ADAC Child Seat Test 2024: Which Models Are the Safest?

Each year, the ADAC rigorously tests child seats to help parents make informed decisions about safety and practicality. For 2024 (Fall), 17 new models were evaluated for safety, ease of operation, ergonomics, and pollutant content. While many excelled, one seat fell short due to high pollutant levels.

Highlights of the ADAC 2024 Child Seat Test

• 17 child seats tested across all sizes: baby, toddler, and older children.
• 12 models rated "good", with high marks in safety and usability.
• 1 seat failed due to unacceptable levels of pollutants in the material.

Choosing a suitable child seat can be overwhelming, but the ADAC results make it easier to find a safe and reliable option for your child.

Results at a Glance

Below is an overview of the tested child seats, including their ADAC ratings and suitable age ranges.

Note: If you are not familiar with ADAC ratings, a smaller rating indicates a better-performing car seat.

Test Winner: Thule Maple + Alfi Base

The Thule Maple + Alfi Base stood out as the top performer with an impressive 1.6 rating. It combines excellent safety, comfort, and usability features, making it the best choice for babies up to one year old.

Features include:

• Rear-facing installation for improved safety.
• Adjustable backrest for extra comfort.
• Compatibility with certain aircraft, allowing for versatile use.

Innovative Design: Doona i + Isofix Base

The Doona i + Doona i Isofix Base (rated 1.7) comes with a unique feature: a fold-out chassis that transforms the seat into a stroller. Though pricey at 720 euros, it offers unmatched convenience for parents who frequently travel.

Budget-Friendly Option: Britax Römer Baby-Safe Core

For parents seeking affordability without compromising on safety, the Britax Römer Baby-Safe Core (rated 1.8) is an excellent choice at 129 euros. It provides robust crash protection and ergonomic design, making it a practical option.

Warning: Graco Snuglite i-Size Fails Test

The Graco Snuglite i-Size is the only model to receive an "unsatisfactory" rating due to excessive formaldehyde in its cover material. While it performed well in crash tests, the pollutant levels make it unsafe for children.

Recommendations for Parents

Rear-Facing Seats for Safety

ADAC recommends keeping children in rear-facing seats for as long as possible, ideally until they turn two. Rear-facing seats reduce head and neck movement during a collision, offering superior protection.

General info about car seat tests, types of certifications and tests exist for child car seats

ADAC Test

The ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) is a German automobile club, a highly esteemed organization. This club conducts various tests, including those on child car seats, aiming to help parents navigate through the tremendous amount of options available. Safety, ergonomics, materials used in manufacturing, and ease of cleaning are among the key criteria evaluated in these tests. By averaging the scores of these characteristics, a rating between 1.5 and 5.5 is obtained.

Plus Test (Sweden)

The VTI and NTF (National Society for Road Safety) introduced the Plus Test in Sweden in 2009. The Plus Test sets particularly strict test requirements and is an additional test that is voluntary for car child seat manufacturers. Since an update to the test protocol in 2023, no forward-facing car child seats can undergo the test. The fundamental idea behind the Plus Test is that no child in a car child seat recommended by the Plus Test should ever suffer a dangerous, or even life-threatening, injury due to a collision. The Swedish Plus Test is so rigorous that only rear-facing car seats can meet its standards. Prior to 2011, tests did not assess harmful substances, whereas from 2015 onwards, usability and ergonomics were the sole focus.

ECE R44/04 Standard

ECE R44 04 is the older European approval standard that is being phased out. Child seats with this certification can still be used, but new child seats will only be approved under the new standard (R-129), as ECE R44/04 will be phased out from September 2024. It's not tested for side impact and based on the child's weight.

i-Size (ECE R129) Standard

The new European Union standard gradually replacing the ECE R44 standard. The i-Size standard has stricter safety requirements, including side-impact testing and mandatory use of ISOFIX.

In June 2013, the i-Size ECE R129 standard came into effect, elevating child car seat safety to a new level. The new regulation imposes mandatory safety requirements for child car seats, providing enhanced protection in the event of an accident. Certain safety expectations, now considered essential, were not compulsory under the ECE R44/04 standard, which has been in place since 2005. Manufacturers could choose whether to incorporate these advanced protections or settle for standard quality.

The need for the new standard arose due to the shortcomings of the old standard and the advancements in car manufacturing, child car seat design, and safety technology that made it both possible and necessary.

Why was the new i-Size standard created then? in short: avoid human error (= parent error)

• Too many children died in car accidents. The leading cause of child fatalities is car accidents. Although the number of child deaths has decreased, in Europe, 10 children still died on the roads every week, and approximately 1150 are injured. (Sources: WHO (2007), EEVC Working Group 18 Report (February 2006). Survey in 12 European countries among children aged 0–14 (2003)). Since than it has improved a lot. Children have the lowest mortality rate compared to other age-groups, and the mortality rate has also decreased the most out of all age groups over the last decade. The absolute number of road fatalities among children between 2011 and 2020 decreased by 47%, from 733 fatalities in 2011 to 386 fatalities in 2020. As the total number of road fatalities was decreasing less rapidly, their relative share decreased slightly. Within the group of children, the largest decrease in fatalities could be observed among the age-group of 5–9 year olds. In terms of transport mode, children had a very high death toll among the most vulnerable modes of transport: 32% of children killed were pedestrians, 13% were cyclists. These figures are EU averages but there are much higher percentages in a number of EU countries. In Romania and Greece, more than one in two fatalities among children was a pedestrian. In the Netherlands, 47% of fatalities among children were cyclists.The differences between the percentages for children and all fatalities reflect the mobility behaviour of children. link: https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7f00b402-9aa2-44c7-b3c0-aaa6f81e0abd_en?filename=ff_children_20220706.pdf

• ISOFIX is needed since many child car seats are improperly installed. Properly securing a child car seat with the car's seatbelt can be too lengthy and complicated for many parents, leading to 27% of parents installing the seat incorrectly. To address this, the best solution is ISOFIX. The rate of incorrect installation drops to just 4% with ISOFIX seats. The new i-Size ECE R129 standard requires child seats to be ISOFIX-compatible, as the standard mandates ISOFIX. However using ISOFIX does not mean it's safer then using belt properly. Many older cars on the road lack ISOFIX. While ISOFIX has become more common in cars manufactured after 2006–2007, it was often an optional feature. However, in cars produced from January 2011 onwards, ISOFIX is standard equipment.

• Another huge issue is that parents switch to larger car seats too soon.

• High incidence of side impacts. 25% of car accidents involve side impacts. Independent crash tests long focused only on frontal impacts, as none of the ECE R44 standards (from ECE R44/01–02–03 to the ECE R44/04 in effect since 2005) required side impact protection systems or testing protocols. The new ECE R129 i-Size standard introduced the necessity for side impact tests. i-Size car seats now require side protection systems, particularly for the head, neck, and hips, making such tests possible."

ÖAMTC Test

The Austrian automobile club's test, similar to ADAC, evaluates child seats based on several aspects, such as safety, handling, ergonomics, and environmental considerations.

By following these recommendations and using ADAC test results as a guide, parents can confidently select a safe and reliable child seat for their children.