Car seats can be totally confusing and it’s not hard to see why. There are so many different types and so much advertising trying to convince you you’re getting the right one.
The reality is that car seat buying comes down to three main factors:
1. Budget. You can only buy what you can afford.
2. Safety. You will need to decide what your personal views are, within the boundaries of what is legal.
3. Car. There is no point buying a snazzy spinning car seat that claims to last until your child is 12 years old, if it doesn’t fit in your car.
I’m going to attempt to debunk some car seat myths here, and streamline the advice. When we bought our next stage car seat I did bucket loads of research and found it all spread out, which took far too much time and spoons to consolidate. Since then, friends and friends of friends have asked me what I learned. In case you don’t have a friend to ask, here are my findings.
Please remember I am by no means an expert. There are lots of super qualified car seat experts you can consult with if budget allows. Many of them will visit you at home (or meet in the middle) so you can try seats in your car. This gives you a good idea of fit and practicality, but may be especially useful as a spoonie to check how manageable they are for you.
If you’re unsure about anything I say here, please check for yourself and let me know if you believe anything should be amended. This post is not sponsored and the views expressed are my own.
You can comment below, or get in touch with me here.
Infant carrier car seats for a newborn
That first drive home from the hospital (ro out if you’ve had a home birth) is both nerve-wracking and exciting. This is the start of your life together as a family.
So before you do that most momentous of drives, you’re going to need something very safe to transport your little bundle of joy in.
Lots of people opt to buy a travel system, with a pushchair, carrycot (bassinet) and car seat with base included. That makes the car seat decision easy. You’re going to get an Isofix base, most likely, with an infant carrier seat that may or may not rotate.
However, it’s not compulsory to buy a travel system (read more about that here). So if you opt to buy a pushchair with a lay flat feature and a separate car seat to cut down on costs, you’re probably wondering what to get.
It is very tempting to buy one of those seats that is designed to last from birth until your child is ready for their first job.
However, my understanding is that the best seat for a newborn baby is one that has been designed for a newborn baby. In most cases, that means an infant carrier. The sort of car seat you imagine when you think of a new baby in a seat.
This was our one that came with our travel system – the Nuna Pipa Next. It was compatible with our buggy (though we never used this feature) and came with an Isofix base that allowed the seat to spin to make it easier to get baby in and out. It did the job. The straps moved around all the time and I didn’t find it particularly easy to clean, but it worked.
Whilst there are some infant carriers that are theoretically better than others, they are not as complicated as the next stage seats. The key is to check that they have passed the R129 regulations (rather than R44 which was an older set of requirements). Some brands to check out are Cybex, Avionaut and Britax. Consider whether a spinning base is important to you to make it easier to get baby in and out of the car. Do you prefer Isofix or a belted fitting (some seats will do both). Look at the weight of the carrier as you will likely be bringing it out of the car sometimes.
Misconceptions and things you may not yet know
- Never buy a second hand car seat (they are potentially unsafe if they've been in any collision, even a small one)
- Ensure seats you buy are R129 tested
- Children in R129 seats must legally rear-face until at least 15 months old
- Check the height and weight limits of your car seat to ensure it fits your child
- Children should rear-face as long as possible, within the limits of their car seat
- Isofix is not safer than belted or tethered seats, if they are installed correctly. It is just easier to get it right.
- Children do not find it uncomfortable to have their legs against the seats. It is more comfortable than having them dangling off the edge of the seat into the footwell.
- The Swedish Plus Test is a good benchmark for safety. Check out ADAC test results too.
- When deciding how long a seat will last, consider your child's height and weight centiles. A seat marketed to last rear-facing to 4 years old might not if your child is in the higher centiles.
- Don't leave coats or bulky jumpers on a baby in a car seat. Use a blanket to keep them warm once they are securely strapped in.
- Make sure the seat is adjusted to your child's height and weight.
If you wish to buy a newborn seat that will last your child until they no longer need to rear-face (ideally 4 or 5 years old at least) then there are a few options which have been rigourously safety tested.
Most will have an extra newborn insert (sometimes costing extra) that you remove later on.
These seats will not fit on a buggy (even with adaptors) and are generally designed to stay in the car. Some will be Isofix and some tethered. These are equally safe if installed correctly.
This may make it slightly more challenging in the early days in terms of getting your baby in and out of the car. It also means you will have to wake them if they fall asleep in their seat when you get to your destination. However, they should be moved to a flat, safe sleep surface anyway as car seats are not suitable for sleeping.
Car seats to last from newborn to 4 or 7 years old
We have the Axkid One2. This seat can be bought with an additional newborn insert so that it lasts from newborn until your child is ready for a high-back booster. It is rated to 23kg or 125cm tall, which is around 7 years old. Although this is a very good seat – and we bought it because it is reasonably light-weight and installs with an Isofix for ease – my husband finds the straps tricky to fit and it takes up a fair amount of space. You can recline it once the child is in though, and it moves back and forth to give them more leg room (if your passenger doesn’t need leg space!).
