Cybex Sirona S Convertible Car Seat Preview: Swivels for Convenience, Load Leg for Safety, SensorSafe for Peace of Mind
Sirona S in Black is currently in stock at BuyBuyBaby. Additional fashions and other retailers are coming soon! We will update when there is more information to share.
We’re thrilled that Cybex is working on an epic, game-changing convertible car seat: the Sirona S. Not only does Sirona S swivel 360 degrees for easy loading and unloading of children, it will also be the first convertible car seat in North America to have a load leg, a safety feature that significantly enhances crash protection in a frontal crash. As if that wasn’t enough, the Sirona S will also come standard with SensorSafe technology, which is built into the chest clip.
Sirona S Specs & Features:
- Rear-facing: 4-50 lbs.
- Forward-facing: 22-65 lbs.
- LATCH weight limits: 35 lbs. RF, 40 lbs. FF
- Maximum harness height: 17″
- Swivels for easy loading or switching between modes
- Multi-position load leg with indicators
- No-rethread harness with easy height adjuster
- 7 recline positions rear-facing
- 4 recline positions forward-facing
- SensorSafe chest clip with bluetooth/app reminders and alerts
- Pop-out Linear Side-Impact Protection
- MSRP: $499
With features like swivel and load leg that are currently unique to the USA market, plus safety enhancements like LSP and SensorSafe, we deem it a “Shut Up and Take My Money” Award winner! We acknowledge that $499 is a lot of money for a car seat but just like automobiles, innovations almost always launch on premium products and eventually work their way down to more affordable models. We hope consumers in North America understand and appreciate the safety benefits of a load leg because this is the evolution of crash protection for children!
2019 CarseatBlog Shut Up and Take My Money Award Winner: Cybex Sirona S
Better than a JPMA award!
The Sirona S has a single belt path for both rear- and forward facing, with a seatbelt/lower anchor belt tensioner for simple and secure installation. Once installed, the seat can swivel 360 degrees on its base, allowing parents to get kids in and out without having to lift them over the sides. This can be a convenience for any caregivers, but especially those who might have mobility difficulties. The swivel feature will also make it easy to switch between rear- and forward-facing for situations where two or more kids might share a seat.
An indicator on the load leg will show when the seat is engaged in rear-facing or forward-facing mode since driving with the seat sideways will be neither secure nor allowed!
The telescoping load leg can be used rear-facing and forward-facing. Until now, the US has only seen load legs on rear-facing-only infant seats, so having one that can be used with larger children, rear-facing or forward-facing is a very big deal. For a rear-facing seat, the load leg prevents downward rotation in a frontal crash – maintaining a more upright position throughout the crash. This significantly improves crash protection and also reduces the secondary rebound rotation that a rear-facing car seat will experience in a frontal crash. Additionally, a load leg greatly reduces the likelihood that a rear-facing car seat will make contact with the front seat. For forward-facing, similar principles apply. The load leg will decrease how far the seat moves in a frontal crash, thus reducing head excursion (or how far forward a child’s head moves) in a crash.
As usual, there is a tether on the back of the seat’s shell for forward-facing, and it would need to be unhooked from the tether anchor in the vehicle before you are able to swivel the seat when it’s installed for forward-facing use. We mused whether people would be able to use the load leg in place of the tether to potentially reduce head excursion (in situations where a tether anchor wasn’t available) but at this point, we aren’t sure if that’s even a possibility. Due to current federal regulations, car seat manufacturers can’t use the load leg to comply with FMVSS 213 standards since the test bench doesn’t have a floor. Cybex is testing the seat with load leg using a modified 213 sled, but even then, legal issues (including mandatory tether usage in Canada) make it seem unlikely that Cybex will ever say it’s okay to use the load leg as a substitute for using the tether. Keep in mind that all seats in the US have to pass testing with and without a tether so it’s almost always possible to install a forward-facing car seat without tethering it, **if there is no tether anchor available**. (Note: there are some exceptions for seats rated beyond 65 lbs. in the U.S. that REQUIRE tethering and all forward-facing seats in Canada REQUIRE installation using the tether). The bottom line here is that this is uncharted territory in North America, so it’s going to be complicated for Cybex to navigate these waters.
Cybex plans to release the Sirona S in the United States in fall 2019 with an eventual release in Canada (no timetable for Canada at the moment, sorry). The seat will retail for $499. Stay tuned for more information and a full review when production-model seats are available.
Watch our video for a demonstration of key features. (Note that the seat is NOT actually in full recline position when Kecia states it is. The prototype was a bit sticky. It does recline more for younger babies.)
Any update on Canada? Also, does anyone know how well this would fit in a 2021 BMW X3?
I ended up getting the Evenflo Revolve Gold 360 much cheaper and is also a booster seat so last ten years.
