Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Infant Car Seat Comparison

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Infant Car Seat Comparison

With a sea of stroller and car seat options to choose from as you shop baby gear, it can feel like a godsend to find one thing that "does it all."

The Doona+ infant car seat / stroller has done just that for years, offering parents an alternative to bulky travel systems. It's an infant car seat that transforms into a stroller as you get in and out of the car with pop-out wheels and rotating carry handle turned handlebar.

Although Doona+ has been a favorite for baby's first year among minimalist parents and frequent travelers, the new Nuna PIPA urbn travel systems are sure to rival in many ways.

Like any other infant car seat, your baby will likely outgrow these portable infant car seats by their first birthday, then transition to a convertible car seat. Although, with the new Nuna PIPA urbn travel systems, you will still get to use your travel system stroller for years to come.

In this article we will compare the Doona+ infant car seat stroller with the new Nuna PIPA urbn infant car seat travel systems.

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Infant Car Seat Comparison

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Video Comparison

See our video version of the PIPA urbn, including a review of safety features, installation, stroller compatibility and more. Our review of the Doona+ is coming soon and will be posted to this blog post.

Nuna PIPA urbn

Learn about the differences between the PIPA Urbn and six other PIPA models in this Nuna PIPA comparison. 

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Price

The Doona+ ranges in price from $550 for most colors to $650 for limited, special edition colors. The PIPA urbn is $350 to $650 more than the Doona+, since it is only sold as a travel system with either the Nuna MIXX Next, Nuna TRIV Next, or Nuna TRVL. So you are getting both the car seat and stroller in the same box.

  • Doona+: $550-650
  • MIXX Next and PIPA Urbn: $1200
  • TRIV Next and PIPA Urbn: $1100
  • TRVL and PIPA Urbn: $900

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Comparison

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Weight

The Doona+ stroller weighs the most out of any infant car seat, but that's because it is also a stroller. You very rarely have to worry about having to carry it since you can simply pop out the wheels and go! However, the weight, at 16.5 pounds, may be a factor to consider for some parents when thinking about having to lift it in and out of your car or if you have stairs you regularly have to go up and down. 

The PIPA urbn is most similar in weight to the Nuna Pipa Lite RX model, weighing just 7 pounds. Easy enough to carry when needed, but also simple to pop on the stroller and go! 

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Weight and Height Limit

  • Doona+: 4 to 35 pounds; 32" height limit (seat height is 21")
  • PIPA urbn: 4 to 22 pounds; 29" height limit (seat height is 18" - other PIPA models are 19")

The length of time a car seat lasts is more complex than you would think! Infant car seats are outgrown once one of 3 limits are met - overall height, weight, and torso / head height (it's outgrown when the top of the baby's head is less than an inch from the top of the seat). Since every baby is built differently, it will vary when a car seat is outgrown. However, most infant car seats are outgrown in height or torso / head height way before the weight limit is even close to being met. Most infant seats are outgrown when the baby is around a year old.

However, the PIPA urbn does have lower limits than most other infant seats on the market. The weight limit is a bit lower at 22 pounds, whereas the height limit is not too much different at 29". This is one infant seat that babies may outgrow weight wise before height or around the same time. For frame of reference, the average one year old is approximately 19lb. 10oz. for girls and 21lb. 3oz. for boys; the average height is 29" for girls and 29.75" for boys. 

The actual height of the seat of the Doona+ and PIPA urbn differ as well. The Doona+ has one of the tallest seat heights of any infant seat on the market. This means it typically will not be outgrown in torso / head height before it's outgrown in overall height (when baby is 32"). 

When comparing these two seats, the Doona+ will likely last you a little longer than the PIPA urbn. 

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Size Comparison

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Installation with Base

Doona+

The Doona+ Base can be easily installed in the vehicle with either the LATCH system or with the vehicle's seatbelt. DO NOT attempt to install the Doona Base using both the LATCH system and the vehicle's belt, it is not approved and might disrupt the correct functioning of the Doona+ Infant Car Seat and the Doona Base.

Watch how to correctly install the Doona+ base in the videos below.

Installing Latch Base with Shoulder Belt

Installing Latch Base with Latch Connectors

Nuna PIPA Urbn

Unlike the Doona+, and the rest of the Nuna PIPA models for that matter, the Nuna PIPA urbn does not include a base with purchase - and is not compatible with any base models.

Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn Installation Without Base

Doona+ Seat Belt Installation Video

 

PIPA urbn with pipaFIX Rigid Latch Connector Installation

 

Strollers Compatible with Doona+ vs. Nuna PIPA urbn

With its wider shell and built-in wheels, the Doona+ cannot attach to any stroller. Since it has its own wheels already, that won't be a problem for most! But for parents who may be shopping for a double stroller soon or parents who live in an area where all-terrain tires are a must-have, the small tires and incompatibility with any strollers restricts the Doona+ to parents who only have a child in the infant stage, that often stroll on smooth pavement. Also, once your baby has outgrown the Doona+ (around a year old), you will need to purchase another stroller. 

Since it is stroller-compatible (and comes with a separate, toddler-ready stroller right out of the box), you may find the PIPA urbn to be a more versatile choice. Though the PIPA urbn is only packaged with the MIXX Next, TRIV Next, or TRVL at this time, it's also compatible with any stroller and adapter that works with the other Nuna PIPA series car seat models.

Strollers Compatible with Doona+

The Doona+ is not compatible with any strollers. You will need another stroller once the Doona+ is outgrown around a year old. 

Strollers Compatible with Nuna PIPA urbn

Right out of the box, you'll get a Nuna MIXX Next, TRIV Next, or TRVL stro