Product feature · Car seats

Is your car seat fitted right? Thule's new Connected Car Seats can tell you

Nearly half of child car seats are installed incorrectly. Thule's new sensor-based seats talk you through fitting and harness tightening on your phone or car screen. Here's how they work.

By Motherhood · 4 min read

You can buy the best-rated car seat on the market and still not get its full protection if it isn't fitted or used properly. According to research cited by Thule, nearly 50% of car seats are installed incorrectly, and loose harnesses are common too, seen in around 30% of infants and 40% of toddlers in one observation study.

Anyone who has knelt on a back seat in the rain, pulling on straps and wondering whether that click was the right click, will recognise the problem. Thule's new Connected Car Seats are designed to take some of the guesswork out.

How it works

Sensors in the seat give you instant feedback on the key safety steps. They confirm that the base and seat are correctly installed and that the harness is tight enough on your child. Guidance, safety tips and alerts appear on your phone, or on your car's screen through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, so you're not squinting at a manual.

The system also sends reminders as your child grows, like when to remove the infant inlay or adjust the headrest, and includes an abandoned child alert.

Great crash test results matter. So does getting the fit right on a busy Tuesday morning.

The seats in the range

The Connected range is built on Thule's modular system, covering newborn to four years. The Thule Maple Connect infant car seat (£279) and Thule Elm Connect 360 toddler seat (£349) both click onto the Thule Alfi Connect Isofix base (£279). The seats are engineered in Sweden and produced in Europe, and Thule points to ADAC test wins for the Maple and Elm with the Alfi base. They come in Darkest Blue, Faded Khaki and Black.

A few car seat basics

Tech helps, but the basics still count. Keep babies rear-facing for as long as your seat allows, take off bulky coats before strapping in, and check the harness is snug every trip. If you're unsure, many retailers offer a free fitting check, and Child Car Seats from RoSPA is a helpful independent guide.

Where to buy

The Maple Connect, Elm Connect 360 and Alfi Connect base are available from thule.com.

Prices correct at the time of writing and may change. Statistics are from studies cited by Thule: GDV Compact Accident Research, 2018, and VeiligheidNL, 2018. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for fitting your car seat.