3Rank 03 of 8 · Best i-Size Car Seats
Joie Joie i-Level Pro
A €199 infant carrier with a 157° near-flat recline and clean 1.0 toxicology. Unusually, it scored better on safety belt-installed than with its own ISOFIX base.
8.4BPR score
- €199Price
- 2.3 (ADAC/ÖAMTC 10/2025)ADAC / ÖAMTC overall grade
- 3 of 8in Best i-Size Car Seats
- 8.4BPR score 0–10
Review
What this product is
Written after the analysis, from the same sources the score is built on: the manufacturer's documentation, available studies and verified owner feedback.
The most affordable well-tested infant carrier here, and it contains a genuinely surprising result.
Belt-installed, it scored 2.3 overall with safety 2.3, handling 2.4, ergonomics 2.2 and a clean 1.0 for harmful substances. With the i-Base Encore, it also scored 2.3 overall — but safety dropped to 2.6 while handling improved to 1.9.
Read that carefully, because it inverts the usual assumption. The base made the seat easier to use but scored worse on crash performance. Most guides state flatly that an ISOFIX base is safer; on this seat, ADAC's measurements say the belt installation protected better while being more prone to error. Which configuration is right for you genuinely depends on whether you are confident of routing a belt correctly every time.
The 157° near-flat recline is the other standout. Infant carriers are often criticised for holding newborns in a curled position, and a flatter recline is better for breathing and spinal development on longer journeys. A removable full-body infant insert and the Tri-Protect headrest are included.
Approval is 40 to 87 cm, birth to around fifteen months — slightly longer than the 83 cm seats here. The belt-installed version weighs 4.6 kg.
At €199 this is roughly half the price of the Nuna and €131 less than the Maxi-Cosi, for a grade three to five tenths behind. For a first child on a constrained budget, that is a defensible trade — and the clean 1.0 toxicology score means you are not compromising on materials.
Technical data
Specification
Figures from the manufacturer's documentation, verified against available outside sources. Values we could not confirm are marked as declared.
- Approval
- UN ECE R129 (i-Size)
- Height range
- 40-87 cm, birth to approx. 15 months
- Orientation
- Rearward-facing only
- ADAC grade (belt-installed)
- 2.3 - safety 2.3, handling 2.4, ergonomics 2.2, substances 1.0
- ADAC grade (with i-Base Encore)
- 2.3 - safety 2.6, handling 1.9, ergonomics 2.2, substances 1.0
- Recline
- 157° near-flat
- Side impact
- Tri-Protect headrest
- Seat weight
- 4.6 kg (belt-installed version)
- Test round
- October 2025
- Market price
- approx. EUR 199
Component scores
Where the score
comes from.
Four components, equal weight, each on a 0–10 scale and each resting on a named source. The overall score is their mean — the full procedure is in the methodology.
What we liked
- €199 — the cheapest well-tested infant carrier here
- Clean 1.0 for harmful substances
- 157° near-flat recline, better for newborn breathing on long journeys
- 40-87 cm, slightly longer usable life than 83 cm seats
- Removable full-body infant insert included
- Works belt-installed or with the i-Base Encore
Worth knowing
- 2.3 overall, behind the Maxi-Cosi and Nuna
- Safety score is worse WITH the ISOFIX base (2.6) than belt-installed (2.3)
- Handling 2.4 belt-installed — higher misuse risk without the base
- 4.6 kg, heavier than the Nuna and Maxi-Cosi shells
- Newborn insert range not published
Comparison
How it compares
within the category
All values come from the same analysis and are comparable only within the category Best i-Size Car Seats.
| Product | Score | ADAC / ÖAMTC overall grade | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxi-Cosi Pebble S + FamilyFix STop score | 8.8 | 1.8 (ADAC/ÖAMTC 05/2025) | €330 |
| Joie i-Level ProThis product | 8.4 | 2.3 (ADAC/ÖAMTC 10/2025) | €199 |
| Category average8 products analysed | 7.9 | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy the base or not, given the safety score is worse with it?
This is a real trade-off and the honest answer depends on you. With the base, ADAC scored safety 2.6 and handling 1.9. Belt-installed, safety 2.3 and handling 2.4. The base protects slightly less well in the crash test but is much harder to get wrong — and misuse is a bigger real-world risk than a two-tenths difference in a crash grade. If you are moving the seat between cars frequently, buy the base. If it stays in one car and you are confident about belt routing, the belt installation tested better.
Does a flatter recline actually matter?
For newborns on longer journeys, yes. A curled position can compress a newborn's airway, which is why paediatric guidance limits time spent in infant carriers. A 157° recline is closer to flat than most carriers in this class. It does not remove the general advice to break up long journeys and take the baby out of the seat regularly.
From the same ranking
Other products in Best i-Size Car Seats.
The same protocol, the same key parameter, the same set of sources.
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No. 018.8/ 10
Maxi-Cosi Pebble S + FamilyFix S
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The best safety result in this ranking: 1.6 overall with a safety sub-score of 1.2 and a clean…
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The value finding of this research: €149 for a rotating 40–105 cm seat with identical ADAC…
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The lightest carrier here at 2.5 kg, with a clean 1.0 for harmful substances and GREENGUARD…