UPDATE: There are now THREE different models of the popular Evenflo Revolve 360 rotating carseats. Base model Revolve 360, Revolve 360 EXTEND & Revolve 360 SLIM!
We have a full comparison of all 3 Revolve models HERE.
Evenflo Revolve 360 3-in-1 Review: the rotating car seat of your dreams
A rotating car seat may sound gimmicky but for a parent with young children, it can be the greatest feature ever invented.
This is especially true when:
a) you’re wrestling an oily alligator (aka, a toddler who does not want to be strapped in)
b) your truck or SUV is tall but you’re not
c) your child is heavy but isn’t able to climb into the seat on his own
d) you have back issues
e) you drive a 2-door coupe with a back seat
f) some combination of the above
Base Model Revolve 360 Specs:
- Rear-facing: 4-40 lbs., 17-40″ tall, top of head 1″ or more below top of headrest or shell
- Forward-facing: 22-65 lbs., 28-49″ tall, at least 2 years old
- Booster: 40-120 lbs., 44-57″ tall, at least 4 years old
Revolve 360 Extend Specs:
- Rear-facing: 4-50 lbs., 17-48″ tall, top of head 1″ or more below top of headrest or shell
- Forward-facing: 22-65 lbs., 28-49″ tall, at least 2 years old
- Booster: 40-120 lbs., 44-57″ tall, at least 4 years old
Revolve 360 Features:
- 360-degree rotation allows you to load and unload your child from the side before swiveling the seat into a locked rear-facing or forward-facing orientation
- Seat and base separate for ease of base installation
- Belt-tensioning “LockStrong” bar
- Tether360 strap provides additional stability both forward-facing AND rear-facing
- Anti-rebound base design limits rebound in frontal crashes when seat is rear-facing and also helps to stabilize the seat in rear-impact crashes
- Steel-reinforced frame
- 14-position no-rethread harness
- 3 buckle positions
- 4 recline positions for rear-facing
- Dual-zone level indicator for rear-facing
- Energy-absorbing EPS foam
- Smooth bottom base won’t damage vehicle upholstery
- Dual cupholders are removable and dishwasher safe
- Machine washable fabrics
- Harness, chest clip, and buckle all store on the seat when converting to booster mode
- LATCHable in booster mode
- QR code that links to instructions & product videos
- 10-year lifespan before expiration
- Made in China
- MSRP $349 – $429
Revolve 360 Base with “LOCKSTRONG BAR” belt tensioner & “TETHER 360”:
Seat and Base Together:
Revolve 360 Measurements:
- Tallest harness height setting: 19.5″
- Lowest harness height setting: 10″ without insert; 9.5 with insert; approximately 7″ with lower insert modification
- Shoulder belt guide max height (for booster mode): 21″
- Crotch strap positions: approximately 3″, 4.25″, 5.5″
- Seat pan depth (legroom/thigh support): 11″
- Seat width at widest point: 19.5″ wide (across the cup holders); 18.5″ at the side wings
- Weight: 30 lbs. combined (weight of seat and base together)
- QR Codes – link directly to videos on Evenflo website
2024 Revolve 360 3-in-1 Fashions:
360 Rotation Comments:
This feature is undoubtedly the highlight of Revolve 360 and it’s everything you could hope for in a revolving car seat.
We’re not going to insult your intelligence by stating the obvious – that you should never drive down the road with your baby facing sideways. However, there are a few things about the rotational feature that are worth mentioning.
For starters, there are 4 recline positions for rear-facing, these options allow you to achieve the correct recline angle when rear-facing in your vehicle.
However, the Revolve is only able to make a full 360-degree rotation when it’s in the fully reclined position rear-facing. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t rotate to the side when you’re using a more upright RF recline setting – it does! It just can’t make the FULL 360* turn unless it’s positioned in the most reclined RF position.
You can still turn the seat from rear-facing to the side loading/unloading position (which is all you’re really going to need to do on a daily basis) if it’s in a more upright RF recline position. But if you’re trying to make it spin all the way to the forward-facing position or trying to entertain your child by spinning them around while you’re parked waiting for your Target Drive Up order – you’re going to need to be in the fully reclined rear-facing position to do that.
Otherwise, you get to the side-facing position and the seat just stops rotating. But again, going from rear-facing to side-facing and back to rear-facing again can be accomplished in any RF recline position.
When you take your child out of the seat, make sure to rotate the seat back into a locked position, either RF or FF. The rotated position is only for loading and unloading.
