8 Quality Baby Car Seats To Ensure Your Child's Safety When Driving

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.

Why do you need a car seat?

Bringing your baby outside, whether for a quick grocery run or for a playdate in the park, can be a great bonding experience for you and your baby.

Contrary to popular belief that infants can only be taken out in public once they reach 6 weeks or 2 months of age, most paediatricians reason that it is perfectly safe to do it earlier as long as parents follow some primary safety precautions.

No matter how trivial it may seem, the importance of picking out an appropriate baby car seat for traveling should never be overlooked or underestimated. 

Types of baby car seats

Not all car seats are the same and you should pick one that best fits your child and your vehicle.

Remember that all seats are required to meet the same safety standards and that while a more expensive seat may come equipped with luxurious features, it does not necessarily equate to it being any safer.

Learning the key differences and functionalities between car seats will help you make a more informed purchase for your little one. 

Infant-Only Seat 

The infant-only seat, also known as a rear-facing seat, is the safest option for its occupants.

Maximum protection is ensured by keeping your infant rear-facing in the back seat of the vehicle, and it is recommended that they remain rear-facing up to 2 years of age.

If you do not own a car, then purchasing an infant-only seat would be necessary as it comes with an essential handlebar for easy carriage. 

Convertible Seat

True to its name, the convertible baby car seat is designed for an easy transition. What starts off as rear-facing can eventually be switched to front-facing as your baby grows. It would be a good investment to pick a decent convertible seat considering its durability.

However, do keep in mind that convertible seats are generally heavier and bulkier than infant-only seats, and may not be the most mobile.

Combination Seat

An upgrade from the convertible seat, the combination car seat is made for toddlers above 1-year-old, who have outgrown rear-facing seats.

The combination seat faces only the front of the car and can convert into a belt-positioning booster seat when your child grows bigger.

Booster or portable baby car seat 

The booster car seat or portable baby car seat is a transitional between a combination seat to a regular seat belt. It is recommended for children who are above 5 years old until they grow above 1.4m in height.

Then, they are ready for a regular seatbelt!

How to choose the best baby car seat in Singapore

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 the best baby car seat in Singapore.

• Safety: Choose a baby car seat that 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.

Best Baby Car Seat in Singapore: Top Brands To Try

Clek Car Seat Review

Best car seat carrier for infants

At the top of our list is the Clek Liingo Baseless Infant Car Seat. Currently the only baseless car seat on the market, Clek Liingo is super light and easy to maneuver, not to mention its ultra-sleek design.

Since it is suitable for babies weighing as light as 1.8KG, this car seat is a great choice for smaller infants and preemies.

With its compact size, the Clek Liingo is made to fit, be it in the backseat of your car or your favourite stroller.

Make Clek Liingo an integral part of your travel system and be assured that you can enjoy your family time to the fullest. 

Outstanding features:

Safety

• Extendable LATCH connectors up to 8 inches.
• Load leg that significantly reduces the force on the baby’s head and neck during crash.
• Choice of 3 fabrics – Jersey knit, C-Zero Plus, and 100% Merino Wool – all free of brominated and chlorinated flame.

Functionality

• Internal recline system with 7 positions and 15 degrees of recline range at your ease.  
• Rigid-LATCH system that makes each lower anchor connector fast and easy to secure. It comes with red and green indicators on the sides of the anchors to show that they are properly attached.
• The handle can be adjusted to 3 different positions.
• The sizeable canopy unzips to extend for nearly full coverage.
• Can be used on an airplane without the base.

Ease of maintenance

• The cover can either be spot cleaned or removed to be hand washed with a mild detergent, then left to air dry.

Bonbijou Car Seat Review

Best convertible car seat

For the cost-conscious parent, look no further! The Bonbijou Car Seat is the best of both worlds.

For a fairly reasonable price, this aesthetically pleasing car seat is designed to protect and grow with your child up to 36KG.

Like a warm embrace, the plush and luxurious cushions provide the utmost comfort for your baby, be it a long journey or a short spin. 

Outstanding features:

Safety

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

Functionality

• 4 positions of recline that allow your child to snuggle down to take a nap during the car ride so that you can focus on reaching your destination.
• The adjustable headrest provides comfort and grows with your child up to 36kg (Grp 0, 1, 2, 3).

