The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Car seat safety is a top priority for every parent. There are a variety of options when it comes to selecting the most suitable car seat for your newborn for your child.

With a soft baby-hugg inlay and enhanced side impact protection The Cybex Cloud T is the best infant car seat UK. It has a one handed recline and 12 headrest positions to adjust to your child's changing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the most popular choice for bringing your baby to the road from the moment they are born until they become toddlers. It is the latest version of the legendary Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technologies that allow your child a comfortable and reclining position in the car when used in conjunction with strollers as part of an entire travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat which means it can be attached to your vehicle with the base that comes with it. It can be turned 360 degrees to help get your child in and out.

The car seat is made of high-quality materials, and comes in a variety of stylish colours including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It's a stylish and elegant choice that effortlessly matches the Cybex T line of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is designed for newborns and premature infants. This helps to maintain the baby's head in a flat position, decreasing the risk that their heads move forward during sleep, causing breathing issues. This can be removed when your child reaches 60 centimeters in height.

The car seat is a fantastic choice for safety, as it scored a dazzling 1.7 in crash tests conducted by ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V.). The Cloud T i-Size is equipped with LSP (Linear Side-impact protection) to protect your baby in the event of a crash. It also features the innovative Flexi-Fix system that stretches to accommodate your child as they expand.

The innovative 180deg rotation system makes it easy to get your baby in and out of the car seat when you use it as part a travel system, paired with a Cybex stroller. There is no more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat can be placed in a fully reclined posture for extra Hauck Comfort Fix Car Seat Black - Reducer during long car trips. It is priced at a slightly higher cost than some other cars seats for this age group, however the numerous features, including the option to recline and the excellent safety features make it worth the cost.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus is among the best newborn car seats around. 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 can be used with most pushchairs including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo with adapters. It comes with the Baby-Hugg infant headrest to ensure a better fit, laying position and side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus car seat is a member of Group 0+, which means that it is suitable for infants as young as 12 months (45cm between 45cm and 75cm). It's compliant with new iSize regulations, which require that children be rear-facing for a longer period of time. It is compatible with the 2way family base, which allows you to change from forward-facing to rear-facing within the same vehicle. It also includes an excellent rotating feature.

It's still a comfortable seat, but the latest version is a bit more refined. It now comes with a more refined baby-hugg inlay that looks and feels super-comfy. The shoulder straps are well-cushioned and the headrest is able to be adjusted up or down as your baby grows. It can also be removed at anytime if you wish to stop using it.

It's heavier than other infant carseats, at 4.5kg, but that shouldn't be a problem when your infant is using it for the majority of the time. You can use it with a handle for more comfortable carrying, and it's light enough to be able to lift it into and out of rideshare vehicles or taxis, too.

It's also a nice-looking seat and you can pick from a wide range of colors and patterns to fit your car. It's not the cheapest infant car seat, but it's an excellent investment and worth the extra money for your baby. It can be tricky to adjust the harness length and height, but once you've mastered the art of it it's fine. Simply pull down on the back panel and squeeze two buttons to move up or down the straps without having to rethread them.

3. Joie Calmi

If you're looking for a newborn car seat that's easy to use and cradles your baby like a cot then you should consider Joie Calmi. This dual-use carrycot and car seat is R129-certified which means it's made tough with a durable ventilated shell and a plush padding to protect your little one. It has a 3-point harness that's easily reachable with a single-pull tightening device and softly cushioned covers. It also features lateral positioning, which helps keep your baby's face in the most secure possible position in the event of collision.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, which means you can easily pop it onto and off the frame. It's easy to lift even when your baby is asleep, thanks to the adjustable handle bars. If you're looking to make an entire travel set, the iBase Encore adapters let you to connect your Calmi up with a MaxiCosi or Britax stroller.

The design of the earlier i-Spin 360 has been improved by Joie. The model was awarded a high score in the crash tests of Which? and a good rating from ADAC. The model we tested comes with a lock to prevent the seat from turning too quickly, ensuring that your baby remains rearward-facing for as long as is possible. It also has a huge sun canopy that is water-resistant and has 50+ UV protection and a mesh peekaboo that allows you to observe without disturbing the child.

If you're shopping for a car seat online, make sure you choose a store which offers free UK mainland delivery on all orders and 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 your local branch (or Sainsbury's if you are close to it). On all purchases you make, you will also earn Nectar points. Argos is another good choice for a variety of car seats, starting at PS55. They'll also ship your order free of charge and offer same-day collection in-store and free returns at any Argos store or Sainsbury's branches.

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 renowned for its premium pushchairs and prams. Our tester Jasper was a fan, describing it "the best-looking of the bunch and also the one that my child seemed to find most comfortable on long rides."

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

For infants, it comes with an adjustable and cozy padding made of soft bamboo fabric that is breathable and antibacterial. The body and head support can be removed as your child grows, and the 3 recline and 8 positions for the headrest can be adjusted to fit your child's.

The 'green' light that signals when the car seat is properly installed and is ready to use is an unique feature. This makes it an ideal choice for parents who are new to the family, and might not be aware of the proper installation and fitting of car seats. It also comes with a stowable strap that can be used in a forward-facing or rear-facing position.

Another big selling point is that it's a long-lasting vehicle fixture and you don't need to wake your sleeping baby to take out for longer journeys. It is not compatible with travel systems like the Britax Romer Dualfix plus iSize, or Joie iSpin 360 iSize. You will need to purchase a separate travel bag.

The drawback to cars with a fixed structure like the Axkid One i-size is that they're not as easy to carry around if you need to move them between vehicles. If you decide to buy a separate travel bag, choose one that is sturdy and can withstand the wear and tears of regular use. It's worth paying a bit more for a bag that will last longer than your child's car seat does.