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Bugaboo, the original luxury stroller brand, is getting into the car seat business—with help from neighbors in the Netherlands.
The Bugaboo Turtle One infant car seat is manufactured by Nuna, a fellow Dutch maker of high-quality baby gear.
The Turtle One shares many characteristics of Nuna's best-selling PIPA series of car seats, like a steel stability leg in the base, fire-retardant-free fabrics, and a magnetic cover for sun protection. And, as of late 2020, the Nuna and Bugaboo car seats are becoming more similar.
The original Bugaboo Turtle, now discontinued, had built-in car seat adapters to fit the Bugaboo Fox or Lynx strollers. The new model, Bugaboo Turtle One, uses adapters and therefore fits all Bugaboo stroller models. Learn more in this Bugaboo Turtle vs. Turtle One comparison.
In this comparison, we'll review the differences between the Bugaboo Turtle One and the Nuna PIPA series of car seats. (See the differences between the five Nuna car seat models in this PIPA Series comparison.)
The Bugaboo Turtle One offers the same design and safety features as the Nuna PIPA series. That includes the load leg, the metal anchor that extends from the base of the car seat to the floor of your car for added stability—a feature that can reduce the risk of head injury in a crash by almost 50 percent.
Unique to the Bugaboo car seat, the Turtle offers a full-width mesh peek-a-boo window in the canopy, as well as a different take on Nuna's "Dream Drape" magnetic cover. On the Turtle, the "Snooze Shade" is a ventilated cover that still provides UPF 50+ protection but adds more breathability and visibility. Plus, the Turtle comes with a breathable merino wool infant insert, a fabric only seen on the Nuna PIPA Lite LX.
Released in late 2020, the Bugaboo Turtle One fits all Bugaboo strollers with the use of car seat adapters and replaces the now-discontinued Turtle, which fit only the Bugaboo Fox and Lynx stroller.
The video below depicts the original Bugaboo Turtle; all features remain the same except for the stroller compatibility and adapters.
The PIPA is so popular that Nuna offers six versions of it: the PIPA, PIPA RX PIPA Lite, PIPA Lite R, PIPA Lite LX and PIPA Lite RX.
All six are compatible with Bugaboo strollers, and each has differences in price, features, base and installation methods. The PIPA, PIPA Lite RX and PIPA RX can be installed without a base for taxis and travel, while the PIPA Lite models, the lightest car seats on the market, are used only with the base. The Lite LX adds luxury with the Dream Drape cover and temperature-regulating merino wool fabric, while the PIPA RX, PIPA Lite RX, and PIPA Lite R models feature Nuna's adjustable RELX base.
See Nuna PIPA Series comparison for a full review of the differences between models, and see all six options in the video below.
With the use of car seat adapters, the Bugaboo Turtle One fits any Bugaboo stroller, including all versions of the Bugaboo Fox, Donkey, Bee, Lynx and Ant. The adapters are included with purchase of the Bugaboo Bee6 and sold separately for other models.
Car seat adapters are widely available for the Nuna PIPA series, making the Nuna car seats compatible with numerous stroller brands and types, including single strollers, double strollers, jogging strollers and travel strollers.
* = not compatible with PIPA Lite versions
Priced at $339, the Bugaboo Turtle One is similar in price to the Nuna PIPA series, which range in price from $319.95 to $499.95.
The total cost of using either Bugaboo or Nuna car seats with a Bugaboo stroller is similar, as all car seat models will use the same adapters (typically around $50, depending on the model.)
The Bugaboo Turtle is about the same in weight as the Nuna PIPA. The three PIPA Lite models—the lightest car seats on the market—are at least 2.6 pounds lighter.
Here are the manufacturer-provided weights for each car seat. Note that Nuna's measurements do not include the canopy or infant insert, components that add about 1 pound depending on the model.
Like most infant car seats, the Bugaboo Turtle One, as well as the Nuna PIPA, PIPA Lite RX, and PIPA RX, can be installed with or without the base. While the base adds safety and convenience, a seatbelt-only install comes in handy if you travel or take taxis frequently.
If you're frequent fliers or city dwellers, the PIPA Lite, Lite R or Lite LX may not be an ideal choice. There are no seatbelt paths on the Lite versions, which reduces their weight but requires the use of the base at all times.
The Bugaboo Turtle One is available in a single color, black with a black leatherette handle, while more color choices are available for each Nuna model.
The Nuna PIPA comes in these colors, all of which have a brown leatherette handle:
The PIPA RX offers three colors with brown leatherette:
The Nuna PIPA Lite and PIPA Lite R are available in these colors, with a brown leatherette handle:
The Nuna PIPA Lite LX comes in:
So which car seat is better: the Bugaboo Turtle One or one of the five models in the Nuna PIPA series? Here are the pros and cons we see.
Strolleria is a family-owned and operated retailer dedicated to making the baby gear buying experience less overwhelming for parents. If you have more questions about the Nuna PIPA or the Bugaboo Turtle One, feel free to contact us at 480-442-9433 or customercare@strolleria.com.
Shop Nuna and Bugaboo infant car seats below!