Lastly, I just want to point out that the most reclined RF position is actually the fully upright position needed to secure Revolve 360 in the forward-facing position – which is why it only rotates from RF to FF in that one recline position. When the seat is forward-facing or being used as a booster it has to be in the fully upright position and there is no way to accidentally have it any other way so no worries about misuse there.
Installation Comments:
Installing Revolve 360 with Lap/Shoulder Seatbelt (preferred method):
Installation with your standard lap/shoulder seatbelt was straight-forward and easy in the vehicles we worked in. Neither Heather nor I could remember if the seat came out of the box detached from the base or not. It’s possible that you may need to separate the 2 pieces before you begin installing.
Install the base using the LockStrong bar which acts as a belt-tensioning device but is not technically a lockoff (you will still need to lock the seatbelt at the retractor). Make sure your installation is tight and confirm that the visual indicator on the LockStrong bar has turned from red to fully green – indicating that it is securely locked.
Just like an infant seat base, it shouldn’t move more than 1″ from side-to-side or from front-to-back when you check for tightness at the beltpath.
Once your base is installed tightly, lock the seatbelt by pulling the webbing all the way to the end and listening for the clicking/ratcheting sound as the webbing feeds back into the locked retractor.
The final step before you connect the seat to the base is to attach the tether strap to the tether anchor in your vehicle and snug it up.
Most Evenflo car seats don’t mandate using the tether in cases where you don’t have an available tether anchor, however, Revolve 360 is unique and it DOES require tethering.
In this day and age, tethering shouldn’t be a problem unless you plan to use this seat in the 3rd row of a vehicle. Vehicles with a 3rd row usually don’t have a tether anchor for every seating position back there, so make sure you know where the tether anchors are and where they’re not in your vehicle. Again, tethering is required for this particular seat – regardless of whether you are using the seat in the rear-facing or the forward-facing orientation.
Attach the seat to the base by lining up the red arrow on the seat (which you’ll find underneath the flap of fabric) with the white arrow on the base.
For all the installation details, check out Heather’s video:
Installing Revolve 360 with LATCH:
Same process as above but using the LATCH strap instead of the seatbelt. You still utilize the LockStrong bar (after you’ve slightly tensioned the latch strap) and you still need to tether.
I actually found it easier to achieve a rock-solid installation using seatbelt, so unless you have a compelling reason to use latch, I’d suggest sticking with a seatbelt installation. It was a little challenging for me to tighten the latch strap initially. Some latch straps have a little loop sewn into the loose tail end that you can slip your index finger into and pull, but this strap didn’t have that option. Therefore, it took a little more effort for me to tighten the latch strap enough to yield a solid installation after the LockStrong bar was shut and locked.
Once again, make sure you reference the visual indicator on the inside of the base to confirm that it has turned from red to fully green – indicating that the LockStrong bar is securely locked.
LATCH: Weight Limits & Other Considerations
The LATCH weight limit for the base model Revolve 360 is 35 lbs. rear-facing & 40 lbs. forward-facing. The LATCH weight limit for the Extend models is slightly lower, 30 lbs. rear-facing & 35 lbs. forward-facing because this version weighs a few pounds more.
When your child exceeds the LATCH weight limit of your seat, you MUST switch to a seatbelt + tether installation. Honestly, LATCH weight limits are just another reason to install the car seat using the seatbelt in the first place. Then you don’t have to worry about remembering to switch the installation method at some point in the future.
Once again, *always* use the tether strap regardless of whether the base is installed with LATCH or seatbelt. Tethering is required.
Center LATCH installations: Evenflo DOES allow center latch installations with “Non-Standard Spacing” as long as the spacing is between 11-20″ wide and your vehicle manufacturer specifically allows a LATCH installation in that center seating position.
Revolve 360 in Booster Mode:
All the harness components store on the seat so you don’t have to worry about losing parts of your expensive seat once you transition to booster mode.
Evenflo recommends securing the booster using LATCH. LATCH weight limits don’t apply in booster mode because the seatbelt is actually restraining the child and the latch strap is just securing the booster seat to the vehicle.
Fit-to-Vehicle:
We had no fit issues in any of the vehicles we tried. It’s surprisingly compact when rear-facing as long as you have the seat positioned a little more upright (but still within the range of the angle indicator).
We have confirmed that Evenflo allows Revolve 360 to lightly contact the vehicle seat in front (when rear-facing) which helps in vehicles where space is an issue.
