Automotive Seat Weight Teams Defined

Youngster automobile seats are purchased in two methods, both in keeping with your kid’s weight or in keeping with your kid’s peak. They don’t seem to be chosen in keeping with your kid’s age.

Automotive seats primarily based on weight are group seats conforming to regulation ECE R44.03 or ECE R44.04, which is defined under. 

Whereas automobile seats primarily based on peak are i-Measurement automobile seats, complying with regulation ECE R129. Go to i-Measurement little one automobile seats defined to seek out out extra about height-based i-Measurement automobile seats.

Learn extra on little one automobile seat legal guidelines within the UK and little one automobile seat legal guidelines all over the world.

Youngster automobile seat weight teams at a look

Beneath we have rounded up all the accessible weight teams for little one automobile seats:

• Group 0/0+  – New child to 13kg (0 to fifteen months)
• Group 0+/1 – New child to 18kg (0 to round 4 years)
• Group 0+/1/2 – New child to 25kg (0 to round 7 years)
• Group 0+/1/2/3 – New child to 36kg (0 to round 12 years)
• Group 1 – 9kg to 18kg (9 months to 4 years)
• Group 1/2/3 – 9kg to 36kg (9 months to 12 years)
• Group 2/3 – 15kg to 36kg (4 years to 12 years)
• Group 3 – 22kg to 36kg (from 5 or 6 years and greater than 125cm tall)

It is necessary to keep in mind that shifting infants and youthful kids as much as the subsequent seat up earlier than they attain the utmost weight or peak for his or her seat may result in extra extreme accidents in a crash. 

Infants and youngsters can range wildly when it comes to measurement, so its higher to make use of peak or weight as a information for what automobile seat they need to be in, slightly than age.

All the time ensure your automobile seat suits your automobile and your little one, and get it fitted by a educated knowledgeable before you purchase.

Automotive seats that span a number of teams, for instance Group 1/2/3, could seem to be nice worth for cash as they final for longer than single group seats, however our testing has uncovered points with a few of them.

Right here is the vary of kid automobile seat teams and the corresponding weight ranges in a chart format:

Child automobile seats (Group 0+)

Child automobile seats (group 0+) are normally the primary automobile seat you may purchase. They’re smaller and lighter than the automobile seats you may use as your little one will get older. 

They’re additionally rearward dealing with – so your child can be travelling together with his or her again to you if you’re driving. 

Analysis exhibits it is most secure for infants to journey rearward-facing for so long as attainable.

Group 0+ automobile seats will final your child from delivery till she or he is round 12 to fifteen months previous, with a most weight of 13kg for many child automobile seats.

Some group 0+ child automobile seats are designed so as to additionally connect them to a pushchair chassis to kind a journey system.  

This implies which you can take your child from automobile to pushchair with out having to disturb them an excessive amount of. 

Our recommendation is to keep away from maintaining infants, significantly very younger ones, in automobile seats any longer than completely vital and by no means for sleeping inside the home.

Group 0+ automobile seat critiques

Group 0+/1 automobile seats

Group 0+/1 automobile seats will final your child from delivery to round 4 years previous. Your child will initially journey within the seat rearward dealing with and you may change the seat to face forwards. 

Some seats enable this from 9kg (roughly 9 months) however we don’t advocate you flip your child forward-facing too quickly. 

It’s best to go away your child in a rear-facing little one automobile seat till they’re least 15 months previous. 

Learn extra about prolonged rear-facing little one automobile seats

Many Group 0+/1 automobile seats let your little one to journey rearward dealing with till as much as 4 years previous.

Not like a child automobile seat (Group 0+) a Group 0+/1 automobile seat will keep mounted in your automobile. You will not have the ability to take it out and pop it onto a journey system chassis. 

As a result of they’re bigger than a Group 0+ automobile seat any such seat could take up extra space in your automobile.

Group 0+/1 automobile seat critiques

Group 0+/1/2 automobile seats

These are designed to final a baby from delivery to 25kg (roughly six years previous). However we imagine kids change an excessive amount of from delivery to 25kg for one seat shell to adequately present the safety they want at every stage. 

We have examined some very poor Group 0+/1/2 little one automobile seats, which fail to place the grownup seat belt accurately on the kid and will injure their neck and inside organs in a crash.

Group 0+/1/2 automobile seat critiques. 

Group 1 automobile seats

Group 1 automobile seats are for toddlers weighing between 9kg and 18kg. That is from about 9 months previous as much as round four-and-a-half years previous. 

Many automobile seats on sale which might be Group 1 are ahead dealing with, though you will discover some that permit your little one journey rearward dealing with till she or he is as much as 4 years previous.

Group 1 automobile seat critiques.

Group 2/3 automobile seats

In case your little one is able to transfer up from a Group 1 seat the subsequent seat up is a Group 2/3 high-backed booster seat.  

Group 2/3 automobile seats are high-backed booster seats. 

A gaggle 2/3 automobile seat will final your little one from 15-36kg. That is from about 3 years to 12 years.

Most group 2/3 little one automobile seats do not have a harness. As an alternative you may safe your little one and the seat utilizing the automobile’s grownup seatbelt. 

Some fashions can nonetheless be put in utilizing Isofix to maintain them securely hooked up to the automobile. 

Some mother and father fear about shifting their little one from a Group 1 seat, which makes use of a harness, to a Group 2/3 little one automobile seat utilizing a seat belt, nonetheless there are just a few seats accessible which have prolonged harness use, or different strategies to assist a baby transition from a harness to a belted seat. 

