The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK
Car seat safety is a top concern for any parent. Thankfully, there’s an abundance of choices when it comes to finding the most suitable car seat for your child.
With a soft baby-hugg inlay and enhanced side impact protection The Cybex Cloud T is the best newborn car seat UK. It also features a single-handed recline adjustment 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 has everything you need to take your infant to their first journey right through to their toddler years. It is the latest version of the legendary Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technologies that give your child a lie-flat ergonomic position in the car, or when used in conjunction with a stroller as part the complete travel system. It’s also an ISOFIX car seat which means it can be easily attached to your vehicle using the base provided, it can also be rotated 360 degrees to assist in getting your child in and out.
The car seat is made of high-quality materials, and comes in a variety of trendy colours including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It’s a sleek and sophisticated option that is seamlessly matched with the Cybex T line of prams. It also comes with a 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 problems. It is removed when your child is 60 cm in height.
In terms of safety, the car seat offers excellent protection for your child, achieving 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 safeguard your baby in the event of a crash. It also features the innovative Flexi-Fix system that stretches to fit your child as they expand.
If you’re planning to use the car seat as part of a travel system with a Cybex pushchair, the revolutionary 180deg tilt means getting your baby out and in is a breeze – no more awkward bending or reaching. The car seat is equipped to fully recline for added comfort on long car rides. It is priced at a slightly higher price point than other car seats for this age group, but the extensive list of features, including the option to recline and the excellent safety features make it well worth the investment.
2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus
The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus is one of the most comfortable infant car seats on the market. It’s comfortable for babies and easy to use. It’s suitable for babies from birth and can be used with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base, or with your car’s seat belt system. The car seat is also compatible with most pushchairs including the Maxi-Cosi range as well as Quinny, iCandy and Bugaboo (using adapters). It comes with the Baby-Hugg infant headrest for a better fit and the position of the child’s head and side impact protection.
The Pebble Plus is a Group 0+ car seat which means it is suitable for use for babies ranging from birth until 12 months old (45cm to 75cm). It is in compliance with the latest i-Size regulations that requires children to be in the rear for a longer period of time. It’s compatible with the 2way Family base which allows you to change between forward and rear facing on the same vehicle and comes with a handy rotation feature.
It’s still a very comfortable seat, but the latest version is a bit more refined. It has a new, improved baby-hugging inlay that is both beautiful and comfortable. The shoulder straps have been cushioned and the headrest can be adjusted to accommodate the growth of your baby. It can also be removed at any time to end using it.
It’s a little heavier at 4.5kg than other newborn carseats, but this shouldn’t be an issue if your infant spends most of the time in it. You can use it with a handle for easier carrying, and it’s light enough to be able to lift it into and out of rideshare vehicles or taxis, too.
It’s also a good-looking seat and you can select from a wide range of colors and patterns to suit your car. It’s not the most affordable infant car seat but it’s still a reasonable price and worth the extra investment for your baby. It can be a bit difficult to adjust the harness’s height and length, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s a breeze. You can adjust the straps by pulling down on the back panel pressing two buttons simultaneously.
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 as well as carrycot is certified by R129. It’s built to last with a tough ventilated outer shell and soft padding to cradle you little one. It features three-point harnesses that are easily accessible via a single pull tightening mechanism and softly padded covers. Plus, it features an lateral position to keep your baby’s head in the most secure position in the event of an accident.
The seat’s base is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, which means you can easily slide it on and off the frame. It’s easy to move even when your baby is asleep, due to the adjustable handle bars. If you’re planning to build a travel set, the iBase Encore adapters allow you to pair Calmi together with a MaxiCosi or Britax stroller.
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 model we tested has locks to stop the seat from rotating too fast, ensuring that your child is rear-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 an open mesh that allows you to check in without disturbing your child.
If you’re looking to purchase a car seat online, make sure you select a retailer that offers free UK mainland delivery on all orders and returns within 35 days. John Lewis has a great range of newborn car seats from top brands, such as Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross and also offers free click and pick up to the nearest store (or to an Sainsbury’s branch if you’re nearby). For all purchases, you can also earn Nectar points. Argos also has a wide range of car seats at prices starting from 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
Silver Cross Motion is a new vehicle seat that’s all-in-one from the reputable British brand that is renowned for its top pushchairs and prams. Jasper, our tester, was a fan of it. He said it was “the most stylish of the bunch, and my child seemed to be most comfortable during long drives.”
This fully rotating R129-compliant car seat can take your newborn all the way up to 12 years of age and won the top baby toddler, child and car seat award in ADAC’s 2022 autumn test. It has also been tested above the rules to ensure that your child is safe on every trip.
It comes with a removable, cosy cushioned insert for infants made of soft bamboo fabric. These are super breathable and antibacterial. The body support and head support can be removed as your child grows and the 3 recline and 8 positions for the headrest can be adjusted to suit.
The green light that signals when the car Nania Princess Booster Seat – Ideal for Ages 8-12 is correctly installed and is ready for use is an exclusive feature. This makes it a great option for new parents, who may not be familiar with the proper installation and fitting of car seats. It also comes with a harness that can be used in either the rear or forward-facing position.
Another big selling point is that it’s a long-lasting fixture in the car and you don’t need to wake your sleeping newborn to get them out for longer trips. However, it isn’t travel system-compatible, like the Joie I-Spin 360 iSize or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus i-Size (you need to buy an additional travel bag to do this).
The downside to permanently fixed car seats like the Axkid One i-size is that they aren’t as easy to carry around when you have to transport them between different vehicles. If you do choose to purchase an additional travel bag to carry your car seat, be sure it’s a durable one that can withstand the wear and tear of frequent use. It’s worth paying a little extra for a bag that will last longer than the car seat of your child.
