The world watched in wonder as Prince William carried baby George out of hospital in his baby car seat and clipped him confidently into the Isofix fittings in the back of the family car back in July 2013. But buying a baby car seat – and fitting it in your car – is not always as simple as the royal made it look that day. 

The Maxi-Cosi Pebble is a Group 0+ seat for infants (up to 13kg) that has innovative features as a car seat, as well as a range of different uses as part of a baby travel system. As a car seat, the beauty of the Maxi-Cosi Pebble – apart from its luxe finish and stylish good looks – is that it combines with an Isofix FamilyFix Base that has light and sound indicators to confirm the seat has been correctly installed in your car, so there’s no room for error.

However, when it comes to installation, the Pebble also offers the option of using just a car seat belt, a standard Maxi-Cosi EasyBase 2 (installed using a regular seatbelt), or the all-singing FamilyFix base, which offers not only Isofix installation, but also an extra upward position, giving your baby extra legroom to allow for longer, safer rearward-facing travel. With all these options, the Pebble is compatible with the vast majority of car models and makes (however, always get the fit checked professionally, just to make sure).

Safety is always the first priority with the purchase of a baby car seat, but clever design is invaluable too. In this instance, the Pebble’s unique ‘stay open’ harness sits in position up above your baby’s shoulders and you pull it down over the top of the body once they are sitting in their seat – a little bit like an adult’s car seat belt system.

If you’re new to the parenting caper, the difference here is that the shoulder harness straps on most infant seats are simply set at a specific length, you then place your baby in the seat, digging the straps out from behind your baby’s back, pulling the ‘loops’ over the shoulders and around the arms before clipping them into the safety strap between their legs.

The Pebble’s harnessing system means you can get your baby in and out of the seat without scrabbling around for the parts to click together. Simply sit your baby in the seat, pull the harness over their chest and clip it in. Why all children’s car seats don’t use this concept is the question we’ve been asking ever since we saw this!

The Pebble car seat is also compatible with all Quinny and Maxi-Cosi pushchairs to create a travel system – again, an invaluable option if you find your baby always seems to fall asleep just as you’re pulling into the supermarket car park. With Quinny and Maxi-Cosi brands, the Pebble also has memory buttons for one-handed release. The Pebble can also be used on other pushchairs with the addition of adaptors, although we don’t generally recommend the use of seats with adaptors, as they are generally a bit cumbersome, requiring a little too much physical negotiation (from car to pushchair) for our liking.

There are a host of other details your baby will appreciate in the Pebble. The soft cushioned newborn head support that gently cups their skull, the removable support pillow (perfect for a snug fit around a newborn baby), the harness pads, and the integrated sun canopy. They’ll also appreciate the one-pull harness adjuster that repositions the harness and headrest simultaneously, so that they are safely snug in the harness yet undisturbed.

Add to all that the easy-grip handle, storage compartment (so useful for your Melobaby changer!), and the removable, washable seat covers in some smart, sassy colours, and you’re ready to make tracks.

Why? Maxi-Cosi is a name synonymous with good car seat design

Outstanding features The FamilyFix base offers reassurance, ease of use, and longevity, plus the Pebble’s fabulous harness/adjusting system.

Best for Parents who would like to keep their baby rearward facing for as long as possible and those with Quinny or Maxi-Cosi pushchairs.