Evenflo Revolve180 LiteMax NXT with SensorySoothe Handle Review

Reviews
Written By Heather Watson

Evenflo LiteMax NXT with SensorySoothe - You Light Up My Life!

Is Evenflo’s Revolve180 LiteMax NXT* one of the most groundbreaking rear-facing infant seats yet? Maybe— it definitely has the potential to be a trendsetter with its unique and innovative sensory technology to engage and soothe babies.

**As Amazon Affiliates, anytime you make a purchase through one of our links, we earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for reading our articles and supporting The Car Seat Pros! We strive to bring you the best carseat reviews!

The rotating base is a great feature, but let’s be honest - that’s not what makes this seat a game-changer. The real magic here is in the SensorySoothe handle, which calms babies with soft lights and soothing sounds—think gentle brooks and peaceful lullabies. This could be a sanity-saver, especially for fussy babies who don’t love car rides.

But why a rotating infant seat? It’s a question we get and certainly one that we asked ourselves when we were first introduced to this feature on an infant seat. There are several reasons why a rotating feature may be convenient. The main advantage is that it’s easier to lift the baby out of the car seat when they are side-facing. This can be especially helpful if you’ve had a C-section and are restricted from lifting the combined weight of baby plus the car seat, but it’s also helpful if you’re babywearing and plan to leave the car seat in the vehicle frequently. Caregivers with limited mobility also typically find it easier to load and unload the baby from a side-facing position.

Since this is the NXT generation of LiteMax (yup, that’s pronounced “next”), the platform is entirely different from the previous version of LiteMax and NXT isn’t compatible with the original LiteMax bases or the strollers that paired with the original LiteMax car seats. While this review focuses on the Revolve180 with SensorySoothe handle, we have info on all the LiteMax NXT infant seats, so you can determine which version is best for you.

WEIGHT & HEIGHT LIMITS:

  • 3-30 lbs.

  • 15.7-32” and top of head must be at least 1” from top of headrest

REVOLVE180 LITEMAX NXT WITH SENSORYSOOTHE OVERVIEW:

  • SensorySoothe technology engages and calms baby with lights, music, and sounds

  • SensorySoothe models feature forward “viewing” handle position

  • 180° rotation

  • LockStrong™ belt tensioning system

  • Anti-rebound base design

  • Available SafeZone™ load leg accessory (sold separately)

  • SensorSafe technology chest clip & app

  • GREENGUARD Gold certified, Green & Gentle flame retardant-free fabric made with recycled plastic bottles

  • 10-year expiration

  • Made in China

  • MSRP $349.99

Extra bases are available separately and the Revolve180 LiteMax NXT is compatible with either the Revolve180 LiteMax NXT Base or the (non-rotating) LiteMax NXT Base.

There are several versions of the LiteMax NXT available; all have the SensorSafe technology chest clip, are GREENGUARD Gold certified, and have the LockStrong™ belt tensioner to assist with proper installation. 

  • Revolve180 LiteMax NXT with SensorSafe: $249.99 (This base model lacks SensorySoothe handle and Green & Gentle fabrics)

MEASUREMENTS:

  • Lowest harness slot height with insert: 4 ½”

  • Lowest harness slot height without insert: 6 ½”

  • Crotch strap (without insert): 1 ½”, 2 ½”, 3 ½”

  • Width of base at widest point: 14 ½”

  • Width of carrier at widest point: 17 ½” (outside of handle hubs)

  • Carrier weight: 9.3 lbs. with inserts; 9.0 lbs. without insert

SENSORSAFE® CHEST CLIP TECHNOLOGY:

The SensorSafe technology included on ALL LiteMax NXT carseats monitors four conditions through the free Evenflo app:

  1. Unbuckled chest clip

  2. Child seated for 2 hours

  3. Air temperature

  4. Broken Bluetooth connection/child unintentionally left in the vehicle

Babies are unlikely to unbuckle the chest clip, but the SensorSafe® chest clip is available on several other Evenflo products which are designed for older children. The app is amazing but the male voice that alerts you, very unexpectedly, to a potentially critical situation (I left the chest clip buckled), is loud and a little startling - especially in a quiet room full of people you don’t know. Ask me how I know.

SENSORYSOOTHE HANDLE:

The SensorySoothe handle works like magic to engage and calm infants (and adults alike). The handle works with a light bar within view of the baby that plays either flashing colors or a solid hue and music, or you can have either music or lights. It’s customizable with the color wheel and sounds within the Evenflo app and you can adjust both the brightness of the light bar and the volume of the sounds.

The SensorySoothe handle is controlled by buttons on the handle on the baby’s left side or you can control it through the Evenflo app, either manually or through Siri. It’s powered by 4 AA batteries of your choice and lasts 15 hours. The battery cover comes off by pressing a pointed tool, like a ballpoint pen, into an indentation next to the battery cover.

