Not everyone has access to a baby store or online shopping to buy their car seats. Sometimes, the only option is a big department store such as Big W, Kmart or Target. Fortunately, all of these stores now carry best practice restraints, and often at a price point which is more manageable than the baby store equivalents. Here is a list of seats I would recommend from each. For the purposes of this article, I have only included seats which are readily available IN-STORE. Not those which are only available online.
Kmart Car Seats
1. Safe-n-Sound Safekeeper II
The Safekeeper II is the re-branded Babylove Ezyswitch which was one of my most recommended 0-4 convertible seats due to the amazing price and availability. They have made a few changes which, in my opinion, detract from the overall attractiveness of the seat. These include removing the cup holder and harness strap holders, as well as making access to the harness lever more difficult. However, it still cannot be beaten in terms of features and affordability.
Although it has a steep learning curve for installation and use, the price and extended rear facing capabilities still make it one of my top suggestions for people on a budget. *Also available from Big W under the name Safe-n-Sound Premier for $219.
Price: $189
Pro’s
- Price
- Extended rear facing
- Built in headrest
- Includes infant insert
- Slimline width
Con’s
- High incorrect installation and misuse rate
- Manual re-thread harness
- Not compact in depth when rear facing
2. Safe-n-Sound Guardian II
The Safe-n-Sound Guardian II is the cheapest 0-4 convertible seat you can buy in Australia, but I would easily choose it over a lot of other, more expensive, A2 seats. (A2 means it will only rear-face until the age of 12-18 months, instead of an A4 seat which will rear-face for 2-3 years).
Whilst it isn’t an extended rear facing seat, it is a great option for second cars, as a spare, or for Grandparents cars. *Also available at Big W under the name Safe-n-Sound Cavalier for $179.
Price: $149
Pro’s:
- Price
- Includes infant insert
- Compact depth when rear facing
- Slimline width
Con’s
- No built in headrest or included head cushion
- Often installed incorrectly in forward-facing mode due to location of harness straps within the belt path
- Not extended rear facing
3. Safe-n-Sound Explorer II
Once your child has outgrown their 0-4 seat, I would always recommend a Type G restraint (fully harnessed to 8-10 years) instead of a booster or convertible booster such as the Explorer II, which only harness until the age of 4-6. However, the cheapest Type G (Babylove Atlas-Gro) is $279 which is unfortunately out of some parents budgets. In this circumstance, the Explorer II is a great option and should still harness the average sized children until the age of 6 and sometimes 7 years.
Price: $179
Pro’s
- Price
- Very simple installation
- Has a recline mode
Con’s
- More fiddly than some in booster mode due to Sash Guide & Secure Guard
- Width is not slimline
- Only harnessed until the age of 4-6
4. Infasecure Foldaway Booster
Price: $49
Pro’s
- Price
- Folding
- Un-tethered
- Very easy to use
Con’s
- Only recommended for occasional use
- Low exit marker compared to tethered boosters
Target Car Seats
1. Safe-n-Sound QuickFix
The Safe-n-Sound Quickfix from Target is one of my favourite department store car seats. It literally has everything you could need! It’s compact in depth and width, features an easy-adjust headrest and harness, is extended rear facing, and even offers ISOFIX as an alternative to seat belt installation. While it’s more expensive than the Kmart Safekeeper II for example, I think it’s worth every penny for easy of use and functionality.
Price: $399
Pros
- Compact depth when rear-facing
- Slimline width
- Extended rear facing
- Built-in, easy-adjust headrest and harness
- ISOFIX compatible
Cons
- Often installed incorrectly in forward-facing mode due to location of harness straps within the belt path (Only applicable when not using ISOFIX)
- Price (But still a very reasonable cost for such a great seat)
2. Infasecure Radiant Avant
The Infasecure Radiant Avant is the perfect next step once your child has outgrown a Type G car seat, usually around the age of 7-9. This booster will harness most kids until the age of 12 as it has the highest markers of any booster on the Australian market. It’s great that it can now be purchased easily from a department store.
