The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Car seat safety is a top rated infant car seats priority for any parent. There are many options available when it comes to choosing 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 best infant car seat UK. It features a one-handed recline and 12 headrest positions that adjust to your child's growing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the best choice to take your baby to the road from the time they're born until toddlers. It's the newest addition to the iconic Cybex Cloud line and features an innovative reclining system that gives your child an ergonomic, flat position in the car, and when used alongside a pushchair in the context of a travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat which means it is able to be easily connected to your vehicle using the base supplied. It can also be rotated 360 degrees to help get your baby in and out.

The Car Seat Newborn seat is made of high-quality materials, and it comes in a variety of stylish 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 to ensure a safe, near-flat position that reduces the risk of their heads bouncing forward during sleep, which can cause breathing problems. This can be removed when your child reaches 60 cm in height.

In terms of safety, the car seat provides excellent protection for your child, scoring an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests from ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V). The Cloud T iSize is equipped with LSP (Linear Side-impact Protection) to protect your child from being thrown around the seat in the event of an accident and the revolutionary Flexi-Fix harness system which stretches when your child grows, ensuring that they will always have a safe fit.

If you're planning to use the car seat as part of a travel system with a Cybex pushchair, the revolutionary 180deg rotation ensures that getting your baby out and in is easy. No more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat is also capable of fully reclined for extra comfort on long car rides. It does come at a slightly higher cost than other car seats for this age group, but the numerous features including the reclining option and the excellent safety features make it worth the cost.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seats is among the most sought-after newborn car seat insert car seats that are available. It's easy to use and is comfortable for babies. It's suitable from birth and can be used with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base or in conjunction with your car's 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 seat is included for a better fit, laying in a more upright position, and also side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus car seat is a member of Group 0+ that means it can be used for babies as young as 12 months (45cm – 75cm). It's compliant with new iSize regulations that require that children sit in the rear for a longer period of time. It's compatible with the 2way Family base, which allows you to switch between rear and forward facing in the same car and has a handy rotation feature.

It's still a very comfortable seat, but the latest version is a bit more refined. It's now got a better baby-hugg inlay which is super comfortable and stylish. The shoulder straps are well-cushioned and the headrest can be moved up and down as your baby grows. It can also be removed at any time to remove it.

It's a little heavier at 4.5kg than some other newborn car seat insert carseats, but it shouldn't pose a problem if your infant spends most of the day in it. It can be used with a handle for easier carrying, and it's light enough to lift in and out of rideshare vehicles or taxis as well.

It's also a stylish seat. You can choose from many different colours and designs that will fit your car. It's not the cheapest car seat for infants, but it's still affordable and well worth the extra cost for your baby. Once you've mastered it making adjustments to the harness's height and size is easy. You can adjust the straps by pulling down on the back panel and pressing two buttons simultaneously.

3. Joie Calmi

Joie Calmi is the ideal infant car seat for a newborn baby. It's easy to use, and can be used as a cot for baby. This dual-use car seat as well as carrycot is certified R129. It's built to last with a durable ventilated exterior shell and a plush padding to cradle you baby. It features a 3-point safety harness that can be adjusted with just a single pull and softly cushioned covers. It also has lateral positioning, which keeps your baby's face in the most secure possible position in case of impact.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie's Aeria and Finiti pushchairs, meaning you can pop it off and back on the frame with ease. With the adjustable handles, it's easy to lift even when your child is asleep. If you want to create an all-in-one travel system, the i-Base Encore adapters let you to pair Calmi with a Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair as well.

The design of the prior i-Spin 360 has been improved by Joie. The model was awarded an excellent score in the crash tests conducted by Which?, and a good rating from ADAC. The model we tested includes locks to stop the seat from turning too quickly, ensuring that your baby remains rearward-facing for as long as it is possible. It also comes with a large 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 are looking online for car seats, choose a retailer who provides free delivery to the UK mainland for all orders. They should also accept returns within 35 days. John Lewis offers a wide range of car seats for newborns from top brands like Maxi-Cosi, Silver Cross and Cybex. Click and collect is free to your local branch (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 also ship your order free of charge, offer same-day in-store collection and free returns at any Argos store or Sainsbury's branches.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

The most trusted British brand is best known for its premium prams and pushchairs, but the Silver Cross Motion all-in-one car seat is making a name for itself. Our test subject Jasper loved it, describing it "the most attractive of the bunch and the one my baby appeared to find most comfortable on long rides."

This fully rotating infant car seat R129 safe car seat is suitable for newborns up to 12 years old. It won the ADAC 2022 autumn test's award for the most effective toddler, infant and child car seat. It was also tested above the rules to ensure your child is safe throughout every journey.

For infants, it comes with an easy-to-remove and comfortable padding made of soft bamboo fabric that's breathable and antibacterial. The body insert and head support can be removed when your child gets older. You can also alter the recline and headrest positions to fit your child's.

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

It's also a permanent fixture, so you won't have to wake your baby to get them out of the car for longer trips. It's not compatible with travel systems such as the Britax Romer Dualfix plus iSize or the Joie iSpin 360 iSize. You will need to purchase an additional travel bag.

The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat that is permanently fixed. They're not as easy to move between cars. If you decide to buy an additional travel bag, pick one that is durable and can endure the wear and tear of daily use. It's worth paying a bit more for a bag that will last longer than your child's car seat.