Using a car seat base for your infant car seat makes it easy to detach the seat and use it on a stroller. Apart from the extreme convenience you get from using a car seat base, it also helps a car seat to fit snugly in the vehicle.
Nevertheless, different brands of car seats make specific car seat bases for their infant car seats – There is no universal base that can accommodate any brand of car seats.
In this article, we want to see if all Nuna car seats can use the same base without any issues. We will also talk about Nuna car seats that can be installed without a base, and the best location in your car to install a Nuna car seat.
Related: How long are Nuna car seats good for?
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Do All Nuna Car Seats Use The Same Base?
Nuna PIPA has two types of car seat bases – the PIPA series base and the newer PIPA RELX base.
Whether you have the Nuna PIPA, PIPA RX, PIPA Lite, PIPA Lite R, PIPA Lite RX, or PIPA Lite LX, you can use any of the two bases with your car seat.
Both the PIPA series base and the RELX base feature a stability leg, which extends from the front of the base down to the floor of your vehicle.
The importance of the stability leg is to reduce forward movement during a frontal impact by 90 percent and also reduce head injury by 46 percent. Nuna was the first brand to introduce the stability leg in the United States.
However, the only difference between the PIPA series and PIPA RELX bases is that the RELX has additional features that make installation easier in a wide range of vehicles. Aside from that, you can use the PIPA series base or PIPA RELX on all Nuna infant car seats.
Recommended: All you need to know about Nuna PIPA car seats
Does The Nuna PIPA Car Seat Come With A Base?
Yes, the Nuna PIPA car seat is sold with the base.
Since Nuna has 6 models of PIPA infant car seats, the car seat you choose would determine whether you get the PIPA series base or the PIPA RELX base.
If you purchase the PIPA RX, PIPA Lite RX, or PIPA Lite R car seat, you will get the RELX base. On the other hand, you will get the original PIPA series base if you purchase the PIPA, PIPA Lite, or PIPA Lite LX car seat.
If you have two or more cars, you can decide to buy and install an additional car seat base for your other car.
Whether you choose to buy the PIPA RELX base or the PIPA series base, you can use any of the bases with any Nuna PIPA infant car seat.
You can read more about the PIPA series bases and PIPA RELX bases.
Can You Use Nuna PIPA Car Seat Without A Base?
There are some Nuna PIPA car seats that can be used with or without a base. All you need to do is to install the seat using your vehicle’s seat belt.
Peradventure you have one car seat base (the one that came with your car seat purchase) and decide to go on a ride with your child in your other car, you can decide to use your vehicle’s seat belt to install the seat.
However, even though installing a car seat using the vehicle’s seat belt doesn’t take too much time, having a base in place is the best way to go.
Installing a car seat without a base is only better in cases of urgency. For example, when your child visits his/her grandparents and they (grandparents) decide to give your child a ride.
You may also decide to use a friend’s car, and in such cases, installing a car seat without a base might be the only option for you.
Nevertheless, not all Nuna car seats can be installed without a base. The next section below talks about Nuna car seats that can be installed with or without a base.
Recommended: Is the Nuna car seat compatible with the UPPAbaby stroller? (Find out)
Which Nuna Car Seat Doesn’t Need A Base?
Some Nuna PIPA car seats can be installed with or without a base, while others will require a base for installation. Below are the Nuna PIPA infant car seats that can be installed with or without a base (using the vehicle’s seatbelt).
- Nuna PIPA
- Nuna PIPA RX
- Nuna PIPA Lite RX
On the other hand, you will always need a base if you have any of the PIPA Lite car seats below:
- Nuna PIPA Lite
- Nuna PIPA Lite R
- Nuna PIPA Lite LX
From the list above, you can see that 3 of the 4 PIPA Lite infant car seats (excluding PIPA Lite RX) require a base for installation.
If you live in a city or town where ride-shares are popular, you should buy a car seat that can be installed without a base.
Here’s an article on how good Nuna car seats are.
Can You Use Nuna RAVA Without A Base?
The Nuna RAVA is a convertible car seat, and convertible car seats are designed such that the base is attached to the seat.
Unlike Nuna PIPA or any other infant car seat where you can detach the base, you can’t do so with Nuna RAVA. The unit is sold with the base permanently attached to the car seat.
To install the Nuna RAVA, you can either use the vehicle seat belt or the LATCH system. Cars that were manufactured from 2002 and beyond always have the LATCH system.
Always read through the car seat instruction manual to get full details on how best to install a car seat.
Recommended article: Nuna car seats and stroller compatibility
The Best Location To Install Nuna PIPA Inside Your Vehicle
It is safe to install car seats in the rear as long as the installation is done correctly.
However, installing the Nuna PIPA or any other car seat in the middle seat is perceived to be the safest because it is the farthest point from any intrusion during a crash.
The only challenge you might face with installing a car seat in the middle seat is that the car seat may not be compatible with your vehicle’s middle seat. If compatibility or convenience is not an issue, you can safely use the middle seat.
This does not in any way mean that other locations in the back are not safe. You’ll definitely be fine installing a car seat at any location in the rear seat of your car.
