If you’re looking for a car seat to keep your child safe and secure, opting for the best five-point car seat is the way to go. Unlike a classic three-point car seat used to strap in an adult, a five-point harness has five attachment points that restrain your child at the shoulders and hips. This design means that in the unfortunate event of an accident, the force is transferred to the most rigid parts of your little one’s body and into the car seat, rather than into their softer body parts, such as the abdomen, which won’t be able to withstand the impact in the same way.
Not only that, but a five-point harness will help keep your child positioned correctly in their car seat, great for little wrigglers and for keeping them in the safest position inside your chosen car seat’s shell and padding. For optimal safety, make sure you put your little one in their car seat without thick clothing or a puffy coat. These don’t add extra padding and could result in your child not being safely strapped in.
Five-point car seats are designed for children up to 18kg or 105cm (approx. four years old), at which point they’ll switch to your car’s three-point belt system. Designed to adapt with your tot’s growing body, the five-point harness is available in rear-facing and forward-facing car seats, the longer in rear-facing, the better. By law, your baby must be in a rear-facing car seat until at least two years old and up to four years old. For more information on the different car seat options and groups, skip to our FAQs section.
But for now, here’s our pick of the best five-point car seats with help from the parenting experts at Mother&Baby. These have been chosen based on real-world testing from their parent testers and the extensive knowledge of our combined experienced editorial team and product specialists.
Best five-point car seat at a glance
Best overall: Maxi-Cosi Mica Pro Eco i-Size Car Seat – View on John Lewis
Best i-Size five-point car seat: Nuna Todl Next Car Seat – View on Mamas & Papas
Best multi-stage five-point car seat: Silver Cross Motion All Size i-Size Car Seat – View on John Lewis
Best five-point car seat in detail
Best overall
Read the review of the Maxi-Cosi Mica Pro Eco on our sister site, Mother&Baby.
Pros
- 360 rotation
- Great ventilation
- Easy to install
Cons
- Requires your car to have ISOFIX to fit
| Suitable from: | Birth to approx. 4 years (40-105cm) |
| Recline positions: | 5 |
| Dimensions: | H64.8 x W44.2 x D68.3cm |
| ISOFIX compatible: | Yes |
Best for easy parenting
Read the review of the Nuna Todl Next Car Seat on our sister site, Mother&Baby.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to turn and install
- Front or rear-facing
Cons
- Rotating, ISOFIX base needs to be bought separately
| Suitable from: | Birth to approx. 4 years (up to 105cm/19kg) |
| Recline positions: | 5 |
| Dimensions: | Forward facing: H56 x L66 x W46cm, Rear facing: H50 x L72 x W46cm |
| ISOFIX compatible: | Yes - with the <a href |
Best multi-stage five-point car seat
Customer review: "Great car seat, feels really safe and secure in the car. Really impressed with how it fits from newborn all the way till 12. The newborn insert seems really snug. The strap covers all come off and are easily washable (as already tested) they don't fall down as have a secure system. Very impressed."
Pros
- Great value - grows with your child for prolonged use
- Easy access with 360 swivel
- Kind fabric for your little one's skin
Cons
- This seat has a large depth - not ideal for tall drivers or front-seat passengers who may need to move their seats forward to accommodate it
| Suitable from: | Birth to approx. 12 years old (40-145cm) |
| Recline positions: | 3 |
| Dimensions: | H67 x W44.5 x D67.5cm |
| ISOFIX compatible: | Yes |
Best baby five-point car seat
Read the review of the Joie Baby i-Spin 360 on our sister site, Mother&Baby.
Pros
- Easy access with 360 swivel
- Great range of safety features - others include a Tri-Protect headrest and Guard Safety Surround
Cons
- The car seat is quite chunky and heavy
Best lie-flat five-point car seat
Customer review: "Keeps our wee one nice and snug and very easy to put her in and out of. Attaching to isofix base is a breeze."
