Infant Car Seats – Buying Guide

August 6, 2018

In Australia it is mandatory to leave the hospital with your newborn in an infant car seat if you plan to travel home in your vehicle. In this blog we provide you with some useful information for what you will require and a continuing reference during the early months of your new baby’s life.

What type of car seats are available?

Your child will use three different types of car seats as they grow:

• A Capsule or Rearward-facing seat
• A Forward-facing seat
• A Booster seat

It’s worth doing your homework on makes and models as big babies who put on weight quickly won’t last long in a smaller capsule, some rearward-facing seats will convert to a forward-facing seat, and some forward-facing seats can be easily transformed to a booster seat.

What should I look for in a car seat?

Choosing the correct car seat for your baby’s age and weight is crucial. You must also make sure that it is properly installed.

If a car seat doesn’t fit your car perfectly, or is difficult to fasten in place, don’t buy it. Not every child seat fits every car, and some seats work better in some models of cars than others.

The seat should be held tightly by the seatbelt and tethers, with very little sideways movement. Car seats should not move around more than 3cm in any direction, although infant carriers will have a little give in them, even when correctly installed.

How do car seat sizes work?

All child restraints sold in Australia must conform to the Australian Standard. There are also laws that regulate which car seat restraints you need for your child from birth to 16 years.

Rearward-facing child restraints (including capsules) 

Your newborn must be in a rearward-facing seat with a built-in 5 or 6 point harness until she is at least six months old. This is called Type A in the Australian Standard.

Rearward-facing seats come in three types: Type A1 for children up to 70cm tall (about 6-9 months), Type A2 for children up to 80cm tall (about 12 months), and a new category Type A4, for children up to 2-3 years of age.

Forward-facing child restraints 

When your baby outgrows her rearward-facing seat, she must sit in a forward-facing seat with a built-in five or six point harness until she is at least four years old. This is called Type B in the Australian Standard.

A new forward-facing restraint, Type G, may soon become available which your child could use up to eight years of age. Check with Vic Roads for more information.

Booster seats 

When your child has outgrown her forward-facing seat, she must use a booster seat until she is at least seven years old. This is a forward-facing seat using the car’s lap and sash belts. Extra harnesses are not recommended. These seats are called Type E and F in the Australian Standard.

Booster cushions – seats without the back and side wings that protect a child’s head – are now being phased out.

What should I know about capsules or infant carriers?

Capsules (also known as infant carriers) have handles that let you move your baby in and out of the car without waking her. This is ideal, as newborn babies sleep a lot. They also usually come with little pillows (head huggers), which prevent your baby’s head from wobbling about. You will need to use these for the first three months or so, until your baby can hold her head up on her own.

Safety tip: Rearward-facing car seats should never be used in a front seat.

Waverley Toyota LOVES phil&teds alpha infant car seat

Safe & comfortable for your baby

alpha is an ultra-lightweight car seat that will keep your baby safe & comfortable from their very first adventure. alpha has gone through extensive third-party testing and has proven to perform to the highest safety standards.

An easy-to-adjust harness with non-slip shoulder padding and a removable padded insert offers premium safety and comfort for a newborn baby up to a maximum length of 70cm. alpha comes with an ISOfix compatible base included, for a safe & intuitive fit, every time.

Safe & easy to install with ISOfix compatible base

The ISOfix compatible base installs intuitively using your vehicle’s seat belt. This gives you the convenience of clicking alpha in & out of the pre-installed base simply & safely. An audible ‘click’ and a green indicator lets you know when the car seat is safely connected to the base. The base features a rebound bar to prevent alpha rotating against the vehicle seat in the event of impact. Narrow in width, the ISOfix compatible base maximises the back seat space in your vehicle, allowing for 2 additional car seats in most cars.

Slimline for multiple car seats

At just 43.5cm wide, alpha allows enough room to fit 2 other car seats across the back seat of most vehicles! Additional alpha bases are available separately for multiple vehicles.

Lightweight & uber comfortable to carry

So lightweight, alpha is easy to lift and transfer from the car to buggy beyond. The ergonomically shaped handle offers maximum comfort for carrying alpha in your hand or transferring from car to buggy.

Phil&teds offer the most travel system options!

alpha infant car seat is compatible with all current phil&teds strollers. Create your own travel system.