Any news on if it will be available this summer in Canada? I really wanted to invest in this seat for my daughter but I feel like it’s never going to be approved in Canada anytime soon. My daughter is getting too tall for her bucket car seat and this seat would be great for her and the swivel feature great for me. Hope someone has news. If not, I need to search for something else ASAP. Thanks 🙂
Yes I would love an update as well. Is the summer 2021 Canadian release date still on track?
Looking for an answer to the above question. Hoping to get this for our son ASAP.
Does anyone know how this seat stood up in crash testing? And how the crash tests compared to the nuna or britax seats?
Hi Sonya. We don’t have a crash test rating system in the U.S. unfortunately. It would be awesome if the government implemented a system similar to their NHTSA 5-Star rating system or if IIHS did something similar. The closest thing we have is Consumer Reports: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/car-seats.htm. They’ve designed their own crash test based on a modern vehicle seat, higher speed, and with a simulated front seat. I think it’s a really good start, but due to the number seats that come out each year and the amount of time it takes to test each one, it takes a long time to run the tests and report on them. They have not done the Sirona S yet.
What we do know is that load legs perform well in crashes in mitigating crash energy (https://carseatblog.com/46830/loadlegs/) but not all vehicles allow their use so it’s important to consult your vehicle owner’s manual. Keep in mind that a safe carseat is the one that installs well in your vehicle, fits your child well, and is easy enough to use correctly each ride.
Hi Heather,
Are there any updates to know when the Cybex Sirona S is expected to launch in Canada? What stores are expected to carry the seat?
@Alex – the latest info I have on Sirona S availability in Canada is sometime this summer. So, the bad news is that it won’t be anytime in the near future but the good news is that they’re still working on getting it certified to CMVSS213.
If you’re child is forward facing and tethered (recommended usage), then the swivel doesn’t work anymore (because it’s tethered). HEADS UP!!
Is there an update on when this will be released in Canada?
I received information from a Sales person stating that Cybex will release the Sirona S to Canada in January 2021 and the estimated price will be $700 CAD. Would you be able to comment on that Heather?
Hi Felix. Yes, our contact says they’re still on track for January 2021 for Canada and the price will be over $700 CAD.
Hi just wondering if there is an update on a timeline for Canada? I see the carseat on Canadian Tire’s website but it says out of stock at all the stores. Makes me think they are getting them in soon and uploaded the details in advance of the Canadian release date?
Is there a Compatible Stroller for the Sirona S?
Hi Jose. No, the Sirona S is a convertible carseat that stays permanently installed in the car. It’s not an infant seat, which will have a compatible stroller.
I read that the Cybex Sirona S is approx 25” wide… Do you know if that includes the side impact extensions, or would those add additional width? Thanks for all the great information!
How do you mean wide—side to side? It’s probably in the area of 20″, but I don’t have one to measure. Our writers are working on the review, so it’s coming soon. A 25″ carseat would be extremely wide, so I think that includes both side impact pods in the out position, which you would never do.
Are there size/age requirements for recline angle?
Hi,
I still don’t understand how they pass FMVSS213.
So it is passed with top tether, without load leg?
Or Is it passed without top tether with load leg under “no top tether available” option?
Hi Heidi, FMVSS213 testing is currently done without the load leg because there is no floor on the 213 test sled on which to prop the leg. Since no seat sold in the U.S. can be tested to 213 using a load leg, all U.S. seats must pass testing standards without it – and that generally requires using the tether.
So how did they tested NUNA pipa that had the same load leg?
Timmy, to pass the FMVSS 213 crash test that all carseats must pass, if a carseat has a load leg, it is folded up under the base and tested that way. The test bench doesn’t have a floor so there’s no way to federally test a carseat that way. Volvo petitioned NHTSA to add a floor to the test bench, along with some other requests such as updated seat cushions (what? no more 70s era bench seats?! :o), but NHTSA denied the petition because they want the test to reflect how carseats are used in real-life. I guess parents don’t use load legs? For instance, “the standard’s test parameters include a test in which the CRS is installed without attaching a tether, because non-use of a top tether is prevalent.” It’s ass-backward thinking; we know parents won’t use a safety device unless they’re legislated to do so.
Now pushed to a mid-March release… seriously, is this thing ever going to come out?
Hi Jackie, unfortunately between the Coronavirus affecting factories and workers and the extended Lunar New Year celebrations, it just added to the delays. Once the product is loaded onto the cargo ship and making its way across the seas to the US then it’s pretty much “on schedule” from that point on. However, Chinese factories are going to continue to struggle with delays for the foreseeable future until the spread of the virus is under control.
Any idea when this will be available in Canada?
My understanding is that they are working on CMVSS certification but there is currently no timeline on when that might happen.
Hi just wondering if there is an update on a timeline for Canada? I see the carseat on Canadian Tire’s website but it says out of stock at all the stores. Makes me think they are getting them in soon and uploaded the details in advance of the Canadian release date?
