The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

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

With a soft baby-hugg inlay and enhanced side impact protection, the Cybex Cloud T is the best infant car seat UK. It also comes with a one-handed recline option and more than 12 headrest positions that adapt to the growing body of your child.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T is the premium car seats by age seat that has everything you need to take your newborn on journeys from birth right through to their toddler years. It's the latest addition to the iconic Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technologies that give your child a comfortable and reclining position in the car when used in conjunction with a stroller as part of a complete travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat so it is able to be easily connected to your vehicle with the base provided, it can also be rotated 360 degrees to help get your baby in and out.

The car seat is made of top quality materials, and it comes in a variety of trendy colors including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It's a chic and elegant option that works seamlessly with the Cybex T range of prams. It also includes the Newborn Inlay for newborns and premature babies which helps to ensure a safe, near-flat position that minimizes the chance of their heads moving forward during sleep, potentially leading to breathing difficulties. This can be removed once your child is 60 centimeters 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 i-Size is equipped with LSP (Linear Side-impact protection) to safeguard your baby in the event of a crash and the revolutionary Flexi-Fix system that can be stretched to fit your child as they develop.

If you're planning to use the car seat as part of a travel system with a Cybex pushchair, the revolutionary 180deg rotation means that getting your baby in and out is easy. No more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat can be set in a fully reclined position for added comfort during long car trips. The price is slightly higher than other car seats for this age range but the features it has, including the reclining feature as well as excellent safety features make it worth the cost.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat is one of the most popular newborn car seats on the market. It is comfortable for infants and easy to use. It is suitable for babies from birth. It is compatible with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base, or with your car seat belt system. The car seat can be used with a variety of pushchairs, including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo, using adapters. It includes the Baby-Hugg infant headrest 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 is suitable for use for babies ranging from birth until 12 months old (45cm to 75cm). It is compliant 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, which allows you to switch between forward-facing and rear-facing on the same vehicle. It also includes an excellent rotating feature.

Similar to the previous version, it's a really comfy seat, and the most recent version includes some improvements. It features a new, improved baby-hugging insert that feels and looks great. The shoulder straps are well-cushioned and the headrest can be adjusted up or down as your baby grows. You can remove it at any time in case you decide not to use it any more.

It's a bit heavier than other infant car seat rear facing carseats, at 4.5kg, but that should not be a problem when your child is using it most of the time. You can use it with a handle for easier carrying, and it's lightweight enough to lift in and out of rideshare vehicles or taxis as well.

It's also a good-looking seat and you can pick from a wide range of colors and patterns to match your car. It's not the cheapest infant car seat newborn seat, but it is an excellent investment that is worth the money for your baby. Once you've mastered it, adjusting the harness height and size is easy. You can adjust the straps by pulling down on the back panel, pressing two buttons simultaneously.

3. Joie Calmi

Joie Calmi is the perfect newborn car seat for a newborn baby. It's easy to use, and is a great cot-like baby sitter. This dual-use carrycot and car seat is R129-certified meaning that it's built tough with a sturdy ventilated shell and plush padding to protect your little one. It features a 3-point safety harness that is adjusted with just a single pull, and softly cushioned covers. Additionally, it has lateral positioning to keep your baby's head in the most secure position in the event of an accident.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, which means you can easily slide it onto and off the frame. Additionally, with the adjustable handles, it's easy to move even when your bundle of joy is asleep. If you're planning to create a travel system, then the iBase Encore adapters permit you to connect Calmi with a Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair, too.

The design of the prior i-Spin 360 has been improved by Joie. This model received an excellent score in the crash tests conducted by Which?, and a Good rating from ADAC. The latest model, which we tested, features a lock that will stop you from rotating the seat too quickly, making sure your baby stays rearward-facing for as long as possible. It also has a huge sun canopy that is water-resistant and provides 50+ UV protection, and features a mesh peekaboo windows that lets you check in without disturbing your child.

If you're looking to purchase 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 range of newborn car seats from top brands, such as Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross, and offers free click and pick up to your nearest store (or to a Sainsbury's branch if you are close to one). You can also collect Nectar points on all purchases. Argos also offers a good selection of car seats with prices starting from 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 all-in-one vehicle seat from the reputable British brand that is renowned for its high-end pushchairs and prams. Our test subject Jasper was a fan, describing it "the best car Seat newborn-looking of the bunch and also the one my baby appeared to be most comfortable on long rides."

This fully rotating R129 compliant car seat is suitable for infants up to 12 year olds. It won the ADAC 2022 Autumn Test's award for the best toddler, infant and child car seat. It has also been tested beyond the regulations to ensure your child is safe during every trip.

It comes with a removable, cosy padded insert for newborns made of soft bamboo fabric. These fabrics are super comfortable and breathable, as well as 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.

The 'green' light that indicates when the car seat is correctly installed and is now ready to use is an unique feature. This makes it a perfect choice for parents who may not be familiar with 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.

Another reason to buy it is that it's a permanent fixture in the car which means you don't have to wake up your sleepy newborn to get them out for longer trips. It is not compatible with travel systems such as the Britax Romer Dualfix plus iSize, or Joie iSpin 360 iSize. You will need to purchase an additional travel bag.

The drawback to cars with a fixed structure 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 decide to purchase an additional travel bag, select one that is strong and able to stand up to the wear and tear of daily use. It's worth spending a little more to get a bag that will last for as long as the car seat of your child.