Types of Types of Child Restraint Types