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Holding Icon Baby Car Seats Buyer's Guide

Baby car seats keep your precious little bundle safe and protected in the car. However, the massive variety on offer can sometimes be a bit confusing for new parents - read our baby car seat buyer's guide to help you make your decision.

Remember, your baby should be placed in a child seat from their very first trip, so you should do your research and buy one well before your due date. This way you'll be prepared for when the big day arrives!

Baby Car Seats Buyer's Guide

WHAT IS A BABY CAR SEAT?

Let's start with the basics. A baby car seat is a seat that's specially designed to keep babies and young toddlers safe when riding in the car. They're secured using a seatbelt or a base, and will help to protect your child from serious injury or death in the event of an accident.

They're sometimes called infant car seats or infant carriers, as they usually have a handle, making it easier to get it in and out of the car. They fall into the following car seat categories, which have been developed by manufacturers and car seat experts:


Group 0 Suitable from birth up to 10kg in weight (around 9 months)
Group 0+ Suitable from birth up to 13kg in weight (around 12-15 months)
Group 0+ and 1 Can be faced both forwards and rearwards, suitable from birth up to 18kg in weight (around 4 years)

You should always use the most appropriate car seat for your child's age and weight, otherwise it won't fully protect them.

BEFORE BUYING A BABY CAR SEAT

The first and most important thing to consider before buying a baby car seat is safety. It's vital to check that the seat will fit securely into your car.

The manufacturer's website usually contains this information, but for extra help you can pop into your local Halfords, where a member of the store team will be more than happy to advise you.

Remember, if your child will be travelling in more than one car (for example, with the grandparents) then the seat must be suitable for that too. Otherwise you may have to buy more than one car seat.


REAR FACING CAR SEATS

Babies should always travel in a rear facing car seat until they weigh at least 9kg and can sit up unaided. This is because rear-facing seats provide more support and protection for an infant's head, neck and spine.

Rear facing baby car seats can be used the front or back of the car. However, they must not be used in the front seat if your vehicle has an airbag fitted, as this could injure your baby if it goes off. Children are always safer in the back of the car as they'll be further from the windscreen.

Recently, experts have advised parents to keep their children in rear facing car seats for as long as possible. A good solution for this is to buy a combination (Group 0+ and 1) car seat, as this can be faced both rearwards and forwards.

This allows you to keep your child facing rearwards until their head reaches above the top of the seat, then convert it to face forwards - and can save you buying another seat until they're around 4 years old.

ADDITIONAL BABY CAR SEAT FACTORS

Once you're satisfied that a seat is appropriate for your car and the weight of your child, you can look at other aspects like colour, comfort, and ease of use.

A good tip is to buy a suitable base for the seat, which can make it a lot easier to get it in and out of the car. Some bases use ISOFIX (an international fitting standard) while others don't - in either case, the seat simply clicks onto the base in one go.

It's also worth considering buying your baby car seat as part of a travel system, which comes with a pushchair that the seat clicks straight onto. See our travel systems buyer's guide for more information on these handy packages.


BABY CAR SEATS FITTED FOR FREE AT HALFORDS

We've got a great selection of baby car seats available at Halfords, including trusted brands like Maxi Cosi, Britax, Hauck and Cosatto.

When you buy any car seat from Halfords, fitters at your local store can install it into your car completely free of charge. They can also show you how to do it properly yourself.

Our fitting training is fully accredited by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, so you can drive away with total peace of mind. Order today from Halfords.com.

RandC

FAQs Baby & Child FAQs

  • Improved child car seat safety legislation was introduced in September 2006.

    It stated that ALL children up to the age of 12 or up to 135cm (4' 5") in height (whichever they reach first) must be restrained in an appropriate child seat or booster seat when travelling in a vehicle. Drivers currently face a £30 fixed penalty notice or a fine of up to £500 if they fail to comply with the law.

  • It's not just the age of your child that you have to consider when choosing a child car seat.

    You will also have to consider their weight and height, and which seat provides the most secure fit in your car. You should also think about whether your baby or child will be taking long or short journeys and if you will need to transfer your child car seat from one car to another.

    Halfords has over 2,800 trained child car seat specialists in stores nationwide to help you choose the right seat for your child and your car. Take a look at our online guide to child seats for more information.

  • Yes, Halfords has over 2,800 trained child car seat specialists in stores nationwide to help you choose the right seat for your child and your car, and fit it for you for FREE.

    Leading industry experts and child seat manufacturers have trained our in-store specialists to a very high standard. We can help you choose the best child car seat for your child, and check its suitability for your vehicle. Once we have fitted the car seat FREE of charge, we will show you how to fit the car seat yourself to make sure you fully understand how it works. We will then take you through our 16-point fitting administration safety checklist so that you can drive away with complete peace of mind.

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