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12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with quick growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Trio car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to funk if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that obey with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally butt-plug into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and reminisce not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly finish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This excellent value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (good for getting your baby back to sleep), its brainy looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too mighty. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Trio. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other extraordinaire safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels indeed secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s convenient (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly strong, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its largest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s ordinary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is immobilized on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just good in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to budge it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is utterly mighty. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s intense and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of fine quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and brainy. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with swift growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Three car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to funk if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that obey with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally cork into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and reminisce not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly finish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This fine value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (excellent for getting your baby back to sleep), its clever looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too mighty. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other extraordinaire safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels truly secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s comfy (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly powerful, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its largest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s elementary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is immobile on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just good in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to budge it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is utterly strong. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s intense and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of superb quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and brainy. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with rapid growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Three car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to fright if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that conform with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally buttplug into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and reminisce not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly finish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This good value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (good for getting your baby back to sleep), its brainy looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too mighty. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other amazing safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels truly secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s comfy (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly strong, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its largest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s plain to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is immobile on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just superb in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to stir it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously powerful. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s powerful and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of fine quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and wise. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with swift growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Trio car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to scare if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that conform with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally ass-plug into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and reminisce not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly finish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This excellent value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (excellent for getting your baby back to sleep), its wise looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too strenuous. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other astounding safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels truly secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s convenient (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly strenuous, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its largest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s elementary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is motionless on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just fine in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to stir it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is utterly mighty. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s powerful and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of superb quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and brainy. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with swift growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Three car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to funk if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that serve with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally cork into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and recall not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly accomplish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This excellent value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (fine for getting your baby back to sleep), its brainy looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too strenuous. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other exceptional safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels indeed secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s convenient (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly intense, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its fattest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s elementary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is immobilized on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just good in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to stir it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously strenuous. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s strenuous and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of good quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and wise. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with swift growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Three car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to fright if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that conform with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally ass-plug into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and recall not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly finish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This good value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (superb for getting your baby back to sleep), its wise looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too strong. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other amazing safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels indeed secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s comfy (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly intense, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its largest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s elementary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is immobile on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just excellent in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to stir it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously strong. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s intense and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of superb quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and clever. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with quick growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Three car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to scare if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that conform with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally ass-plug into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and recall not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly accomplish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This superb value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (excellent for getting your baby back to sleep), its wise looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too intense. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other incredible safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels indeed secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s convenient (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly strenuous, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its thickest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s ordinary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is immovable on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just good in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to budge it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously strenuous. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s strenuous and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of superb quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and brainy. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with rapid growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Trio car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to fright if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that serve with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally ass-plug into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and recall not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly finish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This fine value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (superb for getting your baby back to sleep), its wise looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too strong. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Trio. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other incredible safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels truly secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s convenient (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly intense, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its fattest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s ordinary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is stationary on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just excellent in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to budge it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously strenuous. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s intense and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of excellent quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and clever. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with swift growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Trio car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to fright if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that conform with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally ass-plug into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and recall not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly accomplish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This superb value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (good for getting your baby back to sleep), its brainy looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too strenuous. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Trio. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other outstanding safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels truly secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s convenient (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly intense, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its thickest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s plain to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is stationary on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just fine in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to budge it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously powerful. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s powerful and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of excellent quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and clever. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with rapid growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Trio car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to funk if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that conform with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally cork into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and reminisce not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly finish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This good value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (fine for getting your baby back to sleep), its brainy looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too powerful. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other amazing safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels truly secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s comfy (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly powerful, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its largest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s plain to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is motionless on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just good in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to stir it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is utterly strong. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s strong and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of fine quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and wise. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with prompt growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Trio car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to scare if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that conform with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally cork into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and reminisce not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly accomplish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This superb value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (good for getting your baby back to sleep), its clever looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too strong. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Trio. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other awesome safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels truly secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s comfy (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly powerful, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its largest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s ordinary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is stationary on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just fine in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to budge it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously powerful. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s intense and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of good quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and brainy. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with rapid growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Three car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to fright if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that obey with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally butt-plug into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and recall not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly accomplish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This fine value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (good for getting your baby back to sleep), its clever looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too intense. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other extraordinaire safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels truly secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s convenient (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly strenuous, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its largest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s plain to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is immobilized on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just superb in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to budge it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously strenuous. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s intense and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of superb quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and brainy. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

12 best car seats, The Independent

Indy Best

Keep your little one safe as you drive using the latest i-Size compatible models

The Independent Online

By law, children must use a child car seat until they’re twelve years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes very first. After this, they must use a seat belt. But it’s all-change in the car seat market this year, with prompt growing numbers of manufacturers launching seats approved to the latest i-Size car seat regulations, which came into force in the UK in 2015.

