Choosing the right car seat for your child
This article contains the second part of my two-article series guide on buying a car seat in India. I request you to read Part One before you continue to Part Two. The first part contains all the basic information on car seats.
In the first part, I discussed the importance of car seats for your child and the different type of child car seats. Since you are reading this article, I assume that you also agree with me on the importance of getting a car seat.
In this part, I will share details on choosing the correct car seat brand and model.
Quick links:
- What are some reliable car seat brands?
- Car seat recommendations:
- Frequently asked questions on car seats
What are some reliable car seat brands?
Once you have finalised the right car seat group for your child comes the most important part: choosing the right brand and seat.
Finding a personal recommendation for a car seat in India is difficult as there are only a handful of people who buy car seats. Going online is the only option. An online search of “Buy car seats” online will give you multiple car seat brands. The most common brands are Luvlap, R for Rabbit, Babyhug, Graco, Britax, Chicco, Joie etc.
When it comes to choosing a car seat brand, I suggest the following points (in the same order of importance)
1. Safety
2. Cost
3. Comfort
I understand that a higher preference is given to cost-effective or “value for money” options in India. Nonetheless, I give higher importance to safety. After working in road safety for all these years, I cannot stress enough the importance of choosing the safest car seat.
Car seats are created for a single purpose: protecting the child in a crash. Even in a crash with a moderate speed of 30–40 kmph, all occupants inside a car can experience forces of multiple magnitudes higher than the forces experienced by fighter jet pilots while flying. An adult may or may not be able to survive these forces. Children definitely cannot. There is even the added risk of children being thrown out of the vehicle’s window in rollover crashes.
Real-world performance is what matters
You should always choose a car seat that has passed a safety standard, preferably a European or US standard and has also shown reliable safety in real-world crashes or crash tests that simulate real-world crashes. The latter criteria are more important. While passing a safety standard, the car seat is subjected to a controlled crash test based on pre-designed parameters. An actual road crash is highly unpredictable. Hence, it is important to consider car seats that not only have passed safety standards but also have data and reports proving their safety in real-world crashes.
Car seat certification goes beyond the crash test rating. The quality of the fabric and the safety of the chemicals used also need to be checked as children have sensitive skin.
Recommended Car Seat Brands
1. Britax Romer: A highly reputed car seat brand globally. Britax Romer seats are used for Global NCAP crash tests. Almost all Britax seats contain additional features such as extra safety cells, tools for easy installation, etc. Britax seats are priced on the higher side. However, you get the best in safety. If price is not an issue, go for Britax seats.
2. Chicco: Has a very good reputation for safety. Prices are less than that of Britax seats.
3. Graco: Another popular global brand with a good reputation. Prices are cheaper than Britax and Chicco as Graco does not provide as many features. However, be assured that there is no sacrifice in terms of safety.
4. Joie: A brand from the UK with a good global reputation for providing safe and affordable seats. The biggest advantage of Joie seats is that most of their models are available in India. The availability also makes them cheaper and a value-for-money option.
The other good brands are Maxi Cosi, Diono, Clek, and EvenFlo.
A caveat on the brands most readily available in India: Babyhug, Luvlap, R for Rabbit, etc. All these brands claim to be certified using the European ECE standards which I do not doubt. However, I am a bit skeptical about the car seats sold by these brands. The reason is that I have not come across any crash test or real-world crash records that depict their performance. Without evidence, I simply cannot recommend car seats of local or Chinese brands. I may very well be wrong here and the seats by these manufacturers may perform excellently in crashes.
If you have had a crash experience with car seats belonging to local or Chinese manufacturers, please share your experience in the comments below. Your experience may help other readers to make a decision.
Availability of car seats
Car seats sold by the global brand should always be preferred. However, there are some drawbacks you might face when buying seats from global brands:
- The seats tend to cost almost twice or thrice what you will pay for a local brand. Custom duty and shipping costs raise the prices a bit. But most of the price difference is down to the quality difference and features offered. To be honest, you cannot put a price on safety. The price of global car seats still only comes to about 5% of the price of a standard car.
