Your child, your choice

If you choose the wrong child car seat or make mistakes installing it, your child could pay a very high price if you have a crash. Our research will set you right
Buying the right car seat is the most important travel decision youll make for your child. But for most parents, the array of brightly coloured seats presented by retailers causes a dilemma. They all meet the legal minimum standard, and they all look jazzy and cool. So how on earth are you supposed to know which one works best in normal use or, in a worst case scenario, protecting your child if you have a crash? Of course, it doesnt end there. Once youve purchased your childs seat, it can only protect your child effectively if its installed correctly. To help you, weve put the latest batch of car seats through our rigorous test programme. Weve also talked to people whose job it is to advise parents on choosing and using seats. And we take a look at why rear-facing seats for older children might be a way of keeping them safer in cars (see p59). assessments on every seat, in every mode the maker claims it can be used in. And we do this in a range of mass-market family cars, from superminis to MPVs. To help you to understand how best to make sure of your childs safety in transit, we also investigate current best practice and the direction for future designs. Finally, we unravel all the flowery language so that parents and carers can feel confident that they will choose the right seat for their baby or child. Weve added all our findings to our database of previously tested seats. Go online to www.which.co.uk/childseats for more information.

Trust Which?

Our research into child car seats is second to none. We put every seat we test through the most rigorous crash testing regime available, including front and side crashes equivalent to those used in tests on car safety for adults. We also carry out detailed ease-of-use
We put every seat through the most rigorous crash testing available

How we test

We test what happens in a 40mph front crash or a smash from the side this is more realistic than the minimum legal requirements
Our crash tests are derived from Euro NCap it carries out crash testing on behalf of European consumers and shows how well cars protect occupants in severe accidents. Our testing is similar for child seats and more accurately reflects what happens in real crashes than the legal minimum requirement for child seats (ECE R44/04), which uses much lower loads and doesnt include a side-impact test. We propel a Vauxhall Astra car body down a track, stopping it sharply and filming the effects on the dummy in the seat. Our dummies are wired up to record the head, neck, chest and pelvic loads, accurately indicating what chances a real child would have in similar circumstances.

A FITTING MESSAGE

A poorly installed seat could result in a childs serious injury or death
h Have at least one go at installing before purchasing, preferably with help from an expert. h Examine the seat and thoroughly read the instructions before taking it to your car. Always follow the manufacturers instructions and keep them with the seat. h Carry children in a back car seat if you can. h Never fit a rear-facing seat in front of an active airbag. If it goes off, the force could kill your child. h The seat should have minimal forward or sideways movement. When you open the buckle of the adult belt, the seat should spring upwards slightly. h Only the seat belt webbing should touch the child seat frame, not the buckle. Otherwise pressure on the buckle could make it fail. h Never modify a seat in any way. In Bromley, Kent, the councils child car seat centre advises parents and retailers on installing car seats. We visited the centre to find out more. Its important to make sure every seat is correctly installed. There should be no movement, said Val Fuller, Child Car Seat Education Officer. The advice we offer to parents in the child car seat centre and our Transport for London-funded training scheme for retailers is aimed at improving safety for all children travelling in our area. We sat in on a training session at retailer Baby Baby in West Wickham. It was training staff to a basic level of

Easy is essential

Another omission from the legal requirements are ease-of-use tests. We check how easy the instructions are to understand and whether a seats easy to install and adjust in a range of cars. A seat thats difficult to install is more likely to be incorrectly fitted, which could increase the risk of injury or even death in a crash. Go to www.which. co.uk/childseats to see film footage of our tests.

PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN TRENHOLM, ROBIN BECKHAM, SOLENTNEWS

Expert help

Installing a seat for the first time is rarely straightforward and it seems even trickier once you get home. A Bromley expert shows a local mum how to install her new seat

