The 9 best toddler car seats 2024

The Nuna TODL NEXT was awarded Gold for Best Baby/Toddler Car Seat (Stage 1/2) at the Mother&Baby Awards 2024. Then again for Best Multi Stage Car Seat at the Mother&Baby Awards 2023.

The sleek and stylish Nuna TODL next and BASE next is ready to hit the road from day one right through toddlerhood – and our dad-of-two tester Joe describes it as the smoothest car seat he's ever used! It has five recline positions and the deep recline angles will have your little one snoozing in no time. The shoulder harness expands with each of the six headrest positions and you can attach the side impact protection pod to create an additional safety zone to protect your child, with the integrated foam significantly reducing the force of impact. Did we mention it has 360° rotation?

Made from resilient, top-of-the-line plastics and steel reinforcement, you get a heavy-duty and secure shell, which Joe found to be sturdy but lightweight. He describes that the awkwardness of trying to bend a seat through the open door coupled with the weight of the seat is often the main struggle for him with other car seats, but while this is really strong-feeling, he says it's so light that this isn't a problem. He also points out that seats with swivel features are usually clunky, especially when adding the weight of a three-year-old to the equation, with this seat however, the toggle buttons on each side compress to release it and allow a super smooth revolving motion. Joe says this makes getting your child in and out of your vehicle super easy, and rather than judder kids to the side when releasing, they remained asleep! Another reviewer on the John Lewis website had a slightly different experience saying that while it's definitely a well built seat with good angle adjustment, it's let down by a very fiddly seat belt that's hard to fasten and a fiddly headrest cushion. They say it took several attempts to get it right every time.

The seat is easy to install and you can install it with the seatbelt if you don't have ISOFIX in your vehicle. However, our dad tester implores anyone who isn't the type to enjoy complicated instructions to opt for ISOFIX. He says the ISOFIX base is key to a simple installation. He also thought it was a really nice touch that the 'foot' of the base has clear indicators that tell you if there's ample tension, meaning the car seat is secure, but also if the swivel has disengaged correctly. Joe installed the seat in two separate vehicles, his family car and a smaller vehicle, to assess the remaining space for the passenger/driver. Due to the profile of the seat he found there were no space issues when the seat was reclined in either of the five different positions. He says the side-impact protection device that comes with the seat and is installed on the side next to the door offers extra piece of mind too, but doesn't compromise on space or the use of the swivel feature.

We love how this car seat grows with your child. You can easily remove the support wedge and merino wool infant head and body inserts, and the one-handed height-adjustable head support has six different positions. The shoulder harness also expands as the headrest raises. When adding a heavier child, Joe didn't notice any strain on the swivel. He describes feeling like everything with this seat feels like it has ball-bearings, nothing feels flimsy or unreliable, and that it's genuinely the smoothest car seat he's ever tried.

Read our full Nuna TODL next and BASE review

The Maxi-Cosi Pearl 360 Pro and FamilyFix 360 Pro base was awarded Silver for Best Baby/Toddler Car Seat (Stage 1/2) at the Mother&Baby Awards 2024.

If you've had enough of the bending, backache, head bangs and other general struggles that come hand-in-hand with car seats, you'll want to take a look at the Pearl 360 Pro and FamilyFix 360 Pro base. Not only does it feature 360° rotation, but it also has SlideTech™ - which for many parents is a game-changer. Simply lock, slide, spin and go! It works by the car seat base rotating and then sliding toward you using Maxi-Cosi’s patented SlideTech™ technology. One of our mum testers was delighted to discover the fact the car seat pulls out as this was something she had never seen before. She says it makes getting them in and out of the car a lot easier, rather than having to reach in and lean over.

The Pearl 360 Pro car seat, is compatible with the FamilyFix 360 Pro base providing ultimate ease for you and maximum comfort for your child from birth to 4 years old. The straps are reported to be easy to use and our tester says they didn't twist or get tangled like with some other car seats. Another parent tester says the car seat was so easy to use and install with the base, and their son seemed comfortable and content. They said it was reassuring to hear about the safety features of the seat too, especially for a car seat that potentially lasts for so long! Another of our testers said that they would recommend this product to a friend because they feel like their little boy is really safe in the car seat with it being so well-padded.

One of the main complaints about this car seat is the higher price point. However, our tester liked that the car seat lasts for a good few years rather than having to upgrade it too often, as car seats aren’t a cheap product to buy, they say. So we think that this may make up for the high price tag for parents with a bigger budget.

