The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety in car seats is a top concern for all parents. There's a wealth of choices when it comes to locating the best newborn car seat for your child.

The Cybex Cloud T offers enhanced side impact protection as well as an adorable inlay. It is the best new car seat in the UK. It features 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 to take your baby with you on your journeys from birth until they are toddlers. It's the newest addition to the renowned Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technology that lets your child a flat, comfortable position in the car, or when used with a stroller as part a complete travel system. It is also an ISOFIX vehicle seat, meaning that it can easily be attached to your car by using the base that comes with it. It can be rotated to help you get your baby into and out of the seat.

The car seat is made of top quality materials, and it comes in a variety of stylish colors, including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It is a stylish and elegant option that works perfectly with the Cybex T range of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is designed for newborns and premature infants. This helps maintain the baby's head in a flat position, decreasing the chance that their heads may be able to move forward during sleep, causing breathing problems. It is removed when your child reaches 60 cm in height.

When it comes to safety the car seat offers excellent protection for your child. It scored an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests from ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V). The Cloud T i-Size comes equipped with LSP (Linear Side-impact protection) to protect your baby in the event of a collision and the innovative Flexi-Fix system that stretches to accommodate your child as they develop.

The unique 180deg rotating system makes it easy to get your baby in and out of the car seat when using it as a part of a travel system, paired with a Cybex stroller. No more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat can also be placed in a fully reclined posture to provide extra comfort on long car journeys. It does come at a somewhat higher price than some other cars seats for this age group, but the extensive list of features like the reclining option and excellent safety features make it worth the cost.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seats is among the most popular infant car seats available. It's comfortable for babies and simple to use. It is suitable for babies from birth. It can be used either with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix, EasyFix base, or with your car seat belt system. The car seat is also compatible with most pushchairs including the Maxi-Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy and Bugaboo (using adapters). The Baby-Hugg infant support is included to ensure the best fit, better laying position, and 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 - 75cm). It's compliant with new iSize regulations, which require that children sit in the rear for a greater length of time. It is compatible with the 2way family base that lets you switch from rear-facing to forward-facing on the same vehicle. It also features a handy rotating feature.

Similar to the previous version, it's a comfortable seat and the latest edition comes with some enhancements. It comes with a brand new, improved baby-hugging inlay that looks and feels great. The shoulder straps are padded and the headrest is able to be moved up and down as your baby grows. It is also able to be removed at any time if you want to remove it.

It's a bit heavier at 4.5kg than some other infant carseats, however this shouldn't be a problem for a baby who spends the majority of the time in it. It comes with a handle to make it easier to carry, and is light enough to lift into and out of taxis or rideshare vehicles.

It's also a stylish seat. You can pick from a variety of colours and designs that will fit your car. It's not the most affordable infant car seat, but it's still affordable and is worth the investment for your baby. It can be difficult to adjust the harness's height and length, but once you get the hang of it, it's easy. You can adjust the straps by pulling them down on the back panel, pressing two buttons simultaneously.

3. Joie Calmi

If you're looking for a baby car seat that is simple to use and holds your baby like a cot, then look no further than Joie Calmi. This dual-use carrycot and car seat is R129-certified, meaning that it's built tough with a sturdy ventilated shell and plush cushioning to hold your infant. It features a 3-point harness that's easily accessible via a single pull tightening mechanism and softly cushioned covers. It also has lateral positioning to keep your baby's head at the safest position in case of an accident.

The seat's base is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, so you can easily pop it onto and off the frame. With the adjustable handle bars, it's a breeze to lift even when your child is asleep. If you want to create an all-in-one travel system, the iBase Encore adapters permit you to connect Calmi with Maxi-Cosi Coral 360 Lightweight Baby Car Seat or Britax pushchair too.

Joie has improved the design of its earlier i-Spin 360, which earned the highest test score in the crash tests of Which? and a Good rating from ADAC. The model we tested includes an electronic lock that prevents the seat from rotating too fast, ensuring that your child remains rear-facing as long as possible. It also has a huge sun canopy that's water resistant and provides 50+ UV protection and has a mesh peekaboo window that lets you check in without disturbing your child.

If you're shopping for a car seat online, ensure you select a retailer that offers free UK mainland delivery on all orders and returns within 35 days. John Lewis offers a wide selection of infant car seats from top brands like Maxi-Cosi, Silver Cross and Cybex. Click and collect is free to any branch in your area (or Sainsbury's if you are nearby). On 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 Sainsbury's branch.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

Silver Cross Motion is a new all-in-one vehicle seat from the reputable British brand that is known for its premium pushchairs and prams. Jasper, our tester, loved it. He said it was "the most stylish of the bunch." My child seemed to be most comfortable on long drives."

This fully rotating R129-compliant car seat can take your newborn all the way up to 12 years of age, and won the best baby, toddler and child car seat award at the ADAC's test for the autumn of 2022. It's also been tested over and beyond the regulations to ensure that your child's safety on every journey.

It is equipped with a removable, cozy cushioned insert for infants composed of soft bamboo fabrics. These are super breathable and antibacterial. The head and body inserts as well as the support can be removed when your child grows. You can also alter the position of the headrest and recline to suit.

The 'green' light that indicates when the car seat has been properly fitted and is ready for use is a unique feature. This makes it an ideal choice for new parents, who might not be aware of the correct installation and fitting of car seats. It also comes with a stowable harness which can be used in either a 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. 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 for this).

The drawback to permanently fixed car seats like the Axkid One i-size is that they're not as convenient to carry around if you need to transport them between different vehicles. If you do choose to purchase an additional travel bag for your car seat, ensure that it's a durable one that is able to withstand the wear and tear that comes with frequent use. It's worth paying a bit more to get a bag that will last for as long as the car seat of your child.