Cybex Cloud G LUX Rear Facing Only Car Seat Review
(Last Updated On: May 12, 2023)
Cybex Cloud G LUX
The Cybex family of rear facing only car seats are known for being quite plush, fairly easy to install and use, and fit most babies well, though they do tend to be a bit heavy and not particularly compact. That family of seats has expanded to include the Cloud G LUX, which brings everything we like about Cybex rear facing only car seats and adds the recline function when the seat is not being used in a vehicle. Come along as we check out the Cloud G LUX!
CSFTL Quick Stats
Rear facing weight range: 4-35 poundsRear facing height range: 17-32 inches and the top of the child’s head is 1 inch below the top of the headrestDo not use on a shopping cart (manual page 21)Foldable infant insert for smaller babies (up to 11 pounds)Expiration: 6 yearsLowest harness height with infant padding: 5 inches, 6 inches withoutHighest harness height: 13 inchesWidth at widest point: 18 inchesCarrier weight: 12.5 poundsBase weight: 16 pounds
Unique Features
Rigid lower anchor connectorsSafeLock belt tensionerIntegrated anti-reboundLinear side impact protection systemFull recline backrest (carrier)No rethread harnessLoad leg (only on the LUX model)SensorSafe chest clipXXL canopy
As far as well-featured higher end car seats go, the Cloud G LUX is fairly simple. There aren’t a lot of extra pieces to store/remember where they are when it’s time to use them, there’s only a rather robust piece of foldable infant padding to keep track of. This simplicity is a plus in our book.
Differences Between the Cloud G LUX and the Cloud G
There are two trim levels available for this seat. Our review covers the Cloud G LUX. The base model, the Cloud G does not have SensorSafe or a load leg. It does have the rest of the features we’ll discuss in this review.
XXL Canopy
Cybex Cloud G LUX canopy extended
The seat includes a large canopy with four sections, it extends pretty far over the child’s body so if a large canopy is important to you, this seat could be a solid option.
Removing the Carrier from the Base
Cybex Cloud G LUX back of carrier
There are two release handles on the back of the carrier. The one closest to the top of the carrier is for releasing the recline when the carrier is not in the vehicle, the lower handle releases the carrier from the base. I checked this several times for your convenience. Yep, it’s the lower handle to release from the base.
You’re welcome.
No Rethread Harness
Cybex Cloud G LUX raise harness
The seat’s harness adjusts easily, just loosen the harness, then pull the tab at the top of the headrest.
Recline Angle Indicator
Cybex Cloud G LUX recline angle indicator
The recline angle indicator has two zones:
4-20 pounds: the indicator will be blue when the seat is the acceptable recline range for this weight
20-35 pounds: the indicator will be greenwhen the seat is the acceptable recline range for this weight
Red: if the indicator shows red, the base is not at a suitable angle for any weight. Adjust the recline angle adjuster to a different, appropriate level for the child’s weight.
Installation with the Base
First, the Load Leg
Cybex Cloud G LUX load leg
The base includes an optional load leg. This device absorbs crash forces and is available on the LUX trim level of this seat. The manual strongly suggests using the load leg if your seat is equipped with one — we echo this recommendation.
Cybex Cloud G LUX load leg locked
Release the load leg from the bottom of the base by pulling it away from the base. Set the base on the vehicle seat — when your install is complete, return to the load leg and make sure that the indicator is showing green. I found that it took a little bit of wrangling to get the indicator into the green — I had the best luck by pulling the leg away from the base a bit.
Lower Anchors
Cybex Cloud G LUX lower anchors
The Cloud G LUX includes rigid lower anchor connectors that swivel out from their storage location on the base. To install the base using these handy connectors, rotate them so they are pointing toward the back of the vehicle, then push them onto the lower anchors in the vehicle. You will hear a click when they’re attached and the indicator on the lower anchor will turn green.
Cybex Cloud G LUX lower anchors attached
That’s all there is to it! In theory. I did have a bit of trouble lining the anchor connectors up with the lower anchors in my vehicle. I’d advise taking your time on this part, find the lower anchor in the vehicle then slowly attach the lower anchor connector that’s the furthest away from the vehicle door. Then attach the connector that’s closest to the door. That way, you’re not attempting to wrangle the base as much.
Cybex Cloud G LUX installed with lower anchors
Here’s how that attached lower anchor looks. We found that when we installed the Cloud G LUX with the lower anchors, the base didn’t quite sit flush with the vehicle seat. We reached out to our friends at Cybex, they said this was fine since the lower anchors were connected.
Cybex Cloud G LUX release lower anchors
To put the anchors back into their storage spot, squeeze the handle on the bottom of the base and rotate them back into position.
Vehicle Seat Belt
Cybex Cloud G LUX installed with the vehicle seat belt
The seat includes a tensioning plate that may appear to the naked eye as a lockoff. It’s actually a SafeLock Belt Tensioner, aka a tensioning plate. This means that the vehicle seat belt must be locked in addition to using the plate.
