While modern car seats may be excellent at keeping us adults safe and comfortable during the course of a car ride, they aren’t the best at keeping younger people safe and comfortable.
The substantial size difference between an adult and a child means that a child will need a car seat to keep them safe and comfortable, two things every parent or guardian wants for their children.
Thing is, there are so many available online that it can quickly become overwhelming. But don’t worry, we’ve found the best car seats online that will not only give you total peace of mind but also help you understand what you should be looking for.
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What you need to know about toddler car seats:
What features should I look for in a good car seat?
With any child seat, your top concern should be safety. There are currently two safety-related aspects you should look for in any car seat:
Isofix – This is a clever way of ensuring your car seat (and child) are securely held in place without the need to use seatbelts. Isofix are mounting points that tether the seat directly to the car’s chassis. They’re also a lot easier to mount and remove than using a seat belt, just remember that older cars (pre-2000) may not have these mounting points.
i-size – This is an EU safety standard for child seats that seeks to make them safer all-round. i-seats include side-impact testing, increase the rearward-facing requirement to 15 months and factor in a child’s weight rather than height for better protection. Do not consider buying a new car seat that does not comply with ECE R129 because it will not be up to scratch in the event of an accident.
What are the different groups of car seats and what do they mean?
There are different groups of car seats available depending on age:
Group 0+ – These seats are designed for newborns making them suitable to use up until the age of 15 months. These seats will be rearward facing to keep the babies necks safe in the event of a collision and often integrate into a buggy for easy travelling.
Group 0+/1 – The most popular car seat option, this type is designed for birth to 18kgs and are available in both rear-facing and forward-facing options.
Group 0+1/2/3 – The all-in-one option designed to last until the child advances to a booster seat, these are suitable from birth up to 36kg. These are usually permanently kept in your car, however.
How do I clean a car seat?
Young children are crawling (sometimes walking) mess machines. As well as the juice, crisps and jam they’ll inevitably smear into the seat over time, there will more than likely be a slightly worse mess made at some point.
As such regular cleaning to keep the seat sanitary should be in order. Most car seats will need nothing more than a sponge and some soapy water to keep them looking clean but if the mess is more extreme, some car seat covers can be bunged in the washing machine.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. A veteran car cleaner; if it details, waxes or washes he’ll be on hand to make sure it’s worth your money.
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