How long can a baby be in a car seat?

Typically, babies should not spend longer than two hours in any single seating position, including prams, baby carriers and walkers. While some exceptions can be made for longer periods of travel, it is important that your baby has time to move and stretch in between long periods of sitting.

Excess periods of sitting can impact muscle and joint development, cause discomfort, and affect your baby's digestion. Even some playtime in a parent's lap can be a helpful rest for babies required to sit in car seats and prams for up to two hours or more.

When should you remove a newborn insert from a car seat?

Newborn car seats are usually designed with a comfortable and supportive insert to ensure your baby's spine, neck and head are supported in their earliest days. At around six months of age, most babies will outgrow their newborn insert.

While there is no hard and fast rule about when to remove this, if the car seat seems tight, is limiting movement, and your baby shows signs of discomfort, you can remove the insert. This is especially true if your baby is capable of supporting their own neck, head, and overall posture without support.

What age are group 0 and group 1 car seats for?

According to UK law, children under age 12 - or less than 135 centimetres - must use an EU-approved car seat. These will fall into two categories - weight based and height based (also known as i-Size).

Weight based car seats are categorised by 'Groups', ranging from 0 to 3. Group 0 is designed for children up to 10 kilograms, Group 0+ for children up to 13 kilograms, and Group 1 for children between 9 and 18 kilograms. By law, parents or guardians must choose the correct group for their child's seat. Prior to purchase, always take care to note your child's weight to ensure a comfortable and correct fit.