightens it again.

With our previous car seat, by Nuna, the harness straps would often get twisted which meant strapping in became a bit of faff. I’m happy to report that this hasn’t been a problem with the Mee-go Swirl 360.

The Swirl’s harness straps also have a rubbery texture on their undersides, which stops them slipping off clothes – a nice touch I haven’t seen on other car seats.

Does the Mee-go Swirl 360’s headrest offer a good level of adjustment?

Yes – there are 12 height settings to choose from and the lever to adjust it is easy to locate.

How many recline positions are there?

When the seat is rear-facing, there is only 1 available seat position, whereas there are 3 backrest positions to choose from when the seat is facing forwards.

It’s worth noting that the Mee-go Swirl 360 does not recline to a lie-flat position like some others on the market, such as the Cybex Cloud Z i-Size, which parents may find a drawback on long journeys.

A handle at the front of the seat allows you to choose the recline position and adjust it accordingly.

How heavy is the seat?

It weighs 13.7kg, a substantial amount if you need to switch between cars often. When compared with its closest competitors however, the Mee-go Swirl 360 is actually the lightest, compared to the Cybex Sirona i-Size at 14kg, the Cozy n Safe Merlin at 14kg and the Joie i-Spin Safe at 14.6kg.

Due to the very nature of the base units and longevity of rotating car seats, they are not the most portable or lightweight, but they more than make up for this in other areas with plush, robust cushioning, great safety features and the ability to swivel for easy access.

How easy is the Mee-go Swirl 360 i-Size to clean?

The seat cover is made up of 7 components, fitted to the seat by hook and loop fasteners and poppers. They can all be removed and machine washed at 30° on a delicate cycle.

What’s in the box?

The Mee-go Swirl 360 seat unit, comprising of the the seat, built-in base and newborn inlay, as well as the Isofix system and integrated support leg, plus an instruction manual.

Where can I buy the Mee-go Swirl 360?

It’s available to buy from Winstanleys Pramworld, Baby Security and Kiddies Kingdom.

MadeForMums verdict:

A comfy, plush, great value 360° rotating car seat that far outshines its competitive price tag, especially considering it’ll potentially be used on a daily basis for up to 4 years.

While it’s not the lightest or smallest car seat around – a common problem with any seats that have a built-in base unit – the Mee-go Swirl 360 offers excellent safety features – it has side impact protection, its i-Size compliant, and has the ability to stay rear facing up to 18.5kg. Plus, it’s easy to install and adjust, making it a fabulous all-rounder.

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