It’s the most important piece of safety equipment there is when you’re carrying a child. But how many of us are fitting our car seats incorrectly? We’d like to think we aren’t, of course – but there’s a lot more to it than simply buying a seat and plonking it into your car.
So we’ve come up with our ultimate guide to choosing and fitting the right sized child seat. And to make sure we get the right answers, we’ve enlisted the experts at Good Egg Safety, a charity that helps parents to choose the right car seat, and runs its own checking events to help ensure car seats are fitted correctly.
Choosing the Right Size Seat
One of the first factors most parents’ thoughts will turn to will be the size of the child seat. There are currently two sets of child seat regulations; the earlier R44 regulations, which sort seats into Groups 0, 0+, 1, 2 and 3 based on a child’s weight (with weight limits of 0-10kg, 0-13kg, 9-18kg, 15-25kg and 22-36kg respectively) are due to be phased out in August 2023. That doesn’t mean old-style seats that conform to these regulations will be banned, but you won’t be able to buy them any longer.
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The new regulations, known as R129 (and more commonly as ‘i-Size’), are based on height. No longer are seats divided into groups, but each seat carries a height range, which shows you which heights of child they’re suitable for. I-Size seats must also conform to a minimum standard of side impact protection, which is not the case with R44 seats; this is key, because side impacts are the most dangerous type of crash for children.
However, while you should never change seats too early, it’s important to buy a new seat if your child has outgrown his or her old one, irrespective of its height or weight rating. “In an infant carrier, even if the child hasn’t reached the maximum weight, they will have outgrown it if the crown of their head is level with the top of their seat,” says Doug Sherriffs, Head of Operations at Good Egg Safety. “In a forward-facing seat, it would be when their eyes are level with the top of their seat.”
Doug also points out how important it is to make sure your child seat fits your car – not just your child. “Incorrect fitting to either child or car can result in serious harm, and it’s important to know that not every child seat will fit every car, so they must always be tried in the car before purchase,” he says.
“Even if the compatibility lists state they fit, or they’re classed as ‘universal’, on rare occasions, we have still found fitting issues at our Community Event Checks.”
Are Multi-Group Seats Better or Worse?
Some car seats made under the old R44 regulations are built to fit more than one weight group. You’ll often see these seats advertised as, for example, Group 1/2/3; these seats will carry a child that weighs anywhere from 9kg to 36kg, often with a special adapter or insert to enable them to hold younger children in place securely.
These seats are hugely popular, because they’re more cost-effective; parents don’t need to buy a new car seat each time a child crosses an age group, and can instead keep just one seat for much longer.
Sounds like a great solution – but surely there’s a downside? Well, as Doug says: “Multi-group car seats can be an economical choice, but there can sometimes be compromises. For instance, a seat that works well for a baby or toddler can be quite bulky as a high back booster for an older child.
And in terms of safety, he points out, “some seats score well in independent testing in one mode, but not so well in another, so it’s important to check their crash test ratings in each mode prior to purchase.”
What is Isofix, and Do You Need it?
Isofix is a system which enables a child seat to clamp to a pair of metal bars hidden within the seat back, which are then attached directly to the car’s chassis. In this way, once an Isofix seat is locked into place correctly, it is effectively attached directly to the car, so it can’t slide forward or move about on its own.
The main plus point of Isofix seats is that you can be sure they’re installed properly. “Their main safety feature is to reduce incorrect fitment and is the easiest way of guaranteeing the child seat is fitted correctly and safely in the car,” says Doug. “Green or red indicators will show they are fitted correctly.”
That said, Isofix seats aren’t in and of themselves inherently safer than belted seats. “Belted options – especially those manufactured to R129 specification – can be equally safe, providing they have been fitted correctly,” says Doug.
Most new cars on the market have had Isofix points in the back seats since 2006. Some have extra points in the front passenger seat or in the middle rear seats, while a handful of seven-seaters feature Isofix points in the third row of seats.
