A car seat brand ‘Babystart Multi-Recline Seat’ has failed safety tests in the UK and parents are being asked to replace them as they pose a risk to small children.

Which? An independent consumer product review service in the UK have tested the baby seat and found that it had scored the lowest in independent car seat crash testing.

According to their website,“ Since we tested it, the seat is no longer widely available, but you may find it for sale on websites such as eBay or Gumtree. If you own this seat, or know anybody who has this seat, we'd advise you to replace it as soon as possible due to a serious failing we uncovered in our car seat crash testing.”

The car seat has passed official safety tests but scored lowest overall in Which? Independent crash testing who comment:

‘[The tests] are conducted at higher speeds and forces than the current UK standards require. We've made this seat a Don't Buy because the shoulder parts of the harness were ripped out of the plastic seat shell as it broke under the force of the crash tests. If this were to happen in a real-life crash, a child would collide with the seat in front, with just the lap part of the belt keeping them attached to the car seat.’

The tests were carried out in collaboration with a number of European consumer agencies and motor industry companies who tested the car seats in a laboratory in Germany. These tests were based on typical real-life crashes.

According to Which? any car seat approved by ECE R44/04 would be better than having no car seat and this standard would provide some protection, but that this model proved serious risk of injury to a child if in a crash.

The consumer agency also recommend parents do not buy second-hand car seats as they may or may not have been previously damaged and pose a risk.

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