Choosing the right type of child car seat

When you are expecting your first baby and then as they grow through childhood, the world of child car seats and restraints can be very confusing.

There are so many child seat types, brands and styles to choose from, whatever your budget.

All children under seven need to be in a child seat/restraint in Australia and a case is being made to extend that until 10 years old.

Either way, you will have to manage the child seat juggling act for a large section of your family life, especially if you have more than one child and there is a big age gap between them.

If you are having your first child you will likely have the luxury of space in your car’s rear seats, so can opt for a larger child seat, but bear in mind if you are planning on having more children how that will fit with more child seats in the future and, while they are rear-facing, how much legroom will be left in the front.

Often as we add more children to our families over the years we end up with a combination of child seat types in the back row to accommodate for each child’s age and size, so how the seats fit together is important too.

Child seats range in price from around $250 to over $1000, so making an informed decision and buying the right child seats for your family is important.

It is also vital that you only purchase and use child seats that meet Australian Standards (AS/NZS 1754).

For example, if you have recently moved to Australia or are visiting from overseas and brought your child seats with you, they will not comply. Child seats purchased from online retailers and shipped from overseas may look similar to the ones sold through official channels in Australia, but could also be non-compliant.

The size of your family and the size of your car also play a part in your decision. If you have three young children, then making sure the three child seats you buy fit across the rear bench seat is very important. Even if you have two child seats, if you prefer to have an adult travel in the centre-rear position then that may influence your decision too.

For many families, these considerations might make the difference between buying the slimmest child seats on the market or upgrading to a more spacious car.

I have tested all the different types of child seats in many cars with my family over the past seven years as a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au.

Here’s my list of different types of child seats explained to help you stay informed and make the correct decision for your family…

Rear-facing child seats are, as the name suggests, designed to face rearward and use the internal harness of the child seat to secure the child.

Babies have to be rear-facing in their child seat until (approximately) six months In Australia or until their shoulders reach the height markers on their child seat. Lots of babies are not big enough to face forward at six months and are safer remaining in a rearward-facing position.

Paediatricians, industry experts and car seat manufacturers all agree that keeping young children rear-facing as long as possible is recommended for their safety in the event of an accident.

Different types of rearward-facing child seat include:

Type A1 or Infant Capsule/Infant Carrier child seats are designed to rearward face from birth to a large six-month-old (or until they reach the height marker).

There are some advantages to using an infant capsule; you can put them in and out of your car easily with your baby still in the seat and take them into your home or connect it to your pram or stroller.

While your baby is so young and small it can be helpful to get them comfortably settled in their child seat at home so you can adjust and fasten the harness with them in front of you before taking them out to the car.

A disadvantage is the cost of buying another child seat after six months and the potential health risks associated with an infant spending too much time in a capsule (for example, during a car journey and then while it is attached to the pram frame at the destination rather than placed flat on their back in a bassinet).

Type A2 rear-facing child seats are designed to rearward face from birth to a large 12-month-old (or until they reach the height marker). These give you more longevity with your child rear-facing before you need to buy a new child seat.

Type A4 rear-facing child seats are designed to rearward face from birth to a large 30-month-old (or until they reach the height marker). For those wanting to keep their child rear-facing for longer, the type A4 child seats enable extended rear-facing.

These child seats are designed to face forward and use the internal harness of the child seat to secure the child.

Most forward-facing child seats have recline angles for when children are younger and can be changed to a more upright position as they get older.

Different types of forward-facing child seat include:

Type B child seats are designed to forward face to a large four-year-old (or until they reach the height marker) using the internal harness to fasten the child in.

Type G child seats are designed to forward face to a large eight-year-old (or until they reach the height marker) using the internal harness to fasten the child in.

Booster seats are designed to forward face using the vehicle’s lap/sash seat belt to secure the child. Children under the age of four cannot travel in a booster seat; they must be in a harnessed child seat.

All children are different, and you know your kids the best, so here are some things to consider if you are thinking of moving your child into a booster seat:

• Do you still have to wrestle your child into their child seat and fasten them into their harness to get them in the car? If you do then they are not ready for booster seats because they don’t use a harness and your child will easily slip out of the car’s seat belt.

• Can your child be trusted not to sit up in the car and not slip the seat belt off, play with or unclip the seat belt buckle, or sleep in the car often? If so, the car’s seat belt may not hold them in place like a harness does.

Different types of child booster seat include:

Type E booster seats are designed to forward face to a large eight-year-old.

Type F booster seats are designed to forward face to a large 10-year-old.

Convertible child seats convert from either a rear-facing child seat to a forward-facing child seat or from a forward-facing harnessed child seat to a booster-type child seat using the car’s seat belt.

Convertible child seats can save you money as they cover multiple stages of your child’s growth.

Different types of convertible child seat include:

Type A2/B child seats are commonly called ‘Convertible Car Seats’. They rearward face as an A2 seat to a large 12-month-old, then convert to a forward-facing Type B through to a large four-year-old.

Type A4/G child seats rearward face as a Type A4 child seat to a large 30-month-old, then convert to a Type G forward-facing child seat through to a large eight-year-old with the internal harness. One of the advantages of the Type A4/G convertible child seat is you may only need to buy one child seat.

Type B/E seats are commonly called ‘Convertible Booster Seats’. They are a Type B restraint up to a large four-year-old (using an internal harness) and then convert into a Type E (using the car’s seat belt) suitable for use up to a large eight-year-old.

There's an awesome podcast that you can listen to that has more info on kids carseats.