BEST CHILD CAR SEATS OF 2025

Looking to buy a new child seat? We've tested and rated nine of the latest examples to help you find the best one for your needs

- CLAIRE EVANS

SAFETY IS A top priority for parents and other carers when they buy child car seats. Indeed, it was the most important consideration for 78% of people who completed the most recent What Car? child seat survey.

That's why we put this at the heart of our reviews; we won't give a new child seat a rating until it has been extensively tested for safety by an independent organisation.

Six of the nine seats that feature in this latest test scored well in German motoring organisation ADAC's crash tests. What's more, one gained the highest possible rating, demonstrating how hard child seat makers are working to ensure their products provide the best protection for the smallest car occupants.

Meanwhile, some significant advances have been made to child seats with a view to taking the strain off parents, including seats for older children that fold up for easier transportation, and lighter infant carriers.

Two of the seats tested weigh just 2.5kg - the same as a large bag of sugar. This should ensure that parents won't struggle even when carrying heavier babies.

More toddler seats now twist around to face a parent for easier access, and more seats now come with Isofix fittings that make them easier to install than those secured with a seatbelt.

We've split the seats tested here into four categories: infant carriers, seats suitable for children from 67cm to 105cm (up to four years old), ones that go up to 125cm (seven years old) and those that go up to 150cm (12 years old).

HOW WE TESTED THE SEATS

To create an overall rating for each child seat, we considered four key areas: ease of use, practicality, value for money and safety. For the first two, we enlisted the expertise of independent advisory organisation Child Seat Safety to help with the testing.