Nuna RAVA vs. REVV vs. EXEC

If you are a new parent looking for a convertible car seat for your baby that can grow with them, you have probably come across Nuna brand car seats. You want to ensure you have the best car seat for your family, and Nuna offers some of the best safety features of any car seat. 

Because Nuna offers three convertible car seats — the RAVA, REVV, and EXEC — each have their set of features, it can be hard to decide which is best.

Take a look at this guide comparing the three in detail so you can get the best new car seat for your little one.

Similarities Between the Car Seats

All of the Nuna seats are equipped with excellent safety and comfort features to let you know your child is well taken care of from birth until they outgrow the seat.

Safety

All three Nuna convertible car seats exceed American safety standards. They are made of an all-steel frame, providing more heavy-duty strength and protection for your child than the plastic shell on most seats. Nuna car seats are also equipped with side-impact protection that helps absorb energy in case of a crash, reducing injuries to your child.

Each of the car seats has a 10-year expiration date to help ensure your family can use the seat for as long as possible and ensure your child is kept safe throughout the entire life of the car seat.

Each seat has the proper recline angles for rear-facing and forward-facing built into the seat. This means there is no need to measure the angles using the bubble level indicator, like with most seats, which guarantees the safest angle for your child on every trip.

Installation

Nuna's convertible car seats have quick and easy installation. While most car seats have a complex LATCH system, Nuna recommends using the vehicle seat belt rather than the LATCH system. To install the seat, you simply thread a seat belt through Nuna's True Tension doors, then close the doors and buckle in the seat.

The bamboo fabric used in the seats is flame-retardant without using flame-resistant or other harmful chemicals. Bamboo fabrics are also more breathable, moisture-wicking, and hypoallergenic than traditional fabrics used in a car seat.

Comfort

All three car seats include a comfortable five-point harness that can be adjusted to fit your child properly without sacrificing comfort. The seats can also be moved to a range of recline angles to ensure comfort for your child.

The chairs come with dual cupholders, giving your child somewhere to store cups, snacks, or toys during a car ride.

Convenience

Nuna car seats are made with parents' convenience in mind. The seats have a no-rethread harness, meaning adjustments can be made easily without having to rethread the harness into the car seat.

The fabric on the car seat is also removable and machine-washable, making washing your child's car seat easy and convenient. Several color options are also available to fit a wide range of tastes and car interiors.

All of the Nuna convertible car seat options are FAA aircraft-certified, making them easy to travel with.

RAVA

The Nuna RAVA is a wonderful option for a convertible car seat. It has all the excellent features of any Nuna convertible car seat and added comfort features.

Pros

The RAVA is the original Nuna convertible car seat. Your child can be rear-facing in the RAVA from five-50 lbs. The vehicle seat can then be forward-facing from 25-65 lbs. or until your child reaches 49", whichever comes first. This means your child can typically use the RAVA from birth until they are around six or seven years old.

The RAVA no-rethread five-point harness has buckles that slide easily into tabs for added ease when buckling your child into their seat.

To add extra comfort for your child, the car seat has a one-position calf support that adds two inches of leg room for your little one. The seat also has ventilation panels that help create a comfortable climate by letting in hot or cold air to keep your child happy.

The RAVA is a great choice, but it lacks some of the features available in other models.

Cons

When compared to the other Nuna convertible car seats, there are a few features that the RAVA does not include. When looking at Nuna EXEC vs RAVA, the seat does not rotate like the REVV, which can cause more back pain for parents and make switching the seat from rear-facing to front-facing more cumbersome. It also does not have the anti-rebound panel safety feature that helps inhibit movement during a car crash, whereas the REVV and EXEC both include this feature. Finally, the RAVA only comes with one set of infant inserts, and the other two car seats have an extra set you can swap during wash days.

While it might be missing a few of the features of the other car seats, it offers a smaller price.

Price 

The Kidsland price for the Nuna RAVA is $550, a great deal for all of the fantastic features and the cheapest of the Nuna seats. The seat is a great price for a lightweight and narrow car seat.

Specifications 

The Nuna RAVA weighs 27.2 pounds with the base and is 16 inches long, 19 inches wide, and 25 inches tall. The RAVA is more narrow, which means it is ideal for families who may have a smaller car or need to put more than one car seat in their car.

The seat offers ten different head support and recline positions — five rear-facing positions and five forward-facing — and two crotch strap positions.

REVV 

The Nuna REVV is a convertible car seat with all the perks of a Nuna car seat plus one big added feature: rotation. This rotation feature makes it easier for parents to switch the position of the seat and get their child in and out of the seat.

Pros

One of the biggest draws for the Nuna REVV is that it can rotate 360 degrees. This means you can swivel your child toward your vehicle door to make getting your child in and out of the seat much more accessible. This extra ease of getting your child out of the car can help reduce the back pain other parents get from having to maneuver in the car to get their child out. The rotating feature also means you only have to install the seat once since you can rotate it from rear to forward-facing when your child becomes big enough.

