Car seats

• Currently the law requires all babies and toddlers to use a suitable child restraint (i.e car seat) when travelling by car. But from Sept 2006 new legislation requires children under 11 to use a car seat or booster seat at all times, unless they are travelling by taxi or in an emergency situation.
• Get your car seat fitted professionally. Stores like Babies R Us, Mothercare, John Lewis and Halfords will have a car seat expert on hand. Call first to check the advisor's availability and the parking arrangements.
• For safety reasons, never fit a rear-facing first-stage seat in the front of a car fitted with airbags.
• Want a travel system? Look for a car seat that fits your vehicle first, then match it to a pushchair. Most first-stage car seats work with a pushchair.
• Choose a car seat with soft, thick padding, deep wings around the head area, a five-point harness, adjustable straps and a removable, washable cover.
• A newborn baby should not spend more than an hour at a time in a car seat as it affects his breathing. If you are travelling a long way, take breaks where you can stop and get him out of the seat for 10 minutes.
• Never borrow or buy a second-hand car seat - it may have been damaged in an accident and be unsafe to use, or not comply with current regulations.

Check out our car seat tried and tested recommendations in Product Reviews.

Two lie-flat makes of car seat include the Jane Matrix and Aprica Euro-Turn. Read more here. 

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