New born car seats and new regulations

[StipyTiger]

I'm not sure who to ask so I thought I'd share on here. I'll be having a baby in September, if all goes well, and I was asked recently had I got a car seat. After looking into it I got very confused on all the different types and fixings. Then I found out that safety regulations had changed recently in seats for new borns. What type do you suggest for it when it's newborn? Is there one that can clip into a frame to make it a pram? I feel clueless about all this and as you can tell it will be my first!

Go to mamas and papas with your car, they do it for you and it's brilliant

I believe the new regulation is the isize where they use height as indicator rather than weight.

OK - at present both regulations (i-Size and the older R-44/04 regs) are running side by side. So I wouldn't worry. Choose one of them, and once you have bought it you will be able to use it with your child for many years.
i-Size will eventually supersede and is based on height, but also on weight. The main thing is that if you move from an i-Size infant carrier to the next size up i-Size seat (currently Group 1), then you can't forward face your child until 15 months old. If you move from an i-Size seat to a current R44/04 Group 1 seat, then you can move them forward facing anytime from 9kg (I recommend you always use your infant carrier to the maximum though).
I really wouldn't worry about this at present though because either type of seat is fine for now. Find a good independent retailer and ask them to help choose.

Don't get too worried about it. You want either an 'infant carrier' or a does-you-from-birth-to-four full on car seat. Both types are possible, although I think it's probably better to get an infant carrier and then a new seat when the baby outgrows it.
When you buy a seat, it's worth checking when it's outgrown both in terms of weight and height (if both figures are given). 13kg is much better than 9kg.
Practically, infant carriers usually are fittable with only a seatbelt or with a fancy base option. We only ever used the seatbelt, and it's not much of a faff to do. (Plus means you can easily swap between cars.)
You may also want your seat to fit any 'travel system' (i.e. pram) you may buy, and several do (usually MaxiCosi fits most, others may need adapter clippy things) BUT bear in mind that newborns particularly shouldn't be in the car seat too long at a stretch anyway though....
When the time comes for the next-seat-up; do your research and consider whether you would like the child to rear face until at least age 4, not so common to see but much safer.