Sixteen child seats have just been put through a frontal impact modelled on Euro NCAP crash tests, far more severe than the one required by law. One model costing 330 euros makes the podium, while another, priced at 535 euros, would eject the child.
The most expensive seat in the test is not the best, and the worst one costs 535 euros, while half of the models tested are priced above 430 euros. The autumn 2026 comparative test, carried out by the European motoring clubs including the ACL, put sixteen models under the microscope, from infant carriers for newborns to booster seats for twelve-year-olds.
The severity of the frontal impact does not reflect the requirements of UN Regulation R129, which governs type approval, but those of Euro NCAP crash tests. A perfectly legal seat can therefore fail here, and two models did, to the point of triggering two voluntary recalls.
In the end, seven seats are rated ‘good’, five ‘satisfactory’, two ‘sufficient’ and two ‘poor’.
The top three
Maxi-Cosi Coral Slide Pro + FamilyFix Slide Pro
Overall score: 2.1 (‘good’)
Price: 570 euros
The only seat in the test with no safety shortcomings at all. Low risk of injury in both frontal and side impacts, and a firm hold on the rear bench. The shell weighs just 3 kilos and detaches from its base. Two reservations, a cover that must be washed by hand and a bulky footprint.
Cybex Cloud G3 + Base G3
Overall score: 2.2 (‘good’)
Price: 460 euros
The best ease-of-use score in the test, at 2.0. Low risk of incorrect handling and simple installation. Frontal protection remains average, which places it behind the Maxi-Cosi.
Joie i-Gemm 3 + i-Base Encore
Overall score: 2.2 (‘good’)
Price: 330 euros
The best value for money in the test, and the only seat in which the testers found no drawbacks in use. Low risk of injury in a frontal impact and good ergonomics.
Worth noting, the Recaro Toron 1 (2.3) earns the only ‘very good’ for side impact and the Maxi-Cosi MobiFix Pro (2.5) the only ‘very good’ for frontal impact.
How to read the scores
Beware of a common misreading. The ADAC uses the German school grading system, in which the best score is the lowest. A 1.0 is excellent, a 5.5 means outright failure. From 0.5 to 1.5 ‘very good’, from 1.6 to 2.5 ‘good’, from 2.6 to 3.5 ‘satisfactory’, from 3.6 to 4.5 ‘sufficient’, from 4.6 to 5.5 ‘poor’.
The overall score combines safety (50%), ease of use (40%) and ergonomics (10%). Pollutants do not count in the calculation but can downgrade the result. Above all, a ‘poor’ score in frontal impact, side impact or pollutants cannot be offset elsewhere, it feeds straight into the final verdict.
The three worst performers
Britax Römer Baby-Safe Pro + Vario Base 5Z
Overall score: 5.5 (‘poor’)
Price: 535 euros
In the frontal impact in the lie-flat position, the buckle hooks give way, the harness opens and the 11-kilo dummy is ejected. The manufacturer is recalling shells produced between 26 December 2025 and 30 September 2026. Tellingly, the same shell secured with the car’s seat belt, without the base, scores 3.1.
Axkid Minikid Core
Overall score: 5.5 (‘poor’)
Price: 400 euros
A double failure. In the frontal impact, the support leg unlocks and retracts, then the harness buckle is torn out of the cracked shell. On top of that come TCPP and TDCP flame retardants far above Oeko-Tex limits, suspected of promoting cancer. The seat is no longer on sale.
Avionaut Aerofix Smart + IQ Orbit
Overall score: 3.8 (‘sufficient’)
Price: 540 euros
No mechanical failure here. Its cover, however, contains concentrations of PFOA and C9-C14 PFCAs close to European thresholds. These PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals, cost it a whole grade.
Just above it, the Joie i-Provo (3.6) is penalised for a ‘sufficient’ side impact result, as the dummy’s head slips out of the headrest and strikes the door.
The results, category by category
Remember, the lower the score, the better the seat.