- The biggest problem with buying the global brand seats is their availability in India. They are quite hard to get. The best option is to order them from Amazon or some other global store. Another option is to buy the seats at the manufacturer’s accessories store. Manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Skoda sell re-branded Britax car seats as genuine accessories. However, the seats are priced quite high.
The cost is the only advantage held by the local brands over the global brands. However, as stated earlier, the performance of the local brands in the real world is unverified.
My suggestion: Go to a shop and physically compare the seats sold by the local brands to those sold by the global brands. Choose the seat that gives you the most confidence. The price should not influence your buying decision. Remember that it is a decision for your child’s safety.
Car seat recommendations
According to me, a car seat should satisfy these minimum requirements:
- The seat has shown good capability in real-world crashes or similar crash tests.
- The seat has good customer reviews on its usability and comfort.
Based on these criteria, I have some car seat recommendations for each group. I have also mentioned the benefits and drawbacks of each recommendation.
Infant seats
1. Chicco KeyFit 35
What you get:
- Support for infants up to 16kg.
- Both ISOFIX and belt support.
- Comes with a base for stability.
- Easy installation.
- Multiple recline positions.
- Can accommodate smaller infants.
What you should consider before buying:
- On the heavy side and takes up space.
- With base variant not readily available in India. Base might be needed to be bought separately.
2. Graco Snugride 35 DLX
What you get:
- Support infants up to 16kg.
- Takes up less space. Perfect for smaller vehicles.
- Comes with a base for stability.
- Light in weight. Makes it easy to carry around.
- Multiple recline positions.
- Can accommodate smaller infants.
What you should consider before buying:
- So variants do not support ISOFIX. Do not buy the versions that support LATCH.
- May pose problems with the infant inserts and attachment to the base.
3. Joie i-snug
What you get:
- Good safety features. Also certified under the updated R-129 (“i-size”) ratings.
- Very light weight and easy to carry.
- Both ISOFIX and belt support.
- Accommodates smaller infants.
- Easy installation.
- Provides a sun canopy and multi-layered protective headrest.
What you should consider before buying:
- Requires the purchase of an additional base.
- Expensive and not easily available in India.
4. Britax B-safe 35
What you get:
- The best in safety.
- Support for infants up to 16kg
- Both ISOFIX and belt support
- Fits smaller infants.
- Easy installation
- High-quality fabric and support material.
What you should consider before buying:
- Heavier than others.
- Expensive and not easily available in India.
Convertible seats
1. Graco Extend2Fit:
What you get:
- Extended rear-facing usage. Can support children up to 23kg.
- Both ISOFIX and belt support
- Easier installation and adjustment.
- Short height, allowing more room for front occupants.
What you should consider before buying:
- Wide and bulky. Can be a challenge to fit 2 adults in the back with the seat installed.
2. Joie Steadi:
What you get:
- ‘i-size rated’. Provides adequate protection in side impacts.
- Extended rear-facing usage. Can support children up to 18kg.
- Light weight and portable.
- Affordable compared to other convertible seats.
- No ISOFIX support. Good for cars with no ISOFIX anchors.
- Easier switching between reclining positions.
What you should consider before buying:
- Wide. Can be a challenge to fit 2 adults in the back with the seat installed.
- Belt comes across the seat during installation. Can make installation a bit difficult.
3. Evenflo Tribute LX
What you get:
- A surprisingly safe car seat for the price. This is the safest convertible seat under 10k. Real value for money.
- Light and easy to carry.
- Narrow design.
- Readily available in India.
What you should consider before buying:
- Barebone design. Comes with minimal padding that can get uncomfortable on longer drives.
- At a 13kg limit, the seat does not support rear-facing for a longer duration.
- Can be a bit difficult for installation.
