Ad · This page contains affiliate links. How that works

Cybex Cloud T and Base T review: a dad's honest verdict

We used ours from day one until our daughter outgrew it at 13 months. The swivel base and pram adapters made it one of our best buys. There are also two things I wish I'd known first.

Not all car seat bases are equal

I'll be honest. As a first-time dad a car seat wasn't the most exciting thing to get into. I didn't understand that car seat bases are not all made equal. Thankfully my partner took more interest...!

We got the Cybex Cloud T i-Size seat and the Cybex Base T as part of our pram bundle from Mamas & Papas. The bundle let us pick from a few car seats. In store they have a dummy car seat set-up so we practised clicking the base in and out and putting the seat on and off before we chose. Do this if you can.

What's brilliant

• The swivel. You plonk the seat onto the base facing the door then rotate it round so she's rear facing. No awkward twisting or leaning into the car. It takes seconds. It's great for us and we're lucky enough to have some of our parents around to help. It's great for their backs too.
• Getting it out is just as quick. Lift the lever at the base and pull the seat up and off. You're away.
• It clicks onto our Bugaboo. It's a different brand but with adapters it fits straight onto the Fox 5 frame. I didn't realise how useful this would be until I became a dad (more on this below).
• It lies flat on the pram. Once it's off the car base it stretches out and reclines flat. If she falls asleep she can stay in it comfortably.
• The hood is huge. It pulls down over almost the whole seat and keeps the light out. It really helps her stay settled.
• Good safety rating. ADAC (a German safety testing group) rated it Good. The side safety wings just pull out and pop back in.

The underrated bit: using it on the pram

When you're nipping to the shops or running errands you don't always want to set up the pram, get the baby out of the car seat and into the pram and then go about your jobs. Especially when it's raining or cold, you're in a rush or the baby has finally fallen asleep.

With the adapters you just put the pram frame up and click the car seat straight on top. Baby stays asleep and off you go. I honestly didn't realise how useful this would be until I became a dad.

Safety note: The general advice is not to leave babies in a car seat for long stretches. Usually no more than two hours at a time. For anything longer than a quick trip move them into the carrycot or a cot.

What annoyed us

• It didn't last as long as I thought. For the price of a seat and base it's annoying she only got about 12 months out of it before we needed a new one. I naively assumed it would last longer.
• It gets heavy. The seat alone is 4.5kg. As she got bigger it got harder to carry her in it from the car to the pharmacy or into Tesco Express for a meal deal. In fairness by the time they're nearly one you can just carry them.

What I wish I'd known

Baby car seats like this are only the first stage. The Cloud T is for babies from 45cm to 87cm tall and up to 13kg. Cybex says that's roughly up to two years but lots of babies outgrow it sooner. Ours did at 12 to 13 months. Budget for the next seat from the start.

You can get seats that last from newborn to about 4 years old. The catch is they stay in the car. You lose the flexibility of just lifting baby out and nipping into the shop. Even knowing that I'd do the same again and buy a separate newborn seat for the first year or so.

Three tips before you buy any car seat

1. Get a rotating swivel base. Whatever brand or model you go for I'd strongly urge you to get one. It's easier getting baby in and out, easier on your back and easier for any friends and family who help out.
2. Make sure it works with your pram. Please please please get one that's compatible with your buggy. Check whether the adapters come with the pram or seat or need buying separately. Trust me. When baby is finally falling asleep you won't always want to move them into the proper pram for a quick trip.
3. Practise first. Ask to try clicking the base and seat in and out before you buy. Use the shop's dummy set-up or better still your own car.

The verdict

So pleased we got this. It's easy and safe. Moving her from the car to the pram without waking her saved us more times than I can count. The only downside is it's a first-stage seat so it won't last as long as you might expect.

Verdict: Essential. We'd buy it again.

We used it on our Bugaboo Fox 5. Read our pram verdict.

Prices change often. Check the retailer for today's price.