All LiteMax NXTs with the SensorySoothe handle have an extra handle position that the LiteMax NXTs without SensorySoothe don’t have—the forward viewing position.

4-month-old Baby P, in the video below, had definite preferences about which music she liked. We filmed her reaction outside where she had trouble seeing the lights on the handle, but she thoroughly enjoyed the music.

LOAD LEG ACCESSORY:

If you’re interested in adding a load leg to either LiteMax NXT base, that’s an option! A LiteMax NXT Load Leg Accessory is sold separately and can be added to either the rotating or non-rotating LiteMax NXT bases. 🙌🏻

INSTALLATION:

The Revolve180 base is easy to install, especially with seatbelt. Although both the seatbelt and the lower anchor (LATCH) installations are pretty straightforward (pick one - don’t use both methods together), we found it easier to achieve a tight installation using the seatbelt. Getting the base to move less than 1” at the beltpath required more effort when we installed with lower LATCH anchors. For whatever reason, the LockStrong feature isn’t as effective in tensioning the latch strap.

The base has 4 recline positions. Find the appropriate recline position for your vehicle, open the LockStrong™ belt tensioning panel and route the seatbelt through the beltpath, then pull the seatbelt tight and close the tensioning panel.

*Important: if installing with seatbelt, you must lock the belt by pulling the shoulder belt all of the way out as the last step of the installation - after confirming that the base doesn’t move more than 1” when you test for tightness at the beltpath.

The LockStrong panel on both NXT bases is NOT a lockoff designed to replace the locking feature of the seatbelt

Installation of the standard (non-rotating) NXT base is also pretty straightforward, but again, it was easier to achieve a tight installation when using the seatbelt. Just like the rotating base, this NXT base requires you to lock the seatbelt at the retractor as the last step.

Installation notes:

With either NXT base and either installation method (latch or seatbelt) you will need to put some muscle into the installation, despite the presence of a tensioning panel. Unfortunately, the tensioning panel on these bases isn’t very robust, so you may need to get the seatbelt or latch strap very tight before you close the panel and check for tightness at the beltpath.

If you have a compelling reason to install with lower anchors (latch), be aware that you will likely need to put in some effort to get that latch strap very tight before closing the LockStrong tensioning panel. The good news is that both bases feature premium push-on latch connectors, so even if the latch installation requires a little effort, at least uninstalling the base will be a breeze.

Another thing to keep in mind with Evenflo infant seats—which has always been their requirement—is you need 1 ½” between the infant seat and the back of a front seat unless you’re installing it in the center seating position. This may be an issue in smaller vehicles. The length of the carrier itself is pretty average, I had no problems with comfort when seated in the front seat of the Tesla Model 3 below.

🌟 Pros tip: In a smaller sedan, as seen below, you’ll find it easier to remove the carrier backwards by rotating it toward the center of the car instead of toward you. By doing this, you’ll be able to tip the seat back and avoid knocking it on the door frame. It’s the beauty of having a rotating seat!

Center LATCH Installations with Non-Standard Spacing:

Evenflo allows center LATCH installation with the LiteMax NXT if the vehicle manufacturer allows it and the lower anchors are spaced between 11-20” apart. 

Inflatable Seat Belts:

Evenflo does NOT allow the use of any inflatable seat belt when installing the LiteMax NXT.

Installation without the base using lap/shoulder seatbelt is quick and easy using what is commonly referred to as “European beltpath routing”. There is a guide on the back of the carrier for the shoulder belt to slip into.

FIT TO CHILD:

The Revolve180 LiteMax NXT has an infant insert, a torso insert (not mentioned in the manual), buckle cover, and harness covers.

Infant insert: must be used for children weighing 3-6 lbs.; optional for children over 6 lbs.

Torso insert: on SensorySoothe handle models; optional; I found it to be excellent for positioning the preemie doll and my smaller one-month-old-sized doll but it does make the seat tight for older babies

Harness covers: optional; these are used to protect the neck from chafing so if you keep them on, place them over the shoulders

Baby P is 4 months old, weighs 14 lbs., and is 24”. Shown using the torso insert, buckle cover and harness strap covers. She was snug with the torso insert and her mama felt she probably would have more breathing room with it removed. Her mama liked her overall fit in the car seat and Baby P was definitely happy.

Baby A is 16 months old, 21 lbs., and 31” tall. She still fit but it was snug and she’s nearing the height limit. We removed the torso insert and the harness strap covers.

Preemie doll fit is excellent. The LiteMax NXT has 2 hip strap placements for better fitment. I adjusted the hip straps to the inner slots and you can compare their locations between the preemie doll pic and Romeo, who is the size of a 1-month-old and about 9 lbs.

There are 3 differences between these pics that greatly affect harness fit—can you spot them? Both dolls are properly harnessed.

