Top 11 baby car seats to ensure your child's safety when travelling

Among the many must-buys for parents is the best baby car seat, and In Singapore, it’s mandatory for anyone below 1.35 metres in height to be properly secured by an approved child restraint based on their height and weight, when on the road.

Having a baby car seat can protect your precious child from unfortunate incidents on the road, hence it’s very important to choose the right one. So to help you find the best one for your child, we’ve identified the top criteria to look for when choosing for the best baby car seat in Singapore.

How to choose the best baby car seat in Singapore

• Safety: Choose a baby car seat which meets Singapore’s safety standards.
• Functionality: Baby car seats are expensive, and you will save more in the long run if you choose a convertible baby car seat that can grow with your child/serve multiple functionalities.
• Ease of maintenance: Trust us when we say that you will want to choose a material that is easy to clean (think vomit, spilt food materials, diaper leakages, etc.)
• Car fit: Not all cars in Singapore are ISOFIX / LATCH compatible. As such, before buying your baby car seat, make sure that it is compatible with the local car systems.

To make your decision in finding the best baby car seat in Singapore easier for you, we’ve narrowed down the search to just the top 11 brands trusted by mums and dads in our community.

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Best baby car seat in Singapore: 11 brands to try

1. Maxi-Cosi Magellan Max

Why it’s good

Maxi-Cosi Magellan reminds us of a gentle yet protective guardian knight in armour. It comes with all the bells and whistles that you would expect in a top range baby car seat.

We love that as a convertible baby car seat, the high price quickly justifies itself as you are not only getting one of the best protective car seats on the market, the Magellan is also able to grow with the needs of your child. We love that we do not need to be replacing a car seat at every growth spurt that our child goes through.

Features that we love:

Safety

• Most advanced side impact protection with an adjustable torso and 14-position headrest adjustment to protect your child at every stage from birth to 10 years
• Exceeds all federal safety standards ensuring that you have peace of mind when you go on road trips with your child
• Spring-assisted EZ Out harness system, with ClipQuik auto-magnetic chest clip making it fast and easy to secure or remove your child

Functionality

• 5-in-1 seating system for children from birth to 10 years (2.3-54.4 kgs.) ensuring that this is an investment that your child will not quickly outgrow
• One-handed recline with 7 positions to ensure that your child is able to travel in comfort no matter what developmental stage they are in
• One-click LATCH connectors or belt routing system to ensure that you are able to use this on any car (even while overseas in a foreign vehicle)
• HideAway harness allows the seat to convert into a booster car seat for when your child is older
• Airplane ready when used with the harness system, ensuring that your baby is safe even while on holiday

Ease of maintenance

• Easily removable fabric and seat pad allows for machine washing and drying without re-threading the harness which makes it easy to clean up after spills and messes
• 2 removable cup holders which are dishwasher safe

2. Joie Every Stage Car Seat

Why it’s good

For parents who want the maximum protection available to their child, the Joie Every Stage Car Seat will be a product that cannot be missed. We love that the entire design from the reinforced steel inner shell, to the 5-point harness, is aimed towards providing our child with the highest level of protection.

However, what we miss is the ability to easily remove the fabric for cleaning when the child eventually makes a mess. 

Features that we love:

Safety

• Guard Surround Safety™ provide added security for the head, body and hips
• Reinforced steel inner seat shell increases structural integrity and ensures that your child is protected in a mini steel cocoon
• 5-point harness for maximum security with soft, padded covers keeping your baby cosy

Functionality

• Grow Together™ and AutoAdjust™ are multi-height headrest, harness and side wings system which ensures that the baby car seat is able to grow together with the developmental stages of your child
• 5 recline positions 2 rear facing and 4 forward facing for comfort at every age
• Convertible into rearward, forward, booster car seat  

3. Graco Extend2Fit Convertible Car Seat

Features that we love:

Safety

• Front, Rear and Side Impact Crash Tested to provide confidence that Graco will be able to provide the protection you need for your child 
• Graco’s RollSafe™ standard based on the European rollover testing procedure
• 5-point harness system will ensure your baby remains in the baby car seat from a side impact
• Steel-reinforced frame provides strength and durability for 10 years of use

Functionality

• 10-position adjustable headrest and 6-position recline to get the safest fit at every stage of your child’s development
• Push-button InRight™ LATCH or Seat Belt Attachment for easy, one-second attachment to all types of car (local or foreign)

Ease of maintenance

• 2 easy-to-clean cup holders 
• Machine wash pad & canopy to allow for easy cleaning

4. Doona Infant Car Seat Stroller

Why it’s good

Doona Infant Car Seat Stroller is where design meets practicality. Purchasing a car seat is expensive, and we love that Doona Car Seat serves dual purposes, and we are getting a “free" stroller out of our purchase. For parents who love the effective design and are cost-conscious, this is one investment that you will be very happy with. 

Features that we love:

Safety

• 5-star safety rating conducted over hundreds of crash tests (incl. extreme weather collision crash, high-speed collision crash, etc.)
• Anti-rebound bar that provides extra protection for your child 
• 5-point harness to keep your child secure in any situations

Functionality

• Car Seat to Stroller in seconds
• TUV and FAA aircraft approved so that you can bring your stroller/baby car seat with you around the globe

Ease of maintenance

• Removable and washable textiles with baby-safe materials & new and improved breathable textiles and inner foams

5. Britax Baby Safe I-Size

Why it’s good

This car seat looks great and very durable. Hassle-free to install and comfortable for the kid too. Its overall features help stand out from the rest of the brands.