56 June 2008

www.which.co.uk

1/3 GROUP 0+

2 GROUP 0+

4 GROUP 0+

79% Mothercare Meteor 190 (Isofix); 74% 90 (Belted)
You can buy this seat with an Its a top performer for safety and ease of use, but has Isofix base (see Try before slightly limited visibility for you buy, p58, for more the child. The belted about Isofix) or use it installation isnt quite as on its own, secured effective in our safety by a car seat belt. tests, but is still good It performs best in BEST enough to achieve Best Isofix mode, although BUY Buy status. Its only the support leg of the available at Mothercare. Isofix base can be used WE LIKE Its very easy to only in cars with an install especially when appropriate floor design used with an Isofix base. (car-compatibility details are on Mothercares website Available Mothercare Suitable child see Contacts, p60). weight Up to 13kg Travel system n/a
77% Jan Strata 112 72% Chicco This infant carrier uses the adult belt to Auto-fix Plus 100 secure it in the car, and its slightly more
difficult to fit than other Best Buys. However, once in place, the integral harness can be easily adjusted as your child grows. With many other seats you have to unthread the belts. It has one minor impracticality BEST to avoid potential injury, BUY the handle has to be folded when the seats in the car. Its cheapest online. WE LIKE Its excellent head support.
Available Independents and online Suitable child weight Up to 13kg Travel system Jan Nomad, Slalom Pro, Aniversario, Powertwin Pro, Twin Two and Carrera Cup
This version of the Chicco seat is less convenient than the version with a base (7), as you cant just secure the base using the seat belt and click the seat in and out. However, this models 20 cheaper and BEST performs better. With the BUY base, performance is still acceptable but it just misses our Best Buy rating. Its cheapest online. WORTH KNOWING This model has a poor-quality finish.
Available Independents and online Suitable child weight Up to 13kg Travel system Chicco Trio For Me, For Me Stroller, Tour 4 Trio and CTO.2 Due

Val Fuller, left, trains staff at a local shop 5 GROUP 0+ competence to advise about weight groups, moving babies from one stage to the next, airbags, harness adjustment, Isofix and the law. Most child-seat retailers in Bromley display certificates, so you can ask for the qualified person in each store. Bromley and Essex are the only two councils we know of that have these centres, and they welcome all parents. But if you dont live nearby, contact your own local authority. Most offer advice, either from road safety officers or traffic police officers. 13 GROUP 1
Most local authorities offer installation advice, but not on the scale of Bromley or Essex

71% Hauck Zero Plus 45

This lightweight infant carrier achieved first-rate front and side crash results, with the child protected very effectively from the crash forces. It is secured using the cars seat belt and the instructions are BEST reasonably clear, but the BUY seat belt guides are partly hidden by the badly fitting cover. This, combined with having to fold the handle in the car, brings down the ease-of-use score. Its cheapest online. WORTH KNOWING It has great side crash performance but is difficult to fit.
Available Independents and online Suitable child weight Up to 13kg Travel system Hauck Disney and Shop N Drive
70% Britax Explorer Isofix 230
This seat had excellent performance when used in Isofix mode (the belted version (17) isnt a Best Buy). It does well in front and side impacts, is easy to install BEST and adjust, and cleaning the BUY cover is a doddle. It offers good leg support for your child, although their field of vision will be slightly restricted. At 13.4kg, its the heaviest Best Buy and is probably best left permanently in one car. It is cheapest at John Lewis. WE LIKE Its very clear instructions and good performance.
Available Halfords, John Lewis, Mothercare, Toys R Us Suitable child weight 9-18kg Travel system n/a

Which? says

To improve the chances of all children in crashes, wed like to see schemes like Bromleys rolled out across the country.

June 2008 57

Test dummy
Mamas & Papas seat falls down in our tests
20 GROUP 2/3 As with all the seats on test, the Mamas & Papas Teko (19) meets the current minimum legal requirements. Its also well made, lightweight and has reasonably clear instructions, but these arent enough to save it from our Dont Buy recommendation. For children over 25kg, Mamas & Papas recommends removing the backrest. This means the Teko fails to protect the child from high front and side crash loads. In a serious impact, this could

DONT BUY

Turning things around

72% Cybex Solution X 110

This is a good-quality seat that scores highly for safety and is very easy to use, with the cars three-point seat belt securing both seat and child. Its high back means it BEST may be necessary to remove BUY the cars head restraints to ensure a snug installation against the cars seat. But once the seat is in place, this will provide a very comfortable travel ride for your child. Its cheapest at Mothercare. WE DONT LIKE The hand-wash only cover is hardly ideal for busy parents.
Available Independents and Mothercare Suitable child weight 15-36kg Travel system n/a
lead to serious neck, chest and head injuries, or even death. The instructions dont aid the relatively complex belt routing, meaning incorrect installation is a higher likelihood than with many of the other seats in our test.
Rear-seat campaigner Helena Atkinson and Eiris, aged 14 months

