Clarissa Lahey

The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety in car seats is a top concern for all parents. Thankfully, there's an abundance of choices when it comes to locating the best newborn car seat for your child.

With a soft baby-hugg inlay and enhanced side impact protection, the Cybex Cloud T is the best newborn car seat UK. It also comes with a one-handed recline setting and no less than 12 headrest positions that adapt to your child's changing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T is the premium car seat that has everything you need to take your infant on adventures from birth through to their toddler years. It's the latest version of the legendary Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technologies that allow your child a flat, comfortable position in the car when used with a stroller as part an entire travel system. It is also an ISOFIX vehicle seat, meaning that it can easily be attached to your vehicle by using the base supplied. It can also be rotated to help get your baby into and out of the seat.

The car seat itself is made of top-quality materials. It comes in a variety of trendy colors such as Moon Black, Lava Grey, Beach Blue Plus and Seashell Beige Plus. It's a sleek and sophisticated option that is seamlessly matched with the Cybex T line of prams. It also includes the Newborn Inlay for newborns and premature babies which helps to ensure a secure, flat position that minimizes the chance of their heads flopping forward while they sleep, potentially leading to breathing problems. It can be removed when your child reaches 60 centimeters in height.

The car seat is an excellent choice for safety, as it has scored an impressive 1.7 in crash tests conducted by ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V.). The Cloud T i-Size comes with LSP (Linear Side-impact Protection) to protect your child from being thrown around the seat in the case of an accident. Also, it has the revolutionary Flexi-Fix harness system that expands as your child grows to ensure they always have a secure fit.

The innovative 180deg rotating system makes it simple to get your baby in and out of the car seat when you are using it as a part of a travel system, paired with a Cybex stroller. There is no more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat can be positioned in a fully reclined posture for extra comfort during long car journeys. It's somewhat higher price than other car seats for this age group, but the numerous features, including the option to recline and excellent security features make it worth the money.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat is among the most popular infant car seats that are available. It's comfortable for babies and simple to use. It is suitable from birth and can be used with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base or in conjunction with the seat belt system in your car. The car seat is compatible with most pushchairs, including the Maxi-Cosi range as well as Quinny, iCandy and Bugaboo (using adapters). It comes with the Baby-Hugg infant headrest for a better fit and the position of the child's head and side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus car seat is classified as a Group 0+, which means that it can be used for children as young as 12 months (45cm to 75cm). It is compliant with the new iSize regulations, which require that children be rear-facing for a longer period of time. It's compatible with the 2way Family base which allows you to change between forward and rear facing in the same car and has a handy rotation feature.

Similar to the previous version, it's a really comfy seat and the new version includes some improvements. It features a new, improved baby-hugging insert that feels and looks great. The shoulder straps have been covered in padding and the headrest is adjustable to accommodate the growth of your baby. It is also able to be removed at any time to remove it.

It's heavier than some of the other infant carseats, at 4.5kg however that shouldn't be a problem when your child is using it most of the time. You can use it with a handle to make it easier transport, and it's light enough to be able to lift it into and out of rideshare vehicles or taxis, too.

It's also a stylish seat. You can choose from a variety of colors and patterns that are suitable for your car. It's not the cheapest infant car seat but it's still affordable and is worth the investment for your baby. It can be a bit difficult to adjust the height and length but once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze. You can adjust the straps by pulling downwards on the back panel, and pressing two buttons at the same time.

3. Joie Calmi

Joie Calmi is the perfect infant car seat for your newborn. It's easy to use, and is a great cot-like baby sitter. This dual-use car seat as well as carrycot is certified by R129. It's built to last with a tough ventilated outer shell and plush padding to cradle you little one. It has a three-point safety harness that is adjusted by a single pull and softly cushioned covers. It also has an lateral position to keep your baby's head in the most secure position in the event of an accident.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie's Aeria and Finiti pushchairs, which means you can take it off and back on the frame easily. It's easy to lift even when your baby is asleep, because of the adjustable handle bars. If you're planning to create an all-in-one travel system, the iBase Encore adapters permit you to connect Calmi with a Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair too.

Joie has improved the design of its earlier i-Spin 360, which earned the highest test score in Which?'s crash tests as well as a good rating from ADAC. The latest model that we tested comes with a lock that stops you from rotating the seat too quickly, making sure your baby stays rearward-facing for the longest time possible. It also boasts a large sun canopy that's water repellent and provides 50+ UV protection, and has a mesh peekaboo window that lets you check in without disturbing your child.

If you are shopping online for a car seats, choose one that provides free delivery to the UK mainland on all purchases. They should also accept returns within 35 days. John Lewis has a great range of newborn Nania Flamingo Car Seat: Side Impact Protection seats with top brands like Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross and offers free click and collect to your nearest store (or to the nearest Sainsbury's branch if you're near by). You can also collect Nectar points on all purchases. Argos also offers a good range of car seats at prices starting at PS55. They'll also ship your order for free and offer same-day collection in-store and free returns at any Argos store or participating Sainsbury's branches.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

Silver Cross Motion is a new all-in-one vehicle seat from the trusted British brand that is known for its premium pushchairs and prams. Jasper who was our test subject, loved it. He said it was "the most fashionable of the bunch, and my baby seemed to find it most comfortable on long drives."

This fully-rotating R129-compliant car seat can carry your baby all the way to 12 years of age and won the top baby, toddler and child car seat award at the ADAC's autumn test in 2022. It's also been tested over and beyond regulations to ensure your child's safety throughout every trip.

It comes with a removable, cosy padding for infants made of soft bamboo fabrics. These bamboo fabrics are extremely breathable and antibacterial. The body insert and head support can be removed when your child grows. You can also alter the position of the headrest and recline to suit.

A distinctive feature is the built-in 'green light' that lets you know that the car seat is secured and ready to use and is a great option for parents who may be unfamiliar with the correct way to install and set up car seats. It also has a handy stowable harness which can be used in either the rear or forward-facing position.

It's also an ongoing fixture, meaning you won't have to wake your baby in order to get them out of the car on longer trips. It is not compatible with travel systems such as the Britax Romer Dualfix plus iSize or the Joie iSpin 360 iSize. You'll need to purchase an additional travel bag.

The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat that is permanently fixed. They are not as simple to transport between cars. If you decide to buy a separate travel bag choose one that is sturdy and can withstand the wear and tears of daily use. It's worth spending a little more to get a bag that will last for as long as the car seat of your child.