The best infant car seats: keep them safe and secure on the road

The best infant car seat

There are heaps of rules and regulations around infant car seats so we do highly recommend that you have a look at the government’s official rule book before you go ahead and buy one. But, if you are already clued up on the latest safety features and you are simply looking for the best infant car seats around, we’ve rounded up a list of the best rated products with top reviews based on the car seat groups suitable for infants, which include group 0, group 0+ and group 1.

Other than being super safe and well-tested, the best infant car seats are often the ones that you can adapt as your baby grows. While they’re going to set you back a lot more – our number 1 pick, the Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus will set you back around £400 –  they do make a fantastic long term investment. 

You can still find a good infant car seat if you’re on a budget, too. While it’ll become too small for a baby over two years old, the Joie i-Gemm car seat will provide your baby with comfort and protection that meets the required safety standards, meaning there’s no compromise on your child’s safety, no matter how high or low your budget happens to be.  

The best infant car seat

1. Maxi-Cosi AxissFix Plus

Isofix compatible and i-Size compliant, this swivelling, versatile infant car seat is one of the best you can get

Reasons to buy

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Rotates 360 degrees
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4 recline positions in both forward and rear facing positions

With its proclaimed state of the art safety performance, comfort, support and 360 degree swivel feature, the Maxi-Cosi is the king of all car seats. It complies with the latest i-Size car seat legislation and features four recline positions to ensure your baby remains comfortable as they grow.  There’s a padded seat with an angled base to ensure they always have enough leg room, while its 360 degree swivel feature enables you to easily secure them into the seat before turning and fastening it in the right position.  

Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size

2. Cybex Sirona M2 I-Size

Known to perform exceptionally well on crash tests, this infant car seat is certainly worth second place

Reasons to buy

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12 position height adjustable headrest
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Allows plenty of legroom in reverse position

If you prefer your child to face rearwards for as long as possible, this car seat from Cybex has been designed to enable them to do so until they’re four years old. Thanks to a 12 position height adjustable headrest and a linear side protection system, you can be confident that your child will be comfortable, safe and secure. Thanks to the click in system, you can easily change the seat position, with the forward facing setup up allowing for three reclining positions. 

BeSafe iZi Go Modular

3. BeSafe iZi Go Modular

A safe, secure infant car seat that can be fixed with a base or a three point seat belt

Reasons to buy

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Lightweight construction
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5 belt harness

Thanks to its egg shape and lightweight construction, those who have more than one car will be pleased to know that this car seat is easy to get in and out. It features padded memory foam inner seat sides and a head cushion that can be removed once your baby’s head increases in size. There’s the additional easy to use sun canopy, which will protect your baby from sun streaming in from the window and the breeze if you happen to have it open.  

Joie i-Gemm

4. Joie i-Gemm

A pushchair compatible infant car seat that’s big on the comfort factor

Reasons to buy

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Great value
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Memory foam headrest

Safe and secure, this Joie i-Gemm infant car seat complies with all the latest safety regulations. It has been designed to transition between i-AnchorFIX® base and the i-Anchor child seat and its compatible with the Joie Chrome Plus pushchair, which is great if you’re looking for a secure and convenient travel system. As the lightest infant car seat, this one is perfect for parents who love to get the family out and about.  

Graco SnugRide i-Size

5. Graco SnugRide i-Size

No rethread harness for easy adaptability as your baby grows

Reasons to buy

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Compatible with the Graco Click Connect strollers
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7 position adjustable base

The Graco SnugRide has been designed for use alongside the Graco Click Connect stroller for an easy to use travel system. Suitable for newborns right through to the latter stages of infancy, this infant car seat has been designed to optimise comfort in the rear-facing position. From the 7-position adjustable base to ensure there’s enough leg room to the removable newborn body support to make sure your baby has the right level of cushioning, this car seat may be expensive, but when it comes to focussed support and comfort, it’s probably one of the best.  

Jané Matrix Light car seat

6. Jané Matrix Light car seat

This infant car seat come carry cot is even suitable for overnight sleeping

Reasons to buy

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Travel in either sitting up or laying down position
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Group 0+ seat belt lock

As one of the only car seats that can be used both in sit up and laying down positions, when it comes to keeping your baby safe without interrupting their beauty sleep, the Jané Matrix is the perfect infant car seat. You can choose to either install this car seat with seat belts or the specially designed base, with the pro-fix locks enabling you to easily lock and unlock the car seat to easily transport your baby to and from the car.  

Read more:

Read our guide to the best baby travel systems that will help getting baby from pushchair to car a doddle.