Best Extended Rear-Facing Car Seats UK 2026: Three Start From Birth, Two Take Over From the Baby Seat

COMPARISON · CAR SEATS

Every seat in this roundup does the same headline job: it keeps your child facing backwards until they reach 105cm, which for most children is somewhere around their fourth birthday. That is the height the i-Size (R129) rules use as the rear-facing ceiling for this kind of seat, and it is why extended rear-facing has gone from a niche Scandinavian habit to the default advice for UK families.

What is less obvious is that these seats are not all trying to start at the same point. Three of them, the Babymore Kola 360, the Cosatto Come and Go 2 and the Graco Turn2Me DLX, are birth-to-four seats with newborn inserts, so you can skip the infant carrier altogether. The other two, the Britax Dualfix Pro M and the Recaro Kio, begin at around 60cm (roughly three months) and are designed to take over once your baby seat is outgrown.

That single fact decides more than any feature list. If you are buying a travel system with a matching infant carrier, a from-birth seat means paying twice for the newborn months. If you are not, a follow-on seat leaves a gap you will need to fill. We compared all five on where they start, what they weigh, how they fit and what parents keep telling us about living with them, and the price ladder does not line up with the ratings the way you might expect.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: Cosatto Come and Go 2 i-Size 360 · 8.5/10 - lightest from-birth seat here at 11.5kg, with a support leg, anti-rebound board and a four-year guarantee
• Best Value: Graco Turn2Me DLX i-Size R129 · 8.0/10 - cheapest seat in the roundup at £149, base included, and graded good in independent European crash testing
• Best Follow-On Seat: Britax Dualfix Pro M · 8.0/10 - one-piece rotating seat from 61cm, rear-facing to 105cm or 19kg, for families who used an infant carrier first
• Best for Swapping Between Cars: Recaro Kio i-Size · 7.5/10 - the seat itself is only about 7.8kg, so with a second base it lifts between cars far more easily than the rest
• Best for a Babymore Nursery: Babymore Kola 360 i-Size · 7.0/10 - birth to 105cm at £159 with a soft body inlay, but the heaviest seat here at 13.6kg

Quick comparison

Seat	Price	Starts from	Seat weight	Fitting	Rating
Babymore Kola 360 i-Size	£159	Birth (40cm)	13.6kg	ISOFIX, 360° rotation
Cosatto Come and Go 2 i-Size 360	£249.95	Birth (40cm)	11.5kg	Integrated ISOFIX base, support leg, anti-rebound board, 360°
Graco Turn2Me DLX i-Size R129	£149	Birth (40cm)	About 13.4kg	ISOFIX base, 12-position support leg, anti-rebound bar, 360°
Britax Dualfix Pro M	£219	61cm (about 3 months)	About 13.3kg	ISOFIX with support leg, 360°
Recaro Kio i-Size	£179.99 plus base	60cm (about 3 months)	About 7.8kg (seat only)	Clicks onto a separate ISOFIX base, sold separately

How we picked the 5

We started with every in-stock i-Size seat in our catalogue that is approved rear-facing to 105cm, then cut anything that was really a bundle, a cover or an accessory. From what was left we looked for seats that are genuinely different from each other rather than five colourways of the same idea, and we deliberately left out the rotating all-in-one seats we compared earlier this month so this list covers new ground.

For each seat we checked the brand specification against retailer listings, read independent European crash-test summaries where they exist, and gathered what parents tell us about fitting, rotating and living with the seat day to day. Ratings weigh safety features and testing first, then everyday usability, then value. Five different brands made the final cut.

What to look for in an extended rear-facing car seat

Where it starts. A seat that begins at 40cm is a from-birth seat and should come with a newborn insert. A seat that begins at 60 or 61cm is a follow-on seat. Neither is better, but buying the wrong type for your plans is the most common expensive mistake we see.

The anti-rotation kit. Rear-facing seats need something to stop them rotating towards the car seat back in a crash. Look for a support leg (a leg that braces against the car floor) and an anti-rebound bar or board. Check your car handbook too: some cars have under-floor storage where a support leg cannot be used.

Seat weight. Every seat here weighs between about 11kg and 14kg once on its base, which is fine if it lives in one car. If you will regularly move it between cars, weight and fitting speed matter much more than an extra recline position.

Rotation. A 360° swivel lets you turn the seat to face the open door, so you are not twisting your back to lift a toddler in sideways. Four of our five rotate. Once you have used one, it is hard to go back.

