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Which size?
You need to know your baby’s weight in kilograms to buy the appropriate size seat.
Baby and children’s car seats are manufactured according to rigorous safety
regulations which meet the European Standard R44.03. The standard divides the different
designs of car seat into numbered groups, according to the child’s weight limit.
- Group 0: newborn to 10kg
- Group 0+: newborn to 13kg
- Group 1: 9kg to 18kg
- Group 2: 15kg to 25kg
- Group 3: 22kg to 36kg
Some car seats span more than one group which means that they are manufactured to take
a heavier weight, giving them a longer life.
- A safety harness which fits snugly
- baby and younger children’s car seats come
with an integral, adjustable safety harness. It needs to fit very snugly over the
shoulders to meet the buckle coming up between the legs
- One-pull harness
- the easier all straps on a car seat are to adjust, the more
likely you are to fit it correctly. Many harnesses are now designed to adjust by quickly
and easily pulling one single adjuster strap until the harness is a snug fit
- Tamper-proof buckle
- this is coloured red to be quickly spotted and easy to release
in an emergency by an adult, but designed to be difficult for young fingers to undo. If
your baby shows interest in touching the buckle be firm and say no from the start
- Padding
- all baby and child car seats should be well padded for both comfort and
added protection. The shell should be sturdy (though it may be lightweight) and contoured
- Strap covers
- some car seats have padded sleeves around the harness straps and a
padded cushion under the buckle for extra comfort; if not already fitted, these are
available as individual items from accessory companies
- Seat covers
- many car seat covers are removable for machine washing; most
manufacturers also supply spares
- Choice of positions
- forward facing seats (from 9kg up) may have the option to
recline, which is a bonus if you want your baby to sleep on longer trips
- Instructions
- some car seat instructions are excellent, but most are complex; have
a look at the instructions in the shop before buying and ask the retailer to explain
anything that isn't clear
- Installation
- most seats need an adult lap and diagonal belt to secure them,
although some forward facing seats can be secured with just the lap belt in the middle of
the back seat, which is the safest place and useful if you have two or more older
children. Some manufacturers sell fixing kits for child seats which cannot be fitted using
a car’s existing belts - the big advantage of these is that you can fix the seat in
the middle of the back seat. If you need to buy a fixing kit, choose one made by the
manufacturer of your car seat, if available
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