The most important purchase your make for your new baby is the baby car seat.
Purchasing a baby car seat is probably THE most important purchase you make in anticipation of your new arrival. There are plenty of places to save money for a new baby – but the car seat isn’t a place to do that. You want the safest possible and best baby car seat humanly possible – the very best for your Prince or Princess. A car seat that will protect your bundle of joy from the unthinkable.
A car seat is where you want to spend your good dollars on – a car seat is an investment in your child’s safety. You want the best baby car seat on the market!
Here is our list of the Best Car Seats in Australia – 2022 Edition. And by best – we mean the safest baby car seats.
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Table of Contents:
1. Points to Consider When Choosing a Baby Car Seat
It can be hard standing in front of a huge row of baby car seats from different manufacturers when they all claim that their product is the best baby car seat on the market, but is it really? Our list of best baby car seats will break down why one car seat is better than the other, which makes it a good purchase and where the bargains are.
Read on to get up to speed with the world of baby car seats, after analysing this list you will be an instant expert that can impress your friends and family with extraordinary knowledge about car seat safety. Children who are too small for the seat in their age group can stay in the seat they are in until they grow into the seat for the next age group
Here are the most important points to consider before making a choice:
Do you need your car seat from birth or will you use a baby capsule for the first 12 months?
If you are using a baby capsule from day one – look at the car seats that are from 12 months plus. Many of the following car seats are suitable until age 8! If you want a car seat that will suit your child from newborn – it may only last them until they are four years old. Something to consider.
Will the car seat be in one vehicle or will it be transferred from vehicle to vehicle?
Some baby car seats can be a right pain in the ass to move from car to car. Sure you could purchase multiple car seats but that gets very expensive. If you have this issue, look at car seats such as the Britax SNS B-First+ Convertible Car Seat which is upon a base – you just click it into place. You can purchase multiple bases (which is much cheaper than multiple car seats) and it makes life so much easier.
Is a Rear Facing Baby Car Seat Important to You?
It is recommended that all baby car seats be rear-facing until the age of six months – but many parents opt to keep them rear-facing for much longer than that. Some of the following car seats are suitable for rear-facing up to 30 months old! If this is you – look at models such as the Infasecure Cadence or the Maxi Cosi Nero.
Will the Baby Car Seat FIT in your Car?
Some baby car seats are wider than others. If you have a small to medium car and multiple car seats, look at the baby car seats that have the slimline design
2. What are the legal requirements in Australia for baby car seats?
- Children under 6 months must use rear-facing car seats with an inbuilt harness
- Kids from 6 months to 4 years of age must either use a rear-facing or forward-facing seat with an inbuilt harness
- Children who are 4 – 7 years of age must use a forward-facing child car seat/booster seat, that has an inbuilt harness and that also works with the lap-sash seatbelt.
- Kids who are 7 years or older must use a booster seat that works with the adult seatbelt or a child safety harness
If your child is a fast grower and is too big for their age group you can always move them up to the next car seat that they can comfortably fit into.
For more information about all things, car safety visit The Raising Children Website, where they have a whole breakdown of what you need to do for kids aged 0 to 12 years.
Children need to be in a car booster seat if they are under 145cm in height and don’t fit a set of criteria about how they are sitting in the seat. Britax has a great guide to let you know if your child should stay in a booster seat or is indeed ready to sit in the car as an adult.
TIP: Make sure to measure the car and the car seat before you purchase…making sure it fits is essential
List of the Best Baby Car Seats in Australia 2022 Edition
Here is our list for 2022!
- Age Suitability: Newborn to 4 Years
- Colour: Grey Opal
- Stockists: Exclusive to Baby Bunting
- Price: $739
The newest offering from Britax, the B-First ifix+ Convertible Car Seat has conforming properties that relieve the pressure points on the delicate skin of newborns. The Britax Safe-n-Sound B-First ifix+ is the more luxurious and top of the range baby car seat on the market.
- ISOFIX Compatible
- Advanced Side Impact Cushion Technology
- Award-winning Thermo5 High-Performance Fabric
- Rearward Facing Level Indicator
- Protective Shell to shield your child should an accident occur
- Ventilation zones to offer improved airflow and comfort
- Suitable from newborn to 4 years of age
- Colours are Black and Opal Grey
- Stockists: Exclusvie to Baby Bunting
- Price: $799.00
With the easy to use ‘Clicktight’ installation system, parents can get their baby car seat in and out of the car with ease. The seat has advanced side impact cushion technology and has body-conforming properties which reduce pressure points on delicate baby skin.
The seat is made to be ultra-comfortable for your bundle of joy, the memory foam conforms to the body and the fabric is easy to clean and comfortable to the touch. The seat also has ventilation zones to give adequate airflow to your bub.
- Age Suitability: 12 months – 8 Years
- Colour: Comes in three colours, Midnight Navy, Grey Opal and Black Opal
- Stockist: Exclusively stocked at Baby Bunting
- Price: From $499 – $569
Features of the Britax Safe-n-Sound Maxi Guard Pro+
- This amazing car seat has body-conforming foam which makes safety a priority – but it also relieves pressure points that can be uncomfortable for your baby, so your baby will not only be safe but will be comfortable.
