If you’re in the market for buying or upgrading to a new car seat, we’ve just tested a range of different baby and child car seats and published 14 new reviews.
And even if you’re using your car a lot less due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, it’s still important that you’re transporting your little one in a safe car seat that’s correctly fitted to them and your vehicle.
Read on to find out about the models we’ve just tested, our Black Friday car seats sale advice and how to fit your car seat safely in lockdown.
Head straight to our car seat reviews to find out the scores of all the car seats we’ve tested.
BabyStyle Oyster Capsule + Duofix Isofix Base, £199
We were pleased to see that the latest car seat launch from BabyStyle Oyster has not seen it affected by the same issues we encountered with the BabyStyle Oyster Carapace. When we tested that model in 2019, the infant carrier detached from the Isofix base and went flying through the testing chassis. The Isofix base was later recalled.
The Oyster Capsule replaces the Carapace, and it has passed our tough crash testing. It’s an i-Size car seat approved for children measuring 40 to 83cm (that’s from birth to around 15 months old), and it’s travel-system-compatible with certain Oyster pushchairs.
Read the full review of the BabyStyle Oyster Capsule + Duofix Isofix Base to find out if it’s also a comfortable seat that’s easy to install.
BeSafe iZi Modular X1 + iZi Modular i-Size Base, £428
The iZi Modular X1 from BeSafe is an extended rearward-facing modular car seat, which means the seat itself is separate from the Isofix base. The iZi Modular i-Size Base can also be used with an infant carrier and then reused for this seat, which means it can be a good money-saver.
It can be installed and used with your child rearward-facing from birth until four years old, or you can turn them forward-facing when they reach 88cm in height (around 18 months to two years).
Find out if it bagged the maximum five stars for safety in front and side-on collisions in both its rearward and forward-facing modes by reading the BeSafe iZi Modular X1 review.
Cybex Aton B i-Size + Base M, £285
The Aton B i-Size can be fitted in your car using the Cybex Base M, or by strapping it in using the vehicle seat belt.
This i-Size infant carrier is approved for use with babies measuring 45 to 87cm, which is around birth to 18 months, and up to a maximum weight of 13kg.
It’s got a range of features, including linear side-impact protection, an XXL sun canopy and a 11-position height-adjustable headrest. However, the most important thing is whether it will protect your baby in a front and side-on collision.
Read the Cybex Aton B i-size + Base M review to find out if that’s the case.
Joie i-Spin Safe, £250
If you’re after an extended rearward-facing child car seat, the Joie i-Spin Safe could be of interest.
It’s exclusively rearward-facing (considered the safest way for your baby or toddler to travel) and it’s been put through the Swedish Plus Test, a voluntary approval test that’s tougher than the legal regulations.
Find out how it fared in our own tests by reading the Joie i-Spin Safe review.
Maxi Cosi Morion, £139
For older children, the Maxi Cosi Morion is a high-back booster seat that’s approved to the latest R129 regulations.
The seat is installed with the vehicle three-point seatbelt, with which the child is also kept in place, but you can also attach the seat at the Isofix anchor points (if your car has them) to provide additional stability.
Read the review of the Maxi Cosi Morion to find out if this seat is straightforward to install and comfortable for your child, so it’s more happy smiles and less hysterics when you head out on a journey.
Other models we’ve tested
Click the links below to find out about these other car seats that have been through our tests:
- ABC Design Tulip + Tulip Isofix base, £240
- Britax Romer Advansafix i-Size, £265
- Maxi Cosi Mica, £299
- Nuna Prym, £399
- Recaro Salia, £329
- Recaro Salia Elite, £399
Should I buy a car seat in the Black Friday sales?
Black Friday is just around the corner, and you may have already spotted some discounting on popular baby and child websites such as John Lewis, Mamas and Papas, Argos or Kiddies Kingdom.
Discounted car seats can seem like a major bonus, but it’s important to check if the model you’re eyeing up has been reviewed by us, and how it has scored in our testing.
Not only do we crash-test car seats at higher and more realistic speeds than the UK regulations, but we also use parents and their kids to check how easy the seats are to install and whether they’re comfortable.
You can find out if the model you want is a Best Buy car seat or Don’t Buy car seat by clicking the links, and read more about how we test by clicking on the link below.
How we test car seats at Which?
How to fit your car seat safely when you’re in lockdown
With non-essential shops closing once again for lockdown in England (and other UK nations also going into or already in different types of lockdown), it’s likely car seat fitting services may be reduced, suspended or extremely busy.
Luckily, there are still plenty of resources to help ensure you’ve taken all the steps needed to install your car seat correctly.
- Download our PDF guide on 10 quick child car seat checks.
- Read the instructions that come with your child car seat thoroughly before you start the installation process.
- Check whether your car seat manufacturer has any online fitting videos to provide a visual aid.
- Watch our car seat fitting videos to find more general guidance on things to look out for.
- Look out for common fitting problems that can affect the safety of your car seat or how your child is positioned. These include twisted seat belts, loose harness and Isofix anchors not clicking in correctly. Our guide has a useful picture gallery with images of incorrectly fitted car seats.
What’s so special about i-Size car seats? Read our guide to find out.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/11/which-crash-tests-the-latest-car-seats-from-joie-maxi-cosi-and-cybex/