Unless you have a bulky multi-stage car seat, it’s likely that you will want to lift the whole car seat in and out of your car and a lightweight model will make this easier.

If lightweight is particularly important to you, the Maxi Cosi Coral has a detachable inner carrier which can be lifted out of the shell and weighs a minuscule 1.7kg.

If you will be carrying the car seat a lot, also look for an ergonomic carry handle.

Someone not in control of their bodily functions is ideally going to need a seat with removable and machine-washable materials.

If you’ll have a baby under six months during the summer months, when comparing car seats look for fabrics which are breathable and temperature-regulating like Merino wool and bamboo.

Lighter colours will also absorb less heat. Although these will definitely need to be washable!

Nobody wants to sing a comforting Baa Baa Black Sheep 186 times to a continuously crying baby on a long car journey. The more comfortable your baby is, the better. Most car seats designed for babies will have some kind of newborn insert. This is primarily to allow it to fit but will also keep a baby comfortable.

A car seat which can be easily reclined will make it more conducive to naps. And for a multi-stage car seat to remain comfortable as your child grows, it will need adjustable straps and headrest.

A secure harness is a must as you don’t want any Houdini-like children breaking free on the motorway. But it also needs to be easy for you to use, especially when your child puts up any resistance to getting in the seat. 

Remember that a child should not wear their coat or pramsuit in the car seat. To effectively restrain a child the harness needs to be fitted close to the body without any puffy material in the way.

All i-Size seats are tested for their ability to withstand a side impact but many R44 seats also have side impact protection. This is important as an estimated 25% of collisions occur at the side.

Not all car seats are compatible with all buggies. For example, if you have a Babyzen Yoyo buggy, it can only be used with six different car seats.

An extendable canopy will help shade your baby on sunny days and ones with SPF50+ protection will protect their skin from harmful rays. This will be useful if you plan to use the car seat on the buggy a lot or if you don’t have car sunshades or tinted rear windows.

Some Cybex car seats can be paired with an app which sends alerts if:

• The harness has come undone or been slipped out of.
• Your child is too hot or too cold.
• They’ve been in the car seat for too long.

They’ve been left alone in the car. (In case you forget you have a baby. It does happen).

Any green credentials are currently pretty much limited to recycled fabrics, like the Maxi-Cosi Eco i-Size. Although the Britax Römer Kidfix i-size is 100% carbon neutral.