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The best car seats for newborns 2022

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You’ll need a car seat to transport your baby home from hospital and to keep them comfortable and secure on journeys in the car, so it’s one of the most important purchases you’ll make as a parent.

It’s illegal to travel by car unless your baby is in an age-appropriate car seat, as it offers vital protection in case of an accident.

And, even if you don’t drive or have your own car, you should still have a car seat for journeys in other people’s cars.

An infant car seat that can attach to a pushchair to form a travel system will give you greater flexibility, too.

You’ll also appreciate a car seat that's compact, simple to install and – important where babies are concerned – easy to keep clean!

How much should I spend on a newborn car seat?

Car seats for babies cover a huge price range.

At the bottom end, it’s possible to buy a basic car seat for as little as £40, although you won’t get fancy features at this price.

Most car seats that are suitable from birth cost around the £100 to £200 mark.

Car seats that have ISOFIX (where you can connect the car seat directly to your car’s chassis) fitting tend to be more expensive than those without, and you might also need to buy a separate base for around £70 to £100.

Generally, the more you spend, the safer the car seat, with the most secure and luxurious costing up to £700.

Key features to look for in a newborn car seat

All babies must travel in a rear-facing car seat until they are around 12-15kg or aged around 15 months.

Try and choose an i-Size car seat if possible.

iSize car seats have to be tested for side impacts, as well as front and rear, and will have to be secured using ISOFIX.

Children have to travel rear facing until 15 months, and seats are sold by height, not weight.

i-Size car seats are worth considering if safety is your biggest priority.

Other features to look for in a newborn car seat

Car seats for newborns have a three-point harness, with straps that go over your baby’s shoulders and between his legs and buckle in front, or a five-point harness, which has additional waist straps for extra safety.

Pads that slip onto the straps and behind the seat buckle will make him more comfy.

Look for a snug, padded seat for comfort and security; many come with a head hugger cushion and an insert for the seat to give a better fit for tiny babies.

Other features to look for in a newborn car seat include removable, washable covers, a carry handle that can be secured in different positions, indicators to show whether the seat is correctly fitted, and a sun canopy.

 An important thing to consider when choosing a car seat is how it will fit into your car.

Some are secured in place using the adult seatbelt. These tend to be cheaper and can be used in a wider range of cars, but can be fiddly to fit.

Other seats have a base (often sold separately) which is secured with the seatbelt, and the seat itself then clips onto the base.

This makes fitting easier, but you’ll need to move the base if you’re travelling in a different car.

ISOFIX seats fix onto special tether points that are built into the car.

All cars made since 2006 have to have at least one ISOFIX-enabled seat, but older cars may not have them.

ISOFIX seats are easier to fit correctly and offer better protection than seatbelt-secured seats in a crash.

Some car seats have ISOFIX connectors on the seat itself; others need a separate base.

Other things you need to know about newborn car seats

If you plan on using your Group 0+ as part of a travel system, make sure that’s compatible with your chosen pushchair. You might have to buy special adapters.

The safest place for your baby to travel is in the back seat of the car.

If you have to fit their car seat on the front passenger seat, it’s essential that you disable the airbag, as this can cause serious, and even fatal, injuries if it inflates in a crash.

It’s also recommended that babies aren’t left in a car seat (including a car seat on a travel system) for more than two hours, to avoid damaging their developing spine.

There are now lie-flat car seats which solve this issue, see our round-up here.

Read on:

Car seat laws explained

Why you need to get rid of your backless booster seat

Extended rear-facing car seats - the facts

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