The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety in car seats is a top priority for all parents. Thankfully, there's an abundance 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 most comfortable car seat for newborns in the UK. It features a one-handed recline and 12 headrest positions that adjust to your child's changing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T is the top car seat that comes with everything you require to take your baby on adventures from birth until they reach toddler years. It's the newest addition to the iconic Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technology that lets your child a lie-flat ergonomic position in the car, or when used with a stroller as part the complete travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat so it is able to be easily connected to your vehicle using the base provided, it can even be rotated 360 degrees to assist in getting your baby out and in.

The car seat itself is made from high-quality materials and comes in a range of stylish colors, including Moon Black, Lava Grey, Beach Blue Plus and Seashell Beige Plus. It is a stylish and sophisticated option that matches seamlessly with the Cybex T range of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is specifically designed for premature infants. This assists in maintaining an upright position, which reduces the possibility that their heads move forward during sleep, causing breathing issues. This can be removed once your child reaches 60 centimeters in height.

In terms of safety, the car seat provides excellent protection for your child. It scored 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 innovative Flexi-Fix system that can be stretched to fit your child as they expand.

The innovative 180deg rotating system makes it simple to get your baby into and out of the car seat when you are using it as part of a travel system, with a Cybex stroller. No more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat is capable of fully reclined for added comfort on long car rides. The price is slightly higher than other car seat for newborn seats of this age, but the features it offers including the reclining feature and excellent safety features makes it well worth the cost.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus Car Seat is one of the most popular newborn car seats that are available. It is easy to use and comfortable for infants. It's suitable for babies 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 with adapters. The Baby-Hugg portable infant car seat seat is included to ensure an improved fit, a more comfortable position, and side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus is a Group 0+ car seat which means it can be used for babies ranging from birth until 12 months old (45cm - 75cm). It's compliant with new iSize regulations that require that children sit in the rear for a longer period of time. It is compatible with the 2way family base that allows you to switch from rear-facing to forward-facing on the same vehicle and features an easy-to-use rotating feature.

It's still a very comfortable seat, but the new version has some improvements. It comes with a brand new, better baby-hugging inlay that looks and feels great. The shoulder straps are well-cushioned and the headrest can be moved up or down as your baby grows. It is also possible to remove it at any time to remove it.

It is a little heavier at 4.5kg than other infant carseats, however this shouldn't be a problem if your infant car seat that swivels spends most of the day in it. You can use it with a handle for more comfortable transport, and it's light enough to get it in and out of rideshare cars or taxis, too.

It's also a nice-looking seat, and you can choose from a wide selection of colours and patterns to match your car. It's not the most cost-effective infant car seat in front seat car seat, but it is still a great investment and worth the extra money for your baby. It can be difficult to adjust the harness's length and height but once you've got the hang of it, it's a breeze. Simply pull down on the back panel, and squeeze together two buttons to adjust the height or down the straps without the need to rethread them.

3. Joie Calmi

Joie Calmi is a great newborn car seat. It's simple to use, and it is a great cot-like baby sitter. This dual-use carrycot and car seat is R129-certified which means it's made tough with a sturdy ventilated shell and a plush padding to protect your infant. It features a 3-point safety harness that is adjusted with a single pull, and softly cushioned covers. It also features lateral positioning, which keeps your baby's face in the safest possible position in case of impact.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, so it's easy to pop it on and off the frame. Additionally, with the adjustable handles, it's easy to lift, even when your child is asleep. If you're looking to make an entire travel set, the iBase Encore adapters let you to connect your Calmi together with a MaxiCosi or Britax stroller.

Joie has improved on the design of its previous i-Spin 360, which earned a high test score in the crash tests of Which? and a Good rating from ADAC. The model we tested comes with locks to stop you from rotating the seat too quickly, making sure that your child is rear-facing for as long as is possible. It also has a large sun canopy that is water-resistant, with 50+ UV protection as well as a mesh peekaboo to allow you to observe without disturbing the child.

If you're shopping for a car seat online, make sure you choose a store which offers free UK mainland delivery on all orders and returns within 35 days. John Lewis has a great selection of infant car seats from top brands, such as Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross and also provides free click and collect to the nearest store (or to a Sainsbury's branch if you are near by). You can also collect Nectar points on all purchases. Argos also offers a good range of car seats at prices starting at PS55. You can also enjoy free delivery, same-day collection in-store and free returns to any Argos or participating Sainsbury's store.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

Silver Cross Motion is a new vehicle seat that is all-in-one from the reputable British brand, which is known for its premium prams and pushchairs. Jasper who was our test subject, loved it. He said it was "the most fashionable of the bunch and my child seemed to be most comfortable on long drives."

This fully rotating R129 safe car seat is suitable for babies all the way to 12 years old. It was awarded the ADAC 2022 autumn test's award for the most effective baby, toddler and child 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 adjustable and cozy padded insert made from soft bamboo fabrics that's super breathable and antibacterial. The head support and body insert can be removed as your child grows and the 3 recline and 8 headrest positions can be adjusted to fit your child's.

One of the most distinctive features is the built-in 'green light' that signals when the car seat is properly secured and ready to use, making it a great option for parents who aren't sure about the correct method to install and fit car seats. It also has a handy harness that can be used in either the rear or forward-facing position.

Another big selling point is that it's a permanent vehicle fixture which means you don't have to wake your sleeping newborn to get them out for longer trips. However, it's not travel system-compatible, like the Joie I-Spin 360 iSize or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus i-Size (you have to purchase an additional travel bag for this).

The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat that is permanently fixed. They're not as simple to transport between cars. If you do choose to buy an additional travel bag for your car seat, ensure that it's a durable one that is able to withstand the wear and tear that comes with frequent use. It's worth spending a little more to purchase a bag that will last as long as the car seat of your child.