Forward-facing rules. All five allow forward-facing from 76cm and around 15 months, but the safest choice is to stay rear-facing as long as your child fits. Some seats make the switch deliberately awkward with a two-step release, which is a good thing.

Car fit. Rear-facing seats take up front-to-back space. In a small hatchback, check the front passenger seat still slides back far enough before you buy.

1. Babymore Kola 360 i-Size / 10 · Best for a Babymore nursery

The Kola 360 is Babymore's answer to the birth-to-four rotating seat. It covers 40cm to 105cm with a maximum child weight of 18kg, fits by ISOFIX, rotates through 360° and comes with a removable body-hugging inlay for the newborn months. At £159 (down from an RRP of £259) it sits towards the lower end of the price range.

The catch is that it is the heaviest seat in this roundup at 13.6kg, and Babymore publishes less detail than the bigger car seat brands about crash testing or anti-rotation features. That does not make it unsafe, it is R129 approved like every seat here, but it does mean the Graco offers more evidence for slightly less money.

What parents love

• From birth, no infant carrier needed. The newborn inlay means you can use it from the hospital drive home, which saves buying a separate baby seat if you are not planning a travel system.
• Full rotation. Turning the seat to face the door makes getting a wriggly toddler in and out much easier. We hear repeatedly from parents that once they have used a swivel seat they would not go back.
• Soft, nursery-style finish. The fabrics and colourways match the rest of the Babymore range, which appeals if you have already bought the cot and dresser.

What to know before you buy

• The heaviest seat here. At 13.6kg it is not one to move between cars every week.
• Thin on published detail. Babymore does not publish as much about anti-rotation features or independent testing as Britax, Recaro or Graco. Check the manual for support leg and car compatibility before you buy.
• Graco undercuts it. The Turn2Me DLX is £10 cheaper and has an independent crash-test grade behind it.

Best for

• Families already furnishing a nursery with Babymore
• Parents skipping the infant carrier stage
• Single-car households where the seat stays put
• Buyers who catch it on discount

2. Cosatto Come and Go 2 i-Size 360 / 10 · Best overall

The Come and Go 2 i-Size 360 is the most complete from-birth package in this roundup. It covers 40cm to 105cm, has an integrated ISOFIX base with a support leg, and adds an anti-rebound board, the panel that braces against the vehicle seat back, which also gives the rotation its smooth action. The harness is tested to 20kg and there is a tailored memory-foam newborn liner.

It is also the lightest from-birth seat here at 11.5kg, which is more than 2kg less than the Babymore. Cosatto says it is tested beyond the standard R129 speed requirements, and backs it with a free four-year guarantee. At £249.95 it is the most expensive seat on the list, so you are paying for that completeness.

What parents love

• Every anti-rotation feature. Support leg plus anti-rebound board, built in, not sold as extras. Parents we hear from like that there is nothing to add or lose.
• Lightest from-birth option. At 11.5kg it is the easiest of the three birth-to-four seats to lift in and out if you ever need to.
• Proper newborn support. The memory-foam liner gives a snug fit in the first weeks, and four rear-facing recline positions help keep a newborn's head back.
• Four-year guarantee. Covers the whole time your child will realistically use it.

What to know before you buy

• Most expensive here. At £249.95 it costs £100 more than the Graco.
• Availability can be patchy. Some colourways ship direct with a two to three week wait, so order well before your due date.
• Big in small cars. Like every extended rear-facing seat, check the front seat clearance in a compact hatchback.

Best for

• Parents who want one seat from the hospital to age four
• Families who value anti-rebound protection
• Anyone who wants the lightest from-birth seat
• Buyers who like a long guarantee

3. Graco Turn2Me DLX i-Size R129 / 10 · Best value

The Turn2Me DLX is the value pick, and it is not a stripped-back one. For £149 you get a from-birth seat (40cm to 105cm) on a fixed ISOFIX base with a 12-position support leg, an anti-rebound bar built into the swivel base and colour-coded fitting indicators that turn green when it is in properly. It was graded good overall in independent European consumer crash testing.

It rotates from either side with a button on each, has ten recline positions (five each way) and six headrest heights, and the harness adjusts as the headrest rises without rethreading. Forward-facing needs a second release before it will lock, a deliberate two-step check that helps keep children rear-facing for longer.

What parents love

• Fast, idiot-proof fitting. Click in the ISOFIX arms, extend the leg and wait for green. One parent told us: 'I loved the smooth 360-degree rotation, it spins from either side.'
• Lots of adjustment. Ten recline positions and six headrest heights, with a no-rethread harness.
• Toddler independence. Turned to the door, older children can climb in themselves. A parent shared: 'It allowed my three-year-old some independence in getting in and out of the car seat by herself.'
• Best price here. The cheapest seat in the roundup with the base included.

