The 7 best car seats for four-year-olds 2024

best car seats for four-year-olds

by Lorna White |
Updated on

At four years old, your little one might be growing out of their baby car seat, and you'll no doubt be on the hunt for the best car seats for four-year-olds to keep them safe and secure in the car.

Around this very exciting time, your baby will soon be heading to 'big' primary school, but they may have also outgrown the car seat that they've had since birth. At some point soon, they'll need to move up to a group 2/3 car seat, which are suitable for tots up to 12 years old. These may come as part of a complete travel system and should be compatible with your car.

You may be wondering, is it worth getting a new car seat? But due to the current Government rules here in the UK, car seats are mandatory for transporting babies in cars, and all children under 12 years old in the UK (or who are less than 135cm tall), so you'll definitely be getting your money's worth over the next couple of years.

The best car seats for four-year-olds at a glance:

Best car seat for 4-year-olds overall: Silver Cross Motion All Size 360 car seat – Buy now on Amazon UK
Best safety features: Joie Baby Every Stage R129 Car Seat – Buy now on Argos
Best luxury car seat for 4-year-olds: Axkid Minikid 3 – Buy now on Pram Centre

Best car seat for easy installation: Recaro Salia Elite Group 0+/1-360 Spin Car Seat - Buy now on Kidides Kingdom

We've done the research and found the best car seats for four-year-olds. We've included some Mother&Baby Award winners that have been reviewed by our real parent testers and that'll last for years to come.

How we test our car seats

Our Mother&Baby Awards are renowned in the industry for being one of the most highly respected product awards for baby and parenting products, and every year, we arrange for thousands of independent parent reviewers to test the latest products on the market.

The Mother&Baby Awards parent testers are provided with some guidelines while testing, so that they take into consideration four key areas: usability, design, quality and value for money. We ask them to score each of these out of 10, as well as give their overall impression of the product.

Find out more about how we test products for Mother&Baby.

Our list of the best car seats have been tested by parents just like you – who have lived with these car seats, used them with travel systems, fitted them in cars and know how they suit them and their children. From all this work, our best car seat award winners are chosen and listed in our finalised and definitive list of the best baby car seats, one for each key category, along with the quotes we found to be most useful when choosing our selection.

Our editorial team is also constantly looking for new car seats to test so that we can help you find the best - be that a a more affordable product that we want to test for value for money or the latest car seat innovation.

The best car seats for 4-year-olds 2024

Best Car Seat For 4-Year-Olds Overall

Expert rating:
4.0

The Silver Cross Motion All Size 360 Car Seat is soft and breathable with natural bamboo fibres and comes with plenty of safety measures. Little ones will stay protected with every journey thanks to the Side Protection System; it was awarded ‘Best baby, toddler and child car seat’ in the ADAC 2022 Autumn Test (ADAC stands for the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club, an experts' safety organisation that evaluates car seat safety). 

The ISOFIX base keeps the seat firmly locked in place, and it's the first rotating car seat of its kind to meet the latest R129 (i-Size) regulation.

You can buy this seat when your baby is a newborn and it will grow through baby, toddler, and child stages; our mum tester Maria said: "The 360 capabilities are revolutionary. I know friends of mine who 7/8 years ago said this feature on a car seat was unheard of, so I feel very lucky to have this type of car seat on the market during my young children's lives. I love that I can pop my LO in and out of the car without having to strain my back and especially during postpartum recovery, it's an additional help – I can see all the straps directly in front of me and am able to secure LO into her seat as safe as possible and without the stress of leaning into the car."

When it comes to fitting this car seat, you can download the free Silver Cross app on to your smartphone for additional instructions and how-to information - it’s handy to do this before you buy the car seat, as you can check whether it’s compatible with your make and model of car. 

When the car seat grows with your child, you can store the harness away and use it as a booster seat, and the headrest is adjustable. It’s currently available in three neutral colours; the fabric is easy to wipe clean, and made from recycled plastic bottles for added sustainability. 

We tested this car seat as part of the Mother&Baby Awards 2022, when it won Gold for Best Multi Stage Car Seat.

Read our full Silver Cross Motion All Size 360 Car Seat review.

Pros

  • Three-year warranty
  • Long lasting - designed to grow with your child from newborn to 12 years old
  • The 360 swivel offers both rearward and forward-facing modes

Cons

  • Not many recline positions
Type: Multi-stage car seat
Suitable for: Height 40-145cm, birth to approx. 12 years
ISOFIX compatible? Yes

Best safety features

Expert rating:
5.0
Joie Every Stage R129 ©MOTHER&BABY

A car seat that’s suitable to buy at birth and will grow with your child, the Joie Every Stage R129 features a range of safety features to give you peace of mind that your little one is as safe as possible in the car. The Joie Every Stage R129 car seat is suitable from birth to 36kg – about 12 years.