However, not every Isofix seat will fit every car with Isofix points, as Doug points out. “There are three types of Isofix seats: universal, semi-universal and vehicle-specific,” he says.
“Universal seats should theoretically fit every car, although we still highly recommend trying them in the vehicle first. Semi-universal seats will not fit every car, so they must be tried in any vehicle prior to purchase. Meanwhile, vehicle-specific seats are made for particular models of car.”
What are Car Seat Impact Shields?
An impact shield or impact cushion is a different type of restraint for your child to the more traditional five-point harness. It takes the form of a large, padded restraint which slots into the seat itself across the child’s chest and upper legs, and is held in place by the car’s seat belt. The advantage is that it’s faster to fit than a standard five-point harness, and can be more comfortable for the child as their arms and shoulders are more free to move.
Doug adds that Good Egg Safety believes impact shields offer a significant safety advantage when compared with a standard five-point harness, though he is keen to emphasise that keeping a child in a rear-facing seat is even safer.
“We strongly recommend children travel rear-facing in their car seats ideally until the age of four,” he explains. “All experts agree that it is the safest form of travel. In a rear-facing position, the energy of a frontal collision, which is the most common kind of collision, is distributed evenly over the large area of the seat and the vulnerable head, neck and spine of the child are perfectly protected.
“In these cases, forward-facing car seats equipped with an adjustable impact shield are a reliable alternative to offer a high degree of protection without confining the child. The forces of a collision are distributed over the large area of the impact shield, which significantly reduces the strain on the critical neck, shoulders, and head by 40% in comparison to a conventional forward-facing seat with a harness.
“The idea is that the impact cushion is like an already inflated airbag. The belt does not cut into the child, and the vulnerable neck and shoulder area are protected.
“In tests by leading European consumer organizations, car seats with impact shields have regularly received top results.”
Can You Put a Car Seat in the Front Seat?
You can but a car seat in the front seat – but there are several important things to consider. For starters, if you’re using a rear-facing child seat, it’s imperative that you turn the passenger airbag off. “This is a strict legal requirement as it can cause serious injury if left on,” says Doug. You’ll need to check your car’s instruction manual to find out how to turn the airbag off, and indeed, whether it can be done at all, as not all cars offer this facility.
If you can’t, you’re not permitted to fit a rear-facing child seat in that seat. And if you can, don’t forget to turn it back on again when you remove the child seat so that any adults who use the car are protected.
“For a forward-facing seat the advice varies,” says Doug. “The vehicle manual will state whether to leave the airbag on or turn it off as well as have details on how to set up the front seat. Airbags are designed for adults, and a forward-facing child seated too close to the dashboard could be injured if the airbag was deployed.”
What are the Biggest Mistakes People Make When Choosing and Fitting a Car Seat?
“The most important piece of advice would be to rear face for as long as possible, ideally to the age of four,” Doug re-iterates. “There are seats available that will rear face to 25kg or 125cm tall which is an average 6 year old. Rear facing protects delicate spines from the strong forces present in a collision.
“When we hold our Community Check Events, harness issues present some of the biggest errors – too loose, at the incorrect height or twisted straps,” he adds. “Problems with installing the seat include the wrong seat belt routing or the infant carrier handle in the wrong position. It’s very important to read the car seat manual and watch fitting videos to become familiar with how to fit and use the seat correctly.
“One of the biggest errors is putting the child in a seat while wearing a puffy winter coat. The harness needs to be close to the body, and tight, so that it can correctly restrain the child in an accident. Padded coats will compress in a collision, leaving an extremely loose harness. There have been cases where children have been ejected from their child seats because of this.
“In hot weather, meanwhile, we recommend putting a light-coloured towel or sheet over the seat to prevent any metal buckles from getting too hot.
“Always remember that loose items can become projectiles in a collision, so it’s important to keep bags, pushchairs and even plastic toys and cups in the boot while driving.
“Finally, it cannot be stated enough that the car seat must be compatible with both the child and all cars it will be used in.”