If you’re very keen for a seat that will last from birth, then I’ve brought together a range in the table below. Some are Swedish Plus Tested, some aren’t. Some will forward face, some won’t. Some last to 7 years old, some to 4. There are belted (tethered) fittings or Isofix ones. There are a range of prices and styles.
However, the best combination is likely to still be an infant carrier (great fit for a newborn plus very practical) followed by a seat that can last to ideally at least 4 or 5 years old. At that point, there are a lot more choices (both Isofix and belted) that I will discuss later.
The ages in the table below are approximate. Please check the seat’s height and weight limits and consider your child’s centiles before buying (if you are buying before your baby is born, you will have less information to go on so consider if the biological parents are tall, and any growth scans could be used, though take these with a large pinch of salt).
|
Brand
|
Name
|
Rear-facing age
|
Forward-facing age
|
Fitting type
|
Does it spin?
|
Plus tested?
|
Price at 4/3/24
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Joie
|
7
|
N/A
|
Isofix
|
No
|
Yes
|
£450
|
|
|
Axkid
|
4
|
N/A
|
Isofix
|
Yes
|
No
|
£399
|
|
|
Graco
|
4
|
4
|
Isofix
|
Yes
|
No
|
£399
|
|
|
BeSafe
|
4
|
N/A
|
Isofix
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
£369
|
|
|
Joie
|
4
|
N/A
|
Isofix
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
£370
|
|
|
Joie
|
4
|
4
|
Isofix
|
Yes
|
No
|
£250
|
|
|
Joie
|
4
|
12
|
Belted
|
No
|
No
|
£180
|
|
|
Joie
|
4
|
7
|
Belted
|
No
|
No
|
£100
|
|
|
Avionaut
|
6
|
N/A
|
Belted
|
No
|
Yes
|
£379
|
|
|
BeSafe
|
7
|
N/A
|
Belted
|
No
|
Yes
|
£539
|
|
|
Axkid
|
7
|
N/A
|
Isofix
|
No
|
Yes
|
£725
|
|
|
Joie
|
4
|
4
|
Isofix
|
No
|
No
|
£130
|
Next stage car seats, to last from infant carrier to high back booster
There are lots and lots of these. What you get will largely depend on your personal safety preferences, practicality and your budget.
Children need to be in a car seat or high back booster until they are 135cm tall or 12 years old, whichever comes sooner. For younger children, a car seat (preferably rear-facing) is much safer than a booster. Ideally a child should be at least 4 years old or 18kg before using a high back booster. Rear-facing longer is still safer if possible at this age, as a child’s neck and spine will not necessarily be fully-formed then. You can read more about this here.
Seats for toddlers are either belted (tethered) or fitted with Isofix. There is a weight limit when using an Isofix base rear-facing, which is why there are very few seats that last rear-facing to 7 years old using an Isofix base. There are many more options for extended rear-facing with tethered seats, and they are generally cheaper too. Once again look for the Swedish Plus Test for a good safety standard.
Swedish plus tested seats to 23kg (around 7 years old): Avionaut Sky 2.0, Axkid One 2, BeSafe Stretch, Axkid Minikid 2, Britax Safeway M, Axkid Move, Joie i-Prodigi, Axkid Movekid, Britax Maxsafe Pro, Avionaut Sky Q
Swedish plus tested seats to 18kg (around 4 years old): BeSafe iZi Kid X3, Britax Swingfix M, Avionaut Aerofix RWF, Nuna Norr, BeSafe iZi Modular RF, BeSafe iZi Twist, Axkid Modukid, Joie i-Spin Safe
I can’t guarantee this covers every option, and new seats are released regularly, but this gives you a good idea of a range of options. I will attempt to update the lists when I can.
Car seat buying can be challenging. But remember, there are really three main things to consider. Your budget, your personal safety requirements within the legal restrictions and your car (or cars).
You can either choose an infant carrier followed by a next stage seat, or a seat to last from newborn to young child. You may have a travel system that includes a car set and base, or pick your own. You can choose to rear-face until 4 or 7 (but be guided by the height and weight limits of the seat and your child’s centiles). You can legally forward-face from 15 months in an R129 seat, but this is not advised. You may need more than one seat and go for a mix. You may choose to use a belted seat or Isofix, spinning or not spinning.
There are many, many choices to make. But start with the three main considerations and you will soon narrow down your options.
We used the infant carrier that came with our travel system. Now we have an Axkid One 2, which we chose because I wanted to extended rear-face our child to at least 4 or 5 years old and she is high centiles. We wanted an Isofix base for ease of installation. We only needed one seat so could afford to spend a little more on this one. It doesn’t spin, but that’s the pay off here. Overall, I’m happy with this choice. It’s not perfect, but it is good and I’m pleased we’ve chosen a good seat for our car. You hope that your car seat never has to perform, but it’s important that you can trust it to protect your child as much as possible should it need to.
Happy car seat hunting. Any questions, please get in touch.
Spooonfuls of love,
Emma
