This Ingenious Car Seat Is the Answer to Safe Cab Travel with an Infant

I discovered Nuna’s new Pipa Urbn infant car seat a few months ago at a press event when my daughter was 10 months old. I know that the phrase “game-changer” is tossed around a lot, but this car seat truly does change the game — if your game is maneuvering car seats in and out of vehicles! 

The Pipa Urbn car seat is the only baseless infant car seat with integrated LATCH, which means you can quickly and easily snap it into the backseat of a car without using a base. And seriously, you can do it in three seconds, which is life-changing when you’re also juggling a stroller and baby gear!

Here’s what to know about this revolutionary car seat, including what I thought when I put it to the test with my own baby.

• Why it’s special: It’s the world’s first base-less ISOFix (LATCH) infant car seat.
• Weight: Weighs just 7 pounds (without the canopy and inserts) and is suitable for babies from 4 to 22 pounds and up to 29 inches.
• Materials: The infant head support and body inserts are made with merino wool and TENCEL-branded lyocell fiber blend, which is soft and naturally moisture-wicking. The materials are flame-resistant without containing added fire-retardant chemicals, and they’re even machine-washable. The seat also uses lightweight Aeroflex foam to minimize the force transferred to your baby.
• Certifications: FAA-certified for aircraft use and GREENGUARD Gold Certified for chemical emissions standards.

IMPORTANT: In the U.S., the Pipa Urbn infant car seat is only available as part of the trvl + pipa urbn trvl travel system ($900). It also only works for infants up to 22 pounds. 

When I was 28 weeks pregnant I was in a car accident. My bump and I got away with just a few bruises and a sprained ankle, but my car was a write-off. As well as the immediate worry about my baby, the admin of making an insurance claim, and the inconvenience of spending my last few weeks of pregnancy on crutches, the accident also meant that I didn’t have access to a car as a new mom when my husband was at work.

I walked for miles with the stroller and caught the bus a lot with the baby. I also relied heavily on cabs to get us where we needed to be. If you don’t have a base for your car seat, you can secure a rear-facing infant seat in the backseat of a cab using just the seatbelt. But while that method and the more standard LATCH connectors (or ISOFix in the UK) are both tested to the highest safety standards, I prefer the extra security of LATCH connectors. Strapping the car seat into a taxi with just the seatbelt never feels quite right.

The Nuna Pipa Urbn car seat solves so many problems I mentioned above. Here’s why I love it.

The first thing I thought when I saw the Nuna Pipa Urbn was what a relief it would be to travel in cabs with a car seat secured with LATCH connectors. The seat even has a three-point belt path so it can still be used if you come across a cab without LATCH connectors.

It took a little practice, but once I got the hang of it I could flip out the LATCH connectors and attach the seat to a car in just a few seconds, and then release it with one hand in just a few seconds more.

The other huge upside to the Pipa Urbn is moving it from one vehicle to another — without manhandling a huge LATCH base between cars at 7 a.m. We could just buy a second LATCH car seat, yes, but this way we don’t need to store a seat when my husband uses his car as a delivery vehicle (or shell out for two infant car seats). 

The LATCH also releases with a single button at the back of the seat (behind the baby’s head), so I can take it in and out with one hand and carry the nursery bag, groceries, coats, and other paraphernalia in the other.

I’m lucky enough to have my mom look after my daughter two days a week, and I can also use the Pipa Urbn in her car when she comes to pick my daughter up — and then move it to my car after work.

The first time I picked up the Pipa Urbn car seat, I literally almost threw it through the ceiling — it’s that lightweight. The canopy does add a tiny bit to the weight, but it’s worth it. It keeps direct sunlight off the baby and closes with magnets so I won’t wake her up clicking a popper into place.

I’m just sad that I wasn’t introduced to the seat until now. It really is only suitable for infants (up to 22 pounds), so it can’t be our forever car seat — we’ll probably have to switch to a forward-facing toddler seat sometime this year, which will mean hauling a LATCH base between cars (and using a three-point belt in cabs) again.

I’m planning to use a Pipa Urbn from the start when I have another baby. The base-less LATCH fixing and one-handed release makes it so worth it with an infant — especially if you’re getting in and out of cabs, carpooling, or moving kids between vehicles. I only wish I could continue to transport my daughter in it as she grows into toddlerhood.