Australia’s safest child car seats for 2023 revealed

All seats tested by CREP comply with Australian Standards and parents are advised to buy the safest seat they can afford. Photo: Getty.

What do the CREP assessments do?

The CREP assessments aim to educate parents about which restraints offer the best protection, by assessing child car seats not only on how they perform in crash tests, but also how easy they are to install and use. The seat with the highest protection rating may not have the highest ease-of-use rating.

Your child's safety is of paramount importance, which is why all seats tested by CREP comply with Australian Standards. While Australian Standards specify a range of design and performance requirements and involve some crash testing, the CREP ratings assess how a seat performs over and above the minimum safety requirements of the standard. This means even a one-star CREP safety rated seat performs over and above the minimum requirements.  

For the assessments, test dummies measuring the upper end of the height and weight limit for each type of seat are put into a crash simulation to measure the forces experienced by the dummy on impact. The car seats are scored based on several performance aspects, such as how well they maintain structural integrity and how well they protect the child’s torso in a car crash.

Children should remain in a rearward-facing, forward-facing or booster seat until they're taller than 145cm. Photo: Getty. 

Australia's safest baby and child car seats for 2023

CREP has tested many of Australia’s top-selling car seats. From baby and toddler seats to boosters and convertibles, these are the highest-rating child car seats by category.

Single-purpose seats

Single purpose car seats are designed to be used in only one mode: rearward or forward-facing, or as a capsule or booster. That means once a child outgrows their seat, they will need a new one.

Capsules (rearward-facing)

These seats click into a base installed in the car. Some brands also offer an option that clicks into a pram. 

Age of use: Capsules are generally for use from birth to at least six months; however, some are available for use from birth to 12 months.

Highest rated: Of the seats tested since 2021, the Maxi-Cosi Mico 12 LX CMB-13-A had the highest protection rating with 3.4 and an ease-of-use rating of 2.3. The Nuna Klik Plus tested with ISOFix CF05702 was the next highest rated, with a protection rating of 2.9 and an ease-of-use rating of 3.3.

Full results: To see all seats tested in this category, click here.

Convertible seats

All convertible seats can be used for longer because once kids outgrow one mode, the seat can be reconfigured. Most of the seats tend to have higher protection ratings in either rearward-facing or forward-facing mode so it is important to check the safety rating across all modes.

Rearward-facing car seat convertible to forward-facing

Age of use: CREP tested three types of rearward to forward convertible seats on the Australian market:

•  Rearward-facing from birth to 12 months, forward-facing from six months to four years
•  Rearward-facing from birth to 2.5 years, forward-facing from six months to four years
•  Rearward-facing from birth to 2.5 years, forward-facing from six months to at least eight years.

Highest rated: Of the seats tested since 2021, the Safe-N-Sound SafeFix tested with seatbelt BS0072E-i20133 and the Safe-N-Sound Safekeeper II BS0072E-020133 were the highest rated convertible seats, both with protection scores of 4.3 in rearward-facing mode and 3.8 in forward-facing mode. 

Full results: To see all seats tested in this category, click here.

Forward-facing car seat convertible to booster seat

There are a number of choices for seats that perform consistently as a forward-facing seat and as a booster. 

Age of use: from six months to four years as a forward-facing seat and from four to eight years as a booster.

Best performer overall: Of the seats tested since 2021, the Safe-N-Sound Explorer II BS0090F-020133 was the highest rated, with a protection score of 3.8 in forward-facing mode and 3.5 in booster mode. The Infa-Secure Raptor Move CS7313, one of the car seats to receive a new rating from CREP, came in second with a forward-facing protection rating of 3.4 and a booster rating of 3.3.

Full results: To see all seats tested in this category, click here.

Booster seats

Parents are spoilt for choice in this category, with many seats consistently performing above the Australian Standard. Remember that kids should keep using a booster for as long as possible, at least until they can pass the five-step test for good seatbelt fit.

Age of use: Four years to at least seven years old. There are also booster seats that children can use until they are at least 10 years old. 

Highest rated: Of the seats tested since 2021, Mother's Choice Tribe AP GMEA 2013 was the highest rated, with a 3.8 protection score.

Full results: To see all seats tested in this category, click here.

Multi-purpose child car seats

These seats can be used from birth until kids outgrow the restraint and are ready to travel with an adult seatbelt. However, seats can wear out over time, so make sure parts stay in good working condition.

Rearward, forward and booster mode

Age of use: Birth to at least seven years or 145 centimetres tall.

Highest rated: Of the seats tested*, the Infa-Secure Luxi II Treo (CS4313) has its highest protection rating in booster mode with 4.1 stars. Rearward mode received 2.9 stars and forward received a 1.8-star rating.

Full results: To see all seats tested in this category, click here.

*Note that no multi-purpose child car seats have been tested from 2021 onwards, when CREP introduced revised assessment methods. The above results are based on the 2018-2020 protocols. 

Tips for choosing the right car seat for your baby or child

Parents and guardians can find useful information about how to choose the right car seat for their child on the RACV website.

When buying a new car seat or assessing the suitability of an existing car seat remember the following top tips.

1. Is the car seat installed correctly and fastened securely as per the manufacturer's guidelines? "Child car seats can be complicated for many people – if you’re confused in any way, RACV strongly recommends talking to an experienced installer," Mr Williams said.
   
2. Do the child’s shoulders fit between the shoulder height markers on the restraint?
3. What's the safety rating in all modes? Convertible restraints might be safer in one position over another (for example, four stars in the forward position and three stars when facing rearward).
4. What's the ease of use score? A seat that is easier to use is more likely to be used correctly.
5. Newborns should be started in rearward-facing seats. Once they've outgrown them, they should be moved into a forward-facing seat, then moved into a booster. Children should remain in a booster seat until they're taller than 145cm, regardless of their age. 
6. Check the price of the seat. Some of the seats that perform better in crash testing are also the cheapest! Aim to buy the safest seat you can afford.

*By law, children need to travel in a suitable restraint and, for children aged seven to 16, that restraint can be a booster seat or seatbelt. It’s important to use the restraint that is suitable for the child’s height.