Doona X review: Is the updated cult car seat worth the money?

The Doona is a cult parenting product beloved by celebrities such as Ed Sheeran, Gigi Hadid and Novak Djokovic.

Essentially, the Doona is a car seat on wheels – meaning you can move your little one from seat to stroller seamlessly. There is no other product like it on the market, hence why it is a big hit with celebs and us regular folk alike.

Earlier this year, almost 10 years to the day since the first Doona launched, the brand introduced its updated car seat , the Doona X, to the market, with the latest design offering significant improvements.

The Doona X has three different recline positions – sit, relax, and lie back – a new and improved mechanism allowing for a smoother transition from seat to stroller , and updated safety functions.

However, with a hefty £549 price tag (plus £159 for the Isofix base you’ll need to install it in your car), it is not cheap. Is it worth your money? I tried it, to find out.

How I tested the Doona X

The Doona X’s predecessor, the Doona i, was a firm favourite in our household. I used it daily until my first child was about six months old. She came home from the hospital in it and, seeing as we live in an area where you need to drive, I used it a lot when popping out to the shops, running errands or going to baby classes and maternity leave meet-ups.

The Doona i was particularly useful in those early months, when we’d have less of a solid routine – my daughter would fall asleep in the car seemingly instantly, so, the Doona was great for getting her out of the car without waking her. The Doona was therefore rigorously tested by me in the exact context for which it was designed.

When the Doona X was launched earlier this year, I wanted to try out its new features, while still focusing on the smoothness of transition from seat to stroller. I tested the Doona X over the course of a week, with my newborn son as the tester this time, while heading out and about in an urban setting. Keep scrolling to find out how I got on.

Doona X

Assembly

Safety

Design

Practicality

The verdict: Doona X