Silver Cross Glide Plus 360 car seat review

British heritage brand Silver Cross is best known for its premium pushchairs, such as the Cove, Reef 2, Clic 2 and Jet 5, but its car seat range is equally focused on safety, comfort and thoughtful design.

The Glide Plus 360 car seat (£225) is a rear-facing infant car seat suitable from birth to around 18 months (40cm-87cm) and is designed to make everyday travel easier thanks to its rotating base and lie-flat recline.

When used with the Base Plus 360 (£200), the seat swivels towards the car door, making it much easier to get your baby in and out — a must-have for the early newborn months.

At £425 for the car seat and base, it sits at the premium end of the infant car seat market, similar to the Cybex Cloud T and the BeSafe GoBeyond. With stand-out features like a lie-flat recline, sprung harness system and travel system compatibility, it aims to offer both convenience and comfort for families on the move.

How easy is the Silver Cross Glide Plus 360 car seat to install?

Personally, I’ve never found installing car seats easy, so it wasn’t a super smooth set-up on my part (quite a bit of fumbling and referring back to the instructions).

I struggled to get the ISOFIX tracks to line up using the guides and then to get the ISOFIX connectors to click in (you need to press and pull with both hands while leaning into the seat). The colour-coded visual indicators were incredibly helpful though, turning from red to green, so you can feel confident the seat is installed correctly.

Overall, setting up took about 20 minutes, but I’m sure it will vary from person to person. I found the video tutorials really useful, as you can follow the steps in real time without pausing to read.

Once installed, the seat does feel stable and secure, especially as it is detachable from the base. I was expecting it to be wobbly, but it feels safe and sturdy.

How comfortable and supportive is the Glide Plus 360 for your baby?

Luca loves this car seat. He isn’t always a fan of being lifted in or out, but in this seat he was happy from the off.

Putting him in was a dream – the rotation made it so much easier, and he was reassured and distracted being strapped in facing me. He looked cradled and well supported, especially using the newborn insert, which felt secure and soft; however, we didn’t use it for too long before he grew out of it (it's recommended for use from birth to around 3-6 months).

As for comfort, Luca settles and sleeps pretty much as soon as I start the engine, so that really says something.

This car seat is more adjustable than any other car seat I’ve tried, with a 5-position adjustable headrest and lie-flat recline that supports his head, neck and hips.

How easy is it to get your baby in and out of the Silver Cross Glide Plus 360?

We’ve all been there, trying to wrestle a wiggly baby into a car seat, putting your back out by leaning in at a weird angle (and if you’re me, banging your head on the way out).

Not with this car seat.

For me, the 360° swivel is honestly a game-changer and I have to say, I’ll never go back to a standard car seat. It’s so simple to use and the rotation is smooth enough to do one-handed which is great for when you’ve inevitably got your hands full.

The harness and buckle are easy to use and adjust without the tugging and twisting I’ve experienced with others. I particularly like how the straps are sprung and you don’t have to fight to get your baby's arms through any loops – simply pop the straps over the shoulders and clip in to the buckle, which you can also do one-handed with a little practice.

Loosening and tightening the straps is much smoother than my other car seat, which is stiff in comparison (the Silver Cross Dream).

The harness adjustment button is a little hidden, so make sure you read the instructions or you’ll never find it. There’s also a quick-release strap, which you pull to take the whole seat out – allowing you to remove your baby without waking them.

What’s the recline and adjustability like?

The recline is definitely one of the main selling points of this car seat – making it perfect for travelling and popping out with your travel system.

When it’s in the recline position, it’s amazing, but I found it difficult to operate, especially one-handed as shown in the video instructions. The lever is stiff and the mechanism seemed to jam sporadically.

I found that I often needed to use both hands to pull the lever up and push the car seat into position and it was even trickier with baby in situ (I ended up doing it before popping Luca in). I also found that there wasn’t a lot of room to adjust the recline when the seat is in the rear-facing position. I have a Mini Countryman, so perhaps this would be easier in a bigger car.

Adjusting the headrest is quick and easy; you just pull the loop at the top of the cars eat to move it up and down — this is another handy feature that will ensure it grows with your baby. A big thumbs up from me.

How does the Silver Cross Glide Plus 360 feel in everyday use?

