This Baseless Automobile Seat Makes Touring With Infants *So* Straightforward

As a mom with newborn twins in New York City, my Lyft history has superseded my passport—no longer am I hopping the pond for a flight to London or Paris; a long-haul trip now means I’m simply hopping the East River from Brooklyn to Manhattan. However, thanks to Nuna—the posh stroller, car seat, and gear company beloved by celebrities like Chloe Sevigny, Kourtney Kardashian, and Lea Michelle—I’m able to travel light with the baseless car seat called the Nuna Pipa URBN (prices vary).

This car seat is a game-changer because it doesn’t require a base (which are often cumbersome to travel with) to install it into your car. Instead, the Urbn features two levers that pop down and attach to the latch system in your car in two seconds. (If you’re having difficulty visualizing this, hit play on this video.) Once the indicator turns from red to green, you’re good to go without needing to either strap a base into your backseat or perform the complex wizardry known as the “European belt path” installation, which allows you to travel with some car seats without using a base.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Nuna Pipa URBN from my experience testing it out (with twins, no less).

1. The Pipa URBN is sold as a “travel system”

Currently, the URBN car seat is only available as a travel system, which means that it’s sold paired with the brand’s four strollers (the TRVL, TRIV, and MIXX) so that you can easily incorporate the car seat into your city lifestyle. Since each one is a little different, here’s a comparison chart that outlines each and every one of the stroller’s features. Here’s my CliffsNotes, too.

If you’re looking to use this system when you travel: TRVL (originally $900, now $675)

I tested the Pipa URBN paired with the TRVL stroller, a self-folding stroller that goes from in motion to completely flat and storable in nothing flat. (You can see a visual on the brand’s website that proves you *really* can collapse and carry this stroller with one hand in mere seconds.)

Because I have twins, I wanted a travel stroller I could use when I was taking only one of them with me to doctors’ appointments and the like. I was happily surprised by many details (more on that later), but mostly that while many travel strollers can feel flimsy and like they can’t take on the terrain of rocky Brooklyn sidewalks, the TRVL holds up, making it a great errand stroller through and through. You don’t need any attachments to use the TRVL with the URBN, you just click in and are able to go go go.

If you want a single stroller for city and travel use: TRIV ($1,100)

For people who live in cities and are looking for a compact stroller that’s refined enough for everyday use, the TRIV is your move. It also folds completely flat with the pull of a lever and stands upright so you can stash it in your house (or cough cough: tiny apartment) easily. To use the TRIV with the URBN seat, you pop in the included ring adapter and then click your stroller into place.

If you want a versatile stroller for the city: MIXX ($1,150)

For city dwellers who know that they’ll be strolling a lot, with or without the Pipa URBN, you’ll want to opt for the MIXX travel system, which is one of the brand’s most popular stroller systems. It has a whopping five different recline positions and four “modes” where the seat can be faced inwards or outwards. In addition to being compatible with the URBN carseat, it’s compatible with the brand’s bassinet (sold separately).

2. The strollers have staying power

When buying a stroller with the Pipa URBN, you’re getting a car seat that you can use until your child reaches 22 pounds or 29 inches, but you’re also getting a stroller that can be used until your child reaches 50 pounds—or about five years old. That means that whether you’re traveling, getting your kid to school, or running errands all over the place, this can be the one and only stroller you have to invest in.

3. The details are divine

While Nuna has considered everything when it comes to getting the car seat in and out of the car, the people behind the brand have also thought about all of the little details that can give you peace of mind.

Urban features: 

• UPF 50+ protection
• Machine-washable fabrics
• Five-point harness
• Magnetic buckle holders
• A set of anchor guides to make car installation easy

Stroller features (vary by stroller model, but generally, each has the following):

• Compact folding capabilities
• Self-guiding magnetic buckles
• UPF 50+ canopy

4. The system has Greenguard Gold certification

While you might not think about it, strollers can off-gas chemicals if they’re not made from specific components; however, the Nuna strollers are Greenguard Gold certified, which means that they’ve been tested to meet “stringent emissions standards for over 360 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and chemical emissions,” according to the brand.

This is important because it doesn’t contribute to indoor air pollution, and it lowers the possibility of chemical exposure for you and your child. If you’re someone who’s thinking about the healthiest diapers you can buy (*sheepishly raises hand*), the consideration of purchasing a healthy stroller might also be of importance to you.

5. Nuna makes things really easy on parents

Before I had kids, I didn’t realize how important innovation in the baby space was, but the small details—not having to bring a base everywhere with you, having travel systems of strollers and car seats that work together, making the strollers easy to disassemble, and get you on with your day—add up over time. If I’m annoyed that it takes a full ten minutes to get my kids into a car and load up their strollers and gear, it sours the experience of getting out of the house.

I know myself, and over time, a poor experience will make me less likely to want to get out with them and go see the world, and that’s not the kind of mom I want them to be. I want them to be by my side to fly home to see my family in Texas. I want to take them on adventures just outside their backyard in New York City. I want them to experience new places and watch them take it all in. Brands like Nuna equip parents to do that by making things easy and seamless. Today, a ripe Uber history; tomorrow, a full passport.