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Whether youre a parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt, or just a friend, well help you meet your legal obligation if you carry a child in your car
I need to buy a child car seat. Where do I start? Choosing the right seat always starts with your childs weight. This governs which seat you need to buy. Group 0 Group 0+ Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 0-10kg (from birth to about nine months) 0-13kg (from birth to about 12 months) 9-18kg (about nine months to four years) 15-25kg (about four to six years) 22-36kg (about six to 12 years) Now I know the right weight category, how do I find the right seat for my child? Try the seats you are interested in in your car with your child. If its for an unborn baby, try them anyway. Dont wait until the birth unless you have a child car seat, most hospitals wont discharge you if youre driving home. Preferably, get expert advice to help you understand how to install the seat and whether it fits your car properly. You might find help at a retailer, although in our experience the level of expertise available is very much hit and miss. Bromley and Essex councils both offer expert help with choosing and using seats see A fitting message, p56, for more, and to find out what to do if you dont live near these areas. Should I buy an Isofix-mounted seat, rather than a belted one? Isofix seats are generally easier to install reducing the chance of misuse as they just slot into place. If fitted correctly, they usually perform as well or better in a crash than the equivalent belt-fitted seat. But not all cars have Isofix mounts and not all Isofix seats fit in all cars with Isofix mounts. Get professional advice before you buy and try the seat in the car.

FREE CAR GUIDE

Dont set foot in a showroom without it
Which? Car 2008 is the nononsense guide to buying new and used cars its free with your next issue of Which?. This essential guide features the results of our huge car reliability and satisfaction survey, plus our Best Buy cars for 2008.
OUR RESEARCH When selecting products to test, we consult manufacturers, market intelligence reports and industry experts, then check availability on the high street and online. Tested models include top sellers from the most popular brands, products with innovative features, models from some lesser-known brands and widely available Best Buys from previous tests.
Confused by the wide choice of seats? Start with your childs weight category

58 June 2008

CHILD CAR SEATS
Research suggests Swedish children up to five years old fare better in car accidents than those in the UK. We explore why
In Europe, children up to 13kg (around a year old) generally travel rear facing. But in Sweden, authorities recommend that children are kept rear facing until they are at least four years old, and all seats initially have to be fitted by a professional. In the UK, rear-facing seats are hard to find and seats dont have to be professionally fitted. The graph, right, compares injuries suffered in cars by children under five. From age one, when most UK children change to forward-facing seats, Swedish children fare much better. Helena Atkinson, from the campaign organisation Rear Facing: The Way Forward, wants to encourage parents to keep children rear facing for longer. She said: Children are clearly safer rear facing. The problem is that UK parents are unaware these seats exist. Manufacturers wont make them available and people dont know to ask for them. We showed the graph, right, to Farid Bendjellal, Technical Director at childseat manufacturer Britax. He said that it doesnt account for potential misuse and that in the UK, 60 to 80 per cent of seats are incorrectly installed. When we asked Farid why his company sells rear-facing Group 1 seats in Sweden, but not the UK, he said: Theres an agreed European standard, but Sweden has adopted separate practices. Farid added: In a front impact, rear-facing seats usually protect well. But the complexity of straps and brackets required to ensure the seat is secure in rear impacts creates a unique installation in each model of car. Car injuries suffered by children in the UK and Sweden in 2000

