The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety in car seats is a priority for all parents. There's plenty of options when it comes down to choosing the best newborn car seat for your child.

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

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the most popular choice for taking your newborn along on trips from the moment they are born until they become toddlers. It's the most recent addition to the iconic Cybex Cloud line and features innovative reclining technology that gives your child a comfortable lie-flat position both inside the car, and when used in conjunction with a pushchair as part of a travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat which means it is able to be easily connected to your vehicle with the base that comes with it. It can be turned 360 degrees to aid in getting your baby out and in.

The car seat itself is constructed of high-quality materials and is available in a variety of fashionable colors, including Moon Black, Lava Grey, Beach Blue Plus and Seashell Beige Plus. It's a stylish and sophisticated option that matches perfectly with the Cybex T range of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is specifically designed for premature and newborn infants. This helps maintain the baby's head in a flat position, decreasing the chance that their heads may shift forward during sleep, causing breathing problems. It can be removed once your child reaches 60 cm in height.

In terms of safety, the car seat offers excellent protection for your child, scoring an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests conducted 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 case of an accident. Also, it has the innovative Flexi-Fix harness system that stretches as your child grows, ensuring that they will always have a safe fit.

The innovative 180deg rotation system makes it easy to get your baby into and out of the car seat when you use it as a part of a travel system, with a Cybex stroller. No more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat is able to be fully reclined to provide extra comfort during long journeys in the car. The price is slightly higher than other car seats of this age group, but the features it provides, such as the reclining feature and excellent safety features makes it worth the investment.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus Car Seat is one of the most popular infant car seats that are available. It's comfortable for babies and simple to use. It's suitable for infants from birth. It can be used with Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix, EasyFix base, or your car seat belt system. The car seat is also compatible with most pushchairs, including the Maxi-Cosi range as well as Quinny, iCandy and Bugaboo (using adapters). The Baby-Hugg infant support is included for an improved fit, a more comfortable in a position that is more comfortable, and provides side impact protection.

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

As with the previous version it's a comfortable seat, and the most recent version includes some improvements. It now has a much-improved baby-hugg that is super comfortable and stylish. The shoulder straps are padded and the headrest can be moved up and down as your baby grows. It can also be removed at anytime if you wish to end using it.

It's a bit heavier than some of the other infant carseats, at 4.5kg but should not be a problem when your child is in it for most of the time. You can put it on with a handle for more comfortable carrying, and it's light enough to get it in and out of rideshare cars or taxis too.

It's also a stylish seat, and you can choose from a wide selection of colours and patterns to match your car. It's not the cheapest car seat for infants, but it's still very reasonable and is worth the investment for your baby. It can be a bit difficult to adjust the height and length however once you get the hang of it, it's easy. You simply pull down on the back panel and press two buttons to adjust the height or down the straps without having to rethread them.

3. Joie Calmi

Joie Calmi is the perfect newborn car seat for your newborn. It's simple to use, and it cradles baby like a cot. This carrycot that doubles as a car seat is certified R129, which means it's built to last with a durable ventilated shell and a plush padding to protect your little one. It comes with a 3-point safety harness that can be adjusted by a single pull and softly cushioned covers. It also has lateral positioning to keep your baby's head in the safest position in case of an impact.

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

The design of the previous i-Spin 360 has been improved by Joie. This model received a high score in the crash tests of Which? and a good rating from ADAC. The model we tested comes with an electronic lock that prevents the seat from rotating too quickly, making sure that your baby remains rearward-facing as long as possible. It also boasts a large sun canopy that is water-resistant and offers 50+ UV protection, and features a mesh peekaboo windows to allow you to observe without disturbing your child.

If you're looking for a car seat online, make sure you select a retailer that offers free UK mainland delivery on all purchases and returns within 35 days. John Lewis has a great selection of infant car seats cheap car seats from top brands, including Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross and provides free click and collect to your local store (or to a Sainsbury's branch if you live close to one). You can also earn Nectar points on every purchase. Argos also has a wide selection of car seats with prices starting from PS55. You can also avail free delivery, same-day collection at the store and free returns to any Argos or Sainsbury's retailer that is a participating one.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

The reliable British brand is most well-known for its premium prams and pushchairs however, the Silver Cross Motion all-in-one car seat is making waves in the market with its. Our test subject Jasper was a fan, describing it "the best-looking of the bunch and the one my baby appeared 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 top baby toddler, child and car seat in the ADAC's autumn test in 2022. It was also tested to the extent that it exceeds the requirements to ensure your child is protected throughout every journey.

For babies, it has a removable and cosy padded insert made from soft bamboo fabric that is comfortable and breathable. It's also 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 accommodate.

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

It's also permanent, so you won't need to wake your baby up to get them out of the car on longer trips. It is not compatible with travel systems like the Britax Romer Dualfix plus iSize, or Joie iSpin 360 iSize. You'll need purchase an additional travel bag.

The downside to cars with a fixed structure like the Axkid One i-size is that they aren't as easy to carry around if you have to move them between vehicles. If you do choose to purchase an additional travel bag to carry your car seat, be sure it's a sturdy bag that is able to withstand the wear and tear that comes with frequent use. It's worth paying more for a bag that will last as long as your child's car seat does.