How do I compare safety of different car seats

[bananananananana]

My DD has outgrown her carrier car seat so am looking at getting the next size up.

Is there a set way of assessing the safety assessments a carseat has undergone?

Am I to assume that the ones for £75 only meet the minimum legal requirements whereas the £300+ ones have undergone further testing...?

I saw something on a thread on here a few weeks back about 'Sweden' testing I think it was?

There's a useful group on Facebook called car seat advice UK (lots of others too).

I checked the German test results which are much more stringent than Which. I find car seat advice always seem to recommend Joie which, whilst better than others, is certainly not the safest you can get.

Or was it 'Switzerland'...?

I'm not an overly paranoid person but I work in a&e and have seen the outcome of car crashes, I just want to make sure I am buying something 'decent' rather than 'meets bare minimum', but don't want to throw cash down the drain by assuming more expensive=better quality

You are looking for the plus test results [[https://www.babyandco.com/blog/product-reviews/plus-test-car-seats]]

The Besafe Izi larger rear facing seats are v good

link

You need to look for Swedish pass plus tests or German ADAC test results. These subject seats to more rigorous testing.

Also check the seat fits your car properly. You can buy the safest seat in the world but it's pointless if it isn't fitted properly.

I'd recommend looking for an extended rear facing seat rather than forward facing. You can get these for up to 25kg.

If you live near to an In Car Safety Centre, then make an appointment as they are fantastic. They also have lots of information on their website.

incarsafetycentre.co.uk

Thanks all :)

I actually do live quite near one of the in car safety centres so will definitely go via there before buying.

Which magazine.

Marking my spot

Don’t use which, I unsubscribed on the basis of their dodgy car seat reviews. They review on the basis of colour, safety and ease of install.
We’ve got a besafe izi kid and an axkid minikid both are Swedish plus tested. The axkid is a complete pain in the arse to move between vehicles however we got it for our 3 year old who was over 18kg so could no longer use an isofix seat. The izi besafe kid is a great seat, we’ve been happy with it and fortunately haven’t tested its safety. Have a look in the red book at centilesand see what age your little one is expected to pass the 18kg mark. As you should ideally keep them harnessed and rear facing until they are 4 yrs old.

Don't use Which car seat reviews - look for extended rear facing, preferably those that have passed the Swedish Plus Test.

Join 'Car Seat Advice UK'.

Definitely visit the In Car Safety Centre if they're near.

Otherwise the Axkid Minikid and Britax Two Way Elite are very popular 25kg seats. If your child is smaller than 50th centile and not due to hit 18kg until at least 4, look into the Joie Stages.

I've got a casualplay bicare fix. Wouldn't recommend it actually, just in case it crops up on your searches.
No reason to suggest it isn't safe but the straps are a pain to adjust tight enough and the shoulder pads don't come off.

We've got Britax Römer Maxway, it's rearward facing and plus tested. Medium priced, I forget but around £200. Also, I'm Swedish and in Sweden it's strongly recommended NOT to use forward facing seats until your child is around 4 (or 25 kg). Surprised (shocked) to see all the little babies here int he UK travelling forward facing tbh...