According to the NHS, i-Size is a European car seat safety standard under ECE R129 that aims to replace the older R44/04 regulation with stricter safety standards in time. However, currently both are available to buy and legal to use in the UK. ISOFIX compatibility: i-Size car seats require ISOFIX connectors, which provide a secure and standardised attachment to the car's chassis, reducing the risk of installation errors.

A lie-flat model is the best type of car seat for a newborn to travel in, meaning that your child can spend longer in their car seat with minimum risk to their health or development. Experts recommend that newborns should not be in a car seat or infant carrier that does not recline fully flat for more than two hours at a time. Firstly, the two-hour car seat rule is often cited by healthcare professionals and safety experts. It recommends that infants shouldn't remain in an upright car seat for more than two hours at a stretch. This guideline is based on concerns about potential breathing and comfort issues that can arise when babies are seated in a semi-upright position for extended periods.

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The decision to invest in a lie-flat car seat depends on various factors, including your baby's age, the duration of your car journeys and your peace of mind. Car seats that enable your baby to sleep flat usually cater for babies up to 75cm or around 12 to 13 months old. Weight and portability: Consider the seat's weight as you might need to carry it when your baby isn't in the car. Lightweight options like the Cybex Cloud Z2 i-Size can be more practical.

So, choosing a lie-flat car seat is the best option for your newborn, allowing them to be in the correct position even if you are travelling long distances in the car. EcoCare fabrics are produced without the use of hazardous chemicals, meaning that babies' skin is not exposed to any potential risks.The Maxi Cosi doesn't have a lie flat feature, but with the newborn inserts it is almost a completely flat surface for the baby, which is nice. None of these car seats are lie flat enough to replace a carrycot, but the recline on the Cybex is nice for things like shopping, doctors, or bringing the baby into the house to finish a nap. Britax has a sliding system inside the seat itself which means when it is adjusted to fit newborns it's flatter, and once you adjust it to fit older babies it's shaped more like a reclined chair. When it comes to design, the Nuna ARRA Next car seat has three convenient reclining positions and can lie at 157 degrees, making it comfortable for your little one on longer car rides. Its ISOFIX base (sold separately) has a 360-degree swivel function and it’s part of the complete Nuna Mixx Next travel system, offering four car seat options for the first four years. Plus, it can also fit into a variety of other travel systems, with adapters.

Newborns should lie completely flat when they are sleeping, even when travelling by car, to help with breathing and healthy spine development. TBH I think they are both good options. You may also want to look at the Britax i-Sense system which is very similar to the other two and has also recently come out. In 2016, a study took place at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with additional support from the University of Bristol. This research team looked into how car journeys affect infants. What they found was that little ones born prematurely or at a tender age might be at risk of some breathing difficulties if they're seated upright in car seats at a 40-degree angle for long stretches. I'm not saying that you shouldn't look at spinning infant seats. They may well be the best model for your family, budget, circumstances. Sometimes other features of the seat (like the recline on the Cybex) are the seling point anyway. But I do think they are overhyped, and it's worth being aware of the full picture and costing up alternative options all the way through to age 4.Isofix fittings are a must for safer journeys. This is when a car seat is connected directly to a car's chassis using build-in Isofix connectors for a more secure fit. R129 is the latest and highest active European safety standard child car seats can comply with for your peace of mind. But don't keep your baby in their car seat for longer than two hours at a time and try to have regular 10 or 15-minute breaks if you're going on a long road trip. With its renowned reputation for producing high-quality, innovative child safety products including car seats, Dutch company Nuna is trusted for meeting the highest safety standards with its award-winning ARRA Next lie-flat car seat that boasts the latest ECE-R129 (i-Size) standard and has achieved a ‘Good’ rating from ADAC. This model has also won the notable Red Dot Product Design Award in 2020, which is only given to products that demonstrate exceptional design quality and innovation. These results were based of how long the babies were in the car seat, not the car. Therefore, if using a travel system, be aware of how long baby is in the seat for.