Even with light contact from the front passenger seat in my 2016 Hyundai Tucson (small SUV), the rotation feature still functioned easily. Evenflo does recommend raising or removing the head restraint if it interferes with the seat locking into the forward-facing position.
Telsa Model X
Telsa Model 3
Minivan Captains Chair – most reclined vs. most upright rear-facing
Infant Inserts:
The infant inserts (head support & lower body cushion) are optional when the seat is used rear-facing but must be removed before your child uses the seat forward-facing. If using Revolve 360 with a small infant it may be necessary to tuck the side bolsters of the lower insert underneath the flat portion in order to give the baby a bigger boost (2nd pic below). This extra boost may be necessary for babies younger than 6 months old if their shoulders are not close enough to the bottom harness slot using the lower insert as-is (1st pic below).
Fit-to-Child:
Preemie doll (4 lbs., 17″)
After folding the lower body insert as described in the manual, I was able to get a marginal fit on the tiny Huggable Images preemie doll. It wasn’t what I would consider ideal and it took a couple of minutes of me fiddling with all the components to get it to the point where I thought, “this is as good as it gets”.
In the end, I would say the fit was acceptable. However, I’m a seasoned pro and it took me a solid 2-3 minutes of readjusting this and fiddling with that, to get the harness fit to the point where I was satisfied. It’s unlikely that a parent who wasn’t a CPS Tech would make that same effort to ensure reasonable harness fit on a very small newborn.
It’s a combination of the lowest harness setting being too high for a small baby and the lower body insert cushion modifications that are necessary (because the lowest harness setting is too high). I’m a little perplexed as to why they decided to rate the seat down to 4 lbs. when clearly they paid little or no attention to small baby fit.
I would barely complain if the harness was rated from 5 lbs. up, since it’s well-known that some convertible and all-in-one seats that are rated from 5 lbs. don’t actually fit newborns very well. But if you’re going to rate your seat down to 4 lbs., you really need to prioritize small baby fit and it’s pretty obvious that wasn’t the case with this seat. </rant>
Full-size newborn doll (20″)
Using the lower body insert as-is (without folding and tucking), the harness fit wasn’t ideal on our 20″ doll either. This doll is the size of a typical 8 or 9 lb. newborn. We were able to get the straps nice and snug so I don’t think the fit was terrible but the harness was still a solid inch above this doll’s shoulders. If this were a real baby, we would have needed to fold and tuck the insert like we did for the preemie doll.
Baby E (17 months, 22 lbs., 30″ tall)
She fit really well. Despite the look on her face in the pics, she totally enjoyed it. When her mom took her out of the seat, she cried and wanted to be put back in! Lol.
More pictures of real kids in Revolve 360 coming soon!
Comfort/Ease of Use:
This seat checks almost all the boxes for comfort and ease of use. It’s well-padded, easy to install correctly (especially with seatbelt), the rotational feature is simple and smooth, and the harness is easy to tighten and loosen in both orientations. My only minor complaint was with the harness webbing. It has a tendency to twist as it routes through the buckle. You’re going to have to pay attention to this as you are buckling your child into the harness otherwise you may wind up battling twisty straps frequently.
Crash Replacement/Inflatable Belts/FAA Approval:
- Evenflo seats should be replaced after any crash (call parent link if you have questions about your particular situation).
- Installation with inflatable seatbelts (found in some Ford/Lincoln/Mercedes Benz vehicles) is NOT allowed in harnessed mode. Use LATCH to install base if child is still under the LATCH weight limit or move seat to a different seating position that does not have an inflatable seatbelt. Using Revolve 360 in booster mode with inflatable seatbelt is allowed.
- Revolve 360 is FAA-approved and can be used on a plane but this seat is so wide and heavy that it would be a real hassle to drag this onto a plane and then try to cram yourself into the adjacent seat.
Care & Cleaning:
Machine wash the cover separately in cold water, delicate cycle, with mild detergent. Do not use chlorine bleach. Tumble dry for 10 – 15 minutes on low heat and remove immediately. The harness can be wiped clean with mild soap and water. Allow harness to air dry.
Revolve 360 Advantages:
- Rotational feature is sweeeet! Seriously. It’s amazing. And because the tether is attached to the base and not to the top of the seat – Revolve 360 can freely rotate regardless of which orientation it’s being used in (rear-facing, forward-facing or booster).
