The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety of your car seat is a top concern for every parent. There are a myriad of options when it comes down to choosing the best newborn car seats for your child.

The Cybex Cloud T offers enhanced side impact protection and an adorable inlay. It's the most comfortable new car seat UK. It comes with a single-handed recline and 12 headrest positions that adjust to your child's changing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T is the premium car seat that has everything you need to take your infant to their first journey right through to their toddler years. It's the latest version of the legendary Cybex Cloud line and features the latest reclining technology that allows your child an ergonomic lie-flat position both inside the car and when used with a pushchair as part of the travel system. It is also an ISOFIX vehicle seat, which means it can easily be attached to your vehicle by using the base supplied. It can even be rotated to help you get your baby in and out of the seat.

The car seat itself is constructed of top-quality materials. It comes in a range of stylish colours such as Moon Black, Lava Grey, Beach Blue Plus and Seashell Beige Plus. It's a sleek and sophisticated choice that seamlessly matches with the Cybex T line of prams. It also comes with a Newborn Inlay for newborns and premature babies to ensure a secure, nearly flat position that reduces the possibility of their heads flopping forward during sleep, which can cause breathing problems. This can be removed once your child is at least 60 cm in height.

The car seat is an excellent option for safety as it scored a dazzling 1.7 in crash tests conducted by ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V.). The Cloud T i-Size features LSP (Linear Side-impact Protection) to safeguard your baby from being thrown around the seat in the event of an accident and the revolutionary Flexi-Fix harness system that stretches as your child grows to ensure they always have a secure fit.

If you're planning to use the car seat as part of a travel system with a Cybex pushchair, the unique 180deg rotation means that getting your baby in and out is a breeze - no more awkward bending or reaching. The car seat is also able to be fully reclined for added comfort on long journeys in the car. It does come at a slightly higher cost than some other cars seats for this age group, but the wide array of features like the reclining option and excellent safety features make it well worth the money.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

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

The Pebble Plus car seat is classified as a Group 0+ which means it can be used by children as young as 12 months (45cm to 75cm). It meets the new i-Size regulations which require children to remain rear facing for longer. It is compatible with the 2way Family base which allows you to switch between forward and rear facing on the same car and also has a handy rotating feature.

Similar to the previous version, it's a comfortable seat and the latest edition comes with some enhancements. It features a new, better baby-hugging inlay that feels and looks great. The shoulder straps have been covered in padding and the headrest has been made adjustable to accommodate the growth of your baby. You can remove it at any time in case you decide not to use it any more.

It is a little heavier at 4.5kg than some other infant carseats, however it shouldn't pose a problem when your baby spends the majority of the day in it. You can use it with a handle to make it easier carrying, and it's lightweight enough to get it in and out of rideshare cars or taxis too.

It's also a stylish seat that is stylish. You can pick from a variety of colors and patterns that will suit your car. It's not the cheapest infant car seat, but it is still a great investment that is worth the cost for your child. Once you've got the hang of it making adjustments to the harness's height and size is easy. You simply pull down on the back panel, and squeeze together two buttons to adjust the height or down the straps without needing to rethread them.

3. Joie Calmi

If you're looking for a baby car seat that's easy to use and cradles your baby like a cot then you should consider Joie Calmi. This dual-use car seat as well as carrycot is certified by R129. It's built to last with a durable ventilated outer shell and soft padding to cradle you baby. It features an easy 3-point harness that is reachable with a single-pull tightening device and softly cushioned covers. Plus, it features the ability to lateralize your baby's head at the safest position in case of an impact.

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 handle bars, it's easy to lift even when your baby 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 as well.

Joie has improved on the design of its earlier i-Spin 360, which earned an excellent score in Which?'s crash tests and a good rating from ADAC. The most recent model, which we tested, has a lock that prevents you from turning the seat too soon, ensuring your child remains rear-facing for as long as possible. It also comes with a large sun canopy that is water-resistant and offers 50+ UV protection and has a mesh peekaboo window to allow you to check in without disturbing your child.

If you are looking online for car seat, select an online retailer that provides free delivery to the UK mainland on all purchases. They should also accept returns within 35 days. John Lewis offers a wide variety 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 close to it). You can also earn Nectar points on all purchases. Argos also offers a good selection of car seats with prices starting at PS55. You can also get free delivery, same-day collection in-store and free returns to any Argos or Sainsbury's store that is participating.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

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

This fully rotating R129 safe car seat is suitable for infants up to 12 year olds. It was awarded the ADAC 2022 autumn test's award for the best child, baby and toddler car seat. It has also been tested to the extent that it exceeds the requirements to ensure that 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 and head support can be removed as your child grows and the 3 recline and 8 headrest positions can be adjusted to accommodate.

The 'green' light that indicates that the car seat is properly installed and is ready for use is an exclusive feature. This makes it a perfect choice for parents who are new to the family, and might not be aware of the proper installation and fitting of car seats. It also comes with a convenient stowable strap that can be used in the forward or rear-facing position.

It's also an ongoing fixture, meaning you won't need to wake your baby in order to take them out of the car on longer journeys. It's 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 drawback to permanently fixed car seats like the Axkid One i-size is that they're not as convenient to carry around if you need to move them between vehicles. If you do choose to buy an additional travel bag for your car seat newborn seat, ensure that it's a durable one that can keep up with the wear and tear of frequent use. It's worth paying a little extra for a bag that will last as long as your child's car seat.