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The best ISOFIX car seats

  • The best ISOFIX car seats explored and explained
  • Guide to ISOFIX
  • Recommendations for Joie, Britax and Graco

Written by Ryan Gilmore Updated: 3 January 2024

Ensuring your child’s car seat is correctly installed in your car should be child’s play. Thanks to the introduction of ISOFIX some years ago, getting the best ISOFIX car seats fitted correctly and safely with minimum time is easy and quick. Every new car with a passenger seat must have ISOFIX mounting points. It was an optional choice fitted in vehicles launched in November 2012 or later, but since November 2014, all new cars have ISOFIX as standard.

ISOFIX stands for International Standard Organisation Fix, possibly the best and safest way to ensure your car seat is secured. They’re effectively anchor points on your car’s internal shell, meaning when connected, the base of the child seat is attached to the vehicle rather than held in place by a seatbelt. Happily, ISOFIX on modern cars is easy to find and access – they’re generally under covers on the back seats with a logo that looks like a person sitting in a seat. This system makes fitting car seats a doddle and takes seconds.

ISOFIX can be found on all manner of car seats, from baby seats right up to booster seats. All of these seats in this category offer similar features, so it’s more about getting down to one which suits you.

The best ISOFIX car seats at a glance:

Editor’s choice: Graco SlimFit LX Car Seat – Buy from Amazon UK
Best Isofix car seat for inbuilt full-body airbag: Cybex Anoris T i-Size Car Seat – Buy from Mamas and Papas
Best Isofix car seat for budget: Graco Affix with ISOCATCH – Buy from Amazon UK

The best ISOFIX car seats:

The Graco offers TrueShield safety, meaning your child's head will be protected at every transition stage.

A removable cup holder is an excellent option as your child gets older, meaning they'll always have somewhere to store their cup or water bottle. At the same time, it could also be used for storing pencils or anything else as they get older for longer journeys.

Read the full Graco Slim Fit review on our sister site, Mother&Baby.

Pros

  • TrueSheild offers superior head protection
  • A removable drink holder

Cons

  • While slim fit, check the rear of your car to see how many seats you'll be able to get in
Best Isofix car seat for 360 degree swivel
The advantage the Reecle 360 will give you is the number of ways to secure it to your car.

Not only does it come with ISOFIX mounting points, but it will also come with a top tether connector - this connects to the back of your car seat, and you'll see the mounting point if you open your boot. You can also secure it with your three-point seatbelt to give you the maximum amount of safety possible.

Pros

  • 360-degree swivel means loading from either side
  • Bright visible ISOFIX
  • Top tether for added safety

Cons

  • Reecle isn't the most well-known name
Best Isofix car seat for adjustability
This car seat from Joie offers something called ISOSAFE, and you might think this is something new to research - it's not. It's Joie's name for being able to use the car seat belt as well as using ISOFIX. This is only available in group 2/3 booster mode. Just note that there's no top tether.

With the Everystage, you can recline it in six different positions; with the Joie, you'll get a two-year manufacturer guarantee. Joie is an established brand and isn't likely to disappear any time soon, so you can be sure that you'll get replacement parts more readily.

Read the full Joie Everystage FX review on our sister site, Mother&Baby.

Pros

  • Well-respected brand name
  • Six different reclining positions
  • Two-year manufacturer guarantee

Cons

  • No top tether
Best Isofix car seat for inbuilt full-body airbag
Cybex has made the safest car seat in its class ever. That is according to the safety testing organisation ADAC.

What's the secret that makes it so safe? The Anoris T has a full-body airbag, which provides approximately 50% more protection in a front-on collision.

LED indicators and audio signals let you know when the seat is securely in place, and it is suitable from 76cm and up to a maximum height of 115cm or 21kg, whichever comes first.

Pros

  • Safest car seat in its class
  • Easy for kids to get in and out of

Cons

  • No swivel movement

Best Isofix car seat for seating area
The Britax Kidfix Z-Line offers superb protection for children above four years of age; the seat is held with ISOFIX and uses the car's three-point seatbelt to secure a child. It's a lightweight and robust seat offering a large and comfortable seating area. The headrest slides up and down as your child grows, and a pad sits across the seatbelt to keep it comfortable.

Pros

  • Well-respected brand
  • Lightweight
  • Easy for kids to get in and out of

Cons

  • When you have two in the back of your car, it's difficult for an adult to fit between
Best Isofix car seat for Budget
The Graco Affix offers this spacious seat at a relatively low cost. It doesn't have what you may recognise as ISOFIX but ISOCATCH, which uses your car's ISOFIX pinion points and tethers to them with clasps; these are then tightened from the font to secure the seat in place.

The seat comes with armrests and a cup holder, which will be added comfort for your child on any journey.

Pros

  • Cup holder
  • Comfortable armrests
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Very wide car seat

Car Seat Groups

Car seats are separated into different groups for your child’s age, height, and weight. These three things are important parameters because it’s how you define if your child moves up a group. Weight, not age, is probably the most important because the child’s weight can affect the usefulness of a car seat. We’ve a guide for finding the right car seat for your needs.

The four groups are defined as such:

• Group 0 – suitable from birth to 10kg (around 12 months) – these are usually lie-flat carrycot options that combine with a buggy or pushchair chassis to form a travel system
• Group 0+ – suitable from birth to 13kg (around 18 months-2 years) – these can usually combine with a buggy to form a travel system and are also known as infant carriers
• Group 0+/1 – suitable from birth to 18kg (around 4-5 years)
• Group 0+/1/2/3 – suitable from birth to 36kg or 135cm tall (about 12 years)

Best car seats from birth to 12 years old

Car seats can be costly purchases but an essential to help keep your child safe when riding passengers. One way to decrease this expense is to purchase a car seat that will last from birth until 12 years of age.

Aside from the obvious advantage of being a one-off purchase, these seats won’t be something you’ll spend money on every few years once your child outgrows them. Another benefit will be that you won’t have to wait for the next car seat purchase, as when it’s time to change, the seat will be ready.

Of course, there are downsides. 12 years is a long time, and as your child grows, so they might start to find their seat uncomfortable, requiring a booster seat instead. While the fabrics can be cleaned, we all know the mess kids can make; this is worth bearing in mind and ensuring you can get replacement fabrics just in case one tears or wears thin.

These are also not compatible or can go from your car onto your pushchair – if you have a sleeping child, they will need to go in something else for you to transport them around after your car journey has finished.

Myles Warwood is an Autos Products Writer for both Parkers and CAR, specialising in child seats and e-bikes. In his spare time, he’s a freelance cycling journalist and dog owner.

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