The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety of your car seat is a top concern for every parent. Thankfully, there's an abundance of options when it comes to locating the most suitable car seat for your baby.

The Cybex Cloud T offers enhanced side impact protection, as well as a baby-hugging inlay. It's the best new car seat in the UK. It has a one handed recline and 12 positions for the headrest to adjust to your child's growing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T is the premium car seat that has everything you need to take your infant car seats cheap on journeys from birth right through to their toddler years. It is the latest addition to the iconic Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technologies that allow your child a lie-flat ergonomic position in the car or when used with a stroller as part of an entire travel system. It is also an ISOFIX vehicle seat, so it can be easily affixed to your car seat Newborn using the base provided. It can be rotated to help get your baby into and out of the seat.

The car seat itself is constructed from high-quality materials and comes in a variety of fashionable colours, including Moon Black, Lava Grey, Beach Blue Plus and Seashell Beige Plus. It is a stylish and elegant option that works seamlessly with the Cybex T range of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay for newborns and premature babies that helps ensure a safe, near-flat position that reduces the risk of their heads bouncing forward while they sleep, which could cause breathing problems. It can be removed when your child reaches 60 cm in height.

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

If you're planning to use the car seat as part of a travel system that includes a Cybex pushchair, the unique 180deg tilt means getting your baby out and in is a breeze - no more awkward bending or reaching. The car seat can be positioned in a fully reclined posture for extra comfort during long car trips. It does come at a somewhat higher price than some other cars seats for this age group, but the wide array of features, including the option to recline and excellent safety features make it worth the cost.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat is among the most sought-after newborn car seats on the market. It is comfortable for infants and simple to use. It is suitable for babies from birth. It is compatible with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base, or with your car seat belt system. The car seat is compatible with most pushchairs including the Maxi-Cosi range as well as Quinny, iCandy and Bugaboo (using adapters). The Baby-Hugg infant car seat seat is included for a better fit, laying in a position that is more comfortable, and provides side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus is a Group 0+ car seat, which means it is suitable for use with babies from birth until 12 months old (45cm to 75cm). It is in line with the new iSize regulations that require that children remain rear-facing for a longer period of time. It's compatible with the 2way Family base, which allows you to change between forward facing infant car seat and rear facing on the same car and comes with a handy rotation feature.

It's still a very comfortable seat, but the latest version has some improvements. It features a new, improved baby-hugging insert that is both beautiful and comfortable. The shoulder straps have been covered in padding and the headrest is adjustable to fit your baby's growth. You can remove it at any time, when you do not want to use it again.

It's a little heavier at 4.5kg than other newborn carseats, but this shouldn't be an issue for a baby who spends the majority of the day in it. You can put it on with a handle to make it easier carrying, and it's light enough to get it in and out of rideshare cars or taxis too.

It's also a stylish seat. You can choose from many different colours and patterns that will suit your car. It's not the most affordable infant car seat that swivels car seat, but it's an excellent investment and is worth the extra money for your baby. It can be a bit difficult to adjust the harness's height and length but once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze. You can adjust the straps by pulling down on the back panel pressing two buttons at the same time.

3. Joie Calmi

If you're looking for a baby car seat that is easy to use and cradles your baby like a cot, then look no further than Joie Calmi. This dual-use carrycot and car seat is R129-certified which means it's made tough with a sturdy ventilated shell and plush cushioning to hold your infant. It comes with a 3-point safety harness that is adjusted with just a single pull, and softly cushioned covers. It also has lateral positioning to keep your baby's head at the safest position in case of an impact.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, so you can easily slide it on and off the frame. It's easy to lift even if your baby is asleep, because of the adjustable handle bars. If you're looking to make an entire travel set, the iBase Encore adapters allow you to connect your Calmi together with a MaxiCosi or Britax stroller.

Joie has improved the design of its earlier i-Spin 360, which earned an excellent score in the crash tests of Which? and an A+ rating from ADAC. The latest model that we tested comes with a lock that stops you from rotating the seat to face forward too quickly, making sure your baby stays rearward-facing for as long as is possible. It also comes with a large sun canopy that is water-resistant and offers 50+ UV protection and includes a mesh peekaboo window to let you observe without disturbing your child.

If you are shopping online for a car seat, you should choose an online retailer that provides free delivery to the UK mainland for all orders. They should also allow returns within 35 days. John Lewis offers a wide variety of infant car seats from top brands such as Maxi-Cosi, Silver Cross and Cybex. Click and collect is free to any branch in your area (or Sainsbury's if you are near). For all purchases, you can also earn Nectar points. Argos also offers a good range of car seats at prices starting from PS55. They'll even deliver your order for free and provide same-day pickup in-store and free returns at any Argos store or participating Sainsbury's branch.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

Silver Cross Motion is a new vehicle seat that's all-in-one from the reputable British brand that is known for its high-end prams and pushchairs. Our test subject Jasper loved it, describing it "the best-looking of the bunch and also the one my baby appeared to be most comfortable in on long drives."

This fully rotating R129 safe car seat is suitable for newborns all the way to 12 years old. It was awarded the ADAC 2022 autumn test's award for the most effective toddler, infant and child car seat. It was also tested beyond the regulations to ensure your child is protected on every trip.

It includes a removable, cosy cushioned insert for infants composed of soft bamboo fabrics. These fabrics are super breathable and antibacterial. The head support and body insert can be removed as your child grows, and the 3 recline and 8 headrest positions can also be adjusted to fit your child's.

The 'green' light that indicates that the car seat has been properly installed and is now ready to use is an exclusive feature. This makes it a great option for new parents, who might not be aware of the correct installation and fitting of car seats. It also has a handy harness that can be used in either rear or forward facing position.

Another reason to buy it is that it's a permanent fixture in the car which means you don't have to wake up your sleepy newborn to get them out for longer trips. However, it isn't travel system-compatible, like the Joie i-Spin 360 i-Size or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus i-Size (you have to purchase an additional travel bag to do this).

The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat. They are not as easy to move between cars. If you decide to purchase a separate travel bag for your car seat, ensure that it's a sturdy one that can keep up with the wear and tear of frequent use. It's worth spending a little more to purchase a bag that will last longer than the car seat of your child.