The Best Newborn Car Seats in the UK

Safety in car seats is a priority for all parents. Thankfully, there's an abundance of choices when it comes to locating the ideal car seat for newborns for your little one.

Featuring a cosy baby-hugg inlay and enhanced side impact protection The Cybex Cloud T is the most comfortable car seat for newborns in the UK. It comes with a single-handed recline and 12 headrest positions to adapt to your child’s growing body.

1. Cybex Cloud T

The Cybex Cloud T car seat is the premium option for taking your newborn with you on your journeys from the time they're born until toddlers. It's the newest addition to the renowned Cybex Cloud range and features innovative reclining technologies that allow your child a comfortable and reclining position in the car when used with strollers as part of a complete travel system. It is also an ISOFIX vehicle seat, meaning that it can easily be attached to your vehicle by using the base that comes with it. It can also be rotated to assist you in helping get your baby into and out of the seat.

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 is a stylish and elegant option that works seamlessly with the Cybex T range of prams. It also comes with the Newborn Inlay, which is specifically designed for premature and newborn infants. This assists in maintaining an upright position, which reduces the possibility that their heads be able to move forward during sleep, which can cause breathing issues. It is removed when your child reaches 60 centimeters in height.

In terms of safety, the car seat provides excellent protection for your child, achieving an impressive 1.7 result in crash tests conducted by ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V). The Cloud T i-Size features LSP (Linear Side-impact Protection) to prevent your baby from being thrown around in the seat in the case of an accident. Also, it has the innovative Flexi-Fix harness system that stretches when your child grows, ensuring that they will always have a safe fit.

If you're planning to use the car seat as part of a travel system with a Cybex pushchair, the innovative 180deg rotation means that getting your baby out and in is easy. No more awkward reaching or twisting. The car seat is equipped to fully recline to provide extra comfort during long journeys in the car. The price is slightly higher than other car seats in this age but the features it has, including the reclining feature and excellent safety features makes it worth the investment.

2. Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat is one of the most sought-after newborn car seats on the market. It is easy to use and comfortable for infants. It is suitable from birth and can be used with Maxi-Cosi's FamilyFix or EasyFix base, or with your car's seat belt system. The car seat is compatible with most pushchairs including the Maxi Cosi range, Quinny, iCandy, and Bugaboo by using adapters. The Baby-Hugg infant car seats best seat is also included to provide the best fit, better laying in a position that is more comfortable, and provides side impact protection.

The Pebble Plus is a Group 0+ car seat which means it is suitable for use with babies from birth until 12 months old (45cm between 45cm and 75cm). It's in line with the new iSize regulations that requires children to be in the rear of the car for longer. It is compatible with the 2way family base that allows you to switch between forward-facing and rear-facing within the same vehicle. It also has an easy-to-use rotating feature.

It's still a very comfy seat, but the new version is a bit more refined. It has a new, improved baby-hugging insert that is both beautiful and comfortable. The shoulder straps are cushioned and the headrest is able to be moved up or down as your baby grows. It is also able to be removed at any time to remove it.

It's a little heavier at 4.5kg than other newborn car seats, but this shouldn't be an issue when your baby spends the majority of the time in it. It has a handle to make it easier to carry, and is light enough to lift to and from taxis or rideshare vehicles.

It's also a good-looking seat and you can pick from a variety of colours and patterns to match your car. It's not the most affordable car seat for infants, but it's still affordable and is worth the investment for your baby. Once you've mastered it, adjusting the harness height and size is easy. You simply pull down on the back panel and press together two buttons to move up or down the straps without having to rethread them.

3. Joie Calmi

Joie Calmi is a great baby car seat for your newborn. It's simple to use, and cradles baby like a cot. This dual-use car seat as well as carrycot is certified R129. It's built to last with a tough ventilated outer shell and plush padding to protect your baby. It comes with a 3-point harness that's easily accessible via a single pull tightening mechanism and softly cushioned covers. Additionally, it has the ability to lateralize your baby's head in the safest position in case of an impact.

The base of this seat is compatible with Joie's Aeria and Finiti pushchairs, meaning you can pop it off and back on the frame with ease. It's easy to lift even when your baby is asleep, thanks to the adjustable handle bars. If you're looking to create a travel set, iBase Encore adapters let you to pair Calmi with a MaxiCosi or Britax stroller.

The design of the earlier i-Spin 360 has been improved by Joie. The model was awarded a high score in the crash tests conducted by Which?, 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 soon, ensuring your baby stays rearward-facing for as long as possible. It also comes with a large sun canopy that is water-resistant and offers 50+ UV protection, and features a mesh peekaboo windows that lets you check in without disturbing your child.

If you're shopping for a car seat online, ensure you pick a retailer that offers free UK mainland delivery on all orders and returns within 35 days. John Lewis has a great selection of baby car seats from top brands, including Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Silver Cross and provides free click and collect to the nearest store (or to the nearest Sainsbury's branch if you are near by). With every purchase you make, you will also earn Nectar points. Argos also has a wide selection of car seats with prices starting at PS55. They'll also deliver your order free of charge and provide same-day pickup in-store and free returns at any Argos store or participating Sainsbury's branches.

4. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

The reliable British brand is best known for its premium prams and pushchairs however, the Silver Cross Motion all-in-one car seat is making waves in the market with its. Jasper the tester was a fan of it. He said it was "the most stylish of the bunch and my baby seemed to find it most comfortable on long drives."

This fully rotating R129-compliant vehicle seat can carry your baby all the way up to 12 years old and was awarded the top baby, toddler and child car Seat for Newborn seat in the ADAC's autumn test in 2022. It's also been tested over and beyond the regulations to ensure that your child is safe throughout every trip.

It includes a removable, cosy padding for infants made of soft bamboo fabrics. These are super comfortable and breathable, as well as antibacterial. The body support and head support can be removed as your child grows and the 3 recline and 8 headrest positions can also be adjusted to accommodate.

A unique feature is the built-in 'green light' that indicates that the car seat is secured and ready to use and is a great choice for new parents who aren't familiar about the correct method to install and fit car seat inserts for newborns seats. It also has a handy stowable harness which can be used in either rear or forward-facing position.

Another reason to buy it is that it's a long-lasting vehicle fixture and you don't need to wake up your sleepy newborn to get out for longer journeys. But, it's not travel system-compatible, like the Joie iSpin 360 iSize or Britax Romer Dualfix Plus iSize (you have to purchase a separate travel bag for this).

The Axkid One is a permanently fixed car seat that is permanently fixed. They are not as easy to transport between cars. If you choose to purchase a separate travel bag, choose one that is sturdy and can stand up to the wear and tear of daily use. It's worth paying a bit more to purchase a bag that will last for as long as the car seat of your child.