Read our full Maxi-Cosi Pearl 360 Pro and FamilyFix 360 Pro base review.

The Graco Turn2Me 360° was awarded Bronze for Best Baby/Toddler Car Seat (Stage 1/2) at the Mother&Baby Awards 2024.

For parents seeking a budget-friendly product that still ticks all the right boxes, here is a fantastic group 0+/1 Isofix car seat with that all-important 360° smooth rotating feature. Despite the exceptional price there is no compromise on quality safety features, making the Graco Turn2Me 360° a brilliant choice for your little one.

As far as cheap car seats go, this is one of the best thanks to its numerous features. First of all you get easy and instant installation with the intuitive rearward/forward-facing locking system, and the added reassurance of an integrated colour-coded indicator. Next up is a 12-position load-leg that ensures the best fit for your car. Let's not forget that side impact protection, ensuring powerful head/body protection at each stage. Plus, the no re-thread harness guarantees a proper fit as your child grows. Mum tester Holly points out that there's lots of different options to make the seat suitable for your little one e.g. booster cushion, newborn insert etc.

Our mum tester Katie definitely thinks a rotating seat is worth the money, and likes the fact that this one is slightly cheaper than others on the market. She found it a bit difficult to reach the recline button and the rotation button when rear-facing, and says that as they are so close to each other it's possible to get them confused. However, once she familiarised herself, she didn't find this to be a problem. Holly also loves that the Isofix is attached to the seat, making it easier to move between their two family cars. 

Mum tester Leah says that while it feels really sturdy, it's maybe a little bulky, but she feels that her baby is safe in it, which is the main thing, and great value for money! In fact, after testing the product for us, Leah liked it so much that she purchased one for herself. The only thing she'd like to add, which she had with her first car seat, is a little hood to keep the sun off the baby or pull over for sleep. She found this really handy before she got sun visors, helping to make it a little darker for baby to fall asleep.

Mum tester Madeleine points out one very small but thoughtful feature that made a big difference for her was that the seat has little hooks on either side to hold each strap out of the way when they are not in use. She says it really does make it easier when you aren't trying to hold the straps out of the way whilst putting baby in the seat.

Read our full Graco Turn2Me 360° review.

Won Bronze in the 2020 Mother&Baby Awards in the Best Rear-Facing Car Seat category.

This Axkid Minikid car seat allows your child to travel rear-facing up to 6-7 years of age, making it long-lasting, excellent value for money and one of the main reasons our mum tester Gemma would recommend it to other mums. Our other mum tester Katherine, however, wasn't convinced that the seat would be practical for older kids as it rear-faces only up to 25kg. She personally couldn't imagine many 6-year-olds being happy to rear face, but adds that this isn't a fault of the seat as it is clear that this is a safer option.

The car seat has easy installation, comfortable positioning and excellent protection from all angles. The harness can adjust easily to your baby's size and height, and the seat features self-tightening straps to ensure they ride comfortably and securely. Our mum tester Mhari likes that as well as feeling very sturdy and being so comfortable, the seat sits quite high so that baby can see out of the window. She says this made the process of going out for the day much easier as her little one was more than happy to use the car seat. Mum Carys also likes the lower sides that allowed her son to just about climb in and out himself, as well as the self-tightening tethers, making her life much easier.

Carys says that she found fitting the seat to be a bit complicated. If you're worried about this though, you can get a demonstration by an Axkid professional when you buy the product in a shop. Carys says her demonstration was great and that they offer plenty of help and advice to ensure your car seat is fitted safely. Mum Katie adds that the company offers great support to its customers, with representatives that are clearly passionate and knowledgeable about their products available to contact for help and advice by various methods.

Based on the plus testing, mum Jennie said she would happily recommend the car seat to other mums. This product is quite pricey, as noted by some of our testers. We think that knowing if you were in an accident your child would have the best possible chances for survival is priceless, and our other testers agree, but obviously it's always best to shop within your budget. Mum Jo says the rigorous testing at both higher speed and shorter stopping distance really do give her peace of mind that her daughter is safe as well as comfortable. Carys also said that this stopped her from worrying, and Katie agrees this would be her main reason for recommending the car seat too.

For those of you concerned with practicalities, Katie says she appreciated that the seat has a layer of removable padding allowing for easier cleaning.

The Axkid Minikid 2 is the latest model of the car seat.

