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Best-Rated Baby Car Seats & Capsules

See Our Ratings Methodology.

cns-msc-baby-car-seats-and-capsules-2023-small

Most Satisfied Customers | Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound

Aussies have rated Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound as the top brand in Canstar Blue’s latest baby car seat ratings, with five stars for all categories, including features & functionality, design, comfort & support, ease of use, value for money, durability and overall satisfaction.

Fact Checked Fact Checked

How we rate baby car seats

Our review compares baby car seats on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which baby car seat they think is best!


Canstar Blue surveyed 360 Australians for their feedback on the baby car seat(s) they’ve purchased and used in the last three years. Note: survey respondents must also be the parent or guardian of at least one child under the age of six.

  • The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.


Respondents rate their satisfaction with their baby car seat brand(s) from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
  • Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with a baby car seat brand as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
  • Features & functionality: the baby car seat has a number of features and functions that enhanced its usability (i.e. could be converted into multiple seating options, etc.).
  • Design: the baby car seat was aesthetically pleasing, and was designed to fit snugly into the existing car seat.
  • Comfort & support: the baby car seat provided support for the baby, and was perceived to be comfortable for the baby (i.e. could recline, baby seemed happy when placed in car seat, etc.).
  • Ease of use: the baby car seat was easy to use and place in the car, and came with sufficient instructions.
  • Value for money: the cost is reasonable for the quality of the baby car seat.
  • Durability: the baby car seat was sturdily constructed and had performed as expected given frequency of use.

The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.

  • Overall satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
  • When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the Overall satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
    • The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

  • Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound
  • InfaSecure
  • Mother’s Choice
  • Baby Love

Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.


1. Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound


Britax Safe-n-Sound Unity™ ISOFIX

Ratings result

Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound was rated five stars across all categories, including features & functionality, design, comfort & support, ease of use, value for money, durability and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

Britax is a well-known producer of baby car seats, encapsulating car seats for a range of different life stages, including baby capsules, convertible seats, and booster seats for older kids. Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound has a huge range and boasts several leading technologies to help your baby or infant get from point A to B safely.

The Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound Unity ISOFIX Travel Baby Capsule, which is suitable for a newborn up to 12 months, features high sidewalls, a Thermo5 fabric for additional comfort, sun canopy, insertable comfort pads and integrated adaptors to help you click into other Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound products. It also features ISOFIX connectors to help slot into car seats.

2. InfaSecure


InfaSecure Baby Car Seat

Ratings result

InfaSecure was rated five stars for features & functionality, with four stars for durability, ease of use, comfort & support, design and overall satisfaction, and three stars for value for money.

Editor’s notes

Part of the InfaGroup, InfaSecure is an Australian brand that offers a number of baby-related products, including strollers, cots and car seats. Its baby car seat range includes convertible models, booster seats, forward facing seats along with capsules to help suit your little one’s age.

The InfaSecure Kompressor Mini Swirl – which is suited for newborns up to four years – features a narrow width and shallow depth, making it an ideal for those with smaller cars. The car seat also features five shoulder-height slots, nine recline positions and Forward Facing mode to match your child’s growth.

3. Mother’s Choice


Mother's Choice Baby Car Seat

Ratings result

Mother’s Choice was rated four stars for durability, value for money, comfort & support, design, features & functionality and overall satisfaction, with three stars for ease of use.

Editor’s notes

Another well-known brand within the Australian baby market, Mother’s Choice range of baby car seats includes baby capsules, convertible car seats, booster seats and travel systems, allowing you to narrow down what you’re looking for.

The Adore AP Convertible Car Seat features three recline positions, adjustable headrest, removable plush infant insert, a machine washable cover, Wicking Fabric for additional comfort, Air Protect side impact protection and large seating depth to allow for growth.

4. Baby Love


Baby Love Baby Car Seat

Ratings result

Rated four stars for value for money, Baby Love was also rated three stars for durability, ease of use, comfort & support, design, features & functionality and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

While potentially not offering the range of some of its competitors, Baby Love has a range of options available for parents to choose from, including convertible car seats, harness seats alongside booster seats.

The Baby Love ezyone2 Convertible Car Seat is suitable for newborns up to children aged four years, and features deep side wings for additional protection, padded inserts and shoulders for comfort, two reclining positions, 6-point safety harness and a machine washable cover for easy use.

5. Other baby car seat brands

Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.