Pros
- Excellent safety and comfort features for newborns and small babies
- Easy to use and install
- Automatic position adjustment with the headrest ensures the most ergonomic position at all times
Cons
- For base rotation and ISOFIX, you'll need to buy the Flex base iSENSE (sold separately)
| Suitable from: | Birth to 15 months (40-83cm) |
| Recline positions: | 1 - lie-flat |
| Dimensions: | H58 x W44 x D67cm |
| ISOFIX compatible: | Yes - if you buy the <a href |
Best for design
Read the review of the Cosatto All in All 360 Rotate i-Size on our sister site, Mother&Baby.
Pros
- Child-friendly design
- Easy access rotation
- Great value - grows with your child for prolonged use
Cons
- Heavy
| Suitable from: | Birth to approx. 12 years (40-150cm) |
| Recline positions: | 4 |
| Dimensions: | H59.5 x D44.5 x W55cm |
| ISOFIX compatible: | Yes |
Best five-point car seat on a budget
Customer review: "This is a great seat - very compact - came in a slender box and actually feels very secure in the car compared to other car seats."
Pros
- Easy to adjust
- Lightweight
- Fantastic value - no extra purchases necessary either
Cons
- Missing some features you'd find in other car seats, such as the options for rear-facing and recline
| Suitable from: | Approx. 9 months to 12 years (9-36kg) |
| Recline positions: | None |
| Dimensions: | L50 x W50.8 x H63-83cm |
| ISOFIX compatible: | No |
Different types of car seats
Infant car seats are broken down into group stages with each dependent on your child’s weight to make sure they have the best safety features – we’ve shared below the options available for a 5-point harness:
Group 0
This rear-facing car seat is suitable for newborns to use from birth, up to 10kg, which is approximately from birth up to the age of six or nine months.
Group 0+
Also rear-facing, this car seat group is suitable from birth to 13kg (or 12 to 15 months).
By law, your baby must be in a rear-facing car seat until at least two years old – due to their fragile necks, forward-facing in the direction of travel could risk spinal cord damage in the event of an accident.
Group 0+/1
Suitable to use from birth to 18kg, this type of baby car seat is usually a convertible car seat with rear-facing and forward-facing options. These are suitable for children up to the age of four.
Group 1
Often a rear-facing car seat that can be turned forward facing, this is suitable for nine-month-olds up to four years old (9 to 18kg).
Group 1/2
With a slightly higher age limit than Group 1, these seats are suitable from nine months up to six years, with a max weight of 25kg.
Group 0+/1/2/3
Suitable from birth to 36kg, this is also known as an all-in-one car seat. Carrying your child from birth to the booster-seat stage, it’s designed to stay in the car permanently, so you won’t be able to carry your child out in it if they fall asleep. A Group 1/2/3 car seat is very similar, just the starting age is approx. nine months (9kg).
i-Size
Introduced in 2013, i-Size is a new EU safety regulation for child car seats (ECE R129). Using a height-based system, i-Size car seats have been designed to take the guesswork out of choosing the right fit, provide better protection from side impacts, and keep children rearward-facing for longer, until at least 15 months or 75cm to protect their fragile heads and necks.
Best five-point car seat FAQs
How old should a child be in a five-point car seat?
5-point harness car seats are recommended for children up to 18kg or 105cm (approx. four years old). After this point, they’ll transition to a booster seat which uses the typical 3-point car seat belt system.
How do you fit a five-point harness car seat?
To fit the five-point harness car seat into your car, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. However, most will advise using the car’s three-point seat belt to tether the car seat into place.
Alternatively, if you’re car has ISOFIX, this is a fantastic way to ensure the car seat is installed correctly. ISOFIX car seats have two arms that lock onto small metal bars located in the seat of your vehicle. The ISOFIX connectors click on to these anchor points and are accompanied by install indicators.
Since 2013, all new car models are required to have ISOFIX but it’s worth pointing out that not all car seats will have the feature. So before you buy, check that your chosen car seat is compatible to fit it to your car.
How should a five-point harness fit?
The five-point harness will have two straps that go over the shoulders, two directed to the hips and a fifth strap from the crotch that buckles the harness system together.
The straps should be snug to your little one’s body, lying in a relatively straight line without sagging. The better fitting the harness, the better safety you provide your child.
Eleanor Weaver is the Deputy Homes & Garden Product Editor for Modern Gardens, Yours, and Take A Break Pets, writing for Parkers.
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