The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety in car seats is a priority for all parents. There's a wealth of choices when it comes to finding the most suitable car seat for your little one.

The Cybex Cloud T offers enhanced side impact protection and a baby-hugging inlay. It's the best car seats new car seat in the UK. It also comes with a one-handed recline option and more than 12 headrest positions that can be adjusted to your child's growing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the premium option for taking your newborn along on trips from birth until they are toddlers. It's the newest version of the legendary Cybex Cloud line and features an innovative reclining system that gives your child an ergonomic, flat position in the car, and when used in conjunction with a pushchair as part of the travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat so it is able to be easily connected to your vehicle with the base supplied. It can be turned 360 degrees to aid in getting your baby out and in.

The car seat is made of top quality materials, and it comes in a range of fashionable colors including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It's a stylish and sophisticated choice that effortlessly matches the Cybex T line 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 can cause breathing difficulties. It can be removed once your child reaches a height of 60 cm.

When it comes to safety the car seat provides excellent protection for your child, achieving an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests by 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 crash. It also features the revolutionary Flexi-Fix system that can be stretched to fit your child's size as they develop.

If you're planning to use the car seat as part of a travel set-up with a Cybex pushchair, the unique 180deg tilt means getting your baby in and out is easy. No more awkward bending or reaching. The car seat is able to be fully reclined for added comfort on long journeys in the car. The price is slightly higher than other car seats of this age however the features it has, including the reclining feature as well as excellent safety features makes it well worth the investment.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seats is one of the most sought-after newborn car seats on the market. It is simple to use and is comfortable for babies. It is suitable from birth and can be used with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base or with your car's seat belt system. The car seat is compatible with all pushchairs, including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo, using adapters. The Baby-Hugg infant seat is included for the Best Car seat Newborn fit, better laying position, 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 between 45cm and 75cm). It is in line with the new iSize regulations that require that children be rear-facing for a greater length of time. It is compatible with the 2way family base that lets you switch from rear-facing to forward-facing within the same vehicle. It also has an excellent rotating feature.

As with the previous version it's a really comfy seat and the new version includes some improvements. It comes with a brand new, improved baby-hugging insert that feels and looks great. The shoulder straps are padded, and the headrest can be moved up or down as your baby grows. It can also be removed at anytime if you wish to end using it.

It's a bit heavier at 4.5kg than some other portable infant car seat carseats, however this shouldn't be an issue if your infant car seat best spends most of the time in it. It has a handle to make it easier to carry, and is light enough to be lifted to and from taxis or rideshare vehicles.

It's also a fashionable seat. You can choose from many different colours and patterns that will suit your car. It's not the most affordable infant car seat, but it is nevertheless a good investment and worth the extra cost for your child. Once you've got the hang of it, adjusting the harness size and height is simple. 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 in search of a new car seat that is easy to use and cradles your baby like a cot then look no further than Joie Calmi. This dual-use car seat and carrycot is certified R129. It's made tough with a tough ventilated outer shell and plush padding to protect your baby. It comes with an easy 3-point harness that is accessible via a single pull tightening mechanism and softly padded covers. It also features lateral positioning, which keeps your baby's face in a safest possible position in case of impact.

The seat's base is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, so you can easily slide it on and off the frame. With the adjustable handles, it's easy to move, even when your child is asleep. If you're looking to build an all-in-one travel system, the i-Base Encore adapters let you to pair Calmi with Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair as well.

Joie has improved on the design of its previous i-Spin 360, which earned a high test score in Which?'s crash tests and a good rating from ADAC. The latest model, which 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 has a huge, water-resistant sun canopy with 50+ UV protection and a mesh peekaboo to allow you to check in without disturbing your child.

If you're looking for a car seat online, ensure you pick a retailer that offers free UK mainland delivery on all orders and returns within 35 days. John Lewis has a great selection of baby car seat car seats with top brands like Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross, and provides free click and collect to your nearest store (or to a Sainsbury's branch if you live near by). On all purchases you can also earn Nectar points. Argos is another good choice for a broad selection of car seats, starting at PS55. You can also avail free delivery, same-day collection in-store and free returns to any Argos or Sainsbury's retailer that is a participating one.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

Silver Cross Motion is a new vehicle seat that is all-in-one from the trusted British brand, which is known for its high-end prams and pushchairs. Our test subject Jasper was a fan, describing it "the most stylish of the bunch and also the one my baby appeared to be most comfortable in on long rides."

This fully rotating R129 compliant car seat is suitable for babies up to 12 year olds. It was awarded the ADAC 2022 autumn test's award for the top baby, toddler and child car seat. It's also been tested over and beyond the regulations to ensure that your child is safe on every journey.

It includes a removable, cozy padding for infants made of soft bamboo fabrics. These bamboo fabrics are extremely breathable and antibacterial. The body insert and head support can be removed when your child gets older. You can also alter the position of the headrest and recline to accommodate.

A distinctive feature is the built-in green light' that lets you know when the car seat is properly secured and ready to use which makes it a fantastic option for parents who may be unfamiliar about the correct method to install and set up car seats. It also has a handy harness that can be used in either a rear or forward facing position.

It's also permanent, so you won't have to wake your baby in order to take them out of the car for long trips. But, it's not travel system-compatible, like the Joie iSpin 360 iSize or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus iSize (you have to purchase an additional travel infant car seat bag to do this).

The downside to cars with a fixed structure like the Axkid One i-size is that they're not as easy to carry around when you have to transport them between different cars. If you decide to buy a separate travel bag choose one that is sturdy and can stand up to the wear and tear of daily use. It's worth paying a little extra for a bag which will last for as long as your child's car seat does.