The best and safest newborn car seats for your baby 2020

Just like with anything else baby-related, you'll want to do your research before investing in a car seat or travel system for your newborn. Not only is it important to find a car seat that fits your car and is suitable for your newborn, but also to ensure that it meets the strict UK safety regulations.

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You should buy your car seat and practice fitting it before your child is born, as you'll need it to transport your baby home from the hospital or birth centre.

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What safety regulations to baby car seats need to meet?

Car seats in the UK have to conform to one of two safety standards; ECE R129, known as i-Size, is the newest European-wide regulation, while ECE R44 is the existing regulation based on your child's weight.

i-Size car seats keep babies in a rearward-facing position until they are 15 months old and must be fitted with the Isofix anchor points attached to the seat or base. Meanwhile, weight-based seats fall under the ECE R44 regulation and are categorised into groups, with Group 0+ seats suitable for newborns up to 13kg, and Group 1 seats for babies from nine to 18kg.

7 of the best newborn car seats

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Ickle Bubba Galaxy Group 0+ Rear Facing Car Seat With Isofix base

The Ickle Bubba Galaxy Group 0+ car seat comes with an Isofix base and has impressive safety features including double layered side impact protection, an impact-absorbing shell and a five-position adjustable headrest to support your child as they grow.

It can also be attached to compatible pushchairs compatible with universal or Maxi-Cosi car seat adapters, converting them into a practical travel system.

Ickle Bubba Galaxy Group 0+ car seat, £179, Amazon

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Maxi-Cosi Coral car seat

It may have just launched, but the Maxi-Cosi Coral car seat is already becoming a best-seller at Mamas & Papas, and for good reason. The Group 0+ car seat provides multiple carrying option, is fully-upholstered with soft fabrics for your baby's comfort, and weighs only 1.7kg, making it easier to transport.

Installation promises to be easy thanks to the FamilyFix3 base which connects to the Isofix anchors in your car, but if your car doesn't have them, it can still be installed using the car seatbelt.

Maxi-Cosi Coral car seat, £239, Mamas & Papas

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Chicco Seat 4 Fix car seat

Offering a long-term investment that will see your baby way past the newborn stage, Chicco's Seat 4 Fix car seat can actually adapt to fit your child up to the age of 12, making it one of the most versatile car seats on the market.

It can be installed with an Isofix base, and in the Group 0+ position, it features a 360-degree swivel system that allows it to rotate and make it easier to get your baby in and out.

Once your baby is big enough, it can work as a forward-facing Group 1 seat from 9kg to 18kg, featuring an adjustable headrest and harness. Then as your child grows, it acts like a booster seat with an adjustable headrest and reclining system that can be used until your child is 12. It's well worth the investment.

Chicco Seat 4 Fix car seat, £259.99, Very

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Cybex Cloud Z i-Size Baby Car Seat

Winner of the Which? Best buy car seat in 2019, this group 0+ seat is suitable for babies from newborn up to 13kg, and features several safety features to protect your baby and give you extra piece of mind. They include an energy-absorbing car seat shell and a linear side-impact protection system to significantly increase your child's safety in a side-impact collision. When purchased with Base Z, light and sound indicators will also confirm when the seat has been installed correctly.

The seat also features 11 headrest positions with integrated harness guides, and a removable seat insert creates a near lie-flat position that is perfect for premature and newborn babies.

Cybex Cloud Z i-Size baby car seat, £225, Mamas & Papas

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Joie Baby i-Spin 360 Group 0+/1 i-Size car seat

The Joie Baby i-Spin is a Group 0+ and 1 car seat that will be suitable for your child from birth up to four years, and features a handy 360 degree rotating seat that makes it easier to get them in and out. It has six recline positions that can be used for both forward and rear-facing, along with 19 adjustable leg support positions to provide better stability.

But that's not all; from a safety perspective, the seat benefits from Guard Surround safety panels, which provide added security for the head, body and hips, and a TriProtect headrest that has three layers of protection inside the wings.

Joie Baby i-Spin 360 car seat, £279.99, John Lewis & Partners

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Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus Group 0+/ i-Size car seat

Maxi-Cosi has long been a popular choice for parents, so you can rest assured that the Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat is a safe option for your baby. Suitable from birth to approximately one year, it fits with the Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix2, BabyFix and FamilyFix One i-Size bases.

The seat offers optimal protection against side impacts and has a comfortable inlay for a better fit and laying position for newborns. You can also use it as part of a travel system in Maxi-Cosi or Quinny pushchairs, as well as some other models, such as Uppababy, with their adaptors.

Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus car seat, £177.70, Amazon

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Ickle Bubba Mercury i-Size Car Seat With Isofix base

This i-Size car seat features a reinforced shell technology with advanced side-impact protection and a three-point harness to keep your baby safe on the move, along with a six-point adjustable headrest with air flow ventilation to ensure they are cool and comfortable too.

Extra benefits include the fact that it is both Isofix and non-Isofix compatible, is compatible with most pushchair brands to create a travel system, and has a four-year warranty.

Ickle Bubba Mercury i-Size car seat, £319, Ickle Bubba

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