Best baby car seats

Choosing the right type of baby car seat

Legally, you must use a child car seat until your child is 135cm tall. But the most important thing to consider when choosing the best baby car seat is your child's weight. 

There are five main weight groups for baby car seats: group 0 and 0+ seats are for babies, group 1 for young children up to about four years, and group 2 and group 3 seats for older children. Which? reviews also help you compare car seats from each weight group (click on 'Type of car seat'). 

Once you know which sort of seat you're looking for, check out the Which? Best Buy baby car seats to see which performed best in our rigorous tests. Check that the seat will fit all the cars you're planning to use it in, and try the seat in your car with your child in it before you buy. 

• Baby car seat weight groups explained
• Baby car seat features
• Choosing a child car seat
• Buying a baby car seat online

What happens to your baby car seat in a crash?

Our crash simulators show how the child car seat will behave in front-on and side-on collisions – Which? is the only place where you'll find such detailed, rigorous and independent tests of child car seats. 

The best baby car seats score highly for both front and side impacts, but some perform poorly, and would expose your child to the risk of serious injury or even death – these are our Which? Don't Buy baby car seats. 

To see for yourself how a Which? Best Buy baby car seat performs compared to one of the Which? Don't Buys, watch our child car seat crash test video. Be warned, it’s not easy viewing.

• Which? Best Buy baby car seats
• Which? Don't Buy child car seats
• Child car seat crash tests

Installing a baby car seat correctly

Car seats that aren't installed correctly won't give your child full protection in a crash. The legal standard for car seats doesn't cover ease of use, but Which? goes the extra mile to help you find the best car seat for your baby.

All the Which? Best Buy baby car seats are easy to use and fit, as well as doing well in our crash tests. Check our ratings for ease of installation (click on 'Which? ratings') before you buy. Which? scores only apply if you install that seat correctly, so watch our video guide to fitting a child car seat to make sure you get it right.

• Compare baby car seats based on Which? ratings for installation
• How to fit a child car seat: video guide
• Which? Best Buy baby car seats

Isofix car seats vs seatbelt versions

If you have an Isofix baby car seat and Isofix mounts in your car, you can forget about messing about with seat belts to secure your car seat.

Isofix is the standard system for all new cars and seat manufacturers, designed to make installing your child car seat quick and easy. You simply ‘plug in’ a compatible car seat to mounting points in your car. It’s more secure than the seat belt method, and all our Best Buy Isofix car seats offer great protection in a crash.

• Isofix baby car seats explained
• Which? Best Buy baby car seats
• How to fit a child car seat: video guide

Can I use a carrycot instead of a baby car seat?

Carrycots may seem handy, but Which? baby car seat tests haven't found many carrycots and lie-flat car seats that protect children adequately (though one is a Which? Best Buy). For this reason, we don't generally recommend them.

If you already own one, we suggest you buy an alternative Which? Best Buy Group 0+ baby car seat (click on 'Type of car seat' to compare them) instead, though using a carrycot is better than nothing at all.

• Choosing a child car seat
• Which? Best Buy baby car seats