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Welcoming a precious bundle of joy into your life is a wonderful experience - but finding the right products can make it a confusing one as well. Especially when you're dealing with items that are key to your baby's safety.
Finding the right car seat or baby capsule can be one of the more complicated tasks on your to-do list as a new or expecting parent, so it pays to have the right information to help inform your choice.
Product | Best for | Price | Suitable ages | Protection rating
 | Ease of use rating
| Learn more |
| Best baby car seat overall | $189 | 0 to 4 years | 4 | 2.3 | View on Baby Bunting | |
| Runner-up | $489.99 | 0 to 4 years | 3.3 | 2.6 | View on Amazon | |
| Best forward-facing baby car seat | $279 | 6 months to 8 years | 3.8 | 2.3 | View on Big W | |
| Best rear-facing baby car seat | $549 | 0 to 12 months | 2.9 | 3.3 | View on Baby Bunting | |
| Best booster seat | $149.99 | 4 to 8 years | 3.8 | 2.6 | View on Amazon |
Prices are accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.
Coming in at under $200, our choice for overall best and safest baby car seat is the Babylove Ezyswitch. Featuring an excellent 4-star rating for protection and suitable for children up to four years of age, this convertible car seat is kind to your little one and your wallet.
Convertible
Affordable
5-star protect for both head and torso in frontal and side impacts
Lightweight design 
Securing the child car seat in your vehicle can be difficult
Only suitable for children up to four years of age If our top pick doesn't appeal to you and you have a little extra cash to spend, we recommend the Maxi-Cosi Vita Smart. Although its on the expensive end of the price spectrum, this convertible seat is still great value as it's suitable for use throughout the first four years of your little one's life. With a 3.3-star protection rating and 2.6-star ease-of-use rating, this car seat is both functional and usable, making it a fantastic choice.
5 star safety rating in terms of maintaining integrity during both frontal and side impacts
Excellent at minimising forward head displacement
Convertible
Pricey
Instructions and labels aren't the best In terms of safety, today's best forward-facing baby car seat is the Safe-N-Sound Atlas-Gro. With an RRP of just under $280, this affordable car seat is suitable for use from ages six months through to eight years and features a 3.8-star protection rating and ease-of-use rating of 2.3.
Excellent protection for the neck and chest during frontal impact and retaining their head in frontal and side impacts
Well priced
Easy-to-understand instructions included
Not great at managing impact energy to the chest and head in frontal and side impacts
Can be difficult to secure your child when learning how to use the car seat If you're looking for a purely rear-facing infant car seat, the Nuna Klik Plus could be the way to go. Coming from the brand that scored a perfect five for their Nuna Pipa Klik under previous testing requirements for safety, this infant car seat holds strong with a 2.9-star protection rating and an impressive 3.3-star ease-of-use rating.
5-star protection rating for retaining both the head and torso in frontal and side impacts
Easy to use
Strong reputation for quality
Expensive
Must be secured with ISOFix to achieve 2.9 star rating If you need to get a booster for an older child so your youngest can have their original baby car seat, or if you previously purchased a model that does not suit all ages, you'll want to look into getting our selection for best car booster seat, the Mother's Choice Tribe AP Booster. Coming in at just under $150 and with a protection rating of 3.8 and ease-of-use rating of 2.6, this booster seat is a solid choice.
High protection for a low cost
Lightweight design
Easy to use
Included instructions are lacking
Securing your child in the booster seat can be difficult The Babylove Ezyswitch is the obvious winner in terms of quality, value, safety and ease of use. Having said that, selecting the right baby car seat for your needs is a highly personal choice. Ensuring that you do your research and choose a car seat that will suit your family's needs for years to come is vital to your satisfaction with your purchase. And, more importantly, the safety of your little one. So be sure to check out the options on this list, and keep hunting until you're satisfied.
Child safety seats should remain in the rear-facing position until your baby is at least six months old. Following this milestone, you can turn your convertible car seat forward, or switch to a forward-facing car seat, once your little one hits the height or weight restrictions outlined by the manufacturer of your child safety seat or baby capsule.
Whenever possible, car seats should be installed on the passenger side of the vehicle. Ideally, your child will stay on this side at least until they are in a booster seat, however, as this is not always possible, we suggest keeping your youngest on the left side and working across from there.
Car seat installation is done with either the use of a seatbelt or ISOFix system. If you need a child car seat that can be used in any vehicle, we recommend selecting one that can be installed using the seatbelt method. This is because many older cars do not have an ISOFix connection as standard. Having said that, most modern vehicles feature ISOFix, so we suggest looking into which methods suit the vehicle(s) you will be transporting your little one in and going from there. Specific installation instructions will be provided by the manufacturer of your chosen child safety seat, and it is important that these are followed closely. Many places also offer car seat fitting as a service for those who are not completely comfortable doing this themselves.
Ratings are sourced from Child Car Seats, an initiative of the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP), which itself is a partnership between multiple government agencies and motorist organisations. Where differing values apply for rear-facing and forward-facing use, the higher rating is shown.
You can learn more about how we review products by checking out our methodology.
