There are literally thousands of car seats on the market for kids… it’s all a little overwhelming. Keep reading to see what I consider when buying a car seat and which ones we use for different stages.
What to consider
There are so many deciding factors when choosing the right car seat… I’ve listed the things I take into consideration below… I hope you find it useful.
- Suitability; Age/weight/height of child?
- Ease of use?
- does it recline?
- does it swivel?
- does it remove from the car onto a stroller?
- Removable covers?
- Front/rear facing?
- Does it transition between stages?
- Isofix or seat belt attachment?
- Weight of car seat?
- Cup holder?
- Does it fold down?
- Comfort; straps, padding etc.
- Car compatibility?
- Price?
- Weight and height restrictions/limits, ie how long will it last you?
- Safety rating?
- Isafe certified?
There are so many things to consider but most of all choosing the right car seat for you, your child and your car is paramount. I’ve shared my preferences for car seats for stages 1-3 below and also included product links and lots of handy discount codes too!
Newborn car seats – Stage 1
Mason and Ellis both had the Maxi Cosi Pebble Plus and baby no 3 will have the same. It comes with a newborn insert which gives extra comfort and protection for newborns and can be removed as your baby grows. It can also be rear or forward facing and can attach onto strollers with adapters. It’s Isofix base makes it so easy to use, simply click it in and out… So easy! At this stage the babies are often transported from the car to the house in their car seat so making sure you choose one you can carry etc is crucial. For my car seat carrying hack click here! It’s a game changer!
Toddler car seats – Stage 2
Ok, so no need to carry the seat anymore, yay! We love the Joie spin 360 for this stage. It goes up to around age 4. It can be rear or forward facing, has a five point harness, reclines and swivels for easy access when putting the kid’s in and out and it’s easy to wash the covers too. The Isofix base is great for added safety! The price of these is also amazing! We love it so much that we have one each for Mason and Ellis. We got ours from Mamas & Papas here.
It’s worth noting that they also come with a new born and toddler insert. But as I said above I prefer the Maxi Cosi Pebble Plus for stage 1.
Age 3.5 plus care seats – Stage 3
We opted for the Maxi Cosi Kore Isofix, it’s suitable for ages 3.5 all the way up to age 12. It’s great for kids that are that bit more independent. It’s Isofix so still has all the great safety features and at this stage they can buckle themselves in and out. Easy peasy!
Travel car seats
We usually take our maxi cosi pebble plus on board with us using the car seat clips on our baby zen or Mama’s and Papas travel stroller Airo. Click here for my travel strollers comparison list!
For older ones… How cool are these Hifold folding carseats! They’re super handy for taxi rides, traveling, using hire cars or friends/family cars. They come in a few different colours and are available from Five Little Ducks! Code Carey10 for 10% off!
Favourite car seat accessories
Bottle and snack holder. These munchkin snack pods and water bottle holders are invaluable! They’re super handy so I don’t have to keep reaching behind to pass bottles of water and snacks etc. I got ours from Mumzworld using code Carey10 for 10% off!! It’s often in the sale and you can use the code for an extra 10% off sale items too!
Mirrors are essential for me. Especially when they’re rear facing. There’s also mirrors you can get for when they’re forward facing so you’re not having to turn around while driving. Both styles are available from Mumzworld here, code Carey10 for 10% off!
Play tray. This is from amazon. Super handy but we don’t use it as often as I thought.
Potty training seat liners. Another Amazon bargain. And so so so practical, far easier to remove and wash than the entire car seat cover and also means you can replace with another protector whilst that one is being washed or just use the regular car seat cover as it is!
Car seat adapters- for stage one car seats. These are usually sold with and attach to strollers. You can then clip the car seat directly onto them. So handy for quick trips especially when the baby is still snoozing. *Although it’s worth while noting that it’s not recommended for newborns to be in their car seats for too long. Be sure to brush up on current safety advise and legislation.
Feedback
Which car seats do you prefer? I’ve seen the stage one car seats that have the wheels attached so they turn into a stroller. Let me know in the leave a reply box below.
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