Car seats are an in indispensable purchase for new parents. BestCarSeats.co.uk found that 8/10 parents need to buy a car seat when they have a baby. If you plan on driving your baby around then by U.K. law you need to secure them into a car seat.
Some new parents have twins, and some are second or third time parents, with the number of car seats required growing with every child.
This begs such questions – how much of a financial burden are they over the course of a parenting journey? And what are the best baby car seats in the U.K. to keep the costs down?
Infant Car Seats:
Starting at newborn, a car seat with essential seatbelt installation can set you back between £100-£200. Though further research by BestCarSeats has revealed that 7/10 parents opt to buy a base with it.
That’s often an additional £200 at least. Plus most are opting for advanced features such as 360-degree rotating seats, or multiple recline positions, that often bumps up the price by another £100 or so.
Take the Cybex Cloud Z2 which offers the whole shebang, including reclining and stroller attachments. This stands at nearly £500 all in. If you then throw in accessories such as a car seat mirror (which is very handy for rear-facing) or car seat bag (which are very helpful if you need to keep your car seat in a plane-hold when traveling) this really increases the cost further.
While lastly lets not forget most parents opt for a bundle. This means buying it with a pram, sun protector, cup holder, plus attachments to fit the car seat onto the pram.
These bundles are cost saving overall but do up the tally even further. It’s not uncommon at this stage to have spent £1000 or more.
Convertible Car Seats:
Many parents have commented on the confusing world of car seats, with so much jargon to know, from ISOFIX’s, i-size and i-spins, coupled with the lack of uniformity in car seat names.
Most car seats have confusing model names, unconventional specifications, and different group numbers or age groups.
This can cause parents to make errors with their purchase, such as buying a seat that only lasts until 15 months when they could have spent just £50-£100 more but had it last until 12 years old (the SilverCross All Motion 360 being a prime example of a better choice for longevity and a recommend car seat for new parents).
If this mistake is made convertible car seats are often purchased at 12-15 months by nearly 30% of parents. This sets them back another £250-£400.
They have basically now bought the correct car seat at this age that lasts their child until 4-12 years old. But the mistake has cost them almost double what they originally purchased.
Throw in the fact that they may not upgrade to a convertible seat that configures with their original car seat base. Yes, many car seat brands do frustratingly limit the car seat base to concur with just a few car seats.
This means purchasing potentially a brand new base for your convertible car seat to fit on. Another £200-£300 spent.
Booster Seats:
And finally the move to a booster seat. When your child hits the 4-year-old age (though seats are determined on weight and height, less so age) your child might be ready for a booster seat.
Again, if a parent has made the mistake of only buying a car seat that lasts until 4 years old and not buying one that grows until 12 years old (the Cybex Pallas G is another good example of a long-term car seat, lasting from 4 years old until 12 years old) then they’ll need another seat at that age.
Either using your convertible car seat or a buying a booster is the way to go.
Luckily for parents the bulk of their parenting expense on car seats occurs for newborn car seats. This is because they require full safety features of a newborn seat, plus extra protective straps and potentially rotating features for ease of access. But by the time a booster is needed prices have dropped for these seats to £50-£100 if you do your research. Although some do rise to £200. Plus good news for parents at this stage.
A base is no longer needed so no additional purchase there.
The Maxi-Cosi Morion is a good example of a cheaper 4 year old upwards seat that requires no additional base to be purchased.
Second Kids, Cars and Extended Family:
Before we tally up the total there’s a few final considerations. As mentioned parents spending doesn’t end there.
A huge majority of families will have a second or even third child.
Of course most car seats could be handed down (if they are in safe condition – note that you should never lend or accept a second-hand car seat in case it has been in an accident and damaged it’s safety features), but depending on the original seat you bought you may not be able to.
If you bought a convertible car seat that lasts until 12 years old the chances are your first child is still using it.
This means parents have to buy another £400 seat, plus a base on top at another £200 expense.
When it comes to extended family, let’s not forget grandparents who too will need to buy a car seat if they are to take your child out and about, or give the parents a well needed break.
If you’re kind enough to buy it for them this adds up to another £500-£750 expense.
Also we have to consider that some parents are no longer together, meaning both mum and dad will need to buy their own car seat, unless they’re happy to uninstall and reinstall for every drop off each time, but that is unlikely and lets face it a hassle.
And lastly, how could we forget the family favourite, the family dog.
Dog car seats are becoming increasingly popular knowadays, especially with vast improvements in the design and features.
A good quality dog car seat could set you back between £50-£100.
Let’s tally it up:
Overall if we account for multiple children, including the base, and age upgrades from convertible and then to booster seats.
Plus the consideration of your extended family and maybe a pet, the financial cost is substantial over ones parenting journey.
BestCarSeats.co.uk, who help you find the best car seats for babies and toddlers, have researched this phantom cost that many parents don’t realise and tallied it up to be nearly £5,000 in expenditure over the course of an average 12 year parenting journey.
This is substantial and a surprise for many. This in real-terms is the equivalent to two family holidays, 10% of the average U.K. house deposit, or £250 earned per year in a 5% ISA savings account.
How to avoid the costs:
So what can you do about this fact that it costs over £5,000 for parents? As mentioned during this article, there are some tricks and tips along the way.
Because ultimately you can’t skip buying a car seat if you wish to drive your child around. It’s required and important.
Firstly, you can avoid the mistake of buying multiple car seats and go for one like the Silver Cross Motion 360 that lasts from newborn to 12 tears old.
These car seats are relatively new to the market over the last few years but aren’t greatly publicized by retailers. This means you need to be savvy and look out for them.
You can also avoid buying a car seat base if you feel comfortable with just a seatbelt installation.
If you are ok with this option then this effectively halves your newborn car seat costs.
Plus, make sure to take care of your car seats when your child has finished using it, so that you can reuse them for your younger child.
This prevents buying multiple car seats when you might not need to.
And lastly maybe your little dog Rover doesn’t need a fancy car seat, he’s probably fine as he is.