Linear Side Impact Protection
If the seat is installed in the middle of the vehicle, you don’t need to extend these devices. That’s because they’re designed for side impact protection. So you’d use them when the seat is installed on either side of the back seat. To extend these protectors, pull the device out from the side of the carrier. Putting them back in was a little trickier — push the button on the device, then push the device itself back into the side of the carrier until it makes a click sound.
Installation without the Base
Cybex Cloud G LUX installed without the base
The Cloud G LUX has Euro routing for baseless installations. This type of installation tends to be quite secure and this seat is no exception. To install the seat without the base, set it on the vehicle seat with the harness facing the rear of the vehicle. Thread the lap portion of the vehicle seat belt through the clearly-marked, easy-to-use belt guides on the side of the carrier, buckle the belt, then carefully extend the shoulder portion of the belt around the back of the carrier. Thread it through the clip on the back of the seat (making sure that your vehicle seat belt doesn’t start to lock, should that happen, you’ll need to let the belt go back into the retractor and start your installation over), if the seat belt hasn’t locked itself by now, pull the shoulder portion out from the vehicle until you hear it click. Then slowly feed the belt back into the vehicle with one hand while pressing down on the carrier with your other hand.
Check that the level line on the side of the seat is level with the ground before heading out on your drive.
Final Step
Check your work by giving the base a firm handshake at the belt path making sure that the base moves less than an inch in any direction. If the seat is installed next to the vehicle door, extend the LSP as a final step.
Reclining Carrier
Cybex Cloud G LUX reclined
The manual calls this a reclining backrest. Since we’ve never used the term backrest in any of our reviews, we’re not going to start now. Well, other than the two times I just used it right now.
This recline feature could be handy when the carrier is used outside of the vehicle — it is designed to be used with the stroller.
We caution against using the carrier as a primary child containment device — we tend to advocate for using the carrier only in the vehicle but should you desire or need to leave the child in the carrier, this recline feature could be pretty handy. Not to worry, the carrier cannot be reclined when the carrier is in the base.
That does mean it’s possible to install the carrier without the base in recline mode. We confirmed this — it’s mostly possible with the lap-only seat belt install, it wasn’t really possible with the Euro routing. We’re grateful for that since this scenario is by no means proper use. In fact, it’s specifically prohibited so do not do this.
When the carrier is NOT in a vehicle, squeeze the handle on the top of the carrier’s shell to engage this recline. Again, this feature is designed to be used with the stroller. Squeeze it again and push the back of the carrier toward the front to collapse the carrier back into actual car seat mode.
Safe Sleep
The Cloud G LUX (and all car seats) is not designed to be a sleeping surface. Please follow the AAP guidelines for safe sleep and remove your child from the car seat when your drive has finished.
Infant Insert
The seat includes an infant insert that can be used until the child weighs 11 pounds. It can be folded in for a better fit on tiny babies, unfolded to fit larger tiny babies, then removed once the now-formerly tiny baby weighs 11 pounds. We’ll show how this insert works in the Fit to Child, Preemie section below.
Fit to Child
Preemie Doll
Cybex Cloud G LUX preemie doll with infant insert
The Cloud G LUX’s weight range is 4-35 pounds so we’ve tasked our tireless Huggable Images preemie doll with modelling the seat. We definitely expected the Cloud G LUX to fit our doll well — and it does! The seat includes an optional set of padding that goes behind the child and can be folded for a better fit.
Newborn Doll
Cybex Cloud G LUX newborn doll without padding
Our newborn Huggable Images doll weighs 7 pounds and is 17 inches long. The Cloud G LUX fit our doll quite well.
16 Month Old Doll
Our doll remains 31 inches tall and weighs next to nothing. Since the doll is within the height range for the seat, we asked it to model. However, the doll’s head is over the top of the fully extended headrest so the seat is outgrown and we won’t share that picture in case someone sees the picture without this explanation.
Important Information: Where to Find
Cybex Cloud G LUX date of manufacture label
Date of manufacture label:there are two date of manufacture labels. One is on the bottom of the base, the other is on the underside of the carrier. Both labels include a “do not use after…” date.
Manual storage: The manual stores on the bottom of the carrier.
Cybex Cloud G LUX bottom of carrier
FAA Approval: the Cloud G LUX is approved for use on aircraft without the base. The label for this approval is found on the bottom of the carrier.
However, the carrier is pretty long front-to-back so I’m not totally convinced that this is a seat we’d recommend as a first choice for travel. The L.I.S.P. cannot be used on the airplane.
Overall Thoughts
The Cloud G LUX has a plush cover, a harness that’s smooth like butter, installs without much fuss or trouble, and is pretty easy to install and use properly. It also fits all of our models well. These things add up to the seat being a win in our book. The only things that give me pause are the fact that the seat is quite heavy — the carrier is almost 13 pounds and the base is 15 pounds. I realize that families aren’t moving the base as often as they’re moving the carrier so we can focus the concern on the carrier. The other issue is that it’s quite large front-to-back — almost 29 inches. So, families who are looking for a well-featured seat who don’t mind a heavier carrier and have a larger
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