Joie i-Level Recline car seat review

A lie-flat lounger when strolling and a lie-flat for snoozing in the car, the Mother&Baby award-winning Joie i-Level Recline baby car seat cleverly converts in an instant from cuddly carrycot to infant car seat. Suitable rearward facing from birth, the i-Level features the ultimate protection and security for your little one. For your comfort, the Joie i-Level has an ergonomic carry handle and a full-body insert which can easily be removed. The removable sun canopy shades your little one and features a zip-open ventilation panel to keep them comfy in any weather.

This product has also won a 2024 Mother&Baby Award.

Scroll down to find out how mum-of-one Ria got on when testing the Joie i-Level Recline car seat.

Testing the Joie i-Level Recline

"I’m a new mum of a two-month-old that has been using the Joie i-Level car seat daily since the birth of our daughter. As you know, you cannot leave the hospital without a car seat and we even used it to bring home our daughter from the hospital.

The Joie baby car seat is suitable from birth thanks to its well-cushioned inserts and very easily adjustable straps. Our daughter was born at just over 3kg and was tiny so we were very reassured by the amount of padding around the inserts to support the newborn - being able to adjust the strap tightness in one pull-down means she was comfortable and snugly safe in the car seat with ease. It’s just as easy to loosen the straps now that she is bigger and we have to change the straps often and this only takes a matter of seconds.

The straps have two little pads (one on each) for around the neck and shoulders to prevent any rubbing and extra cushioning. They looked a little big around my newborn's neck initially but she has found them really comfy - I genuinely think that when she is in the car seat she thinks she is being held as she always seems content being placed in the car seat. Our newborn genuinely enjoys sitting in the car seat and has often drifted to sleep which is the ultimate test of comfort.

The Joie i-Level car seat is compatible with Maxi Cosi adapters and was able to be clipped onto our pram, a feature which has been very helpful in the early days not having to wake a newborn to place her in the bassinet. She is therefore able to stay asleep in her car seat for up to two hours.

This car seat has an amazing recline feature which means we could have our little girl lying at a more comfortable angle and also putting our mind at ease with regards to her safety when she is in the car seat for over an hour when we pop to the shops. The car seat reclines to 157 degrees which helps the lungs get better oxygen flow than the traditional upright position of standard car seats. There are three recline levels, all of which have been really useful in the first couple of weeks, something we did not notice on other car seats when initially shopping around for one.

The Joie i-Level Recline really ticked all the safety features and reassured us, the ISOFIX-only install and sturdy base is very good quality. Having driven over many potholes and country roads, the base has remained in place and secure. A really cool and reassuring feature on the base is a red/green colour-changing system that lets you know the car seat is locked on properly and your baby is safe - an extra bonus for us as newborn parents knowing all is well.

Although it is not a 360-degree swivel base, the base does have a 90-degree swivel which I have found to be more than plenty. Newborns need to be rearward facing anyway so it would be unnecessary to have a full swivel base for this age group of car seat. The 90-degree angle allows us to face the car door and be able to get her out without having to crouch into the car and avoid bumping our heads in the process.

We have the oyster colour-way of the car seat and it is a really lovely light grey and beige, the tan leather detailing on the handle and the zip also make it feel more luxurious. Initially, I thought a light-coloured car seat - as nice as it looked - would be impractical but so far it has withstood a few blowouts and reflux accidents with no stain to be seen. Plus, the inserts are completely washable in the washing machine (rather than the wipe clean only of other car seats) which is a bonus as I know the older our daughter gets, there are bound to be more stains appearing and I am hopeful the quality of the fabric will withstand the test despite the light colourway. I really do think that it adds a more signature and expensive feel to the fabric overall.

I have found the size of the hood to be generous and we have not had a need yet to install a sunscreen guard in the car, finding often that if the hood is up, she is completely covered from the sun. Plus the fabric is able to provide excellent UV protection.

Lastly, the car seat is very light at only 5.3kg and reasonably compact. We don’t have the largest car and along with the base, it doesn’t take up too much room in the back of the car, allowing people to still sit in the backseats of our Nissan Juke. We found that other car seat bases, particularly swivel bases, took up nearly two passenger seats but Joie remains on top by staying compact and practical."

Final verdict

"The Joie Baby Signature i-Level 2.0 i-Size Baby Car Seat has been so easy to use. Joie has really been able to produce a nice looking everyday car seat with a very reasonable price tag - I would say without a doubt this car seat is better than some of the competitor and more expensive brands due to the multi-function recline, quality of fabric and style but most importantly for first time parents not compromising any safety features. I would recommend this car seat to my friends and family."

Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby and has written for the website and previously the magazine for six years. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases in the parenting industry.