- Functions well in all 3 modes: Rear-facing, forward-facing & highback booster
- Base is super easy to install correctly, especially with seatbelt which is the preferred installation method
- Install the base once and you’re done! No need to reinstall when you switch modes.
- Base design limits rebound when rear-facing
- 14-position no-rethread harness
- Very tall max harness height (19.5″!) so it’s going to last a long time before the harness is outgrown by height
- 4 recline positions for rear-facing to help achieve correct recline as your child grows
- Compact in the rear-facing position as long as you use the more upright recline settings
- Evenflo allows Revolve 360 to lightly contact the vehicle seat in front (when rear-facing) which helps in vehicles where space is an issue
- Tether provides additional stability both forward-facing AND rear-facing
- Smooth bottom base won’t damage vehicle upholstery
- Dual cupholders are removable and dishwasher safe
- Machine washable fabrics
- Harness, chest clip, and buckle all store in the shell for booster mode
- LATCHable in booster mode
- QR codes that link to instructions & product videos
- 10-year lifespan before expiration
- Some models have SensorSafe technology in the chest clip
- Some models have a Quick Clean cover that is easier to remove
Disadvantages:
(In all fairness these aren’t necessarily problems but I list them here to inform potential consumers of specific Revolve 360 issues)
- It’s difficult to get a good harness fit with a newborn or smaller baby. If you’re planning to use an infant seat first (aka, a rear-facing only seat) before transitioning to Revolve 360, then this won’t be an issue for you.
- The “LockStrong” belt-tensioner is technically not a lockoff device so you do need to remember to lock the seatbelt at the retractor once you’re done installing the base.
- Revolve 360 requires tethering so you need to make sure that you always have an available tether anchor to secure it.
Conclusion:
The Evenflo Revolve 360 has been a game-changer in the car seat world! The price is a bit steep but the tradeoff is that you get a ton of convenience and safety features in a car seat that, at least theoretically, you only have to install once. Plus, you retain the ability to rotate the seat even when your child is old enough to be forward-facing, an option some other rotating car seats can’t offer due to their design.
It’s clear that the Evenflo Gold Revolve 360 has set the gold standard for all rotating car seats!
For more details, check out the Revolve 360 on Evenflo’s website: https://www.evenflo.com/gold/revolve360.html
Thank you, Evenflo, for generously supplying the samples used in this review. All opinions and comments expressed are those of CarseatBlog.com.
CarseatBlog Experts Rating
Recommended: Revolve 360
I so wanted to love this seat. The base is installed with belt, using the tether, and its rock solid. I add the base for rear facing, and it now wobbles. I’ve never had a rear facing seat wobble like this. I’m reading it’s quite normal but I’m not happy with it.
@Shannon – I’m not clear on how exactly your Revolve car seat is wobbling. I would suggest contacting Evenflo parentlink if you haven’t already. Evenflo USA 1-800-233-5921 or Evenflo GOLD USA 1-800-233-2229. Hope that helps!
do you have a stroller to fit this car seat?
This is a carseat that stays in the vehicle and doesn’t attach to a stroller.
This is so helpful! My LO is currently in an infant seat, but I’m looking ahead to find the right seat for us. I think this one is a winner! But we’d need to get the emerald color because flame retardant free is important to us. Is there a certain time of year that these car seats go on sale? Looking to buy in the next 8-10 months I think!
Hi Jordan. Sorry we missed your question! They go on sale pretty regularly, especially around holidays.
Does anyone know the crash rating please and thank you also I seen that the car seat came apart from the base without a child in it thank goodness does anyone know if this has been fixed or resolved or if it happened more than once
Hi Mindy, unfortunately NHTSA doesn’t rate crash testing. If a car seat is legally sold in this country from a reputable manufacturer such as Evenflo, then it meets or exceeds all federal safety standards. Consumer Reports does independent 3rd party crash testing of some popular car seats and they have rated the Evenflo Revolve 360 as “Better” which means that it protects above and beyond the federal safety standards. As for the car seat coming apart from its base, there is a specific spot on the base when it’s rotated where the 2 arrows line up. If the seat has been rotated to line up the 2 arrows, it’s designed to come off the base. This is how you separate the 2 pieces in order to install the base. You aren’t supposed to drive around with the seat rotated in an unlocked position. If you crash with the seat rotated in an unlocked position, it probably will detach from the base. As long as you make sure the Revolve 360 is always in a locked position (either RF or FF) when the car is moving, there is no chance it’s going to disengage from its base in a crash. HTH!