  • First Years
  • Hipod
  • Maxi-Cosi

  • Nuna
  • Safety 1st
  • Steelcraft

Compare more products featured in our Most Satisfied Customers Awards

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Brand Subscription Type No. of Screens/same time viewing Advertised Cost^^/month or year
Disney+ Logo

Disney+ Monthly Subscription

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  • Unlimited downloads of shows and movies on up to 10 devices

min. cost $13.99 over one month

4No. of Screens /same time viewing $13.99
Advertised Cost/month
Get DealCanstar Blue receives a commission for sign-ups through Disney+ *
Disney+ Logo

Disney+ Yearly Subscription

  • Stream the Disney+ library, including Disney+ Originals, Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, National Geographic & Star
  • Watch on 4 screens at the same time
  • Add up to 7 profiles
  • Unlimited downloads of shows and movies on up to 10 devices
  • Prepay for a yearly subscription and save on the monthly cost

min. cost $139.99 over one year

4No. of Screens /same time viewing $139.99
Advertised Cost/year
Get DealCanstar Blue receives a commission for sign-ups through Disney+ *

What type of baby car seat should you get?

The type of baby car seat you should get largely depends on the age and size of your child, with personal preference also coming into play. There are generally three different types of baby car seats – infant car seats, convertible car seats, and booster seats.

Infant car seats

As the name suggests, infant car seats are designed for infants and are suitable for children’s use up to 12 months of age. Infant car seats are the most ‘cocoon-like’ of all, and are rear-facing. Depending on the growth rate of your baby, infant car seats are good for about six months to 12 months, but that’s not a hard-and-fast rule, and the general rule of thumb is to keep them rear-facing as long as possible. Quite often, infant car seats double as a carrier, with easily detachable bases for easy transportation. This makes it easy for transporting baby between two cars, between car and home, and for clicking onto strollers.

Convertible car seats

Convertible car seats are generally the most varied type of child car seat and suit a wide range of ages, up to 30 months. Often, they come as one whole unit, rather than with a detachable base. They often come with removable covers, making them much easier to wash and clean. Based on your child’s size, these car seats will generally be suitable from birth to four years. Some can be rear-facing for up to 30 months. The main downside with convertible seats is that they are not exactly portable and cannot be used as child carriers. However, given their longevity, they arguably provide the best value for money.

Booster seats

The last in the lifecycle of baby car seats, booster seats are the final step before your child is capable of sitting in a regular seat. Booster seats are often the most basic in design, and make use of the full-sized seatbelt. Booster seats are forward-facing and are suitable for toddlers and older children. Booster seats can also generally take the most weight, with kids up to around 35kg able to sit in them. Child height is critical in this segment, and if your child is tall enough, they may even be able to do away with a secondary seat entirely. Generally, the recommendation is that a booster seat should be used until children are eight years of age, with the legal requirement for sitting in a front seat being at least 12 years. The general rule is if the child is less than 145cm tall, they stay in their booster seat.

What is ISOFIX?

Baby car seats isofix clamping

ISOFIX is the name for the international standard of attachment points for children’s car seats. Dubbed ‘LATCH’ in the US and ‘CANFIX’ in Canada, ISOFIX is a standard set of attachment points that will feature in all new cars in Australia.

The first compatible products were released in 1997, and by 2013 the UN stipulated that all new vehicles must have ISOFIX points attached. This development makes it much easier for parents to properly fasten their child seats in different cars. With universal attachment points, the aim is for much confusion to be removed and for car seats to be easily fitted in mum and dad’s car.

The bottom line on car seats

When deciding which car seat is best for your child, give some thought to the factors mentioned above. While ‘baby stuff’ typically ain’t cheap, car seats are required by Australian law and shouldn’t be considered lightly. Buying one may result in a significant hit to your baby budget, but you really can’t put a price on safety!

All of the brands featured in this report are reputable and must comply with Australian safety standards, so you should have confidence that your little one is in safe hands. As a result, factors like flexibility and convenience really come into play. While your car seat is for your child, it’s mum and dad who will be carrying it in and out of the car every five minutes, so find one that works for everyone.


Dean Heckscher: Site Editor

This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Site Editor, Dean Heckscher. He’s our resident expert on all things automotive, health & fitness, streaming and more. Dean is also one of Canstar Blue’s customer research report producers, helping to turn complicated subjects into easily-digestible information for our readers. He’s passionate about helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services.

 

Meet the Editorial Team

 

Samantha Howse: Consumer Research Specialist

Sam Howse Research Specialist

Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.

 

Meet the Research Team

Past Ratings

Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s baby car seat ratings:

  • 2022: Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound
  • 2021: Maxi-Cosi & Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound
  • 2020: Mother’s Choice
  • 2019: Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound
  • 2018: InfaSecure
  • 2017: Britax Safe ‘n’ Sound

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