Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Nido Review

In 1949, Peg Perego launched a baby carriage created by Giuseppe Perego. The founder continued the company's growth through the 1960s with various strollers and an adjustable high chair. The creation of ride-on toys and umbrella strollers followed began in the 1970s, with the 1980s bringing the first Pilko strollers and ride-on toys with a 12-volt two-cell battery. Peg Perego strives to design and create innovative and stylish gear that makes life easier, including options in our best high chairs review and a variety of car seats across categories.

Performance Comparison

Crash Testing

The Nido performed well in crash testing, and our analysis of sensor results gave it one of the highest scores in the group. This seat offered lower (lower is better) sensor G forces than most of the head and chest sensors competition.

This seat has a very low sensor result for the HIC sensor, which is better than most of the competition for this test. The chest clip result is also low and better than the average. While all of the seats in this review meet federal guidelines and are considered safe, we ran a faster test on a more modern sled to see which options excelled in a somewhat “hotter” test. When the sensor results are combined and analyzed, it has one of the highest results in the review, making it one that likely offers a higher margin of protection than the average seat.

Ease of Installation LATCH

LATCH installation of the Nido is the second easiest method for this Peg Perego seat. However, it wasn't easy, and it earned a below-average result for the group. It has an anti-rebound bar and load leg.

The installation experience is average, largely thanks to the sub-par lock-off and the wonky load leg. The load leg was such a bother and strangely designed that we began to wonder if ours was broken. The design requires pressing a button while you pull out the leg, and given that some auto-magically slide out and offer color indication it is right, this is a huge bummer.

The LATCH connectors push in easily enough, and you can hear the confirming click when they reach the anchor point. The strap connecting the two goes across the base much like a vehicle belt, and the lock-off helps hold it all in place so it doesn't shift. Tightening the strap was hard because it was on the closest side during installation, so pulling it was not ergonomic. Also, the lock-off doesn't seem to stay locked and offers no tensioning to boot.

Getting it tight was also challenging because of the anti-rebound bar that kept shifting while we tried to tighten it. Our first attempt was too wobbly, and we had to try again to get it right. Tightening and stability overall were better in the small SUV than the sedan, perhaps due to the padding and seat contouring on the SUV.

Leveling to get the right angle on the base took time and precision, thanks to the turning knob and the anti-rebound bar. We had to keep making minor adjustments to get it all dialed in correctly.

Removing the LATCH connectors is a small red button to press, and it isn't as easy to use as some, but it is miles better than the clip-style connectors that are prohibitively hard to remove.

Recline Adjustment

The Nido has an infinite number of potential level adjustments. The level indicator is a bubble style that settles quickly and is easy to read. The recline is a knob-twisting adjustment that is easy enough, even if it is a drawn-out process of repeated turning. It takes forever to move, depending on how much adjustment you need.

Ease of Installation - Belt

Installation using the vehicle belt is the most complicated installation method for this seat. It scored below the average for the test group. It has a built-in lock-off but not a tensioner.

The vehicle belt goes straight across the foot end of the base. The pathway is color-coded, and they are open slots with no holes or obstacles to worry about. The lock-off in the middle of the path isn't our favorite, and while it is easy enough to use, it didn't seem to help much in getting things tight; we could pull on the belt, and it just popped right open. We ended up feeling that it was nice but less functional than the competitors. We really struggled to get the vehicle belt tight. We had to pull the belt tight and engage the retractor on the car before using the lock-off to get it tight enough. This lock-off process hurt its score for this kind of installation because we loved the simplicity of the belt pathway design.

The overall stability after installation isn't our favorite. It didn't feel as stable as in other installation methods or compared to other seats. It really is just average. The load leg wasn't as straightforward as we'd like, and there is no indicator when you get it right, which we have in some of the completion load legs.

Ease of Installation - w/o the Base

Installing the Nido without the base is the easiest method for this car seat. This is good if your plan is public transportation or frequent travel, but it's a bummer otherwise, given that the base has the anti-rebound bar, and the LATCH installation should be the easiest method. It uses the European belt path, and the slots are color-coded for easier placement. The carrier has a decal with a level line for reference during installation.

The carrier is a bit wider than average, and you must bring the handle forward to access the belt pathway. This gives better access to the belt pathway, and the handle position is only allowed when installed without the base. The lap belt was easy to thread, but the shoulder portion was more of a struggle.

The vehicle belt in one car almost felt not long enough to wrap around, and it took some finagling to get it in the correct position. The shoulder strap needs to be guided into the slot on the back. It was easy enough to tighten once both belt portions were placed correctly. It helps there wasn't much slack on this. The red level reference line was easy to see and use as it is long, bold, and doesn't get muddled with the writing. The seat feels very wobbly, and only a few felt more sturdy once installed without the base.

Ease of Use

The Nido earned a below-average score for ease of use and was harder to operate daily than most of the competition. While a few seats are harder to use, it is a disappointment, given the seat's price.

