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 best newborn car seat for your baby.
With a cozy baby-hugg insert and enhanced side impact protection The Cybex Cloud T is the best infant car seat UK. It also comes with a one-handed recline option and more than 12 headrest positions that adapt to your child's growing body.
1. Cybex Cloud T
The Cybex Cloud T is the premium car seat that includes everything you need to take your newborn on adventures from birth up until they reach their toddler years. It's the newest addition to the renowned Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technology that lets your child a lie-flat ergonomic position in the car when used with strollers as part of a complete travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat which means it can be attached to your vehicle by using the base that comes with it. It can also be rotated 360 degrees to help get your baby in and out.
The car seat itself is constructed of top-quality materials. It comes in a variety of trendy colors, including Moon Black, Lava Grey, Beach Blue Plus and Seashell Beige Plus. It's a stylish and elegant choice that effortlessly matches the Cybex T line of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is specifically designed for premature infants. This helps maintain an upright position, which reduces the risk that their heads may shift forward during sleep, causing breathing problems. It can be removed once your child is at a height of 60 cm.
In terms of safety, the car seat offers superior protection for your child. It scored an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests from ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V). The Cloud T i-Size comes with LSP (Linear Side-impact Protection) to safeguard your baby from being thrown out of the seat in the event of an accident and the revolutionary Flexi-Fix harness system which stretches when your child grows, ensuring that they will always have a safe fit.
The unique 180deg rotating system makes it simple to get your baby into and out of the car seat when you use it as part a travel system, with a Cybex stroller. There is no more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat is also capable of fully reclined for added comfort on long journeys in the car. The price is slightly higher than other car seats in this age group but the features it has, including 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 available. It is simple to use and is comfortable for infants. It's suitable for babies from birth. It can be used with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base, or your car seat belt system. The car seat is compatible with most pushchairs, including the Maxi-Cosi range and Quinny, iCandy and Bugaboo (using adapters). It includes the Baby-Hugg infant car seat swivel headrest to ensure a better fit, the position of the child's head and side impact protection.
The Pebble Plus is a Group 0+ car seat which means it can be used with infants from birth to 12 months old (45cm between 45cm and 75cm). It meets the new i-Size guidelines that require children to stay rear facing for longer. It is compatible with the 2way family base that lets you switch from rear-facing to forward-facing on the same vehicle. It also includes a handy rotating feature.
It's still a comfortable seat, but the new version has a few improvements. It comes with a brand new, improved baby-hugging inlay that looks and feels great. The shoulder straps have been padded and the headrest can be adjusted to fit your baby's growth. It is also able to be removed at any time to end using it.
It's a bit heavier than some of the other infant carseats, at 4.5kg, but that should not be a problem when your child is in it for most of the time. You can use it with a handle to make it easier transport, and it's light enough to get it in and out of rideshare cars or taxis too.
It's also a fashionable seat. You can pick from a variety of colors and patterns that are suitable for your car. It's not the most affordable infant car seat, but it's nevertheless a good investment and is worth the extra money for your baby. It can be a bit difficult to adjust the height and length but once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze. You simply pull down on the back panel, and squeeze together two buttons to move up and down the straps without having to rethread them.
3. Joie Calmi
If you're looking for a newborn car seat that's super easy to use and cradles your baby like a cot then you should consider Joie Calmi. This dual-use car seat and carrycot is certified R129. It's made tough with a durable ventilated exterior shell and a plush padding to cradle you little one. It comes with an easy 3-point harness that is accessible with one-pull tightening and softly padded covers. It also has the ability to lateralize your baby's head in the most secure position in case of an accident.
The base of this seat is compatible with Joie's Aeria and Finiti pushchairs, meaning you can pop it off and back on the frame effortlessly. It's easy to move even when your baby is asleep, because of the adjustable handle bars. If you want to create a travel system, then the i-Base Encore adapters let you to connect Calmi with Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair too.
The design of the prior i-Spin 360 has been improved by Joie. The model earned an excellent score in Which?'s crash tests, and a good rating from ADAC. The most recent model, which we tested, has a lock that prevents you from turning the seat to face forward too soon, ensuring your baby stays rearward-facing for the longest time possible. It also boasts a large sun canopy that's water resistant and provides 50+ UV protection and features a mesh peekaboo windows that lets you look in without disturbing your child.
If you are looking online for car seat, you should choose an online retailer that offers free delivery to the UK mainland for all orders. They should also allow returns within 35 days. John Lewis offers a wide selection of car seats for newborns from top brands such as Maxi-Cosi, Silver Cross and Cybex. Click and collect is free to any branch in your area (or Sainsbury's if you are close to it). For all purchases, you can also earn Nectar points. Argos is another option for a variety of car seats, with prices starting at PS55. You can also get free delivery, same-day collection at the store and free returns to any Argos or Sainsbury's retailer that is a participating one.
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 that is renowned for its top pushchairs and prams. Our tester Jasper was a fan, describing it "the best-looking of the bunch and the one my baby appeared to be most comfortable in during long journeys."
This fully rotating R129-compliant vehicle seat can take your newborn all the way to 12 years of age and won the top baby toddler, child and car seat in the ADAC's 2022 autumn test. It's also been tested above and beyond regulations to ensure your child is safe during every trip.
For babies, it has a removable and cosy cushioned insert made of soft bamboo fabric that's breathable and antibacterial. The head support and body insert can be removed as your child grows, and the 3 headrest positions and recline can also be adjusted to accommodate.
The 'green' light that indicates that the car seat is correctly installed and is ready for use is a unique feature. This makes it an ideal choice for new parents, who might not be aware of the correct installation and fitting of car seats. It also comes with a handy strap that can be used in the forward or rear-facing position.
It's also an ongoing fixture, meaning you won't have to wake your baby up to take them out of the car for longer trips. However, it's not travel system-compatible like the Joie iSpin 360 iSize or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus iSize (you must purchase an additional travel bag to do this).
The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat that is permanently fixed. They are not as simple to transport between cars. If you decide to purchase an additional travel bag, select one that is strong and can stand up to the wear and tear of frequent use. It's worth paying a bit extra for a bag which will last for as long as your child's car seat.