Can you hire a child car seat in the UK?
Yes, you can hire a child car seat in the UK from various trusted providers. Alongside well-known car rental companies such as EuropCar, Avis, Hertz and Sixt, which offer child car seats as an optional ‘extra’ when hiring a car, you can also rent one from specialised baby equipment hire companies like Baby Comes 2.
Most of these organisations offer a variety of child car seats that meet UK safety standards. However, it's a good idea to book in advance to make sure there's one available and to get the right seat for your child's age and size (which isn’t always guaranteed as discussed later in this guide).
To hire a car seat at most car rental companies, you generally follow these steps:
Choose your vehicle category.
Select the child seat option under the extras section.
Review the available child seats, which should include options based on your child’s height or weight including baby car seats, toddler car seats and high-back booster seats for older children approximately aged four to 12 years, between 18 to 45kg and/or up to 150cm.
Ensure the seat meets UK safety requirements (either R129 or ECE R44.04 regulations), is easy to install and is comfortable.
Select the required seat and specify the quantity.
The cost, ranging from £15 to £150 per day, will be added to your total rental price.
Can you hire a child car seat abroad?
Yes, you can also hire a child car seat abroad much like you would in the UK. Many car rental companies and baby equipment hire services at international destinations offer child car seats as part of their rental options. However, it's important to note that the quality and standards of hire car seats can vary by country. While many European countries adhere to high safety standards, it's always a good idea to inspect the car seat upon arrival to ensure that it’s in good condition and meets your safety expectations.
If you’re taking your own car seat, make sure that it meets the safety requirements in the country you’re travelling to, as car seat laws can differ from country to country and even from province to province within the same country. For instance:
In the UK and Europe: Only seats approved by the EU and meeting EU safety standards are legal. The car seat should have a label with a capital ‘E’ in a circle and either ‘ECE UN R44’ or ‘R129’ to ensure compliance.
In the USA: European car seats (like those approved under ECE R44/04 or ECE R129 standards) can't typically be used. The USA has its own rules for car seats, overseen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). American car seats need to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213) to be legal and safe for use and will have a label indicating they meet these standards.
In Australia and New Zealand: You can't use a child car seat bought or hired in the UK in Australia because it won't comply with the Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS)1754. It also won't be compatible with the anchorage system in Australian vehicles.
Claire Waterhouse, Director at Child Seat Safety says that using a European-approved seat in the USA could also invalidate your travel or health insurance due to non-compliance with local safety standards.
“Using your own car seat and knowing how your child fits into it is less stressful in another country than having no idea about how the hire seat fits and not knowing what you might be given. From a safety perspective, the car rental company is unlikely to fit the seat for you or be able to help, so you could potentially be missing an important insert or tether strap and have no idea it’s absent,” adds Waterhouse.
Before heading off on your journey, Waterhouse also recommends checking the road traffic laws of your destination, as rules may differ, particularly regarding children in the front passenger seat and height requirements for booster or child seats. “The best place to find the correct information is from motoring organisations such as the RAC and AA websites who provide good up to date information,” she says.
Read next: Best baby car seats from birth
Is it safe to hire a child car seat?
Hiring a child car seat in the UK is generally safe, as reputable car rental companies and baby equipment hire companies should provide car seats that meet EU and UK safety standards.
However, many parents have faced issues with the reserved car seat being unavailable at pick-up due to shortages or location-specific stock. Additionally, hired car seats may not always be the correct size or height for your child, posing a safety risk.
Mumsnetter, Liss243 recalls, “When we went to Italy last year and hired a car, the rental company let us book a car seat but said they couldn’t guarantee it, so we took one as we didn’t want to deal with that on arrival. Might be worth checking if they will definitely have one available if you do book one.”
"Please take car seats with you. It's really not that much of a faff and most airlines will carry them for free for booked children. You have absolutely no idea of the history and condition of the seats you hire, and there are so many horror stories about completely inappropriate seats being provided,” adds Mumsnetter, SacreBleeurgh