How to choose a car seat and what to consider

A car seat is one of the most important purchases you’ll make for your child and how to choose a car seat can be a difficult decision considering the many options on the market. To help you with this, we’ve listed some things to consider for each age group of child car seats.

As a parent, it is important that you choose a car seat that fits your child but that also fits in your car. We always recommend that you test the car seat in the car and the child in the car seat before purchase. But to give you some orientation for how to choose a car seat, we have listed some important things to consider for a child car seat in the different age groups.

Typically, there are three child car seat stages in a child’s life: A baby car seat is used approximately during the first year of life, a toddler car seat until approx. 4/5 years and a booster seat from approx. 4 years to 12 years.

What to think about when choosing a baby car seat

When choosing a baby car seat for your new-born baby, we recommend you to think about the following aspects:

• Baby car seats with 5-point harnesses give added stability for your child and prevent especially new-born babies from having too much side movement in a side impact
• Make sure that the baby car seat will grow with your child and that its harness is easy to adjust in height
• Consider side impact protection! Side impacts are the second most common source of serious injury and babies’ head areas therefore need extra protection. Read about how side impact protection can help saving lives >>
• Choose a light weight baby car seat that makes carrying it around easier and more comfortable
• If you’re hopping in and out of the car a lot for running errands, chose a baby car seat that can be clicked onto your pushchair to avoid waking your baby up all the time. Find tips for how to make the most out of your Travel System >>
• An ISOfix base will make everyday usage easier and the installation simpler
• A sun-canopy that is not connected to the carrying handle can often reach further and thereby protect your baby also from the low-standing sun and wind. Pick a baby car seat that has a high UPF in its sun canopy to protect your baby’s sensitive skin
• An i-Size approved baby car seat has been tested for side impacts

BeSafe baby car seats

BeSafe offers two baby car seats: the BeSafe iZi Go X1 and the BeSafe iZi Go Modular i-Size.
Read more about BeSafe baby car seats

What to think about when chosing a toddler car seat

When to change to a toddler car seat
Your child will use this seat from approx. 6 months up to 4/5 years and a lot will happen during these years. That’s why we recommend you to think about the following when choosing the seat:

• Your child will change in height during the time of use, therefore it is important that the seat will grow with your child, both in height and leg space.
• As all children are different, we highly recommend you to try out toddler car seats at your local retailer together with your child and to test-install it in your car
• Since it is proven to be five times safer for children to travel rear facing at least until the age of 4 , make sure that the car seat offers enough space to follow this recommendation and that it is approved long enough to allow your child to stay rear facing during this time
• A car seat that is mounted with ISOfix can more quickly be moved between cars and is easily installed
• Choose a car seat with indicators that signal you when the seat is installed correctly.
• A Plus Test-approved car seat has undergone tougher crash tests than required by ECE R44/04 and UN R129, thus providing even higher safety levels
• Consider additional side impact protection! Side impacts are the second most common source of serious injury and children in toddler car seats sit very high in the car, so that they need extra side impact protection. More about why side impact protection matters >>

BeSafe toddler car seats

BeSafe offers several toddler car seats that can be installed with an ISOfix base or the vehicle seat belt.

> Purely rear facing car seat, vehicle belt installed: iZi Plus
> Purely rear facing sear seat, ISOfix installed: iZi Kid X2 i-Size

> Combi car seat, ISOfix installed rear facing/belt forward: iZi Combi X4 ISOfix
> Combi car seat, installed with ISOfix base: iZi Modular i-Size

BeSafe forward facing seats are great for using them on turned vehicle seats, so that your child can travel rear facing even on those (always check if the car manual allows using child car seats on those vehicle seats!)
> Purely forward facing, vehicle belt installed: iZi Comfort X3

Read more about BeSafe toddler car seats

What to think about when chosing a booster seat

When to change to a booster seat

• Choose a booster seat with a high back that cannot be removed. This way your child is also protected against side impacts during the whole period of use and has the shoulder belt always at the right height.
• As all children are different, we highly recommend you to try out booster car seats at your local retailer together with your child and to test-install it in your car
• Chose a high back booster seat that grows with your child in height and where the height adjustment can easily be reached so that you can adjust the seat if your child has made a growth spurt
• One of the most common misuse issues arises when the belt is being placed incorrectly around belt horns (often called “arm rests”). Therefore choose a booster seat without belt horns or make sure to read the user manual thoroughly and explain to you child how to buckle up correctly once they start doing so themselves
• Booster seats tend to be a bit upright in the car, thus choose a seat that can be adjusted in recline during the journey
• If you’re having ISOfix anchorages in your car, you can chose a high back booster seat that is additionally installed with ISOfix arms. They help keeping the seat in place and add a bit of extra stability. More about why side impact protection matters >>

BeSafe high back booster seats

ECE R44-04 approved: the iZi Up X3 FIX, which can additionally be installed with ISOfix.

UN R129-02 approved: iZi Flex FIX i-Size, which can be installed either with just the vehicle belt or also additionally with ISOfix.
Read more about BeSafe booster seats