Price: $189
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Slimline width
- Highest markers of any Australian booster
- Adjustable headrest
Cons
- None
Other Target Car Seats
Below is a list of other car seats readily available at Target which I would not recommend for a variety of reasons including price, features, usability etc. This does NOT mean they are any less safe than the seats listed above, except in the respect that some do not rear face or harness for as long.
- HiPod Rio
- Infasecure Talent
- Mother’s Choice Serenity II
- Mother’s Choice Shield
- Mother’s Choice Spark
- Mother’s Choice Tempo
Big W Car Seats
1. Infasecure Emperor
Price: $419
Pro’s
- Price, as you only ever need to buy 1 seat
- Best practice from newborn to 8-10 years
- Extended rear facing and extended harnessing
- Built-in, easy-adjust headrest and harness
- 9 forward-facing recline positions
- Slimline width
Con’s
- Very large depth when rear facing
2. Safe-n-Sound Atlas-Gro
The Atlas-Gro is the cheapest Type G seat you can get at a department store and is a fantastic option for once your child has outgrown their 0-4. It is a slimline seat, so great for 3 across, has a built-in headrest, recline and armrests. It’s super easy to install and is the perfect option for budget conscious buyers without compromising on safety.
Price: $279
Pro’s
- Cheapest Type G harnessed seat
- Harnesses until the age of 8-10 years
- Very simple installation
- Built-in headrest
- Slimline width
Con’s
- Harness must be manually threaded to change strap height
3. Infasecure Vari Move
Like the Safe-n-Sound Guardian II from Kmart, the Infasecure Vari Move is not an extended rear facing seat, however it is still a great option for a second car or Grandparents car. Although it is the same price as the Safekeeper II from Kmart which is extended rear facing, it is more compact in depth in rear facing mode and is quite a bit easier to use and install than both the Guardian II and Safekeeper II. It’s these features which can sometimes make it a better option especially, (dare I say it!) when it comes to the older generation having to install and use the seat.
Price: $189
Pro’s
- Price
- Moderately simple installation
- Relatively simple to use
- Infant insert and head padding included
Con’s
- Not extended rear facing
Other Big W Seats
Below is a list of other car seats readily available at Big W which I would not recommend for a variety of reasons including price, features, usability etc. This does NOT mean they are any less safe than the seats listed above, except in the respect that some do not rear face or harness for as long.
- First Years Character Booster Seat
- Infasecure Rally II Move
- Mother’s Choice Flair II
- Mother’s Choice Dawn Booster
- Mother’s Choice Nest II
- Safe-n-Sound Express Booster
- Safe-n-Sound Safe-Fix
Everyone’s car seat needs differ depending on price, location, vehicle, age of child and many other factors. If you would like specific advice regarding the best seat for your car, please don’t hesitate to contact me at anytime.
***This article is in no way sponsored, supported or endorsed by any car seat company or department stores.
10 Responses
This article is fantastic! We are trying to choose a car seat for our second car and don’t want to spend too much. This article has really helped to educate us and make our decision easier. Thank you
Thanks for your feedback!! I’m glad it could help 🙂
My mum (grandma) wants to get one of the character booster seats from big w for my 4 year old so she can use the current baby seat for baby number 2 when it comes. However I’m getting the vibe that these are minimally safe/don’t offer much support, although she only goes as far as the shops with grandma once or twice a week. Do you think it would be ok? Or am I better off getting a 0-8 for grandmas car? 🙂
Yep they are mainly there to look cool those boosters! I would definitely recommend an Atlas Go as a great “grandmas car” seat 🙂
You mentioned the Atlas Gro is a good seat for grandma’s car, but it’s not listed above. It’s got the highest safety rating of any harnessed 1-8 yo seat. Would you not recommend it for daily use? If not what would you recommend? 😊
Hi it’s listed as Number 2 in Big W 🙂
Is anyone else finding that number 2 seat for Big W the text does not show up?
Hi I’m not sure why sorry! It’s showing up on my end 🙂
Hi. Is the Baby Love Ezy Grow from Baby Bunting the same as the Safe n Sound Atlas Grow from Big W? My understanding is that Britax make both and they certainly look exactly the same.
Sure is!