4. Britax Dualflix i-size
What you get:
- The best in safety features. Tested as per the new EU R129 certification.
- The go-to seat used by most manufacturers in crash tests.
- Isofix integrated into the seat base
- Unique 360 rotation design to switch seamlessly between rear-facing and front-facing.
- Lots of good features.
- High-quality fabric and support material.
- Extending rear-facing.
What you should consider before buying:
- Expensive.
- Bulky. Difficult to easily switch between cars.
5. Clek Fllo
What you get:
- Narrow body. Easily able to accommodate more occupants in the back.
- Extended rear-facing usage. Can support children up to 23kg.
- Excellent safety features.
- Both ISOFIX and belt support
- Lightweight and easier to carry from car to car.
What you should consider before buying:
- Additional purchases are to be made to fit newborns and young infants.
- The seat is narrow at the expense of the length. May require the front seat adjustment in smaller cars.
- No cup holder and infant inserts
- Not available in India. You will have to import it.
Combination seats
Britax Grow With You with Harness
What you get:
- The best in safety features.
- Both ISOFIX and belt support
- 5-point harness.
- Easy installation through the Clicktight mechanism
- High-quality fabric and support material.
What you should consider before buying:
- Expensive and not easily available in India. I suggest to go for either for a convertible + booster seat option. Or an all-in-one seat.
Booster seats
1. Graco Highback TurboBooster
What you get:
- Cheap and a readily available seat in India.
- Light and narrow construction
- Easier adjustment
What you should consider before buying:
- Does not support ISOFIX.
- A lighter weight can make the seat a bit jittery.
2. Joie Elevate
What you get:
- Cheap and a readily available seat in India.
- Light and narrow construction.
- Easier adjustment.
What you should consider before buying:
- Does not support ISOFIX.
- No recline positions.
2. Maxi Cosi RodiFix
What you get:
- Extremely Narrow design. Yet comfortable.
- Both ISOFIX and belt support
- Easy installation.
What you should consider before buying:
- Not easily available in India.
All-in-one seats
1. Graco 4Ever DLX All-in-one
What you get:
- Extending rear-facing up to 18kgs
- Longevity. This seat can be used from birth to age 10.
- ISOFIX and belt support
- Machine washable padding
- Easy availability in India.
What you should consider before buying:
- Bulky. Cannot be carried around.
- Takes up considerable space in the rear seat. Having two other occupants along with the car seat can be a challenge for compact cars.
2. Diono Radian 3RXT all-in-one
What you get:
- Extending rear-facing up to 20kgs
- Longevity. This seat can be used from birth to age 10.
- Narrow design.
- ISOFIX and belt support. Easy installation.
What you should consider before buying:
- Bulky. Cannot be carried around.
- Has fewer adjustment options for infants.
- Not easily available in India.
3. Joie Every Stage
What you get:
- Extending rear-facing up to 18kgs
- Longevity. This seat can be used from birth to age 12.
- Easy installation through Dual lock-off system.
What you should consider before buying:
- Bulky. Cannot be carried around.
- No ISOFIX.
- Less leg-room for older children in rear-facing.
- Not easily available in India.
A final note
I have covered all the points to help you choose the correct car seat. I would have loved to share the performance of car seats in crashes on Indian roads. However, I have never come across an Indian crash involving a car seat. The reason for this could be down to the fact that there are very few people who use car seats. I prefer to think that those who use car seats are automatically more likely to drive safely and are less likely to be involved in severe crashes.
I have also put together a list of the Frequently Asked Questions that I get on car seats that you can access here. If you have any more questions, please mention them in the comments below. I will try to answer them to the best of my knowledge.
If you found this article useful, I request you to share it with every parent who has a young child. With an increasing number of cars in our country, the need for protecting our children on roads is increasing. Unfortunately, most parents in our country are not even aware of car seats and their importance. I hope that together we can make our children’s journeys safer.
Last Updated on December 8, 2022 by RohanG