The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK
Safety of your car seat is a top priority for any parent. There’s plenty of choices when it comes to finding the most suitable car seat for your child.
The Cybex Cloud T offers enhanced side impact protection as well as a baby-hugging inlay. It’s the best new car seat in the UK. It also has a one-handed recline option and more than 12 headrest positions that can be adjusted to the growing body of your child.
1. Cybex Cloud T
The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the best choice to take your baby along on trips from the moment they are born until they become toddlers. It’s the latest update to the legendary Cybex Cloud line and features innovative reclining technology that gives your child a comfortable lie-flat position inside 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 vehicle using the base provided. It can even be rotated to assist you in helping to get your child into and out of the seat.
The car seat itself is made from high-quality materials and comes in a range of stylish colors, including Moon Black, Lava Grey, Beach Blue Plus and Seashell Beige Plus. It’s a stylish and sophisticated choice that effortlessly matches the Cybex T line of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay for newborns and premature babies that helps ensure a secure, flat position that reduces the risk of their heads bouncing forward during sleep, which can cause breathing difficulties. It is removed when your child is 60 cm in height.
When it comes to safety the car seat offers excellent protection for your child. It scored an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests by ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V). The Cloud T iSize is equipped with LSP (Linear Side-impact Protection) to prevent your baby from being thrown around the seat in the event of an accident. It also features the innovative Flexi-Fix harness system which stretches as your child grows to ensure that they will always have a safe fit.
If you’re planning to use the car seat as part of a travel set-up with a Cybex pushchair, the revolutionary 180deg tilt means getting your baby in and out is easy. No more awkward reaching or twisting. The car seat is able to be fully reclined to provide extra comfort during long journeys in the car. The price is slightly higher than other car seats in this age however the features it has, including the reclining feature and excellent safety features makes it worth the cost.
2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus
The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seats is among the most popular newborn car seats on the market. It’s a comfortable seat for babies and simple to use. It’s suitable for infants from birth. It is compatible with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base, or with your car seat belt system. The car seat can be used with a variety of pushchairs, including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo with adapters. It includes the Baby-Hugg infant headrest to ensure a better fit, positioning for laying and side impact protection.
The Pebble Plus car seat is a member of Group 0+ that means it can be used for children as young as 12 months (45cm to 75cm). It’s compliant with new iSize regulations, which require that children remain rear-facing for a greater length of time. It is compatible with the 2way family base that lets you switch from rear-facing to forward-facing on the same vehicle and includes an easy-to-use rotating feature.
It’s still a very comfortable seat, but the new version is a bit more refined. It’s now got a better baby-hugg inlay which looks and feels super-comfy. The shoulder straps are well-cushioned and the headrest is able to be moved up or down as your baby grows. You can take it off at any time if you don’t want to use it any more.
It is a little heavier at 4.5kg than some other newborn carseats, but it shouldn’t pose a problem if your infant spends most of the day in it. It comes with a handle to 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 will suit your car. It’s not the most affordable infant car seat, but it’s still a great investment that is worth the cost for your child. It can be difficult to adjust the harness’s height and length but once you’ve got the hang of it it’s fine. Simply pull down on the back panel, and squeeze together two buttons to move up and down the straps without needing to rethread them.
3. Joie Calmi
If you’re looking for a baby car seat that is simple to use and holds your baby like a cot then you should consider Joie Calmi. This dual-use car seat and carrycot is R129-certified. It’s made tough with a durable ventilated exterior shell and a plush padding to hold your little one. It has an easy 3-point harness that is accessible via a single pull tightening mechanism and softly cushioned covers. Plus, it features lateral positioning to keep your baby’s head at the safest position in case of an accident.
The base of this seat is compatible with Joie’s Aeria and Finiti pushchairs, which means you can take it off and on the frame effortlessly. It’s easy to move even when your baby is asleep due to the adjustable handle bars. If you’re planning to create an entire travel system, the iBase Encore adapters permit you to pair Calmi with a Maxi-Cosi Titan Booster Seat: Multi-Age ISOFIX Black or Britax pushchair, too.
Joie has improved on the design of its previous i-Spin 360, which earned a high test score in Which?’s crash tests as well as a Good rating from ADAC. The most recent model, which we tested, comes with a lock that stops you from rotating the seat too quickly, making sure your baby stays rearward-facing for as long as is possible. It also comes with a large sun canopy that is water-resistant and has 50+ UV protection as well as a mesh peekaboo to allow you to observe without disturbing the child.
If you’re looking to purchase a car seat online, ensure you choose a store which offers free UK mainland delivery on all orders 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 your local store (or to the nearest Sainsbury’s branch if you are near by). You can also earn Nectar points on all purchases. Argos also offers a good range of car seats at prices starting from PS55. You can also get free delivery, same-day collection in-store and free returns to any Argos or participating Sainsbury’s store.
4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360
Silver Cross Motion is a new vehicle seat that’s all-in-one from the trusted British brand, which is known for its high-end pushchairs and prams. Jasper who was our test subject, was a fan of it. He said it was “the most fashionable of the bunch.” My baby seemed to find it most comfortable on long drives.”
This fully-rotating R129-compliant car seat can take your newborn all the way to 12 years of age and was awarded the top baby toddler, child and child car seat award in ADAC’s 2022 autumn test. It’s also been tested over and beyond regulations to ensure your child is safe during every trip.
It includes a removable, cozy cushioned insert for infants made of soft bamboo fabrics. These bamboo fabrics are extremely breathable and antibacterial. The body and head support can be removed as your child grows and the 3 recline and 8 headrest positions can also be adjusted to accommodate.
The ‘green’ light that indicates that the car seat has been properly installed and is now ready to use is a unique feature. This makes it a perfect choice for parents who may not know the correct installation and fitting of car seats. It also comes with a convenient stowable strap that can be used in a forward facing infant car seat-facing or rear-facing position.
Another big selling point is that it’s a permanent vehicle fixture which means you don’t have to wake up your sleeping newborn to get them out for longer trips. It’s not compatible with travel systems such as the Britax Romer Dualfix plus iSize or Joie iSpin 360 iSize. You will need to purchase an additional travel bag.
The drawback to permanent fixed car seats such as the Axkid One i-size is that they’re not as easy to carry around if you’re required to move them between cars. If you decide to purchase a separate travel bag for your car seat, make sure it’s a durable one that can keep up with the wear and tear that comes with frequent use. It’s worth spending a little more to get a bag that will last for as long as the car seat of your child.