The rear-facing position is designed to suit your baby from birth to about four years (105cm tall); then, when your little one grows, change to forward-facing from 100-145cm (from about four to 12 years old). When in rear-facing, the seat uses a five-point harness; in forward-facing, it uses the car’s seat belt. It’s easy to know where the seat belt goes thanks to green markers and indicators. Guard Surround Safety panels provide extra side protection, and the headrest has three layers of foam for additional side protection.

Once you’ve changed to a forward-facing booster seat position, the harness easily tucks away with storage slots underneath the covers; M&B tester and Contributor Sophie Knight said: “I really liked that there is integrated storage for the harness once you progress to the booster seat, and need to tuck the harness away. Much easier than having to unthread the harness and take it out. I was confident it was stored safely and out of the way so my daughter was still comfy and it wasn’t in the way.”

The seat is designed to grow with your child, making sure they’re always comfortable with six recline positions, and side wings that expand when the headrest height is increased; Sophie continued: “It’s pretty easy to set up and install this car seat in both rear- and forward-facing positions, making sure the seat belt is secured in the coloured slots and is nice and tight. I did miss the security of ISOFIX with this seat, however. But, it was very comfy for my daughter to sit in during journeys, and for newborns there was plenty of padding and comfort with the newborn inserts. It’s easy to change the height of the headrest, and it’s a secure booster seat.”

It’s easy to change the recline position, and easy to see which position it’s in thanks to the clear numbers underneath. It’s not compatible with ISOFIX however.

Pros

  • R129 and i-Size safety certified
  • One car seat will last from birth to 12 years
  • Easy to change from rear- to forward-facing
  • Install using just the car's seat belts

Cons

  • Not ISOFIX compatible
Type: Multi-stage car seat
Suitable from: Birth to 12 years (36kg)
ISOFIX compatible? No

Best luxury car seat for 4-year-olds

This new Minikid car seat allows extended rear-facing up to seven years of age, up to 125cm and 36kg. The headrest automatically adjusts according to your child's height and size, or if you prefer to keep things fixed, there are 14 headrest positions to choose from. 

The toddler support cushion is made from comfy memory foam and gives even the smallest children a comfortable and safe position; mum tester Samantha said: "I was not worried that it might move around like other car seats I have tried. Baby looked comfortable in it and had ample space without being cramped or too much space to move around. The headrest and back space for the car seat has a design which seems to fit into baby's back shape, baby could rest back in the seat and have more comfort than a rigid car seat, while still being secure and protected."

Automatically lowering tethers mean installation is a lot easier than some seats, but do read the instructions first to make sure you know what’s going where; the instructions are clear, and just being able to wriggle it into place and know that installation is correct gives you peace of mind; however, not all testers agreed it was straightforward, with one mum saying: “It took two people a very long time so definitely not one for easily switching between cars. There is a helpful video to show you what to do but it was still rather a mission!”

The brand claims this seat allows your child up to 30cm of leg room, but this really does depend on your make and model of car. The Minikid can be installed in any seat in the car - all three of the back seat positions, or even the front seat if suitable. 

What’s different to other car seats is the design of the headrest, which, in a V-shape, not only allows your child to see out of the window with ease, but also absorbs shocks and force should you be in an accident. 

We tested this car seat as part of the Mother&Baby Awards 2023, where it won Bronze for Best Baby/Toddler Car Seat (Stage 1/2). 

Read our full Axkid Minikid 3 review.

Pros

  • Extended rear-facing capabilities
  • Suitable until seven years old, approximately
  • Sturdy and stylish car seat

Cons

  • Some parents found it difficult to install
Age:up to 7 years
Dimensions: Width: 44 cm Height: 65 cm Depth: 54 cm
Cleaning: Machine washable

Best car seat for easy installation

Expert rating:
3.0

With 360 degrees of rotation, that you can move with just one hand, this car seat is a smooth and easily operated option from birth to about four years. 

It has indicators on the base to show you if it’s been installed correctly, with an easy-to-use ISOFIX integrated base. It’s quick to click the seat in, and take out - the brand says ‘with just one hand’ but in reality it’s always easier with two. 

It features what’s called the ‘HERO’ harness, a five-point harness designed to keep your child safe and secure; this works with the adjustable headrest that grows as your little one does. 

It’s available in two colours.

