The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety of your car seat is a top concern for any parent. There are many options available when it comes to selecting the most suitable car seat for your newborn for your child.

With a cozy baby-hugg insert and enhanced side impact protection The Cybex Cloud T is the most comfortable car seat for newborns in the UK. It comes with a single-handed recline and 12 headrest positions to adjust to your child's changing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T is the premium car seat that includes everything you need to take your newborn to their first journey right up until they reach their toddler years. It's the newest addition to the iconic Cybex Cloud line and features innovative reclining technology that gives your child a comfortable lie-flat position inside the car, and when used alongside a pushchair in the context of a travel system. It is also an ISOFIX vehicle seat, meaning that it can easily be attached to your car using the base provided. It can also be rotated to assist you in helping get your baby in and out of the seat.

The car seat is constructed of high-quality materials, and comes in a range of fashionable colours including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It's a chic and sophisticated option that matches seamlessly with the Cybex T range of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is specifically designed for premature infants. This helps maintain a near-flat position, reducing the possibility that their heads will move forward while sleeping, causing breathing problems. It can be removed when your child reaches 60 cm in height.

The Nania BELINE Car Seat Group 1/2/3 - Adjustable Headrest: Ultimate Safety and Comfort for Your Child seat is an excellent option for safety, since it 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 prevent your baby from being thrown out of the seat in the event of an accident and the revolutionary Flexi-Fix harness system that expands as your child grows, ensuring they are always in a secure fit.

The innovative 180deg rotation system makes it easy to get your baby in and out of the car seat when using it as part of a travel system, paired with a Cybex stroller. There is no more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat is also equipped to fully recline for added comfort on long car journeys. The price is slightly higher than other car seats in this age, but the features it has, including the reclining feature and excellent safety features make it worth the investment.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seats is among the most popular infant car seat that swivels car seats on the market. It's a comfortable seat for babies and easy to use. It's suitable for babies from birth. It is compatible with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix, EasyFix base, or with your car seat belt system. The car seat can be used with all pushchairs, including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo by using adapters. It comes with the Baby-Hugg infant head support to allow for a better fit and the position of the child's head and side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus is a Group 0+ car seat, which means it can be used with babies from birth to 12 months old (45cm - 75cm). It is in line with the new iSize regulations, which require that children be rear-facing for a greater length of time. It is compatible with the 2way family base that allows you to switch between forward-facing and rear-facing on the same vehicle. It also features a handy rotating feature.

As with the previous version it's a comfortable seat and the new version has some improvements. It features a new, improved baby-hugging insert that looks and feels great. The shoulder straps are well-cushioned and the headrest can be moved up or down as your baby grows. You can remove it at any point, when you do not want to use it any more.

It's a little heavier at 4.5kg than other newborn carseats, but this shouldn't be an issue when your baby spends the majority of the time in it. It can be used with a handle to make it easier carrying, and it's light enough to be able to lift it into and out of rideshare vehicles or taxis as well.

It's also a good-looking seat and you can select from a variety of colors and patterns to suit your car. It's not the most affordable infant car seat, but it is an excellent investment that is worth the money for your baby. It can be tricky to adjust the height and length but once you've mastered the art of it, it's a breeze. You can adjust the straps by pulling them down on the back panel, pressing two buttons at the same time.

3. Joie Calmi

If you're looking for a newborn car seat that's super easy to use and cradles your baby like a cot, then look no further than Joie Calmi. This car seat that doubles as a carrycot is certified by R129. It's built tough with a durable ventilated outer shell and a plush padding to protect your little one. It comes with an easy 3-point harness that is accessible with one-pull tightening and softly padded covers. It also features lateral positioning, which keeps your baby's face in the most secure possible position in case of impact.

The seat's base is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, so you can easily slide it onto and off the frame. It's easy to lift even if your baby is asleep thanks to the adjustable handle bars. If you're planning to create an all-in-one travel system, the i-Base Encore adapters allow you to pair Calmi with a Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair too.

Joie has improved on the design of its previous i-Spin 360, which earned an excellent score in Which?'s crash tests as well as a Good rating from ADAC. The latest model that we tested has a lock that prevents you from rotating the seat to face forward too soon, ensuring your child remains rear-facing for as long as is possible. It also comes with a large sun canopy that's water repellent and provides 50+ UV protection, and includes a mesh peekaboo window that lets you observe without disturbing your child.

If you are looking online for car seats, choose an online retailer that offers free delivery to the UK mainland on all purchases. They should also accept returns within 35 days. John Lewis offers a wide selection 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 near). You can also collect Nectar points on all purchases. Argos is another good choice for a variety of car seats, with prices starting at PS55. They'll even deliver your order for free and offer same-day collection in-store and free returns at any Argos store or participating 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, which is known for its high-end pushchairs and prams. Our test subject Jasper loved it, describing it "the best-looking of the bunch and the one my daughter seemed to find most comfortable on long rides."

This fully rotating R129 certified car seat is suitable for babies up to 12 years old. It was awarded the ADAC 2022 Autumn Test's award for the best child, baby and toddler car seat. It has also been tested above the rules to ensure that your child is protected during every trip.

It includes a removable, cozy padding for infants made of soft bamboo fabrics. These fabrics are super 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 also be adjusted to suit.

A unique feature is the built-in green light' that signals that the car seat is secured and ready to use which makes it a fantastic choice for new parents who may be unfamiliar with the proper way to install and fit car seats. It also has a handy stowable harness which can be used in either the rear or forward facing position.

Another big selling point is that it's a long-lasting vehicle fixture and you don't need to wake up your sleepy baby to take them out for longer trips. But, it's not travel system-compatible, like the Joie I-Spin 360 iSize or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus i-Size (you have to purchase an additional travel bag for this).

The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat. They are not as simple to transport between cars. If you decide to purchase a separate travel bag choose one that is sturdy and able to stand up to the wear and tear of regular use. It's worth spending a little more to get a bag that will last as long as the car seat of your child.