Purchasing a car seat is possibly one of the biggest decisions you will make when it comes to the safety of your child and often one with a hefty price tag. However, among all the pricey items you will purchase this is the only one that has the potential to save your child’s life. What makes choosing a car seat so confusing is the sheer number of different options available to you and the varying prices. When faced with so many different choices it can often seem overwhelming and difficult to find the right answers.  

We recommend only purchasing a car seat in the third trimester of pregnancy, in your final trimester you will have a good idea whether you are expecting a special needs baby or a baby with a low birth weight. This will impact which car seat will be the best choice for your baby. 

First and foremost, remember the following: 

When choosing the right car seat, it’s important to remember that safe car seats are those that: 

• meet the minimum safety requirements – currently ECE R44.04 and newer testing regulations are classified under ECE R129/01/02/03 
• are installed correctly and 
• correctly used every single time. 

If you purchase a car seat that meets the ECE R44.04 or ECE R129 requirements, install it correctly and use it correctly every single time your vehicle starts moving, your child will be as safe as possible. A car seat can only do its job if it is correctly installed and used every single time, no matter how short the drive.  

There are many different types of car seats which can also cause confusion. We always recommend using an infant car seat (also known as a capsule or infant carrier) for a newborn as this is the safest option because it offers the best fit for small babies and provides crucial side impact protection. When opting for a multi-stage seat (see different types of seats) to use from birth, the baby is positioned on top of the infant insert cushion and not positioned deep inside of the shell of the car seat, therefore the side impact protection is not optimal. It is almost impossible to get a good fit for newborn babies in a multi-stage car seat. You should accept that if you purchase an infant car seat, you will need to purchase at least one other car seat for your child, possibly two. However, we strongly recommend using dedicated car seats for each stage of your child’s life.  

1. An infant car seat (also known as an infant carrier or capsule) – until they max out the limit of the car seat (this depends on the car seat but may be 72cm or 85cm or 13kg – please check your manual) roughly 12-15 months old.  

2. A toddler car seat – rear facing to 18kg OR an extended rear facing seat to 25-36kg – specifically for bigger than average children who will reach 18kg before they are 4-5 years old. 

3. A dedicated high back booster seat – which they will use until they reach 150cm, roughly 10-12 years old. 

Children with special needs or those that are not mature enough to sit in a dedicated high back booster that utilises the vehicle 3-point seatbelt will still need a car seat which uses a 5-point harness to 25kg.  Contact us for further information on forward facing extended harnessed options.  

Consider the following factors. 

Before deciding on a car seat think about: 

• your budget,  
• your lifestyle, 
• your vehicle and 
• if you are expecting a child with special needs – please read our article Car seats and accessories for children with Special Needs. 

Your budget 

Have a clear idea of how much you can spend on a car seat. Car seat prices vary extensively, so by having a budget in mind you will quickly and considerably narrow down your search. To give you an idea of pricing, a budget infant baby car seat (carrier) can cost just under R1000 and the top of the range car seats can cost more than R18 000.00.  

When considering your budget, also consider whether you can get a discount through a financial rewards program. Discovery Vitality, Discovery Insure, Momentum Multiply and Absa Rewards are just some of the reward programs that, depending on your tier level, may give you a discount and assist you in choosing a car seat.  

See the below links for further details: 

If you are insured with Discovery Insure

If you have Discovery Vitality

If you have Momentum Multiply – (Partners that sell car seats include Dischem, Clicks and Makro) 

If you have ABSA rewards

Your lifestyle 

Your lifestyle may include varying factors like: 

• How often you travel? 
• Do you plan on moving the car seat from vehicle to vehicle? 
• Do you want an infant car seat that can be used as part of a travel system? See our article on travel systems here. 

• Do you only want to buy one car seat for the duration of your child’s car seat life?  
• If you plan on moving the car seat from vehicle to vehicle, will you take the time to make sure it is installed correctly? Some car seats can take more than 10 minutes to install correctly, depending on how familiar you are with the installation and vehicle. If you find yourself permanently rushing from one activity to the next, you will want to take this into consideration. 
• Do you want a rotating seat? Please click here for our detailed article on rotating car seats. 

Your vehicle 

Understanding the features of your vehicle is an important part of choosing the right car seat for your child. Check the vehicle user manual to find out the following: 

• Does your vehicle have ISOFix? 
• Does your vehicle have Top Tether anchors? 
• Does your vehicle have under floor storage compartments? 
• Does your vehicle have built-in / fixed (non-removable) headrests?  
• Does your vehicle have high ground clearance? 
• Are the seat belts the same length?  
• Do your seat belts have a seat belt stopper (small, plastic button) or extra loop of webbing, to keep the seat belt tongue within easy reach for the passenger?  
• How much space do you have in the backseat? 
• Are your vehicle seats steep? (I.e., the angle of the seat results in your knees being higher than your bum) 
• Does your vehicle have additional support on the side of the seat? If so, the shape of the vehicle seat may interfere with the rotating function of the car seat and you may lose the rotating function completely. 
• Do you have a 7-seater vehicle? Check your manual to ensure that the installation of car seats is allowed on the 3^rd row. Most 7-seater vehicles do not allow car seat installation on the 3^rd row – read our article on 7+ seater vehicles here. 

