Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC)
The Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) is a German automobile organisation that performs rigorous crash tests on car seats. Twice a year, a selection of car seats are tested and rated on various criteria. Let’s take a look at the results from Spring 2018!
The most relevant part of ADAC testing to consider is the safety rating. The other ratings — operation, ergonomics, pollutants, and processing/cleaning — are more subjective and less critical from a safety perspective. As always, we suggest you try installing a car seat in your vehicle before you buy, because a car seat with a lower ergonomics rating may work perfectly well for your child, while a car seat with a better operation rating may not fit in your vehicle at all.
Rear Facing Only Infant Seats
Britax Baby-Safe2 i-Size
All of the rear facing only infant seats tested in this round are i-Size seats. Of the five seats tested, the Britax Baby-Safe2 i-Size received the highest safety rating of Very Good.
However, the other four seats performed well, each earning a Good safety rating. A newcomer to the car seat scene, the Avionaut Ultralight received an overall score of Poor based on a higher number of pollutants in the cover — the safety rating on this very lightweight seat was still good.
Up to 4 Years
Britax Swingfix i-Size
In the up to 4 years category only one non-i-Size seat was tested. The Chicco Cosmos, which rear faces until 13 kg and then forward faces from 9 to 18 kg, received a safety rating of Inadequate due to increased risk of injury in frontal and side impacts. Meanwhile, the rear facing only Britax Swingfix i-Size, which is suitable from 40 to 105 cm, was the only seat in this category to receive a safety rating of Very Good. This rotating seat has also passed the Swedish Plus Test, the most rigorous car seat test in the world.
Booster Seats
BeSafe iZi Flex Fix
In the booster category, the most intriguing seat tested was the Besafe iZi Flex Fix. One of the first i-Size booster seats available, it has no minimum or maximum weight and instead can be used from 100 to 150 cm. Like most of the other booster seats tested, it received a safety rating of Good. The only boosters to receive a lower rating were the Chicco Youniverse Fix and the Peg Perego Viaggio 1-2-3 Via, both of which received Adequate safety ratings.
We look forward to seeing which seats will be tested in the next round of tests this autumn!
