The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Car seat safety is a top concern for any parent. There's plenty of choices when it comes down to choosing the best newborn car seat for your little one.

Featuring a cosy baby-hugg inlay and enhanced side impact protection, the Cybex Cloud T is the best newborn car seat UK. It features a one-handed recline and 12 headrest positions that adapt to your child’s growing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T is the premium car seat that includes everything you need to take your infant car seat newborn on adventures from birth through to their toddler years. It is the latest addition to the iconic Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technologies that give your child a lie-flat ergonomic position in the car or when used in conjunction with a stroller as part of the complete travel system. It is also an ISOFIX vehicle seat, meaning that it can be easily affixed to your car using the base provided. It can even be rotated to help to get your child into and out of the seat.

The car seat is made of high-quality materials, and is available in a variety of stylish colors, including Moon Black, Lava Grey and Beach Blue Plus. It's a stylish and elegant option that is seamlessly matched with the Cybex T line of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay for newborns and premature babies which helps to ensure a secure, flat position that minimizes the chance of their heads moving forward while they sleep, which could cause breathing problems. It can be removed once your child reaches 60 cm in height.

When it comes to safety the car seat offers superior protection for your child, achieving an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests from ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V). The Cloud T i-Size comes equipped with LSP (Linear Side-impact protection) to safeguard your baby in the event of a collision and the revolutionary Flexi-Fix system that can be stretched to fit your child's size as they grow.

The unique 180deg rotating system makes it simple to get your baby in and out of the car seat when you use it as part of a travel system, with a Cybex stroller. There is no more awkward twisting or reaching. The car seat can also be placed in a fully reclined posture to provide extra comfort on long car journeys. The price is slightly higher than other car seats in this age but the features it has, including the reclining feature as well as excellent safety features makes it worth the investment.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus is among the best newborn car seats on the market. It's a comfortable seat for babies and easy to use. It's suitable for infants from birth. It is compatible with Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix, EasyFix base, or with your car seat belt system. The car seat is also compatible with most pushchairs, including the Maxi-Cosi range as well as Quinny, iCandy and Bugaboo (using adapters). It includes the Baby-Hugg infant head support for a better fit and positioning for laying and side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus car seat is a Group 0+ which means it can be used by infants as young as 12 months (45cm to 75cm). It is in compliance with the latest i-Size guidelines that require children to stay in the rear for a longer period of time. It's compatible with the 2way Family base that allows you to change between forward and rear facing on the same vehicle and has a handy rotation feature.

It's still a very comfortable seat, but the new version has a few improvements. It has a new, improved baby-hugging inlay that looks and feels great. The shoulder straps have been cushioned and the headrest has been made adjustable to accommodate your baby's growing. It is also able to be removed at any time if you want to stop using it.

It's a bit heavier than other newborn carseats at 4.5kg however that should not be a problem when your baby is in it for most of the time. You can put it on with a handle for easier transport, and it's light enough to get it in and out of rideshare vehicles or taxis as well.

It's also a fashionable seat. You can pick from many different colours and designs that will fit your car. It's not the cheapest infant car seat, but it is nevertheless a good investment that is worth the cost for your child. Once you get the hang it making adjustments to the harness's height and size is easy. You simply pull down on the back panel and press together two buttons to adjust the height or down the straps without needing to rethread them.

3. Joie Calmi

Joie Calmi is the perfect newborn car seat for your newborn. It's simple to use, and it is a great cot-like baby sitter. This dual-use car seat and carrycot is certified by R129. It's built tough with a durable ventilated outer shell and soft padding to protect your baby. It has three-point harnesses that are easily accessible via a single pull tightening mechanism and softly cushioned covers. Additionally, it has lateral positioning to keep your baby's head in the safest position in case of an impact.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie Aeria and Finiti strollers, so you can easily slide it on and off the frame. It's easy to move even when your baby is asleep, because of the adjustable handle bars. If you're looking to build an entire travel system, the i-Base Encore adapters let you to pair Calmi with Maxi-Cosi or Britax pushchair as well.

Joie has improved on the design of its previous i-Spin 360, which earned the highest test score in Which?'s crash tests and a Good rating from ADAC. The latest model, which we tested, features a lock that will stop you from rotating the seat to face forward too quickly, ensuring that your child remains rear-facing for as long as is possible. It also comes with a large sun canopy that's water resistant and provides 50+ UV protection and has a mesh peekaboo window to let you check in without disturbing your child.

If you're looking to purchase a car seat online, make sure you select a retailer that provides free UK mainland delivery on all orders and returns within 35 days. John Lewis has a great selection of infant car seat cheap car seats from top brands, including Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross and also provides free click and collect to the nearest store (or to an Sainsbury's branch if you're near by). On all purchases you can also earn Nectar points. Argos is another option for a variety of car seats, starting at PS55. You can also get 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

The trusted British brand is best known for its high-end prams as well as pushchairs however, the Silver Cross Motion all-in-one car seat is making a name for itself. Our test subject Jasper loved it, describing it "the most stylish of the bunch, and the one my daughter seemed to be most comfortable on long rides."

This fully rotating R129 compliant car seat is suitable for babies up to 12 year olds. It was awarded the ADAC 2022 autumn test's award for the most effective child, baby and toddler car seat. It's also been tested over and beyond regulations to ensure your child's safety during every trip.

For babies, it has an adjustable and cozy cushioned insert made of soft bamboo fabric that's comfortable and breathable. It's also antibacterial. The body insert and head support can be removed when your child grows. You can also alter the recline and headrest positions to accommodate.

The 'green' light that indicates that the car seat has been properly fitted and is ready for use is an unique feature. This makes it a perfect choice for new parents, who may not be familiar with the proper 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 permanent vehicle fixture which means you don't have to wake up your sleepy newborn to get out for longer journeys. However, it isn't travel system-compatible, like the Joie iSpin 360 iSize or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus i-Size (you must purchase an additional travel bag for this).

The downside to permanent fixed car seats such as the Axkid One i-size is that they're not as easy to carry around if you're required to transport them between different vehicles. If you do choose to purchase an additional travel bag to carry your car seat, ensure that it's a sturdy one that is able to withstand the wear and tear of frequent use. It's worth paying more to get a bag that will last longer than the car seat of your child.