The REVV also includes the added safety feature of an anti-rebound panel, which adds an extra layer of tightness to the installation of the seat and inhibits the car seat's motion in the event of a crash. Another nice safety feature is that the seat locks out incorrect positions, which ensures you always use the seat at a safe angle.

Buckling your little one into their car seat is made easier with the magnetic harness buckle holders that keep the buckles out of your way as you get your child situated in the seat.

All of the fabric on the seat is machine washable, and you can even swap out the infant inserts since it comes with two sets — one made of merino wool and the other, organic cotton.

Finally, the REVV seat features a fashionable leather carry handle, making traveling or switching cars stylish and simple.

Cons

The Nuna REVV can be used for weights of five-40 lbs. and heights up to 43 inches, so you can likely keep your child in a REVV seat until they are around four years old. The other two have larger weight and height limits, so you can use the seat longer. The seat also cannot be converted into a booster seat.

One comfort feature that the Nuna REVV vs RAVA and EXEC can boast is a calf support feature that can add more legroom for your child.

The rotation mechanism on the base adds an extra five pounds of weight compared to the other seats.

Price

Due to the rotating base, the REVV is $100 more than the RAVA, making the Kidsland price of the Nuna REVV $650.

Specifications

The seat is 31-34”L x 18.5”W x 19.5-22”H when it is rear-facing and 21.5-22.5”L x 19.5”W x 22.5-29.5”H when forward-facing. It is a little larger than other seats, which might make it hard if you need more than one car seat in your vehicle.

EXEC

The final seat in the Nuna RAVA vs Nuna REVV vs Nuna EXEC car seat comparison is the all-in-one EXEC, which can transition from rear-facing to forward-facing and provide a booster seat option for your child, meaning it could be the only car seat they need as they grow.  

Pros

The biggest perk of the Nuna EXEC car seat is that it can act as the only car seat you need. It can transition from an infant car seat to a rear-facing and forward-facing convertible car seat and finally, to a booster seat until your child is big enough to use the standard vehicle seat. This means it can accommodate your child from their first ride in a car seat to their last.

The harness can be easily tucked away when the seat is used as a booster seat. It also offers a shoulder belt guide to help your big kid properly buckle themselves into the booster. The seat can hold up to 120 pounds, typically around age eight.

Buckling in your child while they are still in the harness is also easier, thanks to the magnetic buckle holders.

The EXEC also has an anti-rebound panel that inhibits movement of the seat in a crash and doubles as a leg rest, making this seat stand out in terms of safety and comfort. The leg rest can be extended up and out to provide eight inches of added comfort.

The EXEC, like the REVV, includes merino wool and organic cotton infant inserts to ensure you always have a clean set for your baby.

Since the seat can be used for many years, it also includes a slipcover for the bottom and footwell of the seat to help prevent it from getting too dirty.

Cons

Even with the added protection of the slipcover and two sets of inserts, it might not be feasible to keep the seat clean enough to use for eight years.

The EXEC also does not have the rotation capabilities of the REVV.

Price 

Due to it being an all-in-one car seat that you could use for around eight years, the Nuna EXEC is $750. This might seem like a costly car seat at first, but when you factor in that you could only have to buy one car seat instead of three, you realize it is cost-saving to buy the EXEC.

If you were to have to buy three car seats, you could spend $1,130 to $1,450 — Nuna PIPA series infant car seats are around $330-$550, a Nuna RAVA or REVV convertible car seat is $550-$650, and a Nuna AACE booster seat is $249.

The EXEC is also a smaller car seat, meaning it could work for a family that needs more than one car seat.

Specifications

The Nuna EXEC is 22.5" x 18.5" x 26-33", and most midsize vehicles can fit three across on their seats, which makes it feasible for a family with multiple children who have more than one car seat. The seat weighs 26.6 pounds and can support 12 head support positions and eight recline positions (4 rear-facing and 4 forward-facing), two less than the RAVA and REVV but with two added head positions instead. It also has two crotch strap positions available.

Conclusion

All of these Nuna convertible car seats boast many safety and comfort features. Ultimately, which car seat to buy depends on your family's unique needs -- your lifestyle, budget, and the age of your children.

If the swiveling convenience is worth it, the extra $100 of the Nuna REVV vs RAVA might be your best bet, but it could decrease the seat's longevity. The RAVA is a fantastic economical choice with good longevity, but in Nuna RAVA vs Nuna EXEC, the REVV doesn't hold up well when comparing longevity. The EXEC is suitable for a family that wants an all-in-one seat that can convert into a booster car seat to fit all their needs.

You can shop any of the Nuna car seats and whatever other baby gear you might need from Kidsland to ensure you get quality products for your family.