Different types of Car Seats
The array of car seats, boosters, travel systems and accessories
out there is mind-boggling, and with 4 out of 5 car seats in the UK being
fitted incorrectly, it is important that you know the right information.
Here we guide you through the maze to help you choose the right car seat,
ensuring maximum protection for your child when travelling in the car.
Types of car seats:
From birth:
-
Group 0+ or Infant Baby Carriers
From birth up to 13kg (approximately 9 months), depending on the make
Infant car seats always rear face in the car, and the baby is strapped
in with an integral, adjustable safety harness. The carrier is secured
to the car seat with the car's adult seat belt or the use of a seat belt
routed base or ISOFIX base. It is illegal to use a rear facing child car
seat (infant carrier) in the front of a vehicle that is protected by a
frontal airbag. Whilst it is possible to manually or electronically deflate
the airbag, it is still not advisable to fit a child car seat. No matter
how small, there is always a risk of it going off. If the bag does inflate,
it is likely to crush both the seat and the child, and can therefore be
highly dangerous and life threatening. Most dealers will not deactivate
airbags, and if they do this may invalidate your car insurance cover.
Infant carriers are now also available from some manufacturers as part
of a travel system. (See the travel system section
below) These are compatible with a pushchair/chassis combination,
enabling you to take your sleeping baby from the car and into a pushchair.
However, newborn babies should not be left to sleep in their car seat
for more than two hours, especially if they cannot lie flat. (For
more information, see our section on lie-flat car seats)
Rearward facing car seats provide greater protection for your baby's
head, neck and spine than forward facing seats, so it is best to keep
them in it for as long as possible. If adults could travel rearward then
it would be better for them too! Only change to a forward facing car seat
when they have exceeded the maximum weight for the seat, or the crown
of their head has reached the top.
Some modern car seats have a full recline mechanism that allows your
baby to sleep lying flat whilst on the move. This is ideal for long journeys,
especially for newborns.
Safety: Remember it its illegal to put a baby or young child in
a rear facing car seat on the front seat of a car where an airbag is fitted;
if the bag inflates the pressure may crush the seat and child. Your car
dealer may be able to deactivate it if necessary, but check with your
insurers first, as this may affect your cover.
Click
here to view our range of Group 0+ car seats in the Babyworld shop
From birth up to 10kg (approximately 6 months)
This is a pram carrycot which has an integral harness designed to restrain
the baby in the car. It is sold with a special fixing kit to secure it
on the back seat of the car. Carrycots are useful for very young babies,
allowing them to lie flat in the car and remain undisturbed as the carrycot
is lifted from the car to the pram chassis or taken indoors.
The carrycot is anchored by adult seat belts from both sides, and therefore
can only be used in the rear of the car. This can be a problem when there
are other passengers, as carrycots take up a lot of the space on the back
seat. A carrycot is not suitable for use in the car once the baby is beginning
to sit up (at about six months, and weighing at least 9kg), and so you
will also still need a car seat quite quickly. As agreed by the majority
of experts, whilst carrycots comply with the current safety standards,
they do not offer the same level of protection as rear facing infant car
seats, as they are not designed to withstand impact forces.
Click
here to view our range of carrycots in the Babyworld shop
-
Two-way or Combination Car Seat (Combined Group 0, 0+, 1)
From birth up to 18kg (approximately 4 years)
This allows the baby to face rearward from birth to 13kg, and then face
forwards up to the weight of 18kg. A two-way car seat is a cost-effective
and versatile option, accommodating newborn babies up to the age of four
years. The child is secured by an integral 5-point safety harness, and
the seat is secured by the car seat belt. Whilst a two-way car seat is
more versatile in the car, and longer lasting than the infant carrier,
it is not designed to be taken in and out of the car all of the time,
and is not suitable for use as a baby carrier.
Some models have adjustable seat reclining positions when forward facing,
which aids the comfort and the safety of your child. As the two-way car
seat is bigger than a standard infant carrier, most are equipped with
extra protection, such as a head-hugger, which ensures newborns fit snugly
in the seat, and provides extra support for the head and neck. 
Safety: Please note that it is illegal to use a rear facing child
car seat in the front of a vehicle protected by a frontal airbag, unless
it has been manually or electronically de-activated, in which case you
will need to check whether your car insurance is still valid.
Click
here to view our range of two-way car seats in the Babyworld shop
A travel system comprises of a type of pushchair that is usually compatible
with both a rear facing car seat and a carrycot. The car seat and carrycot
can both 'click' in and out of the pushchair, helpfully allowing you to
move your sleeping baby without waking him up. Buying a travel system
is perhaps a more economical way of purchasing both a pushchair and separate
car seat.
However, you will still need to purchase another car seat when your baby
reaches 13kgs. It is important not to keep your baby in a car seat for
long periods at a time. Increasing amounts of research stress the importance
of lying flat for young babies, so that they are able to breathe, move
and stretch efficiently to ensure proper spinal development. (For
more information, see our section on lie-flat car seats). It is also
essential to make sure that the car seat in the travel system fits your
car safely and securely, if it does not then you will need to buy a pushchair
and separate car seat instead.
A travel system includes a range of units, such as those listed below,
which you buy depending on what you need at the time:
- A collapsible chassis with fixed shopping tray or basket
- A reclining pushchair or carrycot that locks onto the chassis
- A first-stage infant carrier car seat with a carry handle that locks
onto the chassis. The seat may also be used at home as a low baby seat
with reclining or rocking options. However, remember it is important
not to keep your baby in an infant carrier or car seat for a prolonged
period in time, especially if the baby cannot lie flat in the seat
- The car seat is usually suitable from birth to around 13kg, depending
on the make. The pushchair is suitable from birth to around 3+ years
- As the items are usually sold separately it helps to spread the cost
over time.
- The most important consideration is whether the car seat fits safely
in your car. If you are not happy with the fit, do not buy it, however
much you like the idea of the system
Click
here to view our range of travel systems in the Babyworld shop
Buying Your Car Seat
Fitting Your Car Seat
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