Infant carriers, up to around 18 months
| Model | Price | Height | Safety | Ease of use | Ergonomics | Pollutants | Overall score |
| Maxi-Cosi Coral Slide Pro + FamilyFix Slide Pro | €570 | 40-87 cm | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 2.1 |
| Cybex Cloud G3 + Base G3 | €460 | 40-87 cm | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| Joie i-Gemm 3 + i-Base Encore | €330 | 40-85 cm | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Cybex Cloud G3 (belt-fitted) | €230 | 40-87 cm | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Joie i-Gemm 3 (belt-fitted) | €140 | 40-85 cm | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Maxi-Cosi Coral Slide Pro (belt-fitted) | €300 | 40-87 cm | 2.4 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 3.0 |
| Britax Römer Baby-Safe Pro (belt-fitted) | €275 | 40-85 cm | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 3.1 |
| Britax Römer Baby-Safe Pro + Vario Base 5Z | €535 | 40-85 cm | 5.5 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 5.5 |
Seats for children aged 1 to 6
| Model | Price | Height | Safety | Ease of use | Ergonomics | Pollutants | Overall score |
| Recaro Toron 1 | €550 | 40-105 cm | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Cybex Sirona G3 + Base G3 | €500 | 61-105 cm | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
| Maxi-Cosi MobiFix Pro | €550 | 61-125 cm | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 2.5 |
| Avova Alera X1 | €480 | 61-105 cm | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 2.8 |
| Avionaut Aerofix Smart + IQ Orbit | €540 | 61-105 cm | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 3.8 |
| Axkid Minikid Core | €400 | 40-125 cm | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
High-back boosters, from 4 to 12 years
| Model | Price | Height | Safety | Ease of use | Ergonomics | Pollutants | Overall score |
| Lionelo Neal i-Size | €100 | 100-150 cm | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
| Joie i-Provo | €65 | 100-150 cm | 4.5 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 3.6 |
The ‘pollutants’ column shows the score for harmful substances in contact with the skin. The PFAS score is 1.0 across the board, except for the Avionaut (4.1).
What this test tells us
- An Isofix base is no guarantee of safety.
The Britax Römer case proves it, as the shell drops from 3.1 to 5.5 once fitted to its base. With Maxi-Cosi, Cybex and Joie, by contrast, the base improves the result. It all depends on the shell and base combination. - The lie-flat position is the recurring weak point.
Both failures occurred in the most reclined position. The flatter the shell, the less it restrains the body and the more force the harness buckle has to absorb. - Price says nothing about quality.
The Joie i-Gemm 3 and its base cost 330 euros and finish just two tenths behind the winner, sold for 570 euros. The Britax Römer with its base costs 535 euros and comes last. The reverse does not hold either, as the cheapest seat in the test, at 65 euros, does no better than 3.6. - Chemistry is becoming decisive.
Of the four downgraded seats, two were marked down without breaking anything in the crash. PFAS are now measured systematically. - Rear-facing keeps the edge.
The only ‘very good’ in the frontal impact goes to the Maxi-Cosi MobiFix Pro, which installs rear-facing only, up to 125 centimetres. - Seats from non-European online platforms are best avoided.
Three seats bought outside Europe for between 24 and 118 euros were crash-tested for the first time. Two have no UN R129 approval and are therefore illegal in the EU. All three failed, with plastic buckles breaking in under 70 milliseconds.
Choosing the right seat, a practical guide
- Check compatibility. An i-Size seat fits any seating position bearing that marking, otherwise consult the manufacturer’s vehicle list. Top Tether anchorages have only been mandatory since November 2014.
- Try before you buy. Take your car and your child to a specialist shop, as a seat may rub against the trim or prevent the headrest from folding down.
- Keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible. Forward-facing is permitted from 15 months, but waiting until the age of two significantly reduces the risk of neck injury.
- Travel in the upright position. Maximum recline is for stops only.
- Tighten the straps and take off coats. A thick jacket creates slack that cancels out part of the protection.
- Remember the airbag. Any rear-facing installation on the front passenger seat requires it to be deactivated.
Finally, keep an eye on recalls. This test triggered two, proof that independent testing does its job as a safety net.
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