To say Nuna has dominated the infant car seat market these past few years would not be an exaggeration. They brought the phrase “load leg” into some of our everyday vernacular - maybe not everyone is talking about infant car seats and their European safety features, but there are dozens of us! DOZENS!
Nuna has been in the US for almost 10 years and the Pipa has really only been on the market for 6 (fun fact: their first product sold in the US was their Leaf - still a favorite to this day!). Watching this company not only expand their line, but change the car seat industry for the better, has been a thrilling experience for us here at Magic Beans. Their new Pipa RX, Pipa Lite R, and the pièce de résistance, the RELX Base are nothing short of amazing - another step in the right direction of having one of the safest, easy to use infant car seats on the market.
PIPA RX:
This little guy is light (not as light as the Lite, but we’ll get to that) - 7.5lbs (compared to the original Pipa’s 8lbs). No flame retardant additives, you can install it without the base if you’re traveling, taking Ubers, etc, and has the same Dream Drape as the original Pipa. Instead of polyester, the insert fabric is an organic jersey. The RX is a softer, cleaner, and smidge lighter version of the original Pipa.
COLORS AVAILABLE APRIL 15th: Caviar and Granite
COLORS COMING LATER: Birch (which has an ETA of June 2020)
PIPA LITE R:
Very similar to the Pipa Lite, this comes in at a whopping 5.3lbs. No flame retardant additives are used and the insert is again organic jersey (like the RX). You CANNOT install this without the base (so if you travel, you’re schlepping the base along with you) and this model does NOT include the Dream Drape. This is a softer, cleaner version of the Pipa Lite.
COLORS AVAILABLE MAY 1st: Caviar and Granite
COLORS COMING LATER: Timber (which has an ETA of Fall 2020)
Now for the real game changer…
RELX BASE:
Saying they improved upon their original base doesn’t really cover it. But comparing it to their original base will help give you the whole picture on what’s so innovative about this:
RIGID LATCH:
A new and improved 4 position (compared to the original’s 1!) steel reinforced rigid latch. You should have little to no issue installing this with latches, unless you’re doing a middle seat installation where you might need to use a seat belt…
BELT PATH:
Belt path opens smoothly with the touch of a button, with more natural belt angles for lap and shoulder belt to accommodate more vehicles (this is perfect for center seat installation!). The original base has a lock off that’s, frankly, a pain. This is SO much easier.
IMPROVED LOAD LEG:
The load leg now has 3 locking positions, to better fit the middle seat! The original one has two positions that does not lock in place
ANTI-REBOUND PANEL:
Not only giving this car seat a tighter installation, this helps reduce rearward motion in the event of an accident. This just doesn’t exist on the original base. This might be the thing I’m most excited about, right after the new belt path.
RECLINE:
A new 4 position recline, making the recline 10x easier than the little flip-foot on their original base
LEVEL INDICATOR:
BUBBLE FREE! Recline angle guides (see above) clearly confirm correct angle - old version has a bubble that needs to touch the line on the indicator
Other features absolutely worth mentioning: a lower profile so it’s easier to get the carrier in and out of the car and a smooth platform so you no longer have to worry about the base leaving marks on your vehicle seat.
And what’s the best news about all of this? The RELX base is compatible with ALL Pipas! Have a Pipa already, but want the new features on the RELX base? It works! Grab the RELX and put that one in your car as your primary base and then use the one that came with your Pipa as a secondary base (in your partner’s, parent’s, or another caretaker’s car). Every Pipa RX and Pipa Lite R comes with the RELX base.
I believe there is one last thing you might be wondering… Is Nuna doing away with the original Pipa series? The answer is no, they’re merely expanding on it. There are no current plans to stop producing the original Pipa, Pipa Lite, or Pipa Lite LX.
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