Top Tip: Always fit the car seat into your vehicle before purchasing! 

How does your lifestyle and your vehicle effect your decision? 

If you travel frequently throughout the day, you will find an ISOFix infant car seat far easier than a seat belt installation. The ease of clipping the infant car seat onto the ISOFix base, takes a lot less time and effort than using the seat belt every single time you need to move the car seat in and out of the vehicle. ISOFix is also easier for very high vehicles, as you won’t need to stand on the side rail to lean in and over the car seat to safely buckle it into the vehicle.  If you plan on using the infant car seat on a travel system an ISOFix base will also make your trip that much quicker and easier.  However, if your vehicle has steep seats, you may find the angle of the seat causes head flop in infants with little/no neck control. In this case, you may find you get a better fit when installing the infant car seat with the vehicle seat belt, and not the ISOFix base.   

If you plan on only having 1 car seat and will be regularly moving the car seat from vehicle to vehicle you are going to want to make sure you install it correctly every single time. A car seat is only safe when it is installed correctly and this is not something that should be rushed. If you find yourself permanently rushing and will need to move the car seat from one vehicle to another, an ISOFix installed car seat will help reduce (not eliminate) installation errors and are often quicker to install than car seats which use the vehicle seat belt to install. 

Fact: ISOFix car seats are not automatically safer than car seats that require the vehicle seat belt for installation. ISOFix reduces (not eliminates) installation errors and always require a 3^rd point of contact which is either a Top Tether or Support Leg.  

It is important to note that all ISOFix car seats will need either a support leg or top tether to install correctly. Different car seats install differently, so it’s important to know your vehicle. If your vehicle has ISOFix, Top Tether anchors and a solid floor (i.e., no underfloor storage compartments) you have a lot more options available to you. The Top Tether anchor is extremely important and one that is often overlooked. Depending on your vehicle you may find your Top Tether anchor on the roof, behind the seat, on the parcel shelf, on the floor of the boot or on the base/back of the vehicle seat. Some of these points are easy to get to and some are more difficult to access. You should take this into consideration before choosing a car seat that installs with a Top Tether anchor. A vehicle like a double cab bakkie may have the Top Tether anchor behind the vehicle seat which is often difficult to access, which will then make the installation of the car seat more challenging, increasing the risks of incorrect installation – in this case rather opt for a car seat that has a Support Leg instead of a Top Tether anchor point. Support legs are an alternative design to a Top Tether anchor and stabilise the ISOFix car seat, preventing the car seat from tipping over (into the front passenger, driver seat or even sideways into the door) in the event of a crash/severe braking. Car seats that use a support leg can only be used with vehicles with a solid floor, if your vehicle has underfloor storage compartments, please check your user manual for information pertaining to whether your vehicle allows for the support leg of the car seat to be extended to the floor of the storage compartment or whether fillers are available from the vehicle manufacturer. If your vehicle has built-in headrests or headrests that cannot be removed, please check that these do not push the car seat forward when used forward facing or in booster mode, as the full surface area of the backrest of the car seat/booster must always make contact with the vehicle backseat.  

One other feature of car seats is those that have the option to rotate 360 degrees or sideways towards the door for greater ease when putting your child into or removing them from the car seat. This sounds amazing and in practise can be of huge benefit, specifically if you have a bad back, high vehicle or vehicle with a very small door entry, but not all rotating seats are equal. Some lose their ability to rotate in various modes and some are incompatible with some vehicles. You can read our detailed article on rotating car seats here.  

When installing a car seat using the vehicle seat belt it is important to make sure the routing is done correctly and that the vehicle seat belts are long enough to install the car seat correctly. Where the seat belt goes under a lock-off clip, it is important to check the seat belt stopper / seat belt loop (these should never be removed) aren’t under the lock-off clip, this would mean that a secure installation cannot be achieved. It is wise to install the car seat on both sides of the vehicle and in all the vehicles it will be used in, as not all seat belts are the same length. We have found on various vehicle models that the left outer rear seat belt is significantly shorter than the right outer rear seat belt. 

If you have a vehicle with a large backseat and a budget that allows you to purchase an extended rear facing car seat to 25+kg this is something we would recommend. These car seats generally install with the vehicle seat belt, support leg and lower tethers. They do, however, take up a lot of space in the vehicle and not all vehicles can cater for the size of these seats. We strongly advocate for children to remain rear facing for as long as possible, at the very least to 2 years old. 

Expecting a child with special needs?

Please read our article Car seats and accessories for children with Special Needs and Using a car seat as part of a travel system. 

Choosing a car seat is a big decision and one we understand can feel terribly overwhelming. If you need any help choosing the right car seat, please book a consultation here.