We just installed our Evenflo gold car seat pand while the base is super tight and not moving at all, the seat really wobbles in the base. Is this normal? I’m nervous to put my son in it.
Hi Maria, some wobble is expected with any rotating car seat. This may vary with the mode of installation. It is impossible to say if yours is normal or excessive. I would suggest taking a short video of the issue and sending it to Evenflo customer service at their website (https://www.evenflo.com/pages/contact-us) or on their social media channels. You are also welcome to send the video link to us if you wish.
Darren
We just installed ours and while the base is super tight and not moving at all, the seat really wiggles in the base. Should we be concerned?
Hi Nicole. No. It’s like an infant seat. Since it’s 2 pieces, there will be some wiggle to it.
I’ve tried looking up a crash test rating but I can’t find one anywhere. Do you know where I can find one? The seat feels wobbly and that concerns me.
Is it possible to remove the harness? I can’t figure it out my daughter threw up all over it and it is a mess it would make things so much easier if I could figure out how to remove them to wash better
Oh no! Sorry, but it can’t be removed. Just try to wipe it down as best you can with a cloth that’s been dipped in some soapy water, then wipe that off with a cloth that has plain water on it. Lay the seat in the sun and let the sun’s rays do their magic on the stink. Evenflo also allows 70% alcohol to be used on their seats as long as you don’t soak it on (use a spray bottle or wipe it on).
Do I have to have a Evenflo seat protector under this seat? Or can I use any protector? I’m wanting to get a bench seat protector for the back seat!
**Just an fyi for anyone with smaller cars.. this fits in my 2012 Hyundai Elantra! Car seat fully reclined behind the passenger seat. I am 5’5 & can sit comfortably in the front seat😅 **
@Ashley, Evenflo allows the use of a towel under their carseats (single layer) or their own seat protector mat which they have crash tested with their carseats and feel comfortable recommending. Link: https://www.evenflo.com/products/car-seat-undermat
Any other brand of seat protector is prohibited. Thanks for the info on the Revolve fitting well in your 2012 Elantra. That’s good to know!
Unfortunately the Evenflo seat protector is garbage for rear facing, it doesn’t stay up and starts falling apart rather quickly, leaving pieces all over your seat. The reviews are terrible for it.
This is such a helpful post! I have a Yukon XL and i’m wondering if you know if it is possible to rotate the seat to get by and access the 3rd row of seats. We have captains chairs in the second row and a bench in the 3rd row. Our 4 year old is in the back and our twins are in the captains chairs in infant carseats right now. I’m hoping that the rotating carseat would allow us to be able to access the 3rd row. It’s hard to tell from the pictures how far it sticks out when rotated.
Hi Emily, yes, I do think it will be easy to rotate the Revolve 360 to make room for your 4 yr old to squeeze past them and access the 3rd row via the aisle in between the captains chairs. I think if you turn the Revolve in the opposite direction (away from you, instead of towards you) that will make it even easier because there will be less of the seat in the way of the aisle. HTH!
Great post! Any tips to get it into the over 20lb range in a 2015 Subaru forester? It was a great install when she was under 20lbs but I cannot get it into her new weight range on the bubble indicator 🙁 it almost seems like it needs to be more upright to be there but even fully upright it hovers that safe line.
Any tricks you know to get the straps to extend further when taking my toddler out? Mine seem to get stuck when I still have 6-8 inches left on the end…
@Chloe – call Evenflo Gold Parent Link (customer service) at (800)233-2229 and ask if they have any suggestions or tips for you. As you already know, the back of the Revolve 360 shell is enclosed so there is no way to see what’s going on behind that panel. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Same here, Just bought the Emerald Green one thats Chemical free , why all the rest are full of Chemicals and for babies is nuts. My son is 24 lbs and for the life of me, I can’t get him to fit. The harness release button just won’t let out any more strap. Ive removed almost all the pads, placed the buckle in the last place which is supposed to be for 40lb kids and still its too tight. They cheaped out on the harness, big time.
Can you mount in the middle of a bench seat? I feel that’s the safest place to put a car seat. I read nothing about that.
Yes, the Revolve360 can be installed in the center of the back seat if you can get a good installation and there’s a top tether anchor in that position. The reason it’s not commonly mentioned as an installation location is because the rotational feature is most commonly used in outboard positions for easy in/out access for the child. It’s harder to have to lean in to put a child in the center.
Will this fit in a 2018 Jeep Compass?