Kiddipedia
By law, newborns in Australia need to be rearward-facing until they’re at least six months old. That gives parents two options:
- A capsule.
- A convertible car seat.
A capsule is a car seat for babies. It’s rearward-facing with an inbuilt harness. A capsule normally sits on base that stays in the car permanently (unless it’s been swapped between cars). The base is either secured by ISOFIX or by a seat belt. If it’s secured by ISOFIX, top tethers need to be used too. (ISOFIX is a car seat installation system that clips the car seat into anchorage points in a car. The advantage of ISOFIX is that car seats are usually easier to install than using a seatbelt. There should be no difference in safety. Most car seats are ISOFIX compatible. Parents need to check whether their car has ISOFIX anchorage points in it.)
Unlike other car seats, capsules are designed to be easily taken in and out of the car. They can be used as a carrier or attached to a pram to make a travel system. A capsule lasts babies from newborn to around six months, sometimes up to 12.
A convertible car seat is rear-facing for little ones. It then converts to forward-facing (or booster seats) for older ones. Convertible car seats suit children aged 0 months – 8 years, in a variety of combinations. These include:
- 0–4 years.
- 6 months – 8 years.
- 0–8 years.
Capsule safety
To ensure a capsule is safe for baby, look out for a label on it that shows that it meets the safety standard AS/NZS 1754 (either 2004, 2010 or 2013).
Another great way to tell how safe a car seat is the Child Car Seats website (https://www.childcarseats.com.au/). This website is an initiative of the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP) and aims to provide consumers with information to help choose and use safe child car seats. They independently test Australian car seats and award each one a maximum of 5 stars for protection and ease of use.
Picking a car seat that appears on the Child Car Seats website helps parents know that it meets mandatory safety standards and is considered safe. Choosing a seat with more than 1 star means it provides more protection than what’s legally required.
How long a baby can stay in a capsule
Official guidance is that babies should never be left asleep in a capsule / car seat unsupervised and never for a long time. This is especially important for a baby that’s younger than 6 months. That’s because they don’t have enough neck strength to keep their neck up. This can cause their head to drop to their chest, restricting their airflow.
A capsule is designed to keep a baby safe while travelling, not as a main sleeping place. During travel, take frequent breaks on long journeys to get them out of their capsule (even if it wakes them up!). If baby falls asleep in the capsule, they should be moved out of it when back home.
Sarah Idle
Editor and co-founder, Cosier
Cosier is your modern guide to shopping. We help you buy better which means buying less – it’s good for you, your wallet and the planet.
Each week we set out to find everyday products for your home that solve your needs. Our guides feature key findings and need-to-know facts so you can make a quick, confident buy – because who’s got time to waste trawling the shops when you can shop from the comfort of your PJs?
With Cosier, you’ll find products that are a great fit for most Aussies. Products that have more to offer than trending on social media, flashy features or a rock-bottom price. Products that will last and won’t end up in landfill. Products that are truly worth buying.
Sarah is a Cosier co-founder and editor. She’s obsessed with all things digital (including but not limited to animal-related content and using GIFs in messaging apps) so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to move into the world of online shopping. She devotes way too much time trying to find unique things online that are made in a planet-friendly way. Shopping local gives her the warm fuzzies too. She firmly believes in slow fashion, only buying second-hand books and that savoury scones are not a thing. She’s also convinced the 90s are 10 years ago.
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