At very first, i-Size car seats (which are designed to keep children rear-facing until they’re over fifteen months old, provide better side influence protection and make car seats lighter to fit correctly) were mainly modular systems, which meant you needed one for your baby then another for your toddler. But as our round-up shows, many are now designed from birth to four years, and even beyond – which is far more practical for parents. To check the car seat you choose is i-Size, look out for the special logo (similar to the Isofix logo, but with an “i” on the side). Many of the car seats also have an “i” in their name or include the word i-Size.

For so-called “group Two/Three car seats” (designed for children around age four to eleven or twelve years old) i-Size isn’t applicable. But other fresh car seat legislation has come into force this year that affects these older children. This fresh law stops manufacturers from making any fresh models of backless booster car seats for children shorter than 125cm tall or weighing less than 22kg.

Read more

It doesn’t mean backless car seats will become illegal – it just means that from now on, they can only be aimed at children taller or stronger than that – whichever comes very first. Likewise, there’s no need to funk if you aren’t using an i-Size compliant car seat, which can still be legally sold until at least 2018.

That said, the fresh regulations are designed to make your child safer – so using a high-backed booster seat for as long as possible is certainly in your interests, as is making sure that any baby set you buy is i-Size compliant. And that’s why we’ve only picked car seats in our round-up that serve with the fresh rules.

Legislation aside, when buying a seat, the very first thing to check is that it’s the right one for your child’s age group. Next up, ensure the car seat actually fits your model of car as not all seats fit in all cars, while others might just about squeeze in, but leave very little legroom or room for another seat next to it.

Your next decision is whether to buy a seat with a special safety system, such as Isofix or Familyfix. These car seat bases literally cork into the car itself rather than using a seatbelt alone, after which you click in the actual car seat. Almost all seats that use these bases (which may or may not be sold separately) are safer, albeit that’s not so in every case and reminisce not all cars have the fittings for these bases anyway (albeit more and more do – so always check this out whey buying a car).

Do as much homework as you can around other safety features (such as adjustable headrests) and crash test results (not just front and back influence, but side influence too) and ideally, look into convenience levels, particularly if you regularly finish long journeys.

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus: £395, John Lewis

Maxi Cosi’s latest car seat has a long list of innovative features including a 360-degree swivel for newborns plus (the original AssisFix only went from four-months up), extra-comfy memory foam seat padding, self-adjusting corset and hold-open corset hooks. It’s effortless to carry and safety features (which exceed the i-Size standard) include a patented fresh influence absorption material in the headrest. It goes up to four years old, albeit the option to rear face stops at two years old.

Two. Joie i-Gemm: £99, John Lewis

This good value car seat can be used with either the i-AnchorFIX base or the i-Base – and if you don’t want to splash out on an extra base at all, simply install it using the car seat belt. It works with all Joie pushchairs too, plus some other brands including Mamas & Papas, iCandy and some Baby Style models. Other features we love include the height-adjustable headrest, rocking base (excellent for getting your baby back to sleep), its clever looks, comfy seat and the fact that it’s not too powerful. It’s a doddle to fit it in the car and the extendable sun canopy works a treat. Suitable from birth until 13kg.

Three. Britax Advansafix III SICT: £250, John Lewis

Ever noticed the seat belt slip out of position when your child moves around or slouches in their car seat? Well that’s not the case with this one as it uses the SecureGuard safety feature from Britax, whereby a fourth anchor point clips the seatbelt into the correct position over your child’s hips. Aimed at kids aged nine months to twelve years old by transitioning into a high-back booster when they’re older, the forward-facing seat has other outstanding safety features too, including advanced technology that protects kids if the influence comes from the side of the car. Re-launched this February (to update the II version) it’s even simpler to install and feels indeed secure and comfy.