Injured/100,000 children

UK Sweden
Data supplied by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute
Weve previously tested Swedish Group 1 rear-facing seats and found them generally safe, but difficult to install. Helena said: This is no reason to compromise childrens safety. Car seats should be installed by a professional with adequate training.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Best Buys under scrutiny the Which? family try out two child car seats
Darren and Toni Jones and their children, Harriet (3) and Sam (5), tried two Best Buy child car seats (see Which?, June 2007, p70, and www.which.co.uk/carseats) and told us what they thought of them. The instructions for the Britax Evolva 2/3 Isofit were in a drawer at the front of the seat easy to find, easy to store. But with the Britax Evolva 2/3 Ultra seat, they couldnt find them anywhere. We thought they were missing and struggled to install the seat from the pictorial guidance on it, Toni said. The instructions turned out to be behind a panel underneath the seat not obvious, difficult to access and, once located, hard to retrieve. Both seats use the belt to secure the child, but the Joneses liked the simplicity of installing the Isofix version. Darren told us: It stays in place even when there isnt a child strapped in. The Joneses want to be able to recline the childrens car seats. Wed like to be able to do it if one of the children falls asleep on the move, Toni said.
Bromley expert Derrick Holmes (see p56) explains how to adjust the seat harness Which shop should I buy my child car seat from and how much should I pay? Visit one or more retailers where you can try the seats, and ask to speak to someone who is trained to offer advice. We dont generally recommend buying from online shops as they dont usually offer this service. We list prices in our table on p60. Our cheapest Best Buy is only 45 the Hauck Zero Plus (5). If you choose a seat thats part of a travel system (see p60 for more information on which seats go with Best Buy pushchairs), check whether the system is available as individual parts or whether youll get a better deal if you buy it all together.
Darren and Harriet try out the Britax Evolva 2/3 Ultra Reclining both seats was a struggle at first. In the end, almost by chance, Toni discovered that both recline when you tilt the adult seat back simple, but probably not doable on the move. (Turn to p40 to find out how our advice on buying a car saved the family 9,706.)

June 2008 59

SPECIFICATION

FRONT CRASH

wwwww wwwww wwwww wwwww wwwww wwwww wwwww wwwww wwww wwwww wwwww wwwww wwww www www www ww www ww wwww www www www ww wwww
A one-stop travel package for your baby
A travel system pushchair 2007 tests that match pushchairs. The Best Buy can be used with a Maxi Cosi Cabrio seat is compatible car seat compatible with a wide and/or carrycot that is range, including two Best designed to attach to Buys the Bugaboo Bee the pushchair. and Quinny Speedi SX. They let you easily The Best Buy Recaro transfer your baby Young Profi Plus is part of between car, pushchair the Best Buy Maclaren and home great if you spend a lot of time on the Techno XLR travel system.Go to www.which. move. But be aware that babies should not spend co.uk /pushchairs and www.which.co.uk /child long periods of time in a seats for more. child car seat. Travel systems appear to be a bargain because they are flexible, but the pushchairs are often large and heavy and you need space to store parts youre not using. Babies will outgrow the child car seat in around 12 months. The Mamas & Papas Pro-Sleep IP (9) is the only seat in this test that is compatible with a Best Buy pushchair, the Ziko Herbie. There are some Best Buy Best Buy seats from our Ziko Herbie

GROUP 0+: BIRTH TO 13kg

1 MOTHERCARE Meteora 2 JANE Strata 3 MOTHERCARE Meteor 4 CHICCO Auto-fix Plus 5 HAUCK Zero Plus 6 BEBE CONFORT Babycoque Streety 7 CHICCO Auto-fix Plusa I B B B B B B B B B B B 3.2
8 SILVER CROSS Ventura Plus 9 MAMAS & PAPAS Pro-Sleep IP 10 MAMAS & PAPAS Primo Viaggio IPa
11 MAMAS & PAPAS Primo Viaggio IP 12 MUTSY Safe 2 Go
GROUP 1: CHILDREN 9kg TO 18kg
13 BRITAX Explora Isofix 14 MAMAS & PAPAS Pro Tec Isofix 15 BEBE CONFORT Axiss 16 BRITAX Explorac 17 MOTHERCARE Motion 100 I I B B B 13.4 11.13.4 7.1
GROUP 1, 2, 3: CHILDREN 9kg TO 36kg
18 NANIA Beline SP 19 MAMAS & PAPAS Teko B B 5.1 5.9
GROUP 2, 3: CHILDREN 15kg TO 36kg
20 CYBEX Solution X B B I B B B 5.3 6.6 6.7 4.7 5.2 6.6

