Baby and child car seats: what the law says and which one to buy.

 Children under the age of 12 or who are less than 135 cm tall must be transported in child car seats suitable for their height (art. 55 of the Highway Code).

Failure to use a child car seat will result in a fine of between 120 and 600 euros for each child transported.


Which seat is safer?

Car seats are more or less safe depending on how they are attached to the car or the safety requirements they meet. Be aware of these issues:


Car seat attached with belt or isofix?

Car seats can be attached to the car with the vehicle's seat belts or with isofix, a system for attaching the seat that doesn't require the use of seat belts.

If installed correctly, both are safe. However, car seats with isofix reduce the risk of human error during installation and are therefore potentially safer.


Does it meet safety requirements?

All restraint systems have to comply with a set of requirements laid down by the European Union. There are currently two regulations in force: R44 and R129.

Although R129 aims to update R44, car seats that meet the requirements of R44 do not have to be replaced and remain safe.

R129 child car seats are considered to be safer because they undergo more demanding crash tests, better protect the child's neck and head and are suitable for transport against walking up to 15 months.


Is it approved? Safety mark: the E label

To find out if a child car seat is safe, look for the E label and check the approval number, which must start with 04 (R44) or 00 (R129). The approval mark also gives information about the type of child car seat, the installation method and the child's height.


Types of seats

Restraint systems are called eggs (newborn), chairs (1 to 4 years), booster seats with backs (4 to 8 years) and booster seats (9 to 12 years). Although there is this separation, it is customary to use only the term chair.

Car seats are divided into groups according to the weight or height of the child and their approximate age:


Groups by weight and age

R44 provides for belted child car seats and car seats with isofix, divides them into universal, semi-universal and vehicle-specific child car seats and groups them by weight (essential criterion) and approximate age of the child.

Groups by height and age

The R129 only provides for car seats with isofix and divides them into groups according to the height (an essential criterion) and approximate age of the child:
Up to 60 cm (in special cases);
Up to 75 cm (up to 15 months);
Up to 105 cm (from 12 months to 3/4 years).

These child car seats are called i-Size.


Which seat to buy

When deciding which child car seat to buy, remember that there are seats to suit all tastes. Pay attention to the car seat's compatibility with your car, its price, how comfortable it is for you and your child and how much space it takes up in your vehicle. Here are some tips:


Compatibility with the car

If your car doesn't have isofix attachment points, you can't choose a car seat with isofix. In the case of harness seats, which are divided into universal, semi-universal and specific, check that the model you want to buy is compatible with your vehicle.


Price (second-hand seats and multi-group seats)

If you're looking for the cheapest car seat, remember that second-hand seats may have been involved in accidents and are no longer safe.

If you want to save money in the long term, opt for multi-group car seats, which are suitable for several age groups and "grow" with the child. Although they are more expensive, they save you from having to buy several car seats. 

Car seats with isofix are generally more expensive, due to the need to buy the isofix base, the equipment on which the car seat rests.


Convenience: which seat is easiest to use?

When it comes to the most convenient solution, car seats with isofix are more practical if you have to take the seat out and put it in the car frequently (as in the case of the egg).

However, if you have a single car seat for several cars, you should be aware that changing cars also involves moving the isofix base, whereas with car seats without isofix you can just attach the seat directly to the belt.

Swivel car seats allow the seat to rotate so that the child can sit easily.


Space the seat takes up

If you're thinking of buying a swivel car seat, check whether rotation is made impossible by the size of the vehicle. You'd be paying more for a feature you can't use.

There are child car seats that allow the child to move in a backwards position up to the age of 4. Make sure there is enough width in the back seat so that the child's legs don't get cramped as they grow.


Where to put the car seat

Child car seats must be placed in the back seat of the car (Article 55 of the Highway Code).

There are only two situations in which the law allows transportation in the front seat:

Source: idelaistanews