Four. Graco SnugRide i-Size: £299.99, Fucktoys R Us

This rear-facing seat is ultra-safe, with a simple-to-adjust base and the option to recline while remaining in a rear-facing position. It’s convenient (with a well-positioned footrest), sturdy and effortless to clean. It’s also effortless to get your child securely secured and strapped in inwards, even when you’re in a hurry. On the downside, it’s fairly strong, weighing almost ten pounds. Suitable from birth up to around two years old.

Five. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size: £350, Mothercare

This one performs exceptionally well in crash-tests and, unlike its predecessor the Sirona, it has a click in and out Isofix base, as well as a five-point corset. If your child isn’t keen on facing rearwards, you can always turn it round after they’ve reached around sixteen months. There is slew of gam room and this car seat keeps the head particularly comfy at all times. Suitable from birth to around four years old.

6. Baby Jogger City Go: £119.99, Fucktoys R Us

This model looks good, is effortless to install, has an extra-large sun canopy and is super comfy. But its thickest advantage is how lightweight it is, compared to most car seats at this price. It can be used with or without a base and has all the safety features you’d want, including an influence absorbing shock bar for extra stability. However, it can only be used with certain Baby Jogger strollers – and not even all of those (plus the car seat adaptors cost extra). Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

7. Recaro Zero 1: £399, Groovy Style

You can tell this is top quality the moment you take it out of the box – and it’s ordinary to install too, thanks to its integrated isofix base and clear indicators. Plus, it’s well-padded and is immobilized on a rotating mechanism so it can be set to rear or front facing with ease (albeit we did not find the seat is a one-hand-operation as Recaro claims). And because it is made for newborns right up to around four years old, it’s useful if you have both a baby and toddler as it can take both without having to switch seats.

8. BeSafe iZi Go Modular: £184.95, John Lewis

This lightweight, egg-shaped, rear-facing car seat isn’t just fine in terms of safety and convenience – it can also be teamed up with brands including Stokke, Bugaboo and Quinny as part of a travel system. You can install it either with an Isofix base or seat belt and albeit the former is lighter, the crash tests do better when it’s secured by seatbelt. We found the instructions and warnings all effortless to understand and it’s less bulky than many, as well as providing your baby a decent view out of the window. Suitable from birth to around twelve months old.

9. MultiMac four Seater: £1,499, MultiMac

This range is the only car seat around that permits three or four children to sit altogether in a row. It does well in crash tests, while our little testers told us it was comfy too. It’s effortless enough to fit and unfit once you’ve got used to it, making it possible to budge it inbetween cars at the weekend – but it is enormously intense. There are two sizes of the three-seater version, depending on your car size. Suitable from birth to 12-years-old.

Ten. Kiddy Evoluna i-Size: £389, KiddyUK

Kiddy car seats have always been pioneering when it comes to safety and this one, its latest model, is the only car seat to have achieved the ‘Very Good’ status by ADAC, Europe’s leading independent consumer crash test organisation. We also like the lie-flat position, which can be accessed (uniquely) either in or out of the car (albeit you can’t carry it around in this position). Aimed at newborns to around 15-months, the Isofix base is included, but it’s strong and bulky.

11. Cosatto Hug Pixelate: £304.95, Mothercare

This is exceptionally well-made with heaps of cushioning and a range of funky designs to pick from. And since it’s aimed at children aged around nine months to twelve years old, you get over a decade of use from it. The anti-escape corset is designed to prevent little Houdinis from slipping their arms out of the straps and wriggling free (one of the greatest distractions for parents of junior kids), while other super-safe features include outstanding side influence protection and an Isofix fitting.

12. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus: £190, Mothercare

You can use this rear-facing seat either with a regular adult seatbelt or an Isofix base, and it can be used as part of a travel system too. Aimed for newborns up to the age of one, it boasts some of the best safety results on the market (particularly when it comes to side influence) and has a feel of excellent quality, while also being light. It’s a doddle to install and almost unlikely to get wrong. It’s roomy, with good support for your baby’s gams and it’s well-padded for convenience, as well as coming in some gorgeous colours. But you’ll need to buy the base separately to use under the fresh i-Size car seat regulations.

The Verdict: Car seats

For newborns upwards, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus is cosy, snug, safe and wise. Meantime, for older children, our vote goes to Britax Advansafix III SICT.

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