Pros

  • 360-degree rotation that’s easy to operate 
  • Easy-to-install ISOFIX base 

Cons

  • No reviews available 
Suitable from:Grows with the child from 15 months to 12 years
Audio:Features a sound system
Comfort: Air Ventilation System
Ease of use:One-Handed Recline Adjustment

Best car seat for comfort

Joie i-Traver©MOTHER&BABY

Designed for three-year-olds and up, this booster seat has 10 different height positions that can be adjusted using just one hand. The Joie seat comes packed with protection, including the Guard Surround Safety side impact panels for full-body impact protection and ISOFIX connectors, meeting R129 and i-Size regulations for ultimate safety.

This forward-facing seat is suitable from 15-36kg – that’s roughly three to 12 years old. It is installed in your car using ISOFIX, although you can also just use the car’s seat belt; M&B tester and Contributor Sophie Knight said: “I like that you can use this with just the car’s seat belt in case your car doesn’t have ISOFIX. The only downside I found to this booster was that the ISOFIX connectors were really difficult to release; the position of the buttons meant it was incredibly difficult to get my fingers in the right place and I have to admit to swearing quite a lot when taking this seat out.”

It’s lightweight – weighing just 5.6kg, making it easy to swap out between cars.

The headrest has 10 height positions, there are two positions for the back rest, and you can also extend the size of the seat depth with three positions – this makes it different to most booster seats that lack this adjustment; Sophie continued: “It’s great that this booster seat features so much adjustability, meaning it suits all those growth spurts your child has. Having adjustable positions for the seat really sets this one apart from most others on the market.”

The Joie Signature range means this booster seat is more stylish than most, with design details setting it apart and making it smart to look at; plus, the covers are still removable and machine-washable.

Pros

  • Suitable from three to 12 years
  • High levels of safety features; i-Size and R129 certified
  • Plenty of adjustability including seat position
  • ISOFIX compatible

Cons

  • ISOFIX connectors hard to release
Type:High-back belted booster seat
Suitable from:Three to 12 years (100-150cm, 15-36kg)
ISOFIX compatible?Yes

Best car seat for taller children

Cybex Silver SolutionRebecca Lancaster

This sturdy high-back booster from Cybex features built-in side impact protection, a patented three-position reclining headrest, ISOFIX, an 11-position height adjustable headrest, and an adjustable backrest. It’s available in four colours. It's suitable until your little one is 150cm tall, or 12 years old.

Our mum tester, Rebecca Lancaster, said: "On unpacking the car seat I realised it came in two parts - the back and seat. It took a bit of brute force but I finally managed to put the two together."

The seat is compatible with ISOFIX but you can also fit it with just the car seats. Rebecca continued: "Putting it in the car was easy - it uses ISOFIX connectors which slot in far more easily to the seat than the ISO Fix on our previous car seat. It’s more slimline than our previous seat too, meaning there’s space for the armrest to fold down in the middle of the back seats which is great for playing games on long journeys. Because it’s so narrow I wondered if she’d be comfortable but there certainly seems to be space for her.

"The head rest is brilliantly sturdy and has a clever bit at the back that reclines or sits the head more upright, depending if they’re asleep or not. However, despite this, the headrest is what let the car seat down slightly as it’s got two layers to the cover which overlap where my daughter would lay her head if she was sleeping."

Pros

  • Sturdy and comfortable
  • Headrest adjustable to prevent neck strain when asleep
  • 11 adjustable headrest heights

Cons

  • Car seat covers can be uncomfortable for some
Type: <meta charset="utf-8">High-back booster seat
Suitable for: <meta charset="utf-8">15-36kg, approx. 3-12 years
ISOFIX compatible? <meta charset="utf-8">Yes

Best car seat for moving between cars

Expert rating:
4.0
©MOTHER&BABY
Price: £120

This affordable car seat is suitable from about 15 months to 12 years (76-150cm tall). It's a high-back booster seat, with two options for forward-facing positions; when your child is about 15 months to four years old, use the seat with the harness for added safety and security; then, when they've grown, you can use the seat with your car's seat belt. The harness can be stored and tucked away behind the seat padding.

This seat is an upgrade from previous Graco high-back booster seats, as this features ISOFIX fittings to install the car seat with even more safety; M&B tester and Contributor Sophie Knight commented: "The ISOFIX installation was one of the easiest to use, with simple click buttons to get the seat installed safely and by myself. Having ISOFIX when your child is older and using the booster with the seat belt, not the harness, gives extra peace of mind. There is also a top tether available to fix behind the main car seat, although my car wasn't compatible with this."

There are handy green coloured indicators to show the seat has been installed correctly, and the green fittings to slide the seat belt through are easy to use. The harness connector button can be a little fiddly, however; Sophie Knight continued: "I did find the harness connector one of the trickiest, as the two side sections didn't stay together as easy as some car seat harnesses do. It's a small thing but can make things more troublesome when you've got a wriggly child and the thing won't stay together long enough to click in easily. But it just takes a bit of perseverance!"

