Which is the best infant carrier for your baby? Babyworld asked parents to test eight popular seats and give us their verdict.
What to look for
A first stage car seat, or infant carrier, is used to secure your baby safely in the
car in a rear-facing position. Out of the car it should be light enough to carry your baby
in and double up as low, supportive, rocking chair at home.
Give yourself plenty of time to choose the right car seat for you, but remember that
you will need to buy it in time to take your newborn home from hospital.
All first car seats should conform to European Standard R44.03 They are sold according
to the weight of the baby and are suitable up to a weight of either 10kg (usually around 6
to 9 months) or 13kg (around 12 to 15 months).
Experts now believe that babies are safest in rear-facing seats for as long possible.
However, your baby may become too tall for an infant carrier before he reaches the
recommended weight limit, and some parents find that they cannot comfortably carry a baby
of 13kg in a car seat.
Some car seats are part of a travel system which means they will fit onto a specific
chassis to form a pushchair
For more guidelines on points to look for see Car safety under How to choose
Test results in brief
All prices are approximate. For the best deal visit the babyworld shop or your local
stockists
Moulded polystyrene seats
| Nest ‘n’ rest Deluxe | |
| Manufacturer | Jeenay |
| Price | £20 or £34.99 including sun shade and all-in-one head-hugger/footmuff. |
| Weight | 1.5kg |
| Age guide | For babies up to 10kg |
| Babyworld verdict | Score = 10/10 A neat, good value infant carrier. We would especially recommend it for those on a tight budget or having a winter baby. |
| Cygnet | |
| Manufacturer | Bettacare |
| Price | £47.99 including head hugger |
| Weight | 1.8kg |
| Age guide | For babies up to 13kg |
| Babyworld verdict | Score = 10/10 An extremely lightweight seat yet still solid and stable. Some useful features make this seat excellent value and very user-friendly. |
Moulded plastic seats
| Go Safe Start | |
| Manufacturer | Cosatto |
| Price | £70 including combined head hugger and wedge back support |
| Weight | 3.5kg |
| Age guide | For babies up to 13kg |
| Babyworld verdict | Score = 9/10 Pricey, but with some useful features. This is the one we would recommend if money is no object and the weight doesn’t worry you. |
| Rock-a-Tot |
|
| Manufacturer | Britax |
| Price | £60 |
| Weight | 2.5kg |
| Age guide | For babies up to 13kg |
| Babyworld verdict | Score = 8/10 The lightest of the moulded plastic styles we tested, so good if you have back problems. Solid, well designed but pricey since no accessories included. |
| Prima | |
| Manufacturer | Klippan |
| Price | £49.99 |
| Weight | 2.8kg |
| Age guide | For babies up to 13kg |
| Babyworld verdict | Score = 8/10 A bit roomy for a newborn baby, but otherwise a user-friendly, trouble-free seat which will see your baby through to the upper weight limit for a very good price. |
| Uni-Traveller | |
| Manufacturer | Mamas & Papas |
| Price | £60 including sun canopy |
| Weight | 3.3kg |
| Age guide | For babies up to 10kg |
| Babyworld verdict | Score = 8/10 A neat, versatile, well padded seat which functions well. Only suitable to 10kg but shaped well for the early months. |
| Silver Cross car seat |
|
| Manufacturer | Silver Cross |
| Price | £79 including head hugger |
| Weight | 3.8kg |
| Age guide | For babies up to 10kg |
| Babyworld verdict | Score = 7/10 A good quality, well-made seat but expensive compared to the others. Worth considering if you are going for the full travel system. |
| Orbit Deluxe |
|
| Manufacturer | Mothercare |
| Price | £69.99 including head hugger and sun canopy |
| Weight | 2.6kg |
| Age guide | For babies up to 13kg |
| Babyworld verdict | Score 7/10 Solid, functional, value-for-money seat. There’s plenty of leg room but this does make the seat quite tricky to fit in some cars. |
August 1999
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