Top Five Safest Baby Car Seats 2024

Choosing a car seat to carry your little one is one of the biggest purchasing decisions you’ll make as an expecting parent.

Among must-haves like comfort, style and pushchair compatibility, safety is the number one priority when it comes to choosing a baby car seat. It’s important to know what to look out for in terms of safety credentials, testing and regulations.

The safest baby car seats on the market will have a very good ADAC score, be rear facing or extended rear facing and will have passed the rigorous Swedish Plus Test.

We have put together a list of our top five car seats that meet these criteria so you can find the safest option that works for you and your precious family.

What is the Swedish Plus Test?

The Swedish Plus Test is an optional assessment that aims to guarantee that a little one is never exposed to excessive forces on the neck.

In order to be tested and pass, the car seats must be a suitable height and size (not exceeding 18kg for ISOFIX and 25kg for belted installation) and must be able to be installed in any vehicle.

The Swedish Plus Test is incredibly rigorous, and many of the car seats that take part are completely destroyed as part of the process. There are three factors to passing the test:

• Subjected to higher speed compared to speeds used by the European standards ECE R44 and R129 also known as i-Size.
• Very short braking distance which makes the impact on the car seat significant. The shorter the braking distance, the stronger the forces on the seat.
• To make this test even more stringent, it also measures the forces in the crash test dummy’s neck using special sensors.

If you’re looking for a deeper dive into the Swedish Plus Test, how it began and how a car seat passes this test, check out this blog.

Keep reading to discover which car seats have passed the Swedish Plus Test.

What is Extended Rear Facing?

Children who travel in a rear-facing car seat are up to five times safer than those in a forward-facing seat. This means that in the event of a collision, your little one’s chances are significantly reduced when they travel in a rear-facing car seat.

A baby’s head makes up 25% of their total bodyweight making their neck extremely vulnerable because of the imbalance of their head and neck. This means it is crucial to provide extra protection and support for your little one’s neck for as long as possible while it develops.

When a child is forward-facing during an impact, their body is flung forward with only the belt to keep them secure across their chest but there is nothing to protect their head and neck which could lead to serious injury.

A rear-facing car seat supports your child’s entire back, neck and head and distributes crash forces evenly over a larger area.

General guidelines suggest that a child should travel rear-facing until at least four years old, but extended rear facing up until your little one is six or seven years old keeps them protected for longer.

To find out more about the benefits of extended rear-facing travel you can check out this blog.

Our Top 5 Safest Car Seats

1. Axkid ONE 3 Car Seat

Swedish Plus Tested? Yes

Extended Rear Facing? Yes

The Axkid ONE 3 Car Seat can be used from three months up until seven years and is a great option to ensure the safety of your little one while on the road.

This unique ISOFIX seat is one of the only seats on the market that allows for rear-facing travel until the age of seven and has a quick and secure installation in under 30 seconds. With the Axkid ONE 3, you can drive with peace of mind that your precious passenger is protected and comfortable thanks to the addition of the adjustable legroom.

This car seat comes with a handy magnetic harness, a stepless 42° recline function, ProTechFrame that can withstand crash forces up to 1500kg and SpaceFlow patented technology for extra comfort for all.

As well as winning the ADAC safety test and passing the Swedish Plus Test with flying colours, this baby car seat is:

• R129 approved
• Folksam winner
• Red Dot Award winner

Whatever the destination, you can be sure that with the Axkid ONE 3 by your side, your little one will be taken care of so you can focus on the journey.

2. BeSafe Beyond 360 Car Seat

Swedish Plus Tested? Yes

Extended Rear Facing? Yes

The BeSafe Beyond 360 Car Seat is a toddler car seat that offers extended usage time from six months to six years with the convenience of a full 360-degree rotation. It is the first ever rotation-based car seat that has been approved for use up to 125cm or 22kg, which means it provides complete flexibility and safety with extended rear-facing use.

This car seat combines durable materials with a construction that allows for easy repair so extends the lifetime of the seat by 15 years – making is a safe, smart and sustainable choice. The BeSafe Beyond allows you to utilise the same base for both your baby and toddler car seat all the way from birth up to six years to reduce the amount of production materials used.

This car seat is the perfect fit for families who want to use their seat across multiple cars. It has an easy and quick ISOFIX installation and adjustable recline positions for that extra bit of comfort.

