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The best (and safest) new car seats 2022
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Choosing your child's car seat is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a parent.
The law states that every child from birth to around age 12 (or 135cm) should travel in one, so it's something that every parent will need to buy.
And, choosing a car seat is not just down to price or how it looks either, your child's safety should be uppermost in your mind.
Here are our favourite new baby and toddler seats, which get top marks for comfort AND safety:
1. Maxi-Cosi Coral, £239
*Innovative newborn car seat
*Comes with removable baby seat
*Weighs just 1.7kg
This innovative car seat from the well-respected Maxi Cosi brand turns into a baby seat and can also be used on a pushchair chassis as a travel system.
Its innovative two-part modular system consists of an ‘outer’ car seat shell with a detachable ultra-light ‘inner’ carrier complete with retractable straps.
With sleek and futuristic looks, the Coral is suitable for your baby's first year and has other great features such as Isofix connectors and an extra-large sun canopy.
2. Cybex Sirona Z i-Size, £299.95
*Suitable from birth
*Can rotate 360 degrees
*Extended rear-facing up to four years old
Cybex is always at the forefront of car seat safety innovation and the Sirona Z i-Size is no exception.
Designed to carry children from newborn to around four years old, it's rearward facing for the whole of its lifespan so offers enhanced safety in case of any accidents.
For added practicality the seat has been designed to rotate 360 degrees, so can be swung to face the door – which makes getting your child in and out much easier.
As part of the I-size specification it also has integrated linear side-impact protection, for greater protection should an accident occur.
- How the price table works
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Prices are listed in ascending order and are inclusive of all taxes. The shipping price displayed corresponds to the cheapest home delivery offered by the retailer. Netmums only lists approved retailers, who provide excellent customer service. Netmums may make a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. Our price tables do not show all the offers and retailers available across the market. The offers presented in the price tables are updated either daily or several times a day depending on the retailer.
3. Chicco Seat 4 Fix, £269
* Suitable from birth to around 12 years old (36kg)
*Fits with top tether, Isofix or seatbelt
*Several recline positions
Not only does this versatile seat carry your child for the first 12 years, it's also packed with lots of features to help with comfort and safety.
It boasts a convertible seat that grows as your child does, with a 360 degree spin for ease.
It's rearward facing until your baby reaches 18kg with a five-point harness for added safety and peace of mind.
There are four different recline positions for children of every age and it's made from breathable fabric with a sun canopy for added comfort in warm weather.
4. Britax Römer KIDFIX M i-SIZE, £159
*Suitable from 15 to 36kg
*Now with enhanced side impact protection
*Adjustable, ergonomic headrest
This new and improved car seat has been designed and approved to meet the rigorous i-Size safety standard, passing stricter test criteria in order to give greater protection to your child.
It's suitable for children from approximately three to 12 years old and can be adjusted as they grow for optimum comfort and safety.
Clever feature include air holes for added ventilation and a slim, compact design that allows two other car seats to fit on the back seat, too.
- How the price table works
Prices are listed in ascending order and are inclusive of all taxes. The shipping price displayed corresponds to the cheapest home delivery offered by the retailer. Netmums only lists approved retailers, who provide excellent customer service. Netmums may make a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. Our price tables do not show all the offers and retailers available across the market. The offers presented in the price tables are updated either daily or several times a day depending on the retailer.
5. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360, £375
*Suitable from newborn up to 36kg
*I-size and Isofix compatible
*Adjustable eight-position headrest
This is the only i-Size car seat on the market that covers all stages, meaning that you can use it from birth right up to 12 years old.
Designed with removable inserts made from soft naturally anti-bacterial bamboo fabrics and an adjustable eight-position headrest, the Motion All Size 360 grows as your child does.
It can rear or forward-face and also spin a full 360 degrees for easier loading and unloading.
- How the price table works
Prices are listed in ascending order and are inclusive of all taxes. The shipping price displayed corresponds to the cheapest home delivery offered by the retailer. Netmums only lists approved retailers, who provide excellent customer service. Netmums may make a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. Our price tables do not show all the offers and retailers available across the market. The offers presented in the price tables are updated either daily or several times a day depending on the retailer.
6. Joie i-Snug, £100
*Suitable from birth to around 15 months
*Has seven recline positions
*Weighs an incredibly light 3.25kg
This newborn car seat from the popular and affordable baby brand still has great features despite its purse-friendly price.
It's very lightweight, but still packs in sturdy impact protection with the exclusive Tri-Protect™ headrest and has three layers of protection inside the side wings and infant pillow.
It also has a curved base so you can rock your little one to sleep (when used out of the car) plus a comfortable insert to help support newborns.
- How the price table works
Prices are listed in ascending order and are inclusive of all taxes. The shipping price displayed corresponds to the cheapest home delivery offered by the retailer. Netmums only lists approved retailers, who provide excellent customer service. Netmums may make a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. Our price tables do not show all the offers and retailers available across the market. The offers presented in the price tables are updated either daily or several times a day depending on the retailer.
So, what are the key things you should be looking for when choosing your child's car seat?
i-Size
It's pretty confusing the first time you shop for a car seat as currently they're classified according to two sets of laws that run side-by-side.
The first is ECE R44/04, which categorises seats into groups according to weight, so Group 0+, Group 1 etc.
This legislation will eventually be replaced by the new R129 law, or as it's better known as, i-Size.
i-Size uses height rather than weight to categorise seats, which parents find easier to measure, and has extended rear-facing, Isofix and side impact protection as standard.
i-Size seats are still relatively new to the market, and are also slightly more expensive, but their enhanced safety features will give parents added peace of mind.
Learn more about i-Size car seats in our guide.
Extended rearward-facing
Traditionally car seats were rearward-facing for the first 9-12 months, then forward-facing, but there's been a growing movement for extended rear-facing models.
Why? Because in a front-on crash (the most common type), children are pulled into the seat if they're sitting rearwards, not flung out as they would be forward-facing.
Babies and young toddlers have larger heads and more delicate necks, so this can really make a difference to the seriousness of injuries.
Many extended rear-facing seats are multi-stage or combination models, lasting from birth to around four years old.
Seatbelt or Isofix?
You'll also have to choose between seats that are fitted with a car's seat belt or those that use Isofix fixings.
Isofix creates a rigid bond between the seat and a car's chassis, and are foolproof to install, but not every Isofix seat is compatible with every car.
Seats fitted using a belt are universal, so can be moved from car to car much more easily, but the seats are not fixed so rigidly, and there's a small chance of human error if not connected properly.
Want to know more about Isofix? Read our guide, here.
Read on:
• How to buy newborn car seats
• The best combination and multi-stage car seats
