The 2-in-1 Doona Just Got an Upgrade: Is the Doona X Right for You?

Some baby gear earns buzz you'll hear about before you've even started building your registry. The Doona, a car seat that transforms into a stroller with no extra parts, is one of them.

Mention it to other parents and you'll hear how it made airport travel simpler, or how someone recovering from a C-section loved not having to wrestle a stroller frame in and out of the trunk. The Doona makes life a lot easier when you're on the go, going from car to sidewalk in seconds. Now, there's a new version: Doona X.

It keeps everything that made the original a standout and builds on it. Things like a new recline position for baby's comfort and versatility, stroller-focused improvements like an easily adjustable integrated headrest and harness, two-position handlebar and added safety enhancements (like a latch base with a support leg). We're breaking it all down below.

What parents loved before, and what's new

Parents already loved the Doona for:

• Seamless car-to-stroller transitions. In car seat mode, the wheels tuck into the underside of the seat, and it clicks into a LATCH base—just connect to your car's lower anchors and tighten. When you're ready for stroller mode, release the wheels and extend the handlebar.

• No separate stroller frame needed. That means no filling up your trunk with extra gear, and no lugging a heavy infant seat by the handle when you don’t want to deal with using a separate stroller. It also means less to pack for vacations and everyday outings, making it easier to get out the door and travel light.

The Doona X adds:

• Three recline positions: Sit, Relax and Lean Back, which is great for comfort and adaptability throughout the day and those early weeks when baby is still developing head and neck control

• An integrated adjustable harness and headrest (more on why that's actually a big deal, below)

• Enhanced side-impact protection for coverage in a side collision

• A larger UPF 50+ canopy that unfolds to shade more of baby's sensitive skin

• Shock absorbers to give you a smoother ride on bumpier terrain

• An adjustable padded handlebar that’s especially helpful when multiple people are sharing stroller duty

• A support-leg base to absorb accident force in the event of a crash

• Storage basket accessories available for additional storage when using Doona X in stroller mode

Doona X Infant Car Seat & Stroller - Dusty Sage

$850.00

Add to Babylist

Buy

Babylist

$

850.00

Built to keep up with a growing baby

Babies have a way of growing when you're not looking. One day, you're buckling in a tiny newborn, and the next, you're wondering how their legs got so long. That's where the three recline positions and integrated harness and headrest come in. Because the harness connects directly to the adjustable headrest, both grow with baby with a simple pull of a tab, without ever needing to rethread the straps.

Speaking of growing: Just like a standard infant car seat, you'll want to plan on transitioning to a convertible car seat once your baby hits the 32-inch height or 30-pound weight limit, which is roughly the size of the average 12–18-month-old. (Babies tend to outgrow infant seats by height before weight.)

The details parents notice

• It's compact, but nothing was left behind. The Doona X rolls down a plane aisle in stroller mode and folds into a neat, tight bundle, making it ideal for anyone short on space.

• The car-to-stroller transition got smoother too: the mechanism now unfolds more gradually, so the wheels extend beneath the seat with a softer, more controlled motion.

• Another detail worth calling out: the shoulder pad design. They fasten temporarily to the bottom of the headrest while you're getting baby in and out, keeping straps clear instead of tangled under little arms and legs. No digging, no maneuvering.

• The handlebar adjusts between two height positions, handy when multiple caregivers are sharing stroller duty. And the storage basket? It converts into a backpack. 

• The wheels are also removable for easier cleaning when it's time for a refresh. (And you get a vehicle seat protector with all Doona models: keeping dirt and dust off your interior.)

• Those three recline positions we mentioned—Sit, Relax, and Lean Back—come in handy for everything from alert outings to on-the-go naps.

Safety enhancements worth knowing about

The Doona X introduces a few safety-forward changes to both the seat and the base to help keep your baby safe.

• The LATCH Base with Support Leg helps stabilize the seat during installation. A built-in leveling system and color indicators give clear visual cues, so you can feel confident everything's secure before hitting the road.

• One of the biggest changes is the integrated harness and headrest system we already mentioned, which is ideal not just for a growing baby, but also safety. Because the harness and headrest are connected, they adjust together as baby grows for an easier fit with no rethreading, reducing the risk of misuse. The adjustable headrest also includes additional side-impact protection padding for extra support around the head and neck.

• The Doona X meets FMVSS 213B, the newest U.S. child car seat safety standard, which includes enhanced side-impact testing requirements.

You might love the Doona X if...

• You travel frequently. It’s FAA-approved for air travel, fits down a plane aisle, folds compactly and skips the stroller frame entirely, making airports, rideshares and tight spaces a lot more manageable.

• You're short on space. The Doona X folds into one neat bundle—no separate stroller taking up half your entryway. The one-piece design means no lifting a bulky stroller in and out of the trunk.

• Multiple caregivers share drop-off duty. The adjustable handlebar and intuitive transition mechanism make handoffs easy, regardless of height.

A familiar favorite, reimagined

The original Doona introduced a smarter way to get around with a baby, combining a car seat and stroller into one streamlined package. Less gear to tote around, less to buy and simply put, two things you need rolled into one design-forward bundle. Want to see it in action? Check out this video we captured at ABC Kids Expo, where we got to try the Doona X for the first time.

This article is sponsored by Doona. Babylist’s free site, apps and emails are made possible by our sponsors. We limit our sponsored content to relevant partners that offer products and services we believe in and use ourselves.