Contacts

Bb Confort 0707 www.bebeconfort.com Britax www.britax.co.uk Chicco www.chicco.co.uk Cybex www.eastcoastnursery.co.uk Hauck www.hauckuk.com Jan 9045 www.johnstonprams.co.uk Mamas & Papas 2000 www.mamasandpapas.co.uk Mothercare 4070 www.mothercare.com Mutsy www.babystyle.co.uk Nania 4910 Recaro www.recaro.com Silver Cross www.silvercross.co.uk
21 SILVER CROSS Navigator 22 JANE Indy Plus Team 23 NANIA Dreamfix SP Other useful contacts
Bromley Borough Council Road Safety 4546 www.bromley.gov.uk/transport andstreets/roadsafety Child Accident Prevention Trust 3828 www.capt.org.uk Child Car Seat Advice 2000 www.childcarseats.org.uk Essex County Council Try before you buy scheme 01268 297593; www.essexcc.gov.uk Rear Facing: The Way Forward www.rearfacing.co.uk Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents 2000; www.rospa.com
24 RECARO Monza 25 MAMAS & PAPAS Pro-Gro
a With base b Available as part of the Streety travel system only full system price quoted c This is the same seat as the Britax
USING THE TABLE We tested latest models from leading brands. The more stars the better. Specification Price For Best Buys, we give the cheapest, widely available high-street
price. If we couldnt find them at major high-street shops, we give the most common online price. However, we advise against buying a child car seat online, as this usually doesnt allow you to try the seat out first. Prices for other models
are a guide. Type B = belted; I = Isofix. Test performance We consider as many configurations as the manufacturer instructions recommend for each seat. We show the scores for the worst-case

60 June 2008

WEIGHT OF SEAT (kg) 4.4 3.2 3.8 2.9 2.8 3.8 3.9 5.9 5.1 5.1 4.3

Travel systems

PART OF A TRAVEL SYSTEM PRICE () TYPE

WHICH? TEST PERFORMANCE

EASE OF USE AND COMFORT INSTRUCTIONS COMFORT FOR THE CHILD AVOIDING INCORRECT INSTALLATION SIDE CRASH

SCORE %

ESSENTIAL INFO
Protecting premature babies
We regularly receive queries about car seats for pre-term babies. Farid Bendjellal from Britax told us: For pre-term and newborn babies, lying flat is ideal for comfort and to reduce the chances of apnia (respiratory problems). But for crash protection, near-vertical is ideal however, this presents risks of apnia. Hence, a compromise of around 45 is usually chosen for Group 0+ seats. In our tests we havent found any carrycots and lie-flat seats that protect satisfactorily. Britax is launching one soon which it says overcomes the limitations well test it when its available. Consult your doctor before transporting a pre-term baby by car, and keep travel times to a minimum for all newborns.

wwww wwww wwww www

wwwww wwww wwwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww www
wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww www
wwwww wwww www wwww wwww www www wwww www www www www www wwww wwww www www wwww www wwww wwww wwww wwww www
wwwww wwww wwwww www www wwww www www wwww www www wwwww

EASE OF CLEANING

OVERALL CRASH SAFETY

FITTING IN CAR

wwwww wwww www www www www www ww ww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww www www

wwww wwww www www www

wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww

wwww wwww wwww wwww

wwww wwww www www

wwww www wwww wwww wwww

wwwww www www wwwww www

SPECIAL OFFER

Make sure your baby gets the best
Written in a clear and accessible style, Baby and Toddler Essentials provides step-bystep advice on everything you need, including child car seats, feeding equipment, highchairs, safety guidelines, internet shopping and much more. To order at 9.99 (normal price 10.99) including free p&p, call and quote BTW0608 and ISBN 0. Offer closes 30 June 2008.

wwwww www

www www

wwww wwww

www wwww

wwww wwww www www www ww

wwww wwww www www www www
wwwww wwww wwww wwww wwwww wwww
wwwww wwww wwwww wwww wwwww wwww wwwww wwww wwwww wwww wwww wwww
wwwww wwww wwww wwww www wwww
wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww wwww
wwww www wwww wwww wwww wwwww
Explorer Isofix (13). The results show how the seat performed when secured with a seat belt, rather than using Isofix
mode of use for each seat. Front crash/Side crash We simulated crashes with forces used in Euro NCap car crash tests. These reflect what happens in serious front and side crashes. Overall crash safety Includes seat design, head support and
stability of the child seat in the car seat, as well as front and side crash performance. A front, side or overall crash score of one star limits the total test score a model can achieve. We consider as many configurations as the manufacturer
instructions recommend for each seat. We show the scores for the worstcase mode of use for each seat. Ease of use and comfort Includes how easily the belt threads through the seat and how easy it is to strap the child in securely.
Avoiding incorrect installation How welldesigned the seat is to avoid inadvertent misuse. Incorrect installation could compromise seat performance in a crash. Fitting in car How easy it is to install and adjust the seat correctly in a car.
Instructions How clear and comprehensible the instructions and labels that come with each seat are. Score This ignores price and is based on: Safety 60% Ease of use 40%

June 2008 61