The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

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

With a cozy baby-hugg insert and enhanced side impact protection, the Cybex Cloud T is the most comfortable car seat for newborns in the UK. It also has a one-handed recline setting and no less than 12 headrest positions that can be adjusted to your child's changing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the most popular choice for taking your newborn along on trips from birth until they are toddlers. It's the latest version of the legendary Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technologies that give your child a comfortable and reclining position in the car, or when used with a stroller as part of a complete travel system. It's also an ISOFIX car seat which means it is able to be easily connected to your vehicle using the base that comes with it. It can also be rotated 360 degrees to help get your child in and out.

The car seat is made of high-quality materials, and is available in a range of fashionable colors including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue 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, flat position that reduces the risk of their heads moving forward during sleep, potentially leading to breathing problems. It can be removed when your child reaches 60 cm in height.

The car seat is a great choice for safety, as it has scored an impressive 1.7 in crash tests by ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V.). The Cloud T iSize 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 stretches to fit your child as they grow.

If you're planning to use the car seat as part of a travel system that includes a Cybex pushchair, the revolutionary 180deg tilt means getting your baby in and out is easy. No more awkward reaching or twisting. The car seat can be set in a fully reclined position to provide extra comfort on long car journeys. The cost is a bit higher than other car seats of this age, but the features it has, including the reclining feature as well as excellent safety features make it worth the investment.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus Car Seat is among the most popular newborn car seats that are available. It is comfortable for infants and easy to use. It's suitable from birth and can be used with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix or EasyFix base or in conjunction with your car's seat belt system. The car seat is also compatible with most pushchairs including the Maxi-Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy and Bugaboo (using adapters). It comes with the Baby-Hugg infant headrest to allow for a better fit and laying position and side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus car Seat for newborn seat is a member of Group 0+ which means it can be used by babies as young as 12 months (45cm – 75cm). It is compliant with the new iSize regulations that require that children remain rear-facing for a greater length of time. It's compatible with the 2way Family base, which allows you to switch between rear facing infant car seat and forward facing in the same car and comes with a handy rotation feature.

It's still a very comfortable seat, but the new version has a few improvements. It features a new, improved baby-hugging insert that is both beautiful and comfortable. The shoulder straps are padded and the headrest can be moved up or down as your baby grows. You can remove it at any point, when you do not want to use it again.

It is a little heavier at 4.5kg than some other infant carseats, however this shouldn't be a problem when your baby spends the majority of the time in it. It has a handle to make it easier to carry, and is lightweight enough to be carried into and out of taxis or rideshare vehicles.

It's also a fashionable seat that is stylish. You can choose from a variety of colors and designs that will fit your car. It's not the cheapest infant car seat travel car seat, but it's still a reasonable price and is worth the investment for your baby. Once you've got the hang of it and adjust the size and height is simple. Simply pull down on the back panel, and squeeze together two buttons to move up and down the straps without needing to rethread them.

3. Joie Calmi

Joie Calmi is the perfect baby car seat for your newborn. It's easy to use, and it can be used as a cot for baby. This carrycot that doubles as a car seat is certified R129, which means it's built to last with a sturdy ventilated shell and plush padding to protect your infant. It has an easy 3-point harness that is accessible with one-pull tightening and softly padded covers. Additionally, it has lateral positioning to keep your baby's head in the most secure position in case of an accident.

This seat's base is compatible with Joie's Aeria and Finiti pushchairs, so you can remove it and on the frame easily. It's easy to lift even when your baby is asleep, because of the adjustable handle bars. If you're planning to build an entire travel set, the iBase Encore adapters allow you to pair Calmi up with a MaxiCosi or Britax stroller.

The design of the earlier i-Spin 360 has been improved by Joie. This model received a high score in the crash tests conducted by Which?, and a good rating from ADAC. The model we tested has an electronic lock that prevents the seat from turning too quickly, making sure that your baby remains rearward-facing for as long as is possible. It also has a huge sun canopy that is water-resistant and offers 50+ UV protection, and has a mesh peekaboo window to allow you to observe without disturbing your child.

If you're looking for a car seat online, ensure you choose a store that provides free UK mainland delivery on all orders and 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 near). For all purchases you can also earn Nectar points. Argos also offers a good range of car seats at prices starting from PS55. You can also get free delivery, same-day collection at the store and free returns to any Argos or Sainsbury's retailer that is a participating one.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

The reliable British brand is best known for its premium prams and pushchairs, but the Silver Cross Motion all-in-one car seat newborn seat is making a name for itself. Jasper who was our test subject, was a fan of it. He said it was "the most fashionable of the bunch." My baby seemed to find it most comfortable for long drives."

This fully rotating R129 safe car seat is suitable for babies up to 12 years old. It won the ADAC 2022 Autumn Test's award for the best toddler, infant and child car seat. It's also been tested above and beyond regulations to ensure your child's safety throughout every trip.

For babies, it has an easy-to-remove and comfortable cushioned insert made of soft bamboo fabrics that's super comfortable and breathable. It's also antibacterial. The body support and head support can be removed as your child grows, and the 3 recline and 8 positions for the headrest can be adjusted to fit your child's.

The green light that signals when the car seat has been properly fitted and is ready to use is an unique feature. This makes it a great option for new parents, who may not be familiar with the correct installation and fitting of car seats. It also comes with a handy strap that can be used in the rear-facing or forward-facing position.

Another major selling point is that it's a constant vehicle fixture and you don't need to wake up your sleeping newborn to get them out for longer trips. It is not compatible with travel systems like the Britax Romer Dualfix plus iSize or Joie iSpin 360 iSize. You'll need to purchase an additional travel bag.

The disadvantage of cars with a fixed structure like the Axkid One i-size is that they aren't as easy to carry around if you're required to transport them between different cars. If you choose to purchase an additional travel bag, pick one that is durable and able to endure the wear and tear of frequent use. It's worth paying a little extra for a bag which will last for as long as your child's car seat.