10 best alternatives to the Maxi-Cosi Pebble newborn baby seat
Options, options
THE MAXI-COSI Pebble Plus is one of the UK’s favourite infant car seats; it’s the top seller at Mothercare and the default newborn baby carrier for many parents.
And it’s easy to see why: the Pebble Plus is affordable, light, easy to get in and out of cars, suitable for children up to four years old (with easy-to-adjust straps and support padding), meets the new i-Size safety requirements (in combination with the 2wayFix ISOFIX Base), and works with a broad range of accessories, including pushchairs from brands other than Maxi-Cosi as well as the manufacturer’s own travel system. It’s also the top seller at Mothercare.
But there are plenty of other baby car seats out there for Group 0+, in case you want to stand out from the crowd. To help you out with making your decision, we’ve detailed 10 of our favourite alternatives to the Maxi-Cosi Pebble.
If you have more questions:
Browse NEW or USED cars for sale on driving.co.uk
1 BeSafe iZi Go
If you’re a fan of Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s ethos of “simplify and add lightness”, you’ll probably want the BeSafe iZi Go to be near the top of your car seat shortlist. At just 3.7kg in weight, it’s a featherweight in the newborn baby car seat segment, yet it still features plenty of cushioning to keep your child protected in car journeys, including a five-point harness for your child and an ISOFIX base (sold separately), though as with the Maxi-Cosi Pebble, the seat on its own can be anchored in place using a standard three-point seatbelt.
- Suitability Birth to 18kg (around four years)
- Buy at John Lewis
- Price at time of publishing £188.99
2 Britax Römer BabySafe i-Size
Britax Römer is one of the best-known child seat brands in the UK and the BabySafe i-Size is a high quality alternative to the Pebble with a similarly affordable price tag. It’s compatible with Britax’s ISOFIX car seat base and some travel systems, and the Baby-Safe i-Size offers a secure and supportive place for your newborn to spend on a car journey. It has some interesting features too: the seat can be reclined, for example, and there’s an reclining canopy with a 50+ UPF rating.
- Suitability Birth to 13kg (around 15 months)
- Buy at Halfords
- Price at time of publishing £159.99
3 Silver Cross Simplicity child car seat
As with the other products featured here, the Silvercross Simplicity comes with an ISOFIX base to make it easier to get in and out of the car, and allow you to carry a sleeping infant from the car without disturbing the precious cargo.
It comes with a five-point harness, for extra security around the hips, and it can be height-adjusted with a single hand, while the hood and apron come in a variety of colours and can be easily removed for cleaning. And Silver Cross are known for their prams and pushchairs, so, of course, the Simplicity combines with them for a convenient travel system.
- Suitability Birth to 13kg (around 15 months)
- Buy at Mothercare
- Price at time of publishing £150.00
4 Graco Milestone LX All-in-One
For parents looking into a child seat that’ll last them for years, the Graco Milestone LX should definitely be considered. Dubbed a 3-in-1 child seat, the Graco Milestone can be used by newborns and toddlers, with the infant seat doubling up as a booster for children up to 12 years old. There’s more to the Graco Milestone than just the long term viability, however: there’s lots of headrest and reclining adjustment, with side inserts and a steel frame offering lots of protection too. The disadvantage is that you can’t carry your baby in it once you’ve parked — you’ll need to unstrap them and transfer to a pushchair rather than use the seat as part of a convenient travel system.
- Suitability Birth to 36kg
- Buy at Amazon.co.uk
- Price at time of publishing £220
5 Cosatto Hold
This is an attractive, lightweight infant carrier, compatible with Cosatto’s ISOFIX base and several of its pushchairs. It also has a five-point harness for your little one, for extra security around the hips
- Suitability Birth to 13kg (around 15 months)
- Buy at Mothercare
- Price at time of publishing £154.95
6 Joie Spin 360 combination seat
It may seem a bit like a gimmick, but the rotating functionality of the Joie Spin 360 makes it much easier to place your child in the seat and adjust the harness, without contorting your body, especially where space is limited, such as tight car park spots. The main drawback? It doesn’t separate from the ISOFIX base, so you can’t carry a sleeping baby in it once you’ve parked. But the ability to make it forward-facing when your child grows is smart, as this seat is suitable for children up to four years old. Read more here.
- Suitability Birth to 18kg (around four years)
- Buy at Halfords
- Price at time of publishing £239.99
7 Joie Stages
Should the Spin 360’s price put you off, Joie also does a more affordable newborn-suitable seat for you to consider: the Joie Stages. Since it’s adjustable enough to fit children up to seven years old, you get a huge amount for your money, with the manufacturer claiming the seat’s steel frame will also help maintain durability during that timeframe. That frame does make the Stages a bit more cumbersome than other newborn seats, and you can’t carry newborns in it away from the car, but it might be a compromise worth accepting if you’re looking for an affordable car seat that’ll last your little one for many years to come.
- Suitability Birth to 25kg (around seven years)
- Buy at Halfords
- Price at time of publishing £119.99
8 Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix
If you can’t quite stretch to the Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus, then its more affordable sibling, the Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix, is definitely worth a close look. As well as connection to a selection of Maxi-Cosi ISOFIX bases, the CabrioFix is also compatible with travel systems and, although it only has a three-point harness, it should also be a comfortable and secure place for your child to spend car journeys in too, thanks to the oodles of padding and the side impact protection elements. It also comes with a lifetime guarantee.
- Suitability Birth to 13kg (around 15 months)
- Buy at Mothercare
- Price at time of publishing £109.99
9 Mothercare Ziba
For those out newborn car seat shopping on the slimmest of budgets, the Mothercare Ziba might be just the ticket. Admittedly, it isn’t loaded with more advanced features (you won’t find fancy swivelling systems, a five-point harness or ISOFIX connections here), but if you’re after an affordable child seat for the early stages, this is worth a look.
- Suitability Birth to 13kg (around 15 months)
- Buy at Mothercare
- Price at time of publishing £35
10 Recaro Zero.1 i-Size
Recaro may be best known for making bucket seats for your favourite sports and racing cars, but it also does a sizeable range of seats for children, too. The Zero.1 i-Size is one that is sure to impress. Granted, it isn’t exactly cheap, but there’s more to justify the Zero.1’s price outside of the Recaro branding. Like the Joie Spin 360, the Zero.1 features a rotating seat that is useful for strapping in and can be switched to forward-facing when your child is old enough – it’s suitable for children all the way up to four years old. It also uses high quality materials and plenty of padding for extra comfort, support and safety. But like the Spin 360, this one can’t be removed from the ISOFIX base when you leave the car.
- Suitability Birth to 18kg (around 4 years)
- Buy at Amazon.co.uk
- Price at time of publishing £364.99