Features that we love:

Safety

• Patented lie-flat technology allows babies who are still in their early developmental stage to lie flat safely
• SICT Superior Side Impact Protection that protects the child from side impacts by pushing the child away in a controlled manner, and then absorbing the energy from the impact
• 5-Point Harness that absorbs the impact and distributes the forces of the impact across 5 points

Functionality

• BABY-SAFE² i-SIZE that grows with your child up to 15 months
• Converts into a baby carrier
• Sun Canopy that offers protection for your child from the sun (UPF 50+) and wind both in the car and while you are carrying the baby in the carrier

Ease of maintenance

• Quick-Remove Cover that is machine washable so that any messes and spills on the road can be easily cleaned with no fuss at all

6. Bonbijou Guardian Car Seat

Why it’s good

For the cost-conscious parent, this product meets the required safety specifications without all the bells and whistles at an affordable price. We love that this product will grow with your child up to 36kg, and does not cost an arm and a leg. Definitely value for money. 

Features that we love:

Safety

• 5-point harness that keeps your child safely secured 
• Air-C cushion provides additional impact absorption
• Safety standard ECE NO.16 / GB14166

Functionality

• The adjustable headrest that provides comfort and grows with your child up to 36kg (Grp 0,1,2,3)

• 4 recline positions that allow your child to snuggle down to take a nap during the car ride so that you can focus on reaching your destination

7. Cybex Aton Infant Car Seat

Why it’s good

Nothing says top-of-the-line like Cybex. Besides winning multiple awards in Germany for safety in car seat tests, we love how Cybex is able to convert into a baby carrier, and also a stroller (with the purchase of an additional Cybex adapter).

Although it comes with a slightly higher price as compared to other brands on the market, you know you are getting a quality car seat for the money that you are paying. 

Features that we love:

Safety

• Linear Side-impact Protection (L.S.P. System) provides maximum protection for the child by absorbing the force of a side-impact collision and disperses it to the energy-absorbing shell

Functionality

• Ultra-lightweight carrier makes carrying and installing the car seat enjoyable for parents
• Foldaway canopy to protect your precious one from the sun
• Convertibility with other Cybex systems into a stroller for your baby

Ease of maintenance

• It has machine-washable fabric covers at 30 degrees water temperature

8.  Urban Kanga Portable Car Seat

Why it’s good

This portable car seat could be a lifesaver for every family trips as its quick installation features make it convenient to bring around.

This makes it perfect to use for situations where you may not have a permanent ride such as sharing a car or taking a taxi. It also comes in 3 different colours of denim grey, black and teal for your preference. 

Features that we love:

Safety

• It comes with a five-point safety harness with only one pull adjustment
• The headrest has air cushions for your baby’s safety
• Tested and certified to meet European safety standards

Functionality

• At only 3kg, it is ultra-lightweight which makes it so much easier to lug around 
• Easy to fold and install
• Has an adjustable headrest for your baby’s absolute comfort

Ease of maintenance

• Includes a memory foam padded seat and a water-resistant backrest
• Removable cover for easy washing
• Extremely durable

9. hifold the Fit-and-Fold Booster Seat

Why it’s good

This easily foldable booster seat is said to be the world’s most adjustable high-back booster. If your family does have a permanent car, this could be the perfect booster seat variation as compared to a bulky car seat.

Features that we love:

Safety

• It comes with a three-point seatbelt that secures your baby’s safety
• Has a four-layer design with six impact protection zones 

Functionality

• Weighs only about 4.5kg
• Capable of folding down to three times smaller than a regular booster seat

Ease of maintenance

• Very adjustable and customisable with 243 individual settings in 4 adjustable zones 
• Removable seat covers for easy cleaning
• Has airflow, washable fabric

10. Clek Foonf Convertible Car Seat

Why it’s good

This easy-to-install car seat is built like a tank with its steel and magnesium sub-structure that will make it seem like it’s part of your car. For utmost comfort and protection for your child, this car seat will ensure a safe and secure experience for your child whenever you travel. 

Features that we love:

Safety

• Includes an anti-rebound bar to prevent any rebound in a frontal and rotation in a side-impact collision
• The adjustable headrest that can also provide maximum head protection
• Its Forward-Facing feature reduces forces that could transmit to the child during rides with its REACT safety system that can absorb the energy of the impact

Functionality

• Secured installation with its Rigid-LATCH structure method makes the car seat one with your vehicle
• Includes 3 recline position function to give your baby comfort for every ride 
• Has both Rear-facing and Forward-facing modes

Ease of maintenance

• Its Crypton super fabrics ensure permanent protection from stains, moisture and bacteria

11. Britax Evolve 123 Baby Car Seat SL SICT

Why it’s good

This car seat offers advanced safety performance with its improved Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT) to ensure minimised force of any impact in a side collision.

It is also very convenient to switch from one car to another as its lightweight makes it easy to transfer. It’s the perfect car seat to grow with your child as for its recline position fits all ages and its headrest is adjustable for your little one’s comfort. 

Features that we love:

Safety

• Its CLICK & SAFE function helps parents know whether their child is secured and harnessed correctly
• Performance Chest Pads to reduce any forward movement during a frontal collision and to take extra care of your child’s delicate neck
• Includes a 5-Point harness to secure your child from any dangerous impacts

Functionality

• You can easily adjust its headrest to give your baby absolute comfort
• It’s suitable for children weighing from 9kgs to 36kgs
• Its recline position is made for kids of all ages

Ease of maintenance

• Has a quick-remove cover for easy cleaning
• Its seat cover is also machine washable for your convenience

Choosing the best baby car seat in Singapore does not always have to be a stressful experience. We hope this list can make your search a little easier.