On the hunt for a car seat for your five-year-old? You might consider it a blessing or a curse that the car seat market is flooded with various different types of car seats, from simple to fancy 360 car seat designs, and there are multiple options suitable for a growing five-year-old.
The right car seat for you (and them) depends on the planned usage, your budget, and your child’s size, but regardless of these factors, you’ll want a car seat that’ll take them all the way through to 12 years old or 135cm in height.
We’ve broken down exactly which car seat is best for your five-year-old and shared our pick of the best car seats to keep your backseat buddy as safe and secure as possible.
The best car seats for five-year-olds at a glance:
Editor’s pick: Chicco Seat3Fit i-Size Car Seat – Buy now from Boots
Best car seat on a budget: Joie Baby Trillo Group 2/3 Car Seat – Buy now from John Lewis
Best car seat for style: Cosatto All in All Child Car Seat – Buy now from Cosatto
The best car seats for five-year-olds:
Editor's pick
Pros
- Versatile offering
- 360-degree rotation
- Perfect for up to seven years old
Cons
- A little more adjustability would be nice
Best car seat for comfort
Pros
- Great protection
- Comfortable features
- 11-position headrest
Cons
- Wide base takes up room in smaller cars
Best car seat for growing children
Pros
- Three seats in one
- Adjustable headrest
- Range of safety features
Cons
- No ISOFIX
Best car seat on a budget
Pros
- Safe and lightweight
- Practical and affordable
- Double cup holders
Cons
- More robust and heavily featured options available
Best car seat for security
Pros
- Easily adjusted
- Good protection
Cons
- No 360 function
Best car seat for style
Pros
- Good protection and ISOFIX
- Lots of funky colours and a cup holder
Cons
- Rather heavy to move
What kind of car seat should a five-year-old be in?
When looking for a car seat for your five-year-old, you should be looking for their ‘stage group’ based on their weight, rather than age, under ECE R44 regulation. These are the stage groups suitable for a five-year-old:
Group 1/2/3 car seats
This type of multi-stage car seat is suitable for children 9-36kg, approx. 9 months to 12 years. It’ll take your child from birth to the booster-seat stage and as a result, is more of an investment.
When your five-year-old is too big for a car seat, will it be used by a younger sibling or family friend? If so, this type of car seat will prove useful but if not, you may find the next stage group up to be the best value for money.
Group 2/3 car seats
This high-back booster car seat is suitable for children 15-36kg, approx. three to 12-years-old. This seat is designed to lift your child up to use the vehicle seat belt but comes with a high back and side padding for safety and impact protection.
If your child is not yet big enough for a booster seat, this is the best option for them.
Group 3 car seats
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 and weigh more than 22kg.
If your five-year-old meets these requirements, this is the most affordable option to carry them into their tweens.
Backless booster seats (i.e. Group 3 car seats) are now limited to children who are taller than 125cm, weighing more than 22kg, as they have fewer safety features compared to the other stage groups and it’s at this size a child will be able to wear an adult seatbelt correctly. So if your five-year-old meets these requirements, they’re good to go!
Previously, booster 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.
What is ISOFIX?
A number of these car seats come with ISOFIX connectors, which stands for International Standard Organisation Fix. They are anchor points in the seat of your vehicle and if your chosen car seat is ISOFIX compatible, it features two arms that lock in place. It’s possibly the safest and easiest way of making sure your car seat is secured and it even comes with installed indicators so you can be sure your child is sitting safely with a correct connection.
Most modern cars come fitted with ISOFIX – it’s been a legal requirement since November 2014 – but if you have an older vehicle, it’s worth double-checking if it has ISOFIX so you can make the most of the feature.
Eleanor Weaver is the Deputy Homes & Garden Product Editor for A Modern Kitchen, Modern Gardens, Yours, and Take A Break Pets, writing for Parkers.
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