WITH so many options available when it comes to items for your baby, it can be hard to know exactly what you need and where to even start.

But some things, including a car set for your child, require more research, and it's not just about what you like the look of.

Joie, car seat innovators and global partner in Child Road Safety of the UN Institute for Training and Research, are on hand to help.

They've revealed to Fabulous exactly what parents should know before choosing their seat.

The most up-to-date safety standard is based on your child’s height, rather than their weight, the experts point out.

"So before you head to the shops it might be a good idea to measure them," they say.

They also recommend doing a bit of research online as this will help simplify the process.

They say: "There are plenty of options available to suit different lifestyles – from lie-flat car cots, to 360 degree spinning seats, extended rear-facing for older children and light weigh infant carriers that fit onto pushchairs for those early newborn days."

So choose which one you think you'd prefer and make sure it's suitable for your child's height.

There are two different standards to look out for; ECE R44 and R129, which is also known as i-Size.

The main difference is that the ECE R44 is based on the weight of your child and i-Size car seats are based on the height of your child.

The R44/04 approval label -- which is orange in colour -- guarantees that the car seat complies with the basic safety requirements as set out in the European safety standard.

But the experts at Joie say cars have changed significantly since the ECE R44/04 car seat regulations were created in 1982.

So has our understanding and knowledge of what happens during an accident, the car seat experts point out.

They explain: "In 2013 the new ECE R129 standard (also known as i-Size) was implemented, which required rear and frontal crash testing as well as side impact crash testing as standard.

"R129 also uses height-based child fitting standards in order to take the guesswork out of choosing the correct seat, as well as requiring babies to travel rear-facing until at least 15 months and 75cm."

ISOFIX is a standardised car seat fitting system which provides a more secure and easier way of attaching child seats in cars.

ISOFIX seats are installed by locking the ISOFIX connectors onto small metal bars that are located in the seat of your vehicle.

And because car seats, seat belts, and seat belt anchorages vary dramatically between cars, choosing an ISOFIX car seat could make it easier, according to the experts.

To find out if your car has Isofix points, look for the labels between the base and back of your car seats, or check your car's manufacturing guide.

There are many advantages to an ISOFIX car seat, according to the experts, and one is the ease of installation.

Because ISOFIX makes it easier to install the seat, the experts reckon it's harder to make a mistake. 

The most important thing to remember is to never move on too early – utilise your infant carrier up to its maximum capacity as indicated on the seat, the experts warn.

This will be your child’s weight for R44 seats, or their weight and height if it is an R129 seat.

The experts note that your little one must be 15 months old before they can forward face, which is the law.

They suggest looking for the next stage seat that offers rearward facing which they say is the safest way for little ones to travel.

"Many combination seats can be used from birth to four years. This means, a rearward-facing seat with the option to move to forward-facing after 15 months," they say.

"This is a great option if you are finding your child too heavy to carry in their infant seat."

Next, you can make the move to a belted booster from 15kgs/100cm, but again, don’t be tempted to rush.

The longer they stay in a harnessed, rearward-facing seat, the better. Or as close to 18kgs/105cm as possible.

Once they have transitioned into a belted booster, these seats can be used up to 150cm, which is approximately 12 years old. 

 The Joie car seat experts will be on hand at The Baby Show which returns to Olympia London from 21-23 October.

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