New online car seat tool helps parents match the right child seat to their car

A new online tool has been launched to ensure parents buy the right child car seat for their vehicle after research found nearly half of drivers were confused by the huge range of options available.

Car seats are a vital part of keeping your child safe while travelling in the car but choosing the wrong seat or fitting it incorrectly can have potentially dangerous consequences.

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Despite the importance of choosing the right seat, 40 per cent of parents told heycar they were not confident in choosing the right seat for their child’s age group and their car.

In response, the car buying platform has created a comprehensive tool that allows parents to check which seats can be safely fitted to their car. By entering their registration number and selecting the child’s age and weight along with the preferred location of the seat, drivers will be given a list of the compatible car seats currently on sale.

It is important to make sure your child's seat is suitable for them and your vehicle (Photo: Shutterstock)It is important to make sure your child's seat is suitable for them and your vehicle (Photo: Shutterstock)
It is important to make sure your child's seat is suitable for them and your vehicle (Photo: Shutterstock)

Vik Barodia, chief operating and product officer at heycar, says: “As a parent with three kids, I know how confusing it can be when it comes to choosing the best child seat.

“With so many child seats to choose from, it can be tricky to find the right one and it’s easy to see why parents don’t know which way to turn. And with lockdown preventing them from visiting physical retailers, that confusion has only been compounded.

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“The quick information parents need to feel reassured - about what seat is right for their car and their child - shouldn’t be something they have to spend a long time looking for.

“With the new heycar car seat chooser, we want to take away the hassle, provide peace of mind and leave families confident in their choice.”

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The research into parents’ knowledge found that even after buying a seat, 10 per cent of parents did not feel confident they’ll be able to fit it properly. Dads were more confident than mums, with one third of dads saying they were very confident, versus less than a quarter of mums.

The time it takes to fit a new car seat into a car is 11 minutes 30 seconds on average, according to those surveyed. A speedy 28 per cent claim they can do it in under five minutes, while one per cent took more than an hour to complete the task.