The high-back headrest has 15 positions - that's more than most booster seats - and the handle for altering the height is easy to use. The seat weighs 7.2kg meaning it's easy to take out and swap between cars if you need to; Sophie Knight said: "It's lightweight meaning it's a breeze to move it from my car to my husband's, and it was easy to re-fit, without being heavy or clunky."

Graco have made the seat from memory foam so it's comfy and soft on car journeys; plus, the covers are removable and machine washable for those inevitable spillages.

Pros

  • This booster seat is ISOFIX compatible
  • 15 headrest heights
  • Removable and machine-washable covers
  • Also has a top tether
  • Can be used with the integrated harness or the car's seat belt

Cons

  • Harness clasp is a little fiddly
Type: High-back booster seat
Suitable from:76 to 150cm (15 months to about 12 years) 
ISOFIX compatible?Yes

How to choose a the best car seats for four-year-olds

When looking for the best car seats for four-year-olds, you should be looking for their 'stage group' based on their weight rather than their age. The stage groups for little ones are broken down as follows under ECE R44 regulations with different seat designs as a result.

Laws and safety for car seats

In the UK, it's a legal requirement for children to use a child car seat or booster seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm in height. Children over this height can wear a seat belt without the need for a car seat. Here in the UK, there are two main types of seats you can use.

Height-based seats, also known as 'i-Size' seats, must be rear-facing until your child is over 15 months old. You can then switch to forward-facing when they're over 15 months old. According to the Government website, only EU-approved height-based child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital 'E' in a circle and 'R129'.

The other kind of seat is a weight-based seat. This is where the different groups of seats are useful to look at. Remember, only EU-approved weight-based child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital 'E' in a circle and 'ECE R44'.

Car seat types and groups explained

It's recommended that you should try to keep your child in the lowest stage group for as long as possible to give them the optimal safety features. But all of these group stages would be suitable for a four-year-old:

Group 0+/1/2 car seats

This car seat group is suitable from birth to 25kg, approx. six-years-old.

Group 1/2/3 car seats

This car seat group is suitable for children 9-36kg, approx. nine months to 12 years.

Group 0+/1/2 and Group 1/2/3 are classed as multi-stage car seats. They're designed to carry your child from baby to the booster-seat stage. Yes, these are initially more expensive compared to other car seats on the market. That said, they prove to be great value for money because of their extended use.

These car seats come with padding and a five-point safety harness, and most of these seats will fit children up to 18 or 25kg.

Group 2/3 car seats

This car seat group is designed as a high-back booster seat and is suitable for children 15-36kg, approx. three to12-years-old.

The next best choice if your little one has outgrown their existing car seat, this seat will lift your child up to use the vehicle seat belt and comes with a high back and side padding for safety and impact protection.

i-Size car seats (Height-based system)

Expected to eventually be adopted across all new car seats sold, i-Size was introduced in 2013 as safety regulation ECE R129 with rigorous testing through impact crash trials and new state-of-the-art Q dummies to test impact.

Using a height-based system, i-Size car seats have been designed to take the guesswork out of choosing the right fit, provide better protection from side impacts, and keep children rearward-facing for longer, until at least 15 months or 75cm to protect their fragile heads and necks.

Can a 4-year-old use a booster seat?

Based on new safety regulations launched in 2017, group 3 car seats, i.e. new booster seats on the market, are limited to children who are taller than 125cm weighing more than 22kg. The average height and weight of a four-year-old in the UK fall below these requirements, so it's likely they would not be able to use a booster seat until they are bigger. Depending on the age of your child, you may even want to have a look into the best car seats for 3-year-olds.

Previously, these car seats were approved for use by children weighing between 15-36kg, but they've been deemed by the UN as being unsuitable for protecting smaller children from side-on collisions as they have fewer safety features. It's safer to look at the best car seats for 5-year-olds.

What is ISOFIX?

For a car seat that's seamless to install, ISOFIX is a must and is included in most of the best car seats for four-year-olds in our list. ISOFIX-compatible car seats have two arms that lock onto small metal bars located in the seat of your vehicle to anchor the car seat into place. No seat belt threading necessary – and they're accompanied by install indicators so you can be sure it's correctly connected.

Most new cars since 2013 have a pair of ISOFIX anchor points. But it's something worth checking in your car if you want to reap the benefits of this feature from the best car seats for four-year-olds.

Lorna White has been a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby since 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics, from potty training and nutrition to baby names and maternity fashion.

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Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.