Mine arrived today! (Portland, Oregon). I purchased online from BuyBuy Baby a week ago. It was only available in black.
Any update on when this car seat will be ready for sale?
How do you wash this car seat? Is the cover removable? Machine washable? And is the fabric breathable for warm climates?
I just purchased this and it is machine washable; air dry. The cover snaps off, fairly easily. I am unsure about the breathability of the fabric, but I believe the cybex Website might have that information.
P.S. you CAN currently use the Buy Buy Baby 20% off on the Cybex Hold (not Premium) models. That’s $100 off. Also, currently only black is available (as of June 2020) the other colors have not arrived.
Hello, does anyone know whether this car seat has a confirmed date yet? Very keen to get it!
Hi Dave. We’ve been hearing February. This is pretty normal for a newly engineered carseat; it takes time to crash test, make changes, crash test again, etc.
We have moved to the US from the UK. Why are swivel car seats new/ not yet available here?
They are fantastic.
Hi Mary. Our test sled doesn’t have a floor, so we can’t test carseats with a load leg/foot prop. Because of that, carseats that have them (usually rear-facing only seats) haven’t really caught on until just recently. The Sirona S will be the first convertible seat to have such a feature and it will have the swivel, so bonus!
Will this product be available in the USA? Swivel car seat are hard to come by in the USA. I have previously read that the reason for the delay in releasing this product is due to not passing safety standards in the USA and the product might not make it into the market for that reason.
Yes, it’s on its way. Cybex is planning on hitting retail in early 2020. It really isn’t unusual for carseat releases to be delayed.
Please say these will have an FAA approved sticker for flying with also. Any chance of this? We love our Aton’s because of this but have really outgrown them.
Also will the USA be receiving all the color choices?
Hi Karys. The Sirona S will not be FAA approved because the airplane belt won’t fit over the belt tensioner and under the belt cover (you can’t use the belt tensioner with an airplane belt). Fashions will be Premium Black (exclusive to BuyBuyBaby until Sept.), Indigo Blue, Black and Manhattan Grey.
Hi!
I’m looking for a rotating car seat. Are there any other brands who sell them?
Hi Eva, currently Sirona S is the only swiveling car seat in the US but it’s not available yet. We are hoping it will be launching soon!
Any updates on the availability in the USA please?
Patiently awaiting to purchase two for my twin granchildren!!
Hi. I saw your comment that’s Cybex will fulfill orders already placed for Sirona S in November…how can I purchase it?
Right now it’s only at specialty baby stores. You can try here: https://fave.co/31sJsnT.
So, we bought the Cybex M infant seat for our little one, as we wanted the safety features of the base and euro-beltpath install option without the base. When I went to check the Cybex website for some information, it shows that our base accepts the Aton M AND the Sirona S and is part of their new modular system. Did they show this Sirona seat as available without a base, for those of us who already have it?
Hi Jennifer. I’m not aware of that compatibility, but I’ll ask about it for sure. I checked out the website but didn’t see anything. Was it the US site?
Jennifer, I checked with our Cybex contact and she said that the Sirona S is firmly attached to its base and doesn’t share a base with the Aton M. They do look like similar bases but are not compatible.
I need this!! Or I have to trade my car;( are these available yet?
Coming soon!
Is this going to be available in Canada?
My understanding is that they are working on CMVSS certification but there is currently no timeline on when that might happen.
Do we know the dimensions while The seat is RF in the most recline position? Is it longer front to back than a Nuna Pipa? this seat looks amazing and I’m really interested!! Hoping it will work!
Hi Kate, we can’t really compare its length with the Pipa because Sirona S sits so much higher in the vehicle. But here are some pictures of Sirona S installed in a Prius V. Hope this helps! https://www.facebook.com/carseatblog/posts/10162982628515562
Staci, the Sirona S release has been delayed (which is very common, unfortunately). The latest ETA is that it should be in stores sometime in February.
Is this call Convertible car seat like regular? It looks small for convertible car seat like Birtax. But idea is amazing. What is maximum age limitation?
Hi Jason. The Sirona S will be a convertible seat that rear-faces, then forward-faces. It may last most kids through about age 6; it’s outgrown when the child’s shoulders are above the top harness position, the maximum weight limit is reaches, or the child’s ears are above the head wings.
When and how can I purchase the Cybex Sirona S Convertible Car Seat
It isn’t available quite yet. We’ll announce when it is!
Is this available yet? Where can it be purchased?
Hi Aimee. Cybex is looking to fulfill orders already placed in November, then it will hit retail shelves in January. Timelines may change, however.
November 5th 2019
Hi wondering if this will be available sometime soon? Will it be available online sooner?
Cybex is filling pre-orders starting this month sometime. I don’t know if you can pre-order online from a store like Pish-Posh Baby, https://fave.co/34N6gRJ, and still have it filled early. It will be widely available in January—fingers crossed!