car seat for newborn to 4 years

For a newborn-to-4 setup, you want a Type A4 convertible seat that starts rear-facing and later flips forward, because babies aren’t crash-test dummies.

By law here, under 6 months must be rear-facing; from 6 months to under 4 years they must be in an approved restraint with an inbuilt harness—rear-facing as long as they meet the shoulder height markers.

Look for AS/NZS 1754 certification, ISOFIX compatibility, and a top tether (mandatory in Australia) so nothing goes airborne except your patience.

Skip mystery second-hand seats unless you know their full history—no crashes, no missing parts, and not past the manufacturer’s expiry.

Extended rear-facing is the gold standard for little necks, and a properly tight install beats any fancy cupholder.