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 – £395
• Best safety features: Joie Baby Every Stage FX Group 0+/1/2/3 Car Seat – £170
• Best car seat for taller children: Cybex Silver Solution X-Fix – £90.09
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 Seats For 4-Year-Olds Overall
www.boots.com
Description
Awarded Gold for Best Multi Stage Car Seat at the 2022 Mother&Baby Awards, 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. The ISOFIX 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.
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."
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
Best safety features
www.kiddies-kingdom.com
Description
The Joie Every Stage comes with Guard Surround Safety panels that provide extra side protection and fold into the seat when not in use. The AutoAdjust side wings and Grow Together multi-height headrest and harness enable easy adjustment of the seat as your child grows from baby all the way through to tweens.
Our mum tester Adelle said: "I am really impressed with this product so far. We have another Joie car seat and they have always seemed to perform well. Easy to clean and look comfy. The seat was easy to install with an Isofix base and sits nicely on the backseat without movement. It is great if it does last until they are a lot older but difficult to know just yet."
Read our full Joie baby Every Stage FX review
Pros
- Shortlisted in the Mother&Baby 2022 Awards
- Side impact protection provides added security for the head, body and hips
- 5-point harness with soft, padded covers keeps baby cosy and secure
Cons
- Doesn't have spin feature
- Instructions for changing between modes aren't very clear
Best luxury car seat for 4-year-olds
www.pramcentre.co.uk
Description
The newest addition of the Minikid allows extended rear-facing up to seven years of age, ensuring your child stays as safe as possible all the way up to 125cm and 36 kg. The headrest automatically adjusts according to your child's length 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. The Axkid Minikid 3 won bronze for Best Baby/Toddler Car Seat (Stage 1/2) in our 2023 Mother&Baby Awards.
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."
Read our full Axkid Minikid 3 review
Pros
- Extended rear-facing
- Suitable until seven years old, approximately
- Sturdy and stylish
Cons
- Difficult to fit
Best car seat for easy installation
www.kiddies-kingdom.com
Description
The RECARO Salia Elite is the perfect solution for parents looking for a safe car seat that, once installed, is going to be the child's companion. Engineered to protect children, the Salia Elite child seat combines the highest safety standards, increased travel comfort and outstanding design. The versatile child seat that grows together with young travellers can be individually height-adjusted and perfectly adapts to different body sizes.
Pros
- 5-point harness system - The intuitive and central harness adjuster with the HERO harness guide enables the child to be fastened into the seat securely and simply
- One-handed operation allows for a comfortable and flat resting position during the journey, facing away from the direction of traffic - three positions
Cons
- Child Weight Capacity: Birth - 13Kg
Best car seat for comfort
www.smythstoys.com
Description
Perfect for three-year-olds and up, this travel buddy has seven different height positions that can be adjusted using just one hand (ideal if you're juggling other little menaces!) The Joie seat comes packed with protection with the Guard Surround Safety side impact panels for full-body impact protection and ISOSAFE connectors.
One reviewer said: "Perfect for a growing toddler following a standard baby seat. Isofix makes it really easy to install and gives you a peace of mind that it's firmly in place (although I believe the isofix doesn't actually add to the safety of the seat as that's done by the seat belt). Armrests and easy height adjustment, nice touches. Overall, one very happy camper in the back in a 'big seat'."
Pros
- Affordable
- Washable seat cover
- Reclines
- Memory foam cushion for extra comfort
Cons
- Quite wide, so can be difficult to fasten
Best car seat for taller children
Description
This sturdy high-back booster from Cybex comes locked and loaded with built-in side impact protection, a patented reclining headrest, ISOFIX, an 11-position height adjustable headrest, and an adjustable backrest. Available in six colours, we don't think your little one will struggle taking a nap in one of these.
Our mum tester Sarah said: "We had this seat for both my kids (4&6). Yesterday a drunk driver hit us and we were flipped clean over. We walked away without a mark and the police say the only reason they were unharmed was the quality of these seats. They were very impressed by how they performed. Needless to say I have already ordered two more for when we get a new car."
Pros
- Sturdy and comfortable
- Headed adjustable to prevent neck strain when asleep
Cons
- Car seat is prone to twist a little once buckled in place
Best car seat for moving between cars
Description
This basic and affordable option is highly rated by parents and grandparents alike on Amazon. With height-adjustable armrests and headrest, the Graco Junior Maxi provides side impact protection and the thrill of retractable cup holders for your child. An added bonus is that the cover is machine-washable for any spillages that happen as a result!
One mum reviewer said: "Great car seat sturdy and easy to assemble. My 4-year-old loves the two drink holders... they are now sweet holders! Highly recommend at such a good price! Very happy!"
Pros
- Cheap
- Sturdy but lightweight, so easy to move around
Cons
- Not as much padding as other car seats
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.