A multi-group child car seat spans more than one group, so it should last your child longer than a single-group seat.

The Silver Cross Balance i-Size Group 1/2/3 Car Seat is an every stage car seat that grows with your child from 15 months all the way to 12 years of age. In most cases, a child will reach the weight limit of a child car seat before becoming too tall for it, but all babies and children are different. No matter how old your baby is, they will be far better protected if they stay in a rear-facing seat, so the experts highly recommend it. The law on child car seats says that a rear-facing infant carrier must never be used in a front passenger seat with an active airbag. If you are looking for the most compact travel seat then this is the smallest I’ve seen on the UK market.Not only that, but the CYBEX Pallas is suitable from nine months until your child is 12 years old, or 36kg, making it great value for money. There isn't much point spending loads to get a top rated 0+ seat as it isn't likely to be suitable for much longer. Either way, before long you'll need to make sure your child has a seat that will last until they're about four. It is highly praised among parents for having a little more leg room for a growing child, as the sides are slightly lower. As you can see, the list is quite long, and we haven’t even mentioned aspects such as design and quality.

To see which child car seats have soared through our lab tests, read our Group 2/3 car seat reviews. Group 1/2/3 car seats are designed to take your little one from 9kg to 36kg, which is roughly 9 months to 12 years.Forward-facing or rear-facing, each has its advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to select the right seat for your child. What makes the Group 1/2/3 even more practical, is that this car seat will see your baby through from 9 months to 12 years. Don't worry if they have to bend their legs when seated; it's your child’s head height and weight that should guide you. Every car seat comes with different features, so it's important to choose one that suits both your child and your vehicle.

If you need more clarification on the laws surrounding child car seats, we’ve created a handy guide which explains all the car seat regulations you need to know. If your baby is under 9kg then your only options are the Tilt or the Group 0+ seat because they can't yet go into a Group 1 seat. Choosing whether to forward- or rear-face your little one's car seat depends on their age, height and weight. Some parents may find them appealing, as it means only having to choose and pay for one child car seat, which could last from birth or 12 months up to 12 years of age.It also reclines, has a special lever to tighten the belt and a green button pops up to tell you it’s fitted correctly – my main worry about using a non-isofix model. R44 groups 0+ (birth to 13 kg), 1 (9 to 18 kg), or 2/3 (15 to 36 kg) are based on your child’s weight, not height and are suitable for children from birth up to 12 years old.

The Joie Stages is alright as it rear faces until 18kg/40lbs with the option to face forwards as well if you want.

But in our own tests, which are conducted at higher speeds and forces than the standard requires, this seat scores poorly for side-impact tests. If you're using an i-Size seat, your little one will need to stay rear-facing until they’re at least 15 months old and 76cm in height. This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only.