This car seat has been a lifesaver during the newborn months. It removes the initial stress of travelling with a tiny baby, as I know that it’s safe, secure, and I’ll be able to get him in and out comfortably with the 360° swivel.

One of the only downsides for me is the weight.

Although it’s lighter than other car seats I’ve tried, it’s still pretty heavy at 4.8kg without baby, so I wouldn’t say it's ‘light as a feather’ like the website claims!

Although I can lift the car seat whilst Lucy is in it now, I wouldn’t have been able to do this straight after he was born, especially with a C-section recover —, although the spin feature would have been extremely useful at the time.

What are the key safety features of the Glide Plus 360 car seat?

Silver Cross are a reputable brand for a reason, especially when it comes to safety. As well as being approved to R129/04 (i-Size) safety standard, Silver Cross also say that the Glide Plus 360 has been tested beyond the minimum regulatory requirements.

The secure connection indicators give added peace of mind — if they’re all green, you’re good to go. There’s also an AgeLock rotation switch to ensure you don’t accidentally put your baby in a front-facing position before 15 months.

The padding and side-impact protection are shock-absorbing and made up of three layers, and the harness and straps are easy to secure tightly so your baby feels snug and safe.

Plus, like every Silver Cross car seat, it’s covered by their Car Seat Crash Replacement Scheme, meaning that if you are ever in an accident, they’ll help you to get a new one.

Does the Silver Cross Glide Plus 360 feel comfortable and well made?

As far as comfort goes, I can’t fault this car seat, and I would feel confident using it all the way to the 87cm limit.

The premium quality is exactly what you would expect from Silver Cross. The bamboo material is super soft – perfect for newborns – but is also easily wipeable for those inevitable spit-up or dribbly teething moments.

The built-in seat ventilation helps to regulate your baby’s temperature too, so your baby is nice and snug, but doesn’t overheat in the warmer weather.

Can you use the Glide Plus 360 on a pushchair to create a travel system?

I love that the Glide Plus 360 is compatible with my travel system (and it looks great, too). I’ve enjoyed using it on my Silver Cross Cove chassis for quick trips into town and for those inevitable naps on the go. It was great in scenarios where a carrycot would have been bulky to manoeuvre and made popping into shops a lot easier.

The UPF50+ hood is a clever addition that’s perfect for when you’re out and about. It removes the need for additional covers as it extends further than any other car seat hood I’ve seen. Plus, Luca was happy being lifted from the car and onto the frame. I used the universal car seat adaptors that came with my pushchair to attach it.

The same way I struggled to get the angle right when attaching it to the ISOFIX base, I also struggled to get it right by clicking it into the adaptors, but it came with practice.

What’s in the box?

• Glide Plus 360 car seat
• ISOFIX guides
• Base Plus 360

Sustainability Features

The packaging was minimal and cardboard, so easy to recycle.

The main fabric of the car seat itself is natural bamboo and the outer is made from recycled plastic bottles. The quality also means this seat is built to last – and would last you through multiple children However, if you did want to get rid of your car seat, or were in an accident and had to dispose of it, Silver Cross offers a dedicated car seat recycling service, helping to save hundreds of car seats from landfill.

Is it worth the money?

At £425 for the Glide Plus 360 car seat and base, it’s certainly not cheap. However, in comparison to other car seats I’ve used, this does have more pros than cons and genuinely makes life easier.

It feels like a long-term investment due to the premium Silver Cross quality, however the clunky recline really lets it down and I think for the money, you would want this to be smoother.

While the car seat itself goes up to approx 18 months (13kg/87cm), the base is compatible with the larger silver Cross multi-stage Approach Plus 360 car seat, meaning it offers more longevity (up to around 12 years).

Where can I buy the Silver Cross Glide 360 Plus car seat and Base Plus 360?

It is available from Silver Cross and John Lewis

MadeForMums verdict:

Car seats carry precious cargo and travelling with a newborn can feel daunting, but this car seat takes away some of that stress.

The ease of use with the sprung straps and the effortless rotation, plus the adjustable headrest that grows with your little one are just a few of the qualities I love. Not forgetting the fact that it can be used as part of a Silver Cross travel system.

Overall, it’s easy to get my baby in and out and makes our journeys more enjoyable as he doesn’t start or end a journey upset (and it’s less stressful for me, too).

It’s safe, stylish and saves parents’ spines — it's just a shame the recline feature isn't always as smooth in practice as it sounds on paper.