Birth - 4 Years

There are lots of baby car seats on the market for your newborn, that's why we are here to help break down the important parts when looking.

Baby car seats are divided into 3 main groups.

Group 0 + are rear-facing seats suitable from birth and up to about 15 months or which weigh up to 13kg.

Group 1 are forward facing child car seats suitable for the weight of 9-18kg.

Group 2/3 are high back booster seats for children who weigh 15-36 kgs and are ages from 4 - 11.

Group 0 child car seats are designed for those very first stages and has the lowest weight range. They are rear-facing car seats and are suitable for babies up to 15 months old or for those who weigh up to 13kg. Some of these car seats in group 0 can be added onto the pushchair chassis or your travel system. Group 0 infant car seats are suitable from birth.

I-size is a car seat that is based on height rather than weight. Being a new parent can be daunting and might find it hard where to start with car seats. I-size and isofix legislation runs along side the current being ECE R129. Lots of parents move there babies out of rear-facing seat too early. With I-size it doesn't only help with this but it's also easier to ensure the safety features are secure.

Only when your baby is 75-80cm and 15 months they can switch to forward facing and prevents upsizing to early.

Isofix child car seats are designed to make fitting baby and child seats simpler. Most modern cars have the fitting.

The price of child car seats can be high, but it is recommended not to buy a second hand car seat. You never know if this has been damaged during a crash or may not have all parts. Only accept infant car seats from friends or family members so you know the history.

Think about what you will be using the infant car seat for. If your lifting this in and out the car a lot it might be best to opt for a lightweight infant car seat or one with a isofix base that stays in the car.

It is dangerous and illegal to carry a baby in a rear facing baby seat in a front passenger seat that has an active air bag. Its always safer for children to travel in the rear of the car. Always remember to securely fasten your group 0 car seat as per manufacturers instructions. The user manual also informs you of the weight limit.

Although i-size and isofix are deemed safer, you dont need a i-size car seat for your newborn as not all vehicles are compatible. Non isofix and i-size car seats can be fitted to the rear of the vehicle with the seat belt harness around the car seat.

Group 1 car seats are for toddlers weighing between 9kg and 18kg. That's roughly 9 months up to around 4 and a half years. Many car seats that are in the group 1 bracket are forward facing, Although you can find some that let your child travel rearward facing until they are 4 years.

Many people think that group 1 car seats has to be forward facing, however there are rear-facing car seats available. They offer your child with better protection for the neck, head and spine.

If your are thinking about getting a seat belt fitted car seat , consider seats that have a seat belt tension system and ones that are easier to fit. This tensions the seat belt one fitted. Extra tension can be added by pushing the lever or by operating a ratchet. This helps to get a good tight fit on the car seat.

There are lots of different car seats that have a five-point harness and three-point.

A good all round car seat is the Kinderkraft Myway isofix car seat group 0+ 1 2 3 car seat. This covers all bases. This is designed to allow rearward facing up to 18kg and then forward-facing installation using the isofix + top tether after 18kg to 36kg. This features 10 adjustable headrest settings. The shell of the seat provides air ventilation and magnetic belt hooks for easy insertion and removal of the seat.

Hauck iPro i-Size group 1 is both rear facing and forward facing and can be sued from birth. The newborn insert makes it ideal for new born babies and infants. The inclination angle of the car seat van be adjusted 4 different positions to obtain the most comfortable stance for your baby. This has 6 levels of height adjustments for the headrest. The headrest can be used to bring the harness to an ideal level according to the babies height.

Newborn baby Car Seats

An essential must have for car travel with your baby. With improved technology and much vigorous testing brands have come together to perfect the car seat. There are many brands, colours and styles but the most important thing is that your baby is protected.

Side-impact test have been improved and ensuring the correct levels of safety standard have been put in place to ensure you baby is comfy and also safe.

CabrioFix, Joie i-spin, i-snug and B-safe are great baby car seats for your new baby.

Toddler seats

Toddlers still need a car seat, Although not a group 0, there's still a huge range of high-backed multi-group car seats compatible with your toddler. Most infant car seats can be converted to a booster seat for your child. Maxi-Cosi, Joie and Cosatto are some brand that accommodate for this. Britax dualfix, Chicco kidfix, M-fix, G-cell are all great brands for up to 4 years.

High backed booster seats are great for children 4 and up. They grow with your child and can convert into a booster seat which then can be used with a seat belt. The booster seats are for children aged 12 or 135cm tall.

FAQS

What is the best car seat to buy for a new born?

There's lots of great child car seats suitable from birth. Some of these are convertible car seats and always this to grow with your child. Most are weight-based and can be difficult to find the one that's perfect for you. Most shops will give you a helping hand and point you in the right direction.

How to install a seat with isofix?

Most modern cars will have the fitting for the isofix in the rear of the vehicle. Follow the instruction manual with the seat to ensure correct fitting. Always ensure the harness is correctly fastened and all safety features have been checked before setting off.

When do you transition from a new born seat?

When looking for the seat for your new baby, there's two paths you can go down. Either an infant seat for new borns then followed by a toddler seat to be used until approx. 4 years, or you could get a 2 in 1 seat which does it all. Maxi-Cosi have a range of group 0+ 1 2 3 seats available as well as many other brands.

So, depending on which you choose the timings are different.