Nuna Exec
- You have a vehicle with non-removable headrests.
- You want a car seat that is easy to install.
- You need to fit car seats 3 across in your vehicle.
- You plan to use this seat from birth
- You want this to be the last seat you ever need.
- All fabric options are flame-retardant-free.
- Anti-rebound Bar
- It’s very compact rear-facing.
Our Review of the
Nuna Exec
Our recommendation: From 6 months until the seat is outgrown (average 7-8 years old)
A 3-in-1 car seat that can be used rear-facing, forward-facing, and in high-back booster mode
Possibly from birth, but preferably 6 months+
Stand Out Features of this Car Seat
All fabric options are flame-retardant-free.
All of the Nuna Exec fabric options are flame-retardant-free, so you can choose any color that you prefer!
Anti-rebound Bar
The Nuna Exec has an anti-rebound bar (ARB) built into it. The anti-rebound bar is an added safety feature for rear-facing that can reduce the secondary movement of the car seat, called rebound, during a crash. When a collision occurs, the car seat will move forward, towards the front of the vehicle, and rotate downward. And as we all know from high school physics, every action has an equal and opposite reaction — so after that initial movement, the car seat will rebound, or “bounce back” towards the backrest of the vehicle seat. The ARB minimizes this bounce-back effect, helping limit the car seat movement and your child inside it! ARBs may also limit the side-to-side rotation of the car seat in a side-impact collision. Overall, it’s a great feature on a rear-facing car seat! The anti-rebound bar on the Nuna Exec turns into a leg rest for forward-facing kids.
It’s very compact rear-facing.
The Nuna Exec is one of the best convertible car seats for small cars. It is one of the most compact in front-to-back space!
Seat is good for you if
You have a vehicle with non-removable headrests.
Vehicle headrests that tilt forward and/or are nonremovable can be tricky when a car seat is forward-facing. The Nuna Rava plays nice with headrests like these!
You want a car seat that is easy to install.
The Nuna Exec is easy to install thanks to Nuna's tension panel, found on the base. This mechanism tightens the seatbelt to help you get a tight installation effortlessly! If installing with the vehicle seatbelt, you’ll still need to lock the seatbelt as your final installation step — the tension panel doesn’t actually lock the belt for you. But this cool feature does make it super easy to get a rock-solid, tight installation every time!
Use caution if
You need to fit car seats 3 across in your vehicle.
This seat may fit 3 across in some wider vehicles, but it is often too wide to fit in a 3 across configuration.
You plan to use this seat from birth
This seat can sometimes work well from birth, but it depends on how sloped your vehicle seats are. Occasionally it is not possible to get the seat reclined enough for a newborn.
You want this to be the last seat you ever need.
You will absolutely have to buy another booster seat once this one is outgrown. The booster mode will not accommodate any kid to 57" as the headrest is too short to fit the shoulders of a larger child. The child pictured here is almost 10 years old, 53" tall and 55 pounds. She has long outgrown this seat as her shoulders do not fit under the headrest. She does not meet the 5-step test to fit into the seat belt without a booster, so she would need another booster until she does.
Quirks to be aware of
Harnessing Information
Installation Information
Airplane Use
The Nuna Exec is an FAA-approved car seat. But at 27 pounds, it is not the lightest option for sure! For help with all things airplane travel and car seats, check out our Wheels Up Course and private Facebook group.
Videos
SITS Bottom Line
The Nuna Exec is easy to install with the seat belt. Thanks to its compactness in rear-facing mode, it works in most vehicles both rear and forward-facing, and the seat's design also works well with non-removable headrests in the forward-facing mode. The ability of the anti-rebound bar to become a leg rest when forward-facing is also a great feature.
Similar Car Seats
Specifications
Nuna
Product Information
Weight: 27lbs
Width: 18.5"
Highest Harness Height: 17.5"
Rear Facing Limits
Height: 49"
Weight: 5-50lbs
Head Height Rules: head must be contained within the headrest
Lower Anchor Connectors Weight Limit: 35lbs
Forward-Facing Limits
Height: 49"
Weight: 22-65lbs
Head Height Rules: ears must be below the top of the headrest
Lower Anchor Connectors Weight Limit: 40lbs
No Back Booster Limits
Highest Belt Guide Settings
19"
High Back Booster Limits
Height: 38-57"
Weight: 40-120lbs
Head Height Rules: ears must be below the top of the headrest
Other Important Details
Newborn Fit
not recommended; recline may not be suitable for a newborn depending on the vehicle
Expiration Limit
10 years
Crash Replacement Policy
replace after a moderate or severe crash
Harness
no-rethread
Lock-off
no
Vehicle Seat Protectors
This brand does not recommend the use of a vehicle seat protector.