The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK
Safety in car seats is a priority for all parents. Thankfully, there's an abundance of choices when it comes down to choosing the most suitable car seat for your baby.
The Cybex Cloud T offers enhanced side impact protection and a baby-hugging inlay. It is the best new car seat UK. It also features a single-handed recline option and more than 12 headrest positions that adjust to the growing body of your child.
1. Cybex Cloud T
The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the most popular choice for taking your newborn to the road from birth until they are toddlers. It's the newest version of the legendary Cybex Cloud line and features innovative reclining technology that gives your child a comfortable lie-flat position in the car, and when used in conjunction with a pushchair as part of a travel system. It's also an ISOFIX vehicle seat, so it can easily be attached to your car using the base provided. It can even be rotated to help get your baby into and out of the seat.
The car seat itself is made of high-quality materials and is available in a variety of fashionable colors such as Moon Black, Lava Grey, Beach Blue Plus and Seashell Beige Plus. It is a stylish and elegant choice that goes perfectly with the Cybex T range of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is designed for newborns and premature infants. This assists in maintaining the baby's head in a flat position, decreasing the possibility that their heads will be able to move forward while sleeping, causing breathing issues. This can be removed once your child is 60 cm in height.
In terms of safety, the car seat provides excellent protection for your child, achieving an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests by ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V). The Cloud T i-Size comes with LSP (Linear Side-impact Protection) to protect your child from being thrown around the seat in the case of an accident. Also, it has the innovative Flexi-Fix harness system that expands when your child grows, ensuring they always have a secure fit.
If you're planning to use the car seat as part of a travel set-up with a Cybex pushchair, the revolutionary 180deg rotation means that getting your baby out and in is super easy - no more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat can also be placed in a fully reclined configuration for extra comfort during long car trips. The cost is a bit higher than other car seats for this age group however the features it provides, such as the recline feature and superior safety features makes it worth the investment.
2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus
The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat is among the most sought-after newborn car seats that are available. It is simple to use and is comfortable for infants. It is suitable for babies from birth. It can be used either with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base, or your car seat belt system. The car seat can be used with most pushchairs including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo by using adapters. The Baby-Hugg infant seat is also included to provide the best fit, better laying in a more upright position, and also side impact protection.
The Pebble Plus car seat is a member of Group 0+ which means it can be used by babies as young as 12 months (45cm between 45cm and 75cm). It is compliant with the new iSize regulations, which require that children sit in the rear for a longer period of time. It is compatible with the 2way family base, which allows you to change from forward-facing to rear-facing on the same vehicle and features an excellent rotating feature.
It's still a very comfortable seat, but the latest version has some improvements. It features a new, better baby-hugging inlay that is both beautiful and comfortable. The shoulder straps are padded and the headrest can be adjusted to fit your baby's growth. You can remove it at any time when you do not want to use it again.
It's a bit heavier than other infant carseats, at 4.5kg but shouldn't be a problem when your child is using it for the majority of the time. It has a handle that can make it easier to carry and is light enough to lift into and out of taxis or rideshare vehicles.
It is also a stylish seat. You can pick from a variety of colours and patterns that are suitable for your car. It's not the most affordable car seat for infants, but it's still a reasonable price and well worth the extra cost for your baby. Once you get the hang it and adjust the height and size is easy. Simply pull down on the back panel, and squeeze together two buttons to adjust the height or down the straps without the need to rethread them.
3. Joie Calmi
If you're looking for a baby car seat that is user-friendly and can be used by your baby like a cot then you should consider Joie Calmi. This dual-use carrycot and car seat is certified R129, which means it's built to last with a tough air-conditioned shell and soft cushioning to cradle your little one. It has a three-point safety harness that is adjusted with just a single pull, and softly cushioned covers. It also features lateral positioning, which helps keep your baby's face in a safest possible position in case of impact.
The seat's base is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, so you can easily slide it onto and off the frame. With the adjustable handle bars, it's also easy to lift, even when your bundle of joy is asleep. If you're planning to create an entire travel system, the i-Base Encore adapters allow you to connect Calmi with Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair as well.
Joie has improved on the design of its previous i-Spin 360, which earned an excellent score in the crash tests of Which? and a Good rating from ADAC. The latest model that we tested comes with a lock that stops you from turning the seat to face forward too quickly, making sure your baby stays rearward-facing for as long as is possible. It also has a huge sun canopy that is water-resistant and provides 50+ UV protection and includes a mesh peekaboo window to allow you to look in without disturbing your child.
If you're looking to purchase a car seat online, ensure you pick a retailer that provides free UK mainland delivery on all purchases and returns within 35 days. John Lewis has a great selection of baby car seats with top brands like Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross, and offers free click and pick up to the nearest store (or to a Sainsbury's branch if you live near by). You can also earn Nectar points on every purchase. Argos is another good choice for a wide selection of car seats, starting at PS55. You can also get free delivery, same-day collection in-store and free returns to any Argos or Sainsbury's retailer that is a participating one.
4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360
The reliable British brand is best known for its high-end prams and pushchairs, but the Silver Cross Motion all-in-one car seat is making its mark on the market. Jasper the tester was a fan of it. He said it was "the most stylish of the bunch and my child seemed to be most comfortable on long drives."
This fully rotating R129-compliant car seat can take your newborn all the way to 12 years old and won the top baby toddler, child and child car seat award in ADAC's autumn test in 2022. It's also been tested over and beyond the regulations to ensure that your child will be safe throughout every trip.
It includes a removable, cozy padding for infants composed of soft bamboo fabrics. These are super breathable and antibacterial. The head support and body insert can be removed as your child grows and the 3 recline and 8 headrest positions can be adjusted to accommodate.
A distinctive feature is the built-in green light' that lets you know when the car seat is properly secured and ready to use and is a great option for parents who aren't familiar with the correct way to install and fit car seats. It also comes with a stowable harness which can be used in either rear or forward-facing position.
It's also permanent, so you won't have to wake your baby in order to get them out of the car for long journeys. But, it's not travel system-compatible, like the Joie i-Spin 360 i-Size or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus iSize (you have to purchase an additional travel bag for this).
The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat. They are not as easy to move between cars. If you decide to buy an additional travel bag to carry your car seat, be sure it's a sturdy bag that can keep up with the wear and tear of frequent use. pushchairsandprams paying more for a bag that will last as long as your child's car seat.