Choosing a first car seat

Start with your car, then your baby. A first seat has to carry the right label, fit your back seat securely and suit a newborn's height. After that, the choice comes down to weight, how long it lasts and whether you want a base.

The three seats below cover three price points. All are rear-facing, and each belts in with the car's seat belt or clicks onto a base that costs extra.

Prices were checked on 3 November 2026. Of these three, the Coco has the lowest price.

What to check first

The label. GOV.UK says height-based seats need a label showing a capital E in a circle and R129. Older weight-based seats show ECE R44. Our plain guide to i-Size and R129 explains the difference.

The fit. This one catches people out. RoSPA says the shape of car seats, seat belt length and anchor points differ between cars, so not all child seats fit all cars. The NHS suggests trying a few in your own car before you decide, and asking whether shop staff have been trained in fitting.

If that's not possible, RoSPA suggests making sure you can return the seat. Going to use it in a grandparent's car too? Check that one as well.

The height range. GOV.UK says to check the seat suits your child's height. All three in the table start low enough for a newborn.

Base or belt?

A base stays in the car, and the seat clicks on and off. The NHS points out that if you'll be lifting your baby in and out a lot, a lightweight seat with a base may suit you. Bases cost extra, and they use your car's Isofix points, so check you have them. The NHS says most modern family cars do, and they may be hidden in the cracks between the seat padding.

Belting in is a real option, and it costs nothing more. All three seats here do it, by their makers' accounts. You re-fit the seat each time, which matters more if you do lots of short trips. Our how-to on fitting an infant seat covers both routes.

The three seats

Babymore Coco i-Size. The one to look at on a tight budget, at £99. Babymore says it meets i-Size and belts into any car. It's the heaviest here at 4.8kg on Babymore's page, about 0.9kg more than the Cloud G, and you'll feel that on a walk from a car park.

Britax Römer BABY-SAFE CORE. At £139, it sits in the middle. It stops at a lower height than the other two. Britax lists it at 3.9kg and ADAC at 4.3kg, and we can't say why they differ. ADAC's October 2024 test of the seat with its base gave it 2.6 overall, on a scale where lower is better, and noted a raised injury risk in frontal crashes. Our BABY-SAFE CORE review goes through what that means.

Cybex Cloud G i-Size. The longest-lasting on paper, and the priciest at £209.95. Cybex puts the end point at about 24 months, with the same 13 kg limit as the others, so a heavier baby may reach the limit sooner. It reclines flat, by Cybex's account. That doesn't turn it into a bed, as the next section explains.

I'd only pay the Cloud G's extra if the longer use matters to you. A cheaper seat that fits your car well is a good choice.

On a tight budget, price the next seat as rear-facing too. The NHS says: "Use a rear-facing car seat for as long as your child fits into it". RoSPA says: "Do not rush to move your baby into a forward-facing seat". The Babymore Shea 360 costs £179 and stays rear-facing to 105cm, by Babymore's figures. It starts at 40cm, so it could be your first seat as well. At 13.7kg it stays in the car, where these three lift out. Our guide to the next seat after an infant carrier compares it with the others.

Car seats and sleep

Babies drop off in the car all the time. The NHS says that's OK while you're travelling, but to take your baby out as soon as you arrive. The Lullaby Trust says car seats are designed for travel, not as a main sleeping place, and advises moving a sleeping baby onto a firm, flat surface when you get there.

For sleep at home, the advice is on the back, on a firm, flat mattress, in a clear cot, in the same room as you for at least the first 6 months.

The Lullaby Trust also says there's no published evidence setting out how long babies should stay in a car seat, and suggests regular breaks on long drives. It advises avoiding long distances with pre-term and young babies. RoSPA's child car seat site is more specific: avoid keeping a young baby in a seat for longer than 30 minutes. If your baby was born early or has a health condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before a long trip.

Second-hand: please don't

Budget matters, and second-hand is a great choice for lots of gear. Not this. The NHS says "Do not buy a secondhand car seat". The Lullaby Trust doesn't recommend buying or using one, because accident damage may not show. RoSPA calls a car seat a "one hit" product, and says never to buy one second-hand unless you're assured of its history.

The Coco is £99 new, and RoSPA says it isn't necessary to buy the most expensive one. It also suggests asking your council's road safety team about any discount schemes. More seats are in our car seat list.