Two of the safest child seats you can buy in Australia

Got a baby on the way? Maybe your current brood is in need of a car seat upgrade? Regardless of the reasons, if you’ve just added a new member to your family then the latest verdict from the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP) should be of interest.

CREP evaluates the safety of child seats sold in Australia for both safety in various crashes, as well of ease of use. Their ratings are out of five stars, and notoriously tough, ensuring only the best are rated well. While five star ratings are possible, no car seat tested by the CREP scheme has been given the perfect score.

Rated by CREP as two of the best baby seats you can buy in Australia, this pair serve your child from birth until at least four years old.

Both are designed to be rear-facing from birth to approximately two-to-three years, and forward-facing from 12 months to at least four years.

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Both models are convertible seats, which means they can be reconfigured as your child grows. Here’s how they stacked up in CREP’s testing:

Safe-N-Sound Slimm Line AHR 7300/E/2013/i

• Rearward facing protection: 4 stars
• Rearward facing ease of use: 3 stars
• Forward facing protection: 4 stars
• Forward facing ease of use: 3 stars

Features: ISOFIX connectors, Active head restraint, ez-buckle system, retractable stabilising bar, and reversible baby insert and shoulder pads.

Cost: $369

Why you should buy: The Safe-N-Sound Slimm Line was rated top of the class by CREP, offering the best protection for a child until it is two-to-three years old. If safety is a top priority, this is the seat for you.

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Infa-Secure Quattro CS8113 (Treo, Neo, Vera, Vogue)

• Rearward facing protection: 3 stars
• Rearward facing ease of use: 3 stars
• Forward facing protection: 4 stars
• Forward facing ease of use: 3 stars

Features: Secur-air triple layer crash protection, air cocoon technology integration, removable shoulder pads, nine recline positions.

Cost: $399 - $429

Why you should buy: Want a convenient seat which will still keep your bub safe and sound, the Infa-Secure Quattro range will win you over. It’s designed to be unobtrusive, ensure four years of stress-free beginning and ends for car rides with your child.

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The infa-secure Quattro was rated as one of the slimmest convertible seats you can buy in Australia, important for families with smaller cars such as light hatchbacks and compact SUVs.

Meanwhile the Safe-N-Sound Slimm Line topped CREP’s testing for convertible seats, scoring four stars in both forward- and rear-facing positions.

Rear-facing seats are usually the safest for a child, and both seats allow babies to ride in this position until they are two-three years old.