Child seats for cars in the test: ADAC warns against a model

The good news first: When choosing a child seat, it doesn’t always have to be the most expensive model. But: It shouldn’t be the cheapest choice – at least in this comparison. This was discovered in the latest test of 17 child seats of all sizes.

According to the experts, all models with grades of “good” and even “satisfactory” are recommended. Because they all exceed the legal requirements, they say. The models range in price between 130 and 758 euros.

Formaldehyde in the upholstery material

However, the testers have to warn against the Graco Snuglite i-Size. At 95 euros, it is the cheapest child seat in the test, but it was the only one that received a “poor” grade. Fortunately, this is not due to safety – because the cheap home manufacturer was also able to convince here. The problem is pollutants. The ADAC says that Greco’s child seat failed “due to the strict criteria of pollutant testing” and thus ended up in last place. The experts found formaldehyde in the upholstery material.

The test winner was the Thule Maple + Alfi Base baby seat for 570 euros. In terms of safety, there was nothing to complain about; the Thule model only stood out negatively due to its high weight and increased space requirement. “Slight workmanship defects” cost the test winner an even better result. Nevertheless: With an overall grade of “good” (1.6), he leads the field.

If you want to save a lot of money, you should look at fourth place. The Britax Römer Baby-Safe Core infant car seat costs around 270 euros as a set and, according to the partial ratings, basically does the same as the expensive Thule, but it lacks the Isofix holder. Babies in the Römer can even grow a little bigger.

Tips for using child seats

If you want to buy the best seat for small children according to the test, you should take a look at the Besafe Beyond + Beyond Base. This costs 758 euros and received a grade of “good” (1.8) in the test. But: This can also be done cheaper. And once again a Britax Römer – Versafix model – leads the competition. However, a lack of safety should not be ignored: the ADAC notes an “average risk of injury in a front crash”. This, together with a somewhat complicated operation, results in the slightly worse grade of 2.5. The Besafe seat does this better – at almost three times the price.

In this case, this is mainly due to the mounting direction. The Britax can only be mounted in the direction of travel, which can be problematic up to a certain age. Regardless of the model and price, the ADAC advises all users of child seats to secure their children in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible. This, according to the club, reduces the risk of injuries. According to the experts, the switch to a forward-facing seat “should not occur before the age of two.”