Read our full Axkid Minikid review

Suitable rearward facing from birth to 105cm (approximately four years old), this iSize extended rear-facing seat rotates 360° so it's ideal if you have back issues which makes lifting a heavy toddler in and out of the car difficult. There are six recline settings in both seat positions, so it’s comfy if your child falls asleep in your car. You can rotate the Joie Baby i-Spin 360 easily, even with a wriggly toddler in your arms.

Reviewed by mum Uanfin: "I like the fact that the safety buttons change from red to green when it’s installed correctly, and my son and I both love the rotating feature. He can climb in and out of the seat himself and as I’m over 35 weeks pregnant, rotating the seat to buckle it was great. The headrest was easy to adjust, and I like the reclining option for both rearward and forward facing."

Read our Joie Baby i-Spin 360 review.

While the rest of the options on our best of list here are rear facing or 360, the CYBEX Anoris T i-size is truly innovative as it offers forward-facing travel from 15 months to 6 years. CYBEX have achieved this, safely, with an integrated full-body air bag on the front, through the belt that secures your child in place. This is great if it's a bit of a battle to convince your toddler into facing rearward, they'll feel very grown up indeed. You can also interact with your child a lot easier, and if they have older siblings they can face the same way.

The car seat is excellent quality, the materials are soft and the range of colours is much more diverse than most car seats. However, the front 'bar' containing the car seat is quite bulky, and some parents reported it restricted the movement of their little ones. It is one of the pricer car seats on our list, but as it lasts from the age you'd be moving your little one out of their newborn/baby car seat all the way to 6 years old it's quite good value considering they can safety face forwards so will be much happier in this for longer, before moving up to a high backed booster.

Here's how mum-of-two Emily, one of our Mother&Baby testers, got on when trying out the CYBEX Anoris T i-size with her 2 and a half year old son Theo: "Overall I thought this was a fantastic product, the materials are excellent quality and the car seat was easy to install with simple to follow instructions. We had zero problems moving it between our two cars and putting it in the grandparents car either. My son has long legs, and I felt bad squeezing him in to rear face, though I know it is the safest option. It's a relief for both of us that this CYBEX is perfectly safe, a reassurance for me, and he feels much happier to be forward facing. Especially because he has an older sister, he can now interact with her a lot easier when in the car. I did think his arms looked a little bundled up, but aside from on longer car journeys (when he'd start to get fidgety anyway) it doesn't seem to bother him too much."

Suitable from birth to approximately four years, the Britax Dualfix iSize is secured via the ISOFIX anchorage points in your car and has a height-adjustable support leg for extra stability. The seat rotates 360° degrees so it’s a doddle to lift a squirming toddler in and out of the car. It can be used rearward facing as well as forward facing. It has no less than 12 recline positions and a well-padded newborn insert for extra support and comfort.

Reviewed by mum Sarah: "This was such a comfortable seat for my son, who’s fairly tall. He thoroughly enjoyed every journey – in fact, he fell asleep almost every time we used it! It’s so well-padded, and knowing that he’s comfy means I feel more comfortable about taking longer trips. The rotating feature was so helpful and instinctive. I’d recommend this to anyone who, like me, has a bad back or a slightly heavier child."

Read our full Britax Dualfix iSize review.

The versatile Graco Slim Fit 3in1 car seat can be used rear-facing from birth up until around four years old, or forward facing right up to around 12 years old when it can be used as a booster seat from 15kg. It’s secured via the vehicle seat belt rather than ISOFIX, and it’s slimmer than many other car seats – useful if you’ve got several seats to fit in the back.

Reviewed by mum Sarah: "My daughter popped herself in this seat while I was reading the instructions, and asked me to buckle her in – fantastic, as she usually hates getting buckled into anything! We were on the road within 10 minutes, after a very intuitive set-up. I couldn’t believe the price – brilliant value. It fits so well in our Golf and looks great. I’d prefer ISOFIX, but for less than £200, I can't complain."

Read our Graco Slim Fit 3in1 review.

Designed to grow with your child all the way from birth to seven years, the huge benefit of having the Ickle Bubba Radius 360 Spin is that you can keep your children rear-facing for longer, so there’s no need to shell out for a new seat. Lightweight and easy to install, it can be spun through a complete circle and in either direction meaning that it can be fitted on either side of your car.

Reviewed by M&B tester Tom: "As well as the main benefit of a rotating seat growing with your child, the other huge bonus comes when you are getting your little one in and out of the car. By spinning the seat around so your child is facing you through the car door, it makes the angles notably easier for all concerned. Rather than having to twist around to get a wriggling baby, or toddler, into the seat, you can approach the car straight on."

Read our Ickle Bubba Radius 360 Spin review