Doona Car Seat & Doona Stroller Review

Best infant and stroller combo

Doona Car Seat & Doona Stroller is where design meets practicality. Purchasing a car seat can be expensive, but you’ll love that Doona Car Seat serves a dual purpose, and we are getting a “free" baby stroller out of our purchase.

For parents who love an effective design and are cost-conscious, this is one investment that you will be very happy with.

Outstanding features:

Safety

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

Functionality

• Car seat to stroller in seconds.
• TUV and FAA aircraft are approved so you can bring the car seat/stroller with you around the globe.

Ease of maintenance

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

Daiichi Car Seat Review

Best for kiasu parent

The Daiichi car seat will accompany your growing newborn baby all the way till they’re about 7 years old or 25kg.

It comes with 3 levels of modes of support and 4 levels of the inner seat in conformity with children’s growth.

The triple structure t-sip system and weighted engineering design ensure maximum protection for your child. 

Outstanding features:

Safety

• Triple structure t-sip system, seatbelt system, weighted engineering design.
• Egg shell protection system.
• Eco-friendly organic cotton.

Functionality

• One-touch headrest adjustment system.
• 3-way installation and 4-level recline adjustment.
• A long period of use from 0 months to 7 years (25kg).

Inglesina Car Seat Review

Most stylish

Travel in style with the Inglesina car seat, available in four colours: red, blue, black, and grey.

With colour combinations that are easy on the eyes, this pretty car seat will have strangers turning their heads!

The gentle enveloping shape and soft paddings equipped offer not only utmost comfort but also maximum protection in the event of a side impact. 

Outstanding features:

Safety

• Extra strong restraint with an advanced locking system that allows safe and secure installation to be carried out.

Functionality

• A versatile child seat that can carry children from birth to 18kg (up to 4 years approximately).
• Car seat is adjustable in 6 positions, rearward facing up to 13kg and forward facing from 9 to 18kg.

Maxi Cosi Car Seat Review

For the long haul

Maxi Cosi car seat 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 justifies itself fairly since not only are you getting one of the best protective car seats on the market, but this car seat also grows with the needs of your child at every stage.

Outstanding features:

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 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 – 54.4kg) 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 allow for machine washing and drying without rethreading the harness which makes it easy to clean up after spills and messes.
• 2 removable cup holders which are dishwasher safe.

Cybex Aton Car Seat Review

Best lightweight car seat

Looking for something light and easy to carry? The Cybex Aton car seat might be the perfect choice for you!

It’s an ultra-lightweight carrier, which makes carrying and installing the car seat much easier for you.

Having won multiple awards in Germany for safety in car seat tests, Cybex is a reputable brand that is worth every penny of its price.

Made with great quality, this car seat is able to convert into a baby carrier and stroller, with the additional purchase of a Cybex adapter. 

Outstanding features:

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
• Foldaway canopy to protect your child 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.

Hifold the Fit-and-Fold Booster Seat Review

Best for small cars

If you own a smaller car, space-saving is probably one of your concerns. Hifold the Fit-and-Fold Booster Seat is said to be the world’s most adjustable high-back booster with its foldability.

If you own a permanent car, this booster seat could be the perfect choice as compared to a bulkier seat. 

Outstanding features of this portable baby car seat:

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.

Price comparison

Here’s a price comparison of the best baby car seats in Singapore for your quick reference:

Note: Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication. However, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.

Baby car seat Singapore law

You would ask yourself, “is a baby car seat mandatory in Singapore?" 

Absolutely, according to the Singapore Traffic Police, it is a mandatory law for anyone below the height of 1.35m to be secured with suitable child restraints based on their height and weight.

In fact, you’ll need to have a car seat properly installed before you can take your infant on their first car ride home with Singapore’s baby car seat law. 

Given the sheer amount of car seats on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose just one. We understand how busy your parents are, that’s why we did the research so you don’t have to.

To ensure maximum safety and comfort for your delicate tots, and utmost convenience for you, we have put together a comprehensive and holistic guide to buying the most suitable car seat for your baby.

If you want more options for baby car seats, check out: Best Car Seats Singapore Review: Top Brands for Newborns and Toddlers