Since September 2006, the law says that parents must use an approved car seat for their child up to 1.35 meter in height. In some countries, this maximum limit is 1.50 meter, see chart below. Approved car seats carry an orange ECE-R 44/04 label, which means they have been tested to the most recent and stringent European safety standard. Car seats carrying a ECE-R 44/03 label comply to an older standard.
Read more about car seat laws and regulations.
Europe: ECE R44/04 approval label
Every child car seat in Europe has an orange ECE R44 approval label. The orange label guarantees that the car seat complies with the basic safety requirements as set out in the European safety standard ECE R44.
It’s a good starting point when looking for a child car seat. However, how much protection is offered and how easy a child car seat is to use, can vary significantly between orange labeled seats, so make sure you try and test a seat before you buy! It may be useful to consult the latest European safety test which is conducted on a yearly basis to come to the best choice of seat for your child and you.
Read more about the ECE R44/04 approval label.