In terms of safety, this car seat goes above and beyond (pardon the pun). It features an extra protective headrest fitted with a Dynamic Force Absorber, additional Side Impact Protection and is built with shock-absorbing materials in the shell. It also has extendable leg space up to 16cm when used for rear-facing and allows your little one to travel rear facing until they are six years old, which, as you know, makes them five times safer when travelling.

Travel with the BeSafe Beyond Car Seat to keep your precious passenger protected and give you the peace of mind to keep your eyes and mind on the road.

3. Joie Signature i-Prodigi Car Seat

Swedish Plus Tested? Yes

Extended Rear Facing? Yes

The Joie Signature i-Prodigi Car Seat is the perfect blend of safety and luxurious comfort for your little one. This car seat boasts top-of-the-line features that provide protection from birth up to seven years.

This car seat has a lightweight frame, elegant look and a user-friendly ISOFIX install so you can guarantee your baby will be safe and secure the second they’re strapped in.

The Joie Signature i-Prodigi is designed with adjustment and longevity in mind. It has eight on-the-go recline positions which all provide a comfortable and secure fit while on the go. It also has adjustable leg room to allow your little one to enjoy extended rear-facing travel up to six years.

“100% recommend and I LOVE the fact you can pull it back and have extra leg room. Beautiful seat, I feel safe with my son using this and knowing he’s comfortable as well.” – Five-star review from a verified buyer (13/11/23).

To keep your child secure, this car seat has a patented five-point harness that grows with them from newborn up to 22.5kg, and the Grow Together headrest adjusts eight positions simultaneously without needing rethreading and making any adjustments a breeze.

The Joie Signature i-Prodigi has detachable Guard Surround Safey panels which provide extra side impact protection. It is made with premium, plush cushioning and fabrics that keep little ones cosy while built-in ventilation prevents overeating and aids temperature regulation.

The Joie Signature i-Prodigi car seat truly has everything you need to give your child the safest way to travel, and you the freedom and peace of mind to focus on the quality family time with no worries.

4. Britax Romer Safe-Way M Car Seat

Swedish Plus Tested? Yes

Extended Rear Facing? Yes

The Britax Romer Safe-Way M Car Seat is made to protect your little one from three months all the way up to seven years.

Thanks to this comfortable car seat, your travel buddy can enjoy extended rear-facing travel for longer, and whether you’re popping to the shops or going on a long road trip, you can be confident that your child will travel safely.

This car seat features an infant insert as well as extra leg space for that added comfort. It has deep and secure side wings, an extra safe five-point harness and a padded protective headrest to shelter your little one’s most vulnerable area.

This car seat can be easily installed with just a click making sure your family is always ready to get on the go hassle free. For extra convenience for parents, the Safe-Way M has a removable and machine-washable cover that you can simply throw in the wash and reattach after even the muddiest and messiest of adventures.

If you’re looking for a travel option that guarantees your little one remains comfortable and totally protected on the road, the Safe Way M has got your back.

5. Axkid ONE 2+ Car Seat

Swedish Plus Tested? Yes

Extended Rear Facing? Yes

Last but by no means least, the Axkid ONE 2+ is an ISOFIX car seat that allows extended rear-facing travel up to approximately seven years and can be used from birth. It boasts a super simple installation and extra legroom, while also being flexible and one of the most compact rear-facing seats on the market.

Thanks to the sliding seat technology, this car seat is extra compact and fits in even the smallest of cars. It also comes with a Sleepwell System that allows the angle of the seat to be adjusted all the way to 42 degrees – meaning that this car seat can be titled back to act as an infant carrier with the addition of the infant cushion (sold separately).

As well as being a safe choice, the Axkid ONE 2+ is also a sustainable one, thanks to its long product lifecycle of up to seven years. The innovative seat itself is easy to disassemble and is made of materials with a high grade of recyclability.

This car seat is made with a new and unique design that uses aluminium and steel to form a protective frame that acts as a protective cocoon. The seat itself has built in shock-absorbing materials that work to reduce crash forces upon impact. Ventilation holes have been added to keep your baby cool in the summer heat.

This car seat weighs less than 10kg which allows older little ones to travel rear-facing for longer and is also equipped with a premium harness and safety system from a Swedish technology provider.

With the Axkid ONE 2+, every feature from the buckle to the belt has been tested beyond basic safety regulations to ensure superior quality and performance for your family.

We hope this blog has helped you understand the importance of both the Swedish Plus Test and Extended Rear Facing travel when it comes to baby car seats. You should now know what to look for in a super safe car seat that you can rely on to carry your little one safely through their childhood.

Shop our selection of super safe car seats for your precious passenger.