The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK
Safety in car seats is a top concern for all parents. There are many options available when it comes to choosing the most suitable car seat for your newborn for your child.
With a soft baby-hugg inlay and enhanced side impact protection The Cybex Cloud T is the best infant car seat UK. It comes with a single-handed recline and 12 headrest positions to adapt to your child’s growing body.
1. Cybex Cloud T
The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the best choice to take your baby along on trips from the time they're born until toddlers. It's the latest version of the legendary Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technology that lets your child a lie-flat ergonomic position in the car or when used in conjunction with a stroller as part of a complete travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat, which means it can be easily attached to your vehicle by using the base provided, it can even be rotated 360 degrees to help get your baby in and out.
The car seat is constructed of top quality materials, and is available in a variety of trendy colors, including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It's a stylish and sophisticated option that is seamlessly matched with the Cybex T line of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is specifically designed for premature and newborn infants. This helps to maintain an upright position, which reduces the chance that their heads may be able to move forward during sleep, causing breathing issues. It can be removed when your child is 60 centimeters in height.
In terms of safety, the car seat offers excellent protection for your child, achieving an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests from ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V). The Cloud T i-Size features LSP (Linear Side-impact Protection) to prevent your baby from being thrown around the seat in the event of an accident and the revolutionary Flexi-Fix harness system that stretches when your child grows to ensure they are always in a secure fit.
The unique 180deg rotating system makes it simple to get your baby in and out of the car seat when you are using it as a part of a travel system, with a Cybex stroller. There is no more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat is capable of fully reclined to provide extra comfort during long car rides. The price is slightly higher than other car seats for this age group however the features it has, including the recline feature and superior safety features make it worth the cost.
2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus
Maxi-Cosi's Pebble Plus is one of the most comfortable infant car seats around. It is comfortable for infants and simple to use. It's suitable for infants from birth. It is compatible with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix, EasyFix base, or with your car seat belt system. The car seat is compatible with all pushchairs, including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo, using adapters. The Baby-Hugg infant seat is included for the best fit, better laying in a position that is more comfortable, and provides side impact protection.
The Pebble Plus car seat is a member of Group 0+ which means it can be used for infants as young as 12 months (45cm between 45cm and 75cm). It's in line with the new iSize regulations which require children to stay rear facing for longer. It's compatible with the 2way Family base which allows you to change between forward and rear facing on the same car and also has a handy rotating feature.
It's still a comfortable seat, but the new version is a bit more refined. It features a new, better baby-hugging inlay that feels and looks great. The shoulder straps are cushioned and the headrest is adjustable to accommodate your baby's growing. It is also possible to remove it at anytime if you wish to remove it.
It's a bit heavier than other newborn carseats at 4.5kg, but that should not be a problem when your infant 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's also a good-looking seat and you can select from a wide range of patterns and colours to fit your car. It's not the most affordable car seat for infants, but it's still a reasonable price and worth the extra investment for your baby. It can be tricky to adjust the harness length and height however once you've mastered the art of it, it's a breeze. You can adjust the straps by pulling down on the back panel and pressing two buttons at the same time.
3. Joie Calmi
Joie Calmi is a great newborn car seat for a newborn baby. It's simple to use, and is a great cot-like baby sitter. This dual-use car seat and carrycot is R129-certified. It's built tough with a tough ventilated outer shell and a plush padding to protect your little one. It has a three-point safety harness that can be adjusted with a single pull and softly cushioned covers. It also has lateral positioning to keep your baby's head at the most secure position in case of an accident.
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 child is asleep. If you're planning to create a travel system, then the i-Base Encore adapters let you to connect Calmi with a Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair, too.
Joie has improved the design of its previous i-Spin 360, which earned an excellent score in Which?'s crash tests and an A+ rating from ADAC. The most recent model, which we tested, comes with a lock that stops you from turning the seat to face forward too quickly, making sure your child stays in the rear the longest time possible. It also has a huge sun canopy that is water-resistant, with 50+ UV protection as well as a mesh peekaboo to allow you to check in without disturbing your child.
If you are shopping online for a car seats, choose an online retailer that offers free delivery to the UK mainland on all purchases. They should also accept returns within 35 days. John Lewis offers a wide range of infant car seats from top brands, including Maxi-Cosi, Silver Cross and Cybex. Click and collect is free to any branch in your area (or Sainsbury's if you are nearby). With every purchase you make, you will also earn Nectar points. Argos also has a great range of car seats at prices starting at PS55. You can also enjoy 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
The reliable British brand is well-known for its high-end prams as well as pushchairs, but the Silver Cross Motion all-in-one car seat is making its mark on the market. Jasper, our tester, was a fan of it. He said it was "the most fashionable of the bunch." My child seemed to be most comfortable on long drives."
This fully rotating R129 certified car seat is suitable for newborns all the way to 12 years old. It was awarded the ADAC 2022 Autumn Test's award for the best child, baby and toddler car seat. It's also been tested above and beyond regulations to ensure that your child will be safe on every journey.
It is equipped with a removable, cozy cushioned insert for infants made of soft bamboo fabrics. These fabrics are super comfortable and breathable, as well as antibacterial. The body and head support can be removed as your child grows, and the 3 recline and 8 headrest positions can be adjusted to accommodate.
The 'green' light that indicates that the car seat is properly installed and is now ready to use is an unique feature. This makes it an ideal choice for parents who are new to the family, and might not be aware of the correct installation and fitting of car seats. It also has a handy stowable harness which can be used in either the rear or forward-facing position.
best car seat 's also permanent, so you won't need to wake your baby to take them out of the car on longer journeys. However, it's not travel system-compatible like the Joie I-Spin 360 iSize or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus i-Size (you have to purchase an additional travel bag to do this).
The drawback to permanent fixed car seats such as the Axkid One i-size is that they aren't as easy to carry around when you need to move them between cars. If you do choose to purchase a separate travel bag for your car seat, be sure it's a sturdy one that can withstand the wear and tear of frequent use. It's worth paying a little more for a bag that will last for as long as your child's car seat.