All child car seats for sale in New Zealand must comply with at least one of the following standards:
- Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1754.
- European Standard ECE R44/03, ECE R44/04 or ECE R129.
- New Zealand Standard NZS 1754.
- US Standard FMVSS 213 (it must also have the New Zealand S mark).
Note that not all car seats sold in New Zealand are also Australian standard. Brands such as CYBEX, Diono, Doona, Nuna etc are either European standard or US standard, if you're purchasing from overseas please check with us first and we can advise which standard the car seat you're looking at has.
These standards require impact testing to make sure the car seat will provide a satisfactory level of protection in a crash.
The type of car seat you need depends on the age, size and height of the child, from a rear facing capsule for infants through to a convertible or booster seat for older children.
What to look for:
- One of the Standards marks.
- Check for a date of manufacture or a “do not use after” date. Don't use a restraint that is more than 10 years old or has passed its expiry date.
- Check for signs of deterioration such as fraying harness straps or cracks in the shell. Faded seat material indicates the restraint has been exposed to sunlight for a long time, this can cause the plastic shell to become brittle.
- A user manual, this will tell you the age and size of child for which the seat is recommended.
- Don't buy a second hand restraint that's potentially been in a crash and ask the seller whether it has been.
