“A poorly fitted car seat is as good as no car seat at all”, says in-car safety advisor Phil Emmans. So many parents have problems finding and fitting the correct car seat for their car. So, we have compiled this guide to ensure that your precious bundle is safe in his car seat.

Buying your car seat

• The different types of car seat
• Which size?
• What to look for
• Buying secondhand
• Useful accessories
• What the law says

How to fit your car seat

• Step by step guide to installing a car seat
• Where to go for extra help with fitting
• Common problems

There are three main points to remember:

• Buy a car seat to suit your baby’s weight, not age. As soon as your baby’s weight exceeds the limit, move on to the next stage
• Not all car seats fit all cars; check that the model you have chosen will fit your car. Get professional advice if you are at all unsure
• Buy a car seat because it has safety features that improve fit and protection, not because it has attractive fabric choices or good value accessories

Where to next?

• Find out which car seats rate highly with our panel of parents in our product test
• Get the lowdown on travelling with a baby
• Talk to other parents about travelling with tots in our Travel discussion forum
• Win car seats and other baby essential by entering our competitions