  1. The preemie has the buckle shortened to better position it lower on his body

  2. Romeo’s hip straps are placed in the standard outside (wider) routing since his hips are broader than the preemie’s

  3. The infant insert was removed for Romeo because he’s over 6 lbs. While that insert could still be used for him, it leads to a tighter fit and was harder to place him in the seat, so I chose to remove it. Notice the hip straps sit higher on his hips; that’s also because the buckle is routed normally at its normal length. It is not a problem for the harness to sit like this on him.

COVER/CANOPY/EASE OF USE:

One of my very least favorite things to do for a review is to remove the cover and put it back on. Thanks to my profession, I have arthritis in my thumb and this task always make it flare for days. I will say, however, this was one of the easier covers to remove and replace!

It’s attached with plastic pegs/snaps and initially you’ll feel afraid to pull them out. Fear not—give them a yank, you won’t break them. I had the cover off and replaced in less than 15 minutes and that’s only because I stopped to read the instructions (shhhh, yes, you should always do this, but I like to pretend I’m a new parent and rip that sucker off like it has barf on it!). You do have to remove the canopy to remove the cover, but that’s an easy task too.

Speaking of the canopy - it’s nothing fancy but it has good coverage and does what you expect from a canopy.

There are a couple of ease-of-use areas that, if improved upon, would elevate the experience of using the LiteMax NXT, especially at the $349 price point of the Revolve180 with SensorySoothe. First, while I don’t generally use buckle holders (unless they’re magnetic) because I think it takes more effort to slide the buckle tongs into their designated spots, the lack of this feature on LiteMax NXT was noted. The newborn insert allows those buckle tongs to get lost deep down under the padding, making it a hassle to fish them out from under your baby every time. Once the lower body insert is removed (it’s optional after 6 lbs.), this is less of an issue, but some type of buckle holder or pocket would have been a nice feature, especially at this price.

Kecia and I both found that the harness straps on our LiteMax NXT models twisted very easily, causing the buckle tongs to be backwards frequently, even when we were being careful to avoid this issue. This issue occurs because the opening in the buckle tongs is too wide for the harness webbing, and the webbing gets twisted easily. Caregivers will need to be extra diligent in fixing the twists that will likely occur every time you put the baby in the seat.

Another issue I had was that the buckle cover pulled off very easily. It’s not attached in any way, so it’s likely to get lost when a child is lifted out of the car seat. Many car seats don’t have a buckle cover, and its use with LiteMax NXT is optional, but in the course of getting to know the car seat, I had to put it back on often. Most parents won’t miss it if it’s gone, but there should be a way to attach the buckle cover in a way that makes it less likely to come off.

The cover can be machine washed separately with cold water on gentle cycle and put in the dryer for 10-15 minutes on low heat. The harness straps are hand-wash only with mild soap and water (think wash cloth and Dawn dish soap). Sun does marvelous things for stink, but Evenflo also allows a wipe down with 70% isopropyl alcohol if you need that extra dose of germ and stench removal.

FAA-APPROVAL/LIFESPAN/CRASH GUIDELINES:

Neither the revolving base nor the standard NXT base are FAA-approved for use on an aircraft; however, the carrier is approved and can easily be installed with the lap belt on a plane.

All LiteMax NXT models have a 10-year lifespan. They must be replaced after any crash, including a minor one.

STROLLER COMPATIBILITY/TRAVEL SYSTEMS:

Since this is a new platform, there are currently only 2 strollers that are sold with the LiteMax NXT as a Travel System: the Shyft Intuiti+ and Omni Ultra Travel System. Evenflo is working on additional stroller compatibility.

REVOLVE180 LITEMAX NXT ADVANTAGES:

  • SensorySoothe technology engages and calms baby like magic with lights, music, and sounds

  • SensorySoothe forward “viewing” handle position

  • 180° rotation for easy in/out

  • LockStrong™ belt tensioning system

  • Anti-rebound base design

  • Available SafeZone™ load leg accessory for use with any LiteMax NXT base (sold separately)

  • SensorSafe technology chest clip & app

  • GREENGUARD Gold certified, Green & Gentle flame retardant-free fabric made with recycled plastic bottles

  • 10-year expiration

REVOLVE180 LITEMAX NXT DISADVANTAGES:

To be fair, none of these are serious issues but we list them to provide you with an honest assessment of both pros and cons.

  • LockStrong belt tensioning system not as effective with Latch (lower anchor) installations

  • LockStrong belt tensioning system is not a lockoff - must lock the seatbelt at the retractor

  • Twisty harness straps will require extra attention when buckling

  • Lack of buckle tong holders to keep buckles from getting buried while loading/unloading

  • Limited options (at the moment) for stroller compatibility

Thank you to Evenflo for providing the LiteMax NXT with SensorSafe and SensorySoothe and the Revolve180 LiteMax NXT with SensorSafe and SensorySoothe used for this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are those of The Car Seat Pros.

Heather Watson
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