What to know before you buy

• Clip-on side impact pod. The extra side protection is a separate piece that needs fitting on the door side and can go missing.
• Spin lock can be fussy. Parents occasionally report the rotation not clicking home first time, so always check it has locked.
• ISOFIX only. There is no seat-belt fitting, so it will not work in a car without ISOFIX points.

Best for

• Budget-conscious parents who still want a support leg
• Families skipping the infant carrier
• Anyone who wants clear fitting indicators
• Toddlers who like to climb in themselves

4. Britax Dualfix Pro M / 10 · Best follow-on seat

The Dualfix Pro M is built for the second stage, after the infant carrier. It starts at 61cm (around three months) and stays rear-facing to 105cm or 19kg, whichever comes first, with forward-facing allowed from 76cm and 15 months. It fits by ISOFIX with a support leg and rotates through 360°.

Britax's internal side impact cushioning is built into the shell, so there is no clip-on pod to lose. Its predecessor did well in independent European testing, and the Pro M carries the same core layout. At £219 it sits between the Graco and the Cosatto.

What parents love

• Designed for the hand-over. If you used a carrier from a travel system, this picks up exactly where it stops without paying for newborn features again.
• Built-in side protection. Nothing to clip on or misplace on busy mornings.
• Big brand support. Britax parts, covers and fitting help are easy to find in the UK. We hear repeatedly from parents that this matters when you need a replacement buckle pad at short notice.

What to know before you buy

• No newborn use. It starts at 61cm, so you still need an infant carrier for the first months.
• Heavy for swapping. At about 13.3kg it is not designed to move between cars often.
• No anti-rebound bar. It relies on the support leg rather than adding a rebound bar like the Cosatto and Graco.

Best for

• Families moving on from a travel system infant carrier
• Parents who prefer built-in side protection
• Single-car families
• Anyone who wants a well-known brand

5. Recaro Kio i-Size / 10 · Best for swapping between cars

The Kio works differently to everything else here. It is part of Recaro's modular system: the seat clicks onto a separate ISOFIX base, sold separately, that it shares with Recaro's infant carrier. The seat itself is only about 7.8kg, roughly half the weight of the others, so with a base in each car it lifts across in seconds.

It covers 60cm to 105cm and up to 18kg, with forward-facing allowed from 76cm, five recline positions and a height-adjustable headrest. In independent European testing, the Kio on its base showed above-average protection in frontal impacts when rear-facing. It does not rotate, and you must budget for the base on top of the £179.99 seat price.

What parents love

• By far the lightest seat. At about 7.8kg without the base, it is the only seat here you would happily carry between cars.
• Shares a base with the baby seat. If you start with Recaro's infant carrier, the same base carries straight through to the Kio.
• Strong frontal results. Independent testing rated its rear-facing frontal protection above average.

What to know before you buy

• Base sold separately. The headline price is for the seat alone. Two bases for two cars adds up quickly.
• No rotation. You lift in from the side, which is harder work with a heavy toddler and a tight parking space.
• No seat-belt fitting. It can only be used on the ISOFIX base.

Best for

• Two-car families who swap the seat often
• Parents already using a Recaro infant carrier and base
• Grandparents sharing a seat between cars
• Buyers who value low seat weight over rotation

What if your car has no ISOFIX?

All five seats here are ISOFIX-only, so none will fit an older car without ISOFIX points. Belted extended rear-facing seats do exist, and they usually use tether straps that run to the front seat rails as well as the seat belt. We are not including one here because none we currently stock suits this comparison, but if your car pre-dates ISOFIX, check that before you fall for any seat on this list.

How to choose

Cosatto Come and Go 2 i-Size 360: pick this if you want one seat from the drive home until around age four, with every anti-rotation feature built in and the lowest weight of the from-birth seats.

Graco Turn2Me DLX i-Size R129: pick this if price matters but you still want a support leg, anti-rebound bar and an independent crash-test grade. It is the best value seat we have looked at this year.

Britax Dualfix Pro M: pick this if you already have an infant carrier from a travel system and want a solid rotating seat to take over at around three months.

Recaro Kio i-Size: pick this if the seat will move between cars regularly, or you already use Recaro's infant carrier and base. Budget for the base.

Babymore Kola 360 i-Size: pick this if you want a from-birth rotating seat to match a Babymore nursery and you find it at its sale price. Otherwise the Graco gives you more for less.

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