Group 2/3 automobile seat critiques.

Multi-group or Group 1/2/3 automobile seats

A multi-group little one automobile seat spans a couple of group, so it ought to final your little one longer than a single-group seat. Some mother and father could discover them interesting, because it means solely having to decide on and pay for one little one automobile seat, which may final from delivery or 12 months as much as 12 years of age. 

You may see multi-group seats referred to as mixture seats, and a few retailers record them as both Group 1/2/3 seats, that are used from 9 months to 12 years (9-36kg) or Group 0+/1/2/3 which is delivery to 12 years.

Automotive seats accepted to the newer R129 rules which might be additionally multi-group are rarer, though you might discover some retailers outline prolonged rear-facing automobile seats (that take your little one from delivery to 4 years) as multi-group. One i-Measurement multi-group mannequin that we have lately examined is the Axxkid One+ automobile seat which is appropriate for infants measuring 40cm to 125cm, or delivery to round six years previous.

Multi-group automobile seats permit you to safe your child in a five-point security harness initially, then the seat converts to a high-backed booster seat when your little one is older and larger. 

These automobile seats can look like a extra economical approach of shopping for a baby automobile seat, as they’ll final your little one for longer, however our testing has discovered {that a} seat which covers a couple of group would not defend in addition to it ought to all through all three teams. 

Kids change an excessive amount of for one seat shell to adequately present the safety they want at every stage.

Our automobile seat consultants assume you are most likely higher off shopping for a devoted child automobile seat, then a toddler seat after which a Group 2/3 little one automobile seat, slightly than selecting a multi-group, or mixture, seat.

Some multi-group seats we have examined do not rating extremely for quite a few causes, together with failing to place the grownup seatbelt accurately on the kid, or being troublesome to transform between the teams, or failing to sufficiently defend the passenger when utilized in a selected group or mode. 

A great automobile seat ought to have the ability to defend your little one properly sufficient in each entrance and facet crashes, as you’ll be able to’t inform what kind of accident you might be concerned in. 

And as we anticipate mother and father to make use of a baby automobile seat in all of the modes and teams it is designed to cowl, we restrict the rating to the worst-case situation, even it the seat has scored properly in different modes.

Group 1/2/3 automobile seat critiques and Multi-group automobile seat critiques.

Backless booster seats aka group 3 automobile seats

Some Group 2/3 automobile seats convert to a gaggle 3 seat, which is a backless booster seat, also referred to as a booster cushion. You can even purchase booster cushions individually.

Booster seats elevate the kid’s physique to a peak appropriate to be used with the grownup seatbelt. 

A booster cushion satisfies the authorized requirement for kids as much as 1.35 metres (roughly 4ft 6in) and so they’re low-cost (about £6-£30), however we do not advocate them, particularly for youthful kids.

That is as a result of booster cushions are usually not as secure as a high-backed booster seat with a full-length again and ‘wings’, which give further safety for the pinnacle and chest in a side-impact crash.

It is price paying a bit extra for further safety.

We have examined one Group 3 automobile seat, learn our overview of the MiFold Seize and Go.

From 1 March 2017 the principles for utilizing booster seats have modified. 

• Any newly accepted backless booster seat on sale can be restricted to be used solely with kids taller than 125cm and weighing greater than 22kg.  
• However you may nonetheless see different backless booster seats on sale accepted to be used for kids of between 15kg and 36kg. 
• Each seats are authorized to make use of so long as you’re following what it says on the label. So all the time ensure you verify the label before you purchase. 
• In case you already personal a backless booster seat you’ll be able to nonetheless use it, so long as you are following the age/peak on the label.

Extra about booster seat guidelines

Which automobile seat teams have Isofix?

You could find Isofix little one automobile seats in all automobile seat teams from Group 0+ as much as Group 2/3 automobile seats. 

You may typically see Isofix in Group 2/3 automobile seats known as Isofit. That is as a result of there’s a distinction. 

In Group 2/3 automobile seats, regardless that the automobile seat is hooked up to the automobile utilizing the identical connectors, your little one is saved within the automobile by the automobile’s seat belt. Within the decrease automobile seat teams, the Isofix automobile seat is hooked up to the automobile utilizing Isofix connectors however your little one is saved within the seat by a harness that is hooked up to the automobile seat.  

Are Isofix child automobile seats safer?

How have you learnt when it is time to change automobile seats?

It is higher and safer to maintain your little one within the lowest group seat for so long as attainable, slightly than shifting up teams too early. It is also extra economical, too, as you will not should splash out on a brand new seat till you have had the utmost utilization out of your present seat. 

Do verify what the higher weight or peak limits are in your automobile seat and control your child or kid’s weight and peak, to verify they don’t seem to be out-growing the seat too shortly.

Don’t overlook to verify in the event that they’re too tall for the automobile seat harness – the highest of it ought to sit 2cm above their shoulder – even when it’s adjusted to the best place.

Typically, a baby will attain the burden restrict of a kid automobile seat earlier than turning into too tall for it, however all infants and youngsters are completely different. 

Kids on the backside weight of every group are extra weak to accidents, that is why we do not advise you swap too quickly. 

The advisable weights and heights for every group overlap, so we advise you to let your little one attain the highest restrict for one group slightly than swapping once they attain the underside weight of the subsequent.