- The Maxi Guard Pro+ also has two different recline positions which offer comfort to your sleeping baby.
- The seat has Side Impact Cushions Technology which offers 180-degree protection around your child’s head. The outer layer is there to absorb immediate crash energy.
- Easy to Install
- Forward-facing car seat for kids aged 12 months to 8 years.
- Is a slim fit – so perfect for smaller vehicles or multiple car seats.
- Seat Weight is 8.6kg
Negatives?
It isn’t suitable from birth so you will need either a baby capsule for the first six months.
- Age Suitability: 12 months to 8 years old
- Colour: Midnight Navy (pictured), Pebble Grey and Kohl Black
- Stockist: Baby Bunting
- Price: From $499 – $569
Why buy a Britax Safe-n-Sound ‘Maxi Guard Pro’ harnessed car seat?
- Forward-facing baby car seat for kids aged from 12mths to 8 years of age.
- Has great room for growing children, more legroom and allows kids to easily rest their arms on the armrests
- The seat is able to adjust the height so allows you to make it just right for your little one. Has a hassle-free harness that reduces the risk of the seat not being installed incorrectly.
- Easy to install
- Safety features; Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT™) – gives your child 180° protection for their head in case of a crash. Side Impact – Torso Protection helps protect and minimises impact on your child’s vital organs and chest
- The seat is fitted with Thermo5 High-Performance fabric with Bamboo Charcoal – this fabric helps your child ride in comfort and is breathable.
- If you need to change the cover you can without having to remove the harness
- Slim width that allows you to have multiple car seats in the car and the one time (perfect if you have more than one child)
- Offers two reclining positions so that your child is able to sleep on big car trips.
- You can also get a full-length messy mat – ideal for kids who make a huge mess in the car.
Negatives?
- One drawback is the location of the cup holders when the child is in the harness they are not able to reach the cupholders. Also, the oval shape means that many drink bottles cannot fit in the cupholder.
- Plus it is only suitable from 12 months – not from birth.
- Age Suitability: Newborn to 8 years
- Colours: Charcoal Black
- Stockist: Baby Bunting
- Price: $749
The Infasecure Cadence allows you rear-facing for up to 30 months old, and forward-facing with a harness up to a large 8 year old – so this will last, and last and last your child through all stages of development.
- New Active Bamboo Fabric that wicks away moisture and keeps your child cool and dry, but offers a soft and smooth surface.
- 9 levels of recline for your sleeping baby
- 44cm across at its widest point – so is slim enough to place multiple car seats in a vehicle.
- Press-stud attached cover – so little accidents can be cleaned up easily.
- Age Suitability: Birth to 2-3 years old
- Colour: Available in Black and Grey
- Stockist: Baby Bunting
- Recommended Retail Price: $499
Why buy a Britax Safe N Sound Brava?
- For children from birth to 2-3 years of age
- The Britax Safe N Sound Brava is perfect for smaller cars. The car seat has a narrow and compact design which means that you don’t have to get a new car just to fit the child car seat.
- This is a rearward-facing car seat and allows your child to be safer in the car for longer. You can have your child in a rearward-facing seat until they are 30 months (basically 2-3 years of age)
- Isofix compatible
Note: Some find the harness hard to use as you need to pull the lever and both straps at the same time to loosen.
- Age Suitability: Newborn to 4 years
- Colour: Black
- Stockist: Baby Bunting
- Price: $699
Why buy a Maxi Cosi Nero Convertable Car Seat?
Has Superior Side Impact Protection
- Longer extended rear-facing capabilities up to 30 months (or to a maximum height of 390mm)
- Large
- Age Suitability: Birth to 4 years of age
- Colour: Black Raven (pictured) and Concrete Grey
- Stockist: Exclusive to Baby Bunting
- Price: $399
The Euro Slim is a slim version of the traditional baby seat, without compromising on comfort or safety. If you have a smaller car or need room for two or three car seats in your back seat – then this is the baby car seat for you.
Some of the features include:
- Rearward and forward-facing seat
- Rearward facing up to 30 months and then forward-facing up to 4 years of age
- ISOFIX compatible
- 5 Adjustable headrest positions
- Accident exchange service – if your car seat is damaged after a car accident you can get the seat replaced
- Cool Baby Wicking fabric that allows air to flow and keeps your little one super comfortable.
- Lifetime Warranty (10 years on the shell and 3 years on the trim).
- Age Suitability: Birth to 4 years of age
- Colour: Greystone (pictured) and Kohl Black
- Stockist: Baby Bunting
- Price: $299
The Britax Safe-n-Sound Compaq is a great baby car seat for smaller vehicles or multiple car seats.
- Convertible baby car seat – rearward facing and also forward-facing
- Has a slim width so is good for smaller cars
- Forward-facing has 2 recline positions for added comfort
- Has a narrow external width that allows easy access to belt buckles
- The seat cover is fully machine washable
- Side pockets for extra storage or just to have toys more accessible
- Has active head restraint (AHR) which provides extra protection in case of side impact
We hope this gives you a great list of the best baby car seats to choose from.
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We are sure that you will snap up a great quality car seat that will look super stylish in your car and keep your precious cargo safe.
