When I became a new mom, it was crazy the amount of research that I had to do, and all the information was overwhelming - especially CAR SEATS. Seriously OMG there are so many kinds available out there, so I would like to share with you what we chose and why.

To simplify it for new parent’s out there, you normally get different car seats for

1. Newborn to 9months GROUP 0+

2. 9months to 4years old GROUP 1

3. 3 to 12 years old / 13-36kg GROUP

But you can save a little if you get something that is from 0+ to 4years old like the Cybex Sirona. It really is the best money can buy. The make is just another level and the fact that it swivels 360 degrees - meaning you swivel it so it’s facing you while you are trying to figure out the 5point harness… which for any new parent can be challenging with a squirming, wriggly baby who is a little Houdini!

NEWBORN CAR SEATS

We initially got one of the newborn car seats from Cybex - the Cybex Aton - and I instantly regretted it because with my heavy baby I knew I might not even reach 9mos before I need to replace it, so I sold it and got something that would last me through our impending move the Philippines.

Advantages of a newborn car seat (Group 0+ or 0-9mos)

It’s lighter than those that last longer, so if you want to pop into a store for a quick errand and your baby is sleeping (and newborns are perpetually sleeping) you can carry baby with you without removing him from the car seat. BUT please note that it’s not healthy for baby to be in car seats for long periods because most of them are NOT TOTALLY FLAT and it’s bad for their back. The longest they should be in it is 2hours maximum, BUT it’s recommended that you give them a break from their car seat every 30mins.

How long can a baby be in a car seat in a long journey?

Break your journey at least every 30 minutes, when you can take your baby out of the car seat for a short period of time. 4. Don't use a car seat for more than 2 hours in one go for all babies (whether newborn or older), either in a car or as part of a travel system. - Newborn Safety in Carseats/Made For Mums

I remember when we were driving to Hamburg from Berlin one rainy night, and we had to break every 30mins. So I didn’t really see any advantages to being able to carry my child in his newborn car seat, when in reality, I needed to be taking him off the car seat as often as 30mins for his back health. That is also the reason I never recommend getting a travel system. Sure it’s convenient for mums to just place the car seat from the car into the stroller BUT it’s better if baby is placed in a totally flat stroller.

Infant Car Seats Ideally Lie Flat

The only carseat I know that can lay flat once it’s removed from the car is the Cybex Cloud Z (0-18mos - longer use which is better value than the 0-9mos) which you can also get with a sensor safe that let’s you know when baby is unsafe. The older model Cybex Cloud Q is heavier than the Z but also lies flat. Too bad this model was not available yet when I gave birth.

If you use it with the base, it also swivels for easy in and out, and has side impact protection.

The Cloud Z i-Size can be changed to an ergonomically correct, lie-flat position outside of the car due to its longer legrest and lie-flat reclining angle that allows your child to lie comfortably. The infant car seats was specially engineered to meet the need of even the most delicate newborns and premature babies whose neck muscles and reflexes are not yet fully developed.

SENSORSAFE - A New Standard of Safety

Cybex now has SensorSafe! It’s amazing! They didn’t have this before when I was buying a car seat but it’s nice to know that this is available!

SensorSafe: a unique child monitoring system that ensures the safety and health of your child is always your first priority. Available for several Platinum and Gold i-Size car seats, the SensorSafe clip attached to the harness system, keeping you informed of the safety and health of your seated child at all times. SensorSafe provides essential alerts to help prevent critical situations: when your child unbuckles the clip, when the ambient temperature of your child is too hot or too cold, if your little one is left unattended in the car, and if your child has been seated for too long.

Why we love the Cybex Sirona 0-4YO or 19kg

We got the 2016 model in Manhattan Gray which is so luxe and totally mathes our mountain gray car. It was the most advanced model at that time - it was the only one that had all these advance features. Nowadays there are several copycats and there are several Cybex Sirona Models that are even more advanced.

You can use it from newborn to 18kg or 4yo. Unfortunately for us DiploBaby is heavy and he was already 18kg before he turned 4yo. But it’s the best car seat in my opinion because

• It’s SO comfortable for baby. DiploBaby calls it his fluffy-fluffy car seat and loves to take power naps in between engagements.

• ISOFIX base + Side Impact Protect is safer

• The fabric is comfortable and luxuriously soft and cool to the touch and totally machine washable.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR 18KG AND ABOVE?

MIFOLD for Travel

Now that the baby is 18kg - he has been fluctuating under and over the past few weeks - we’ve been showing him the MIFOLD but he is getting sepanx (separation anxiety) and says he doesn’t want to sit on it because it’s not “fluffy-fluffy.” I was really hoping to transition to this because it’s super tiny and looks so convenient. But after talking to friend who have it, we all agree that it’s great for travel where we will be taking cabs or rentals (much better than renting gross car seats) but for long drives using our own car, it’s still better to have a proper car seat with high protection.

We tried this when we went to Laguna once and we weren’t using our own car so we attached the MIFOLD, and it was good going. DiploBaby was able to nap by leaning on Yaya, but coming home when he was cranky and tired, I don’t think the positioning of the MIFOLD was as safe. I’m really thinking of getting the HIFOLD, even if it’s bigger. During our trip to Japan a few weeks ago, they didn’t require him to be in a car seat in taxis.

HIFOLD for Travel

The long awaited HIFOLD is not available! This I think is better because it has more support, but will I lug this around when we are traveling? I really don’t know.

CYBEX Gold SOLUTION S-Fix for Our Car

In the end after scouring and comparing different brands from the USA and Europe, I decided to go back to what I knew and loved: Made in Germany CYBEX. The Cybex Gold Solution S-Fix is a more comfortable seat than the Solution M-Fix which is considered just Standard. I was able to get it in the beautiful Colour collection 2018 Manhattan Grey (same as the Sirona we have now) because I find the piping of the 2019 collection a bit loud.

When he saw his new “fluffy fluffy” car seat in the same Manhattan Grey color, DiploBaby was finally able to let go of his beloved Cybex Sirona.

OTHER OPTIONS

I found this other car seat that is similar in high-end features and looks equally luxurious - seems something common with car seats that are Made in Germany - and the colors are so nice and minimaluxe. I personally cannot stand garish colors and finishes that are not smooth.

This really affordable option that seems to be very well-liked by those who bought it. It’s a Germany brand though for the price, I’m sure it was made elsewhere. It may not have the side impact protect but it looks really robust.

If you are pregnant or have a newborn, there are options now that are 0 or newborn up to 12years old but I would caution you because:

• I think that maybe all the padding and transforming means it’s less suited to newborns, which is really a delicate time until their necks are strong enough at around 9months.

• The designs I saw looked so bulky and ugly.

• Most car seats expire within 6-10 years because they are usually left inside cars and exposed to extreme temperatures and humidity, which can affect the strenght of the plastic. I always tell my decluttering clients and members of the DeclutterMNL group that expired car seats will have brittle plastics already that do not offer the same protection. This is why I’m not so sold on the 0-12 car seats.

READ: HOW TO TELL IF A CAR SEAT IS EXPIRED

I will be first to admit that we are spoiled by the gorgeous finish of Cybex to my standards are a bit high, but for our babies, I think we need to be. I don’t want to have any regrets if we encounter an accident. This is why I only write about the best brands that we have personally experienced or really highly rated ones.

This is also the reason why I did not include the Cybex Eternis in this write-up, because it’s not well rated in Amazon.

I only choose products that I find to be truly worth every single centavo AND which I also find truly beautiful. I would love to hear if you have other car seats to add to the list!

I am an Amazon Affiliate but all opinions are my own.