Flowchart: Which Nuna Infant Car Seat is Right for You?

One of the trickier things about choosing a car seat is that car seat brands update their models pretty frequently. Just like smartphones, they get upgraded every couple of years based on customer feedback, which usually means more parent-friendly features than before. The only downside? Figuring out what’s new and improved from the car seat your bestie loved three years ago and recommended to you can be challenging.

If you’re considering a Nuna infant car seat and trying to make sense of their latest and greatest gear, you’re in the right place. This flowchart will help you figure out which of their three infant car seats— the PIPA urbn, the PIPA rx or the newly launched PIPA aire rx— is right for your family. Or you can watch our side-by-side comparison in the video above where we tested each one with a real Babylist parent of two who has seen a lot of car seats. Before we dive in, there are a few things you’ll get with any Nuna infant car seat:

• Super-secure install: All three of Nuna’s infant car seats feature rigid latch, which you can see at the 0:57 mark in our video. Rigid latch is sturdier than traditional belt latch and easier to install than a seatbelt—making for a secure installation in just a few seconds without a lot of exertion.

• Privacy and protection: Nuna’s signature Sky Drape is built into the canopy of all of their car seats. While most infant car seats provide a limited amount of shade, the Sky Drape is basically a breathable, full-coverage canopy for blocking out sun, wind or giving baby a little extra peace and quiet during your travels. You can see how it quietly attaches to your baby’s car seat at the 1:25 mark in our video.

• Travel system-ready: If you want to turn your car seat into a travel system with one of Nuna’s strollers, they’re all designed to do that right out of the box—either by clicking directly onto the stroller or attaching using Nuna’s ring adapter. You won’t have to buy extra accessories. Light-but-luxe: All of Nuna’s infant car seats weigh under 8 lbs and are naturally flame resistant without added fire retardant chemicals. They’re also GREENGUARD Gold certified.

With that in mind, let’s find your car seat!

You Got: The Nuna PIPA rx

The PIPA rx is the standard model in Nuna’s infant car seat lineup—if you could ever call a Nuna car seat standard. Even their baseline models are pretty luxe (think: easy-install features, sustainable fabrics and parent-friendly extras). The PIPA rx is best known for being lightweight and easy to install, thanks to rigid latch and a multi-position recline on the included RELX base (it lets you adjust your baby’s car seat without needing to uninstall it). Watch the 2:33 and 3:15 marks in our video to see how both of those features work).

Nuna Pipa Rx Infant Car Seat with Relx Base - Granite

$450.00

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A few of our favorite things about this car seat:

All about that base: The RELX base also features an anti-rebound panel and stability leg, both of which limit the amount of movement of your baby’s car seat in the event of a collision.

Taxi-friendly: While it isn’t as easy to install in taxis and rideshares as some of Nuna’s other infant car seats like the PIPA urbn, you can use this one in either (and on airplanes) without needing to bring your base along with you. You’ll just need to learn how to install the carrier using a seatbelt.

Travel-system ready: The PIPA rx comes ready to mix and match with any of Nuna’s strollers out of the box (it’ll either attach directly or utilize the included ring adapter). You can also buy a separate adapter to use this car seat with certain stroller brands like UPPAbaby or Bugaboo.

One thing to keep in mind: the PIPA rx weighs just 7.6 pounds without the infant inserts or canopy attached—that’s less than a gallon of milk—but expect a little over a pound of weight to be added when those are in play.

You Got: The Nuna PIPA aire rx

The newly launched PIPA aire rx takes everything the PIPA rx does and levels it up for comfort and easier use. Think of it like the touring model of a car—it’s ideal for people who are using their car seat a lot or who don’t mind paying extra for more luxe and user-friendly features.

Nuna PIPA aire rx Infant Car Seat - Caviar

$550.00

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At 6.2 lbs, the PIPA aire rx shaves more than a pound off the weight of the PIPA rx, and comes with a few noteworthy upgrades:

Make-easier magnets: Straps and harnesses are often one of the bigger frustration points of car seats (somehow they are always getting buried underneath baby’s bum). So Nuna added magnetic buckle holders to help keep the straps out of the way while inserting baby.

Double the inserts: The PIPA aire Rx comes with not one, but two sustainably made infant inserts—Merino wool and a GOTS-certified organic cotton, so you always have a backup if one is in the wash.

Comfort cushion: Nuna upgraded the cushioning inside the PIPA aire rx to include more memory foam to keep baby even comfier.

Similar to the PIPA rx, this car seat’s lightweight factor will be impacted by the addition of the infant insert and canopy—to the tune of about two pounds—but infant inserts only get used for so long, so the car seat weight will change as your baby grows. And just like the PIPA rx, you can combine the PIPA aire rx with any of Nuna’s strollers to make a travel system or grab an adapter to mix and match with your UPPAbaby or Bugaboo.

You Got: The Nuna PIPA urbn

One of the only infant car seats specifically designed to be used without a base, the PIPA urbn is a great choice for parents who typically travel by taxi or rideshare or who want to be able to easily transfer their car seat between vehicles without needing to buy a bunch of extra bases. It features rigid latch integrated right into the carrier, so you can install it securely in about five seconds.

While both the PIPA rx and PIPA aire rx can technically also be used without a base, it can sometimes take a few minutes to install an infant car seat when using just a seatbelt (and it’s one of those baby gear skills that can sometimes take a little practice to get confident doing). The PIPA urbn, on the other hand, is more akin to putting on your seatbelt—just a couple of clicks and you’re done. So if you’re taking a taxi or calling an Uber or Lyft a few times a week or looking for a bonus car seat for the grandparents’ ride, it will make those trips a lot easier. The PIPA urbn also comes with a lot of the same premium features as the PIPA aire rx, like a merino wool insert and magnetic buckle holders.

Two things worth noting about the PIPA urbn: first, it only holds up to 22 pounds of baby, so expect to upgrade to a convertible seat a little earlier than you would the PIPA rx or aire rx—likely around the time your baby turns one. Secondly, it’s only available as a travel system—aka a combo deal with one of Nuna’s strollers—but you have your choice of any of Nuna’s strollers.

That said, if you’re a city-dwelling parent whose primary modes of transportation are typically subways and strollers, the PIPA urbn is a rare infant car seat designed specifically for city life (it can still go in your regular car too, you’ll just need to install and uninstall it every time you want to take the carrier with you!).

Want to learn more about which car seat you got or see them side-by-side? Watch our full video comparison to get the scoop.

This article is sponsored by Nuna. 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.