Advice Centre

Understanding The Law

Drivers now face a fixed £30 penalty or fine of up to £500 if they fail to comply with regulations on child seats in cars.

Before you buy a child car seat, make sure you take a careful look at our guide to Child Seat Law.

Why Go To Halfords?

There are a number of good reasons to choose Halfords:

In-store Specialists

We have over 2,000 trained car seat specialists in stores nationwide to help you choose the right seat for your child and your car.

Highly Trained

Our specialists have been trained to a very high standard by leading industry experts and child seat manufacturers.

Advice on Safety

We can help you explain the dos and don’ts as well as offer up-to-date advice on the law and the safest way to travel with your children.

Technical Advice

We can help you choose the right seat for your child, whilst also ensuring the perfect fit for your car.

Expert Fitting

We provide a 16-point safety checklist, ensuring a safe and correct fitting.

Free Fit

We will fit your child seat free of charge and provide you with the opportunity to fit it yourself, so you can drive away with complete peace of mind.

You Can Trust Halfords

"It is Halfords Company Policy that only colleagues who have received child seat training through a dedicated training course are permitted to fit child seats.

We will also show you how to fit your own car seat and then, for added reassurance, provide you with the opportunity to fit it yourself.

At Halfords we are passionate about child safety and want you to have the knowledge and confidence to fit the seat yourself, thus providing added peace of mind for the safety of your child. "

Yvonne Clarke

Halfords Child Seat Trainer

View our range of child car seats.

Choosing The Right Seat

We have campaigned for improvements in child seat safety over the past five years to try to raise awareness and educate people.

How Careful Do I Need To Be?

Did you know that using adult seats for children under 135cm will put them at a higher risk of injury in comparison to using a purpose built child seat.

With the average child now travelling 5,000 miles per year in a car it is vital they are safe in the vehicle. It is important that you choose the right seat to meet your child's needs and requirements.

Where Do I Start?

There are a lot of seats to choose from and it can be overwhelming. But we can help.

• Guided Sale: You could let us help you select the products suitable for your child. Our system will automatically select the appropriate child seat by age, weight or group. Select your child seat now.
• In-store: You could come to your local Halfords store and we can offer fitting advice, so if you have any questions or queries please don't hesitate to ask our dedicated team of in-store specialists. Find your nearest store.
• Brochure: We have a useful brochure available in-store to take away. This gives detailed information about our seats and guidelines for choosing the right one. It includes our useful comparison chart.
• Check our child seat comparison chart to help you make a decision.

What Things Should I Consider?

Don't just consider your own car. Instead consider EVERY car that your child will travel in before choosing your child seat.

For example: grandparent's car, carer's car and so on.
Then for each car, ask yourself:

• Which seat provides the most secure fit in my car/s?
• Will the baby/child travel on mainly long or short journeys?
• Will we be moving the seat from one car to another?
  

To make sure you are fully equipped, why not look at our Seat Belt Height Adjuster, as seen on Dragons Den, or Grip it Mat which prevents car seat slip. Look at the different features each seat has, from the ISOFIX system to impact protection and decide which one is right for your child.

View our range of child car seats.

Child Seat Comparison Chart

Use this chart below to compare child seat features. The chart includes symbols - see below for an explanation of each one.

Chart:

Click once to open, then click again on the expansion button to enlarge.

Chart Symbols Explained:

Click once to open, then click again on the expansion button to enlarge.

View our range of child car seats.

ISOFIX Explained

What is ISOFIX?

ISOFIX is a worldwide standard fitting system that enables the child seat to be fitted directly into the car without using a seatbelt.

What are the benefits of ISOFIX?

It provides a quick and easy way to correctly install an ISOFIX-approved child seat. This offers the safest and most reliable way to ensure a correct fit every time.

How does ISOFIX work?

There are discrete attachment points in standard locations. ISOFIX child seats have two arms on the back of the seat, which lock into the ISOFIX anchorage points in the car with a simple push.

Why is ISOFIX an alternative to traditional car seats?

ISOFIX fittings remove the need to use the adult seatbelts to restrain the car seat. This significantly decreases the risk of the seat being badly fitted - a real issue in the UK where almost 70% of seats are fitted incorrectly.

Is my car compatible with the ISOFIX base?

Many major car manufacturers from 2008 will start to fit ISOFIX as standard into new cars. Please refer to your owners manual or take your car to your local Halfords store, where our trained store colleagues will be happy to help you.

ISOFIX Options

Warning: Always check the child seat manufacturer's approved vehicle list to ensure the seat and base is compatible with your vehicle.

There are 3 alternative ISOFIX systems available, all of which clamp onto the ISOFIX anchorage points within the vehicle:

1 - Vehicle Specific Approval - Certain seats have been tested and approved for use without requiring either a foot prop or top tether. This method is vehicle specific and is only compatible with appropriate vehicles.

2 - Semi - Universal Approval - This system is available on ISOFIX child seats, which can face forwards, rearwards or laterally. This method features either a top tether or foot prop, which prevents the car seat from tilting forward under rapid deceleration.

3 - Universal Approval - Applicable to forward facing, Group 1 (9kg to 18kg) ISOFIX car seats. A top tether is required to restrain the seat to an anchorage point located within the boot.

View our range of child car seats.

Fitting Advice

Before you fit please check the following guidelines:

Height/Age

Ensure that any child up to 135cms (4'5") or the age of 12 (whichever is reached first) travels in the appropriate child car seat or booster seat.

Air-bags

Never use rear-facing baby seats in a seat fitted with a front air-bag.

Instructions

Always read and retain the manufacturers instructions and follow them carefully.

Integral Harness

An integral harness should fit snugly with shoulder straps sitting just above the shoulders and the buckle section positioned as low as possible across the child's pelvis. You should be able to slide no more than two fingers between the harness and your child's collar bone.

Booster Seat

When using a booster seat always make sure the adult seat belt is properly positioned. The seat belt should sit against your child's collar bone and shoulder and should not cut across the neck or face or be positioned under the armpit.

Buckle

Check the position of the seat belt buckle to prevent 'buckle crunch' (Pic 1) - this is when the seat belt buckle is bending around the base of the car seat. This could result in a poor fit and the buckle could break or come undone in the event of an accident. You must make sure the fabric part of the seat belt is retaining the seat (Pic 2) and not the buckle. With the fabric touching, the seat belt would stretch, so absorbing the impact.

 

If you need any assistance then our experts will fit your child seat free of charge or help you to fit it, so you can drive away with complete peace of mind.

View our range of child car seats.