Buckle

The main buckle is unbearably stiff, and our tester felt it hurt her thumb enough that it still felt tender later. The shoulder straps have retention webbing on the inside of the carrier that keeps it out of the way while you put the baby in the seat. The prongs slide down the webbing with no friction, which allows the side prongs to fall deep into the seat if you don't use the retainer.

The chest clip button is on the left instead of the center or right. This made our lefty tester happy but could make right-handers frustrated. The button is harder to press down to clear the mechanism to slide the two sides apart.

Harness Tightening/Loosening

The harness is easy to tighten, and the shoulder straps move smoothly without problems related to the shoulder padding or otherwise. The tightening strap is located on the very foot end of the carrier and has plenty of webbing. There is a slit in the fabric further up on the carrier, closer to the crotch strap, where the release button can be found. The button is easy to press and works well.

Harness Adjustment

The harness shoulder height adjustment on the Nido is a non-rethread style that does not require the user to remove the straps from a splitter plate. This carrier has a pinch mechanism on the back behind an access panel of the carrier where you pinch and slide the assembly up or down to the desired position. It moved smoothly and offered five positions. The crotch strap has two positions.

Carrier to Base Connection

Removing the seat requires grasping and squeezing the handle until you feel it disengage. It isn't really ergonomic, and our tester experienced a pressure point in her palm while pressing down. A second tester with larger hands didn't share this problem. The back of the canopy tends to slide down and get in the way of the release handle as well. It isn't an impossible task, but is more arduous than most competition.

Handle

The handle has dual-press joint release buttons on either side. The handle moves free and only interferes with the canopy slightly during movement up and down but not in the upright position. The handle has five possible positions, with Position C (even with the top of the carrier) allowed when installing with the base and Position A (all the way forward) allowed for installation without the base. Please read the manufacturer's directions for details.

Canopy

The Nido has a better-than-average canopy with a zip-out extension. It looks good and avoids the frumpy one-side more taut than the other side problem we often see. While the canopy is low enough under the handle to avoid rubbing when both are fully upright/open, it does struggle in other positions to get past the handle.

LATCH and Manual Storage

The manual fits in a storage compartment on the back of the carrier. This location is so convenient, allows you to take it when you travel without the base, and offers easy access after installation and away from potential messes. Well done, Nido. Well done.

The back of the base has a compartment for the LATCH connectors. The door to the compartment is flimsy and didn't stay in place during testing, which was a pain to replace every time. Luckily, most families will install the base and forget it, but it is still noteworthy poor design.

Comfort/Quality

Comfort and quality are metrics where we'd expect a brand like Peg Perego to stand out. However, compared to the rest of the test group, the Nido failed to impress and struggled to keep up with much of the competition, earning a below-average score for this metric.

Fabric and Padding

The fabric on the Nido is below average for the group. The material feels breathable but is a bit rougher than most when we rub it on our cheek. The head portion and the infant insert are the roughest, which is a bummer, given the rest of the fabric is more skin-friendly.

The seat has a dual-stage padding system with an infant insert for additional support for tiny bodies. Stage one is more adjustable for newborns with crotch padding you can customize. The main seat padding is only okay, and we wish it were as nice as the insert. The Nido also offers soft padding for the shoulder and crotch straps.

Handle and Canopy

The handle is pretty basic and has a flat design that is not very ergonomic for grabbing or holding. It gets more narrow at the handle. The canopy is larger than average and opens halfway, with the potential for greater coverage if you unzip it. The fabric is thinner than most, but the canopy stays in the three planned positions. It has sun protection of UPF 50+. There are side vents for airflow, and some light still gets past the main canopy.

Shell

The outer shell is smooth, with no nooks for gunk to hide. There are no sharp edges to damage your car if you install it directly to your vehicle seat. Like many other seats, a huge mess in the seat could be hard to clean with the padding in place.

Weight/Size

The Nido weighs 10.6 lbs, which is about average for the group. It earned a score in this metric just below the average for the group. While some seats are as heavy as 17+ lbs, others are lighter than 8 lbs. If carrying your little one in their car seat is your plan, this is a metric you might want to pay attention to.

Should You Buy the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 Nido?

The Nido earned a lower score overall than much of the competition, and while we loved the better crash test results, it isn't enough to make up for the harder-to-use features and the trouble we had during installation. Overall, it is somewhat expensive for something that struggled to keep up in most performance metrics. While the Nido is our Peg seat of choice, we think there are better options with lower prices in this review and recommend considering other possible seats with good crash test analysis results.

What Other Infant Car Seats Should You Consider?

The Chicco Keyfit 35 is a standout seat with good crash test results, a lower price, and higher performance in most metrics. We think it is a seat most parents will love. If you hope to pair a seat with a stroller, it is compatible with many strollers when you buy adapters. If budget isn't a concern, and you want the highest crash test results or the highest scoring seat all-around, then the high-quality Clek Liing is one for your shortlist. It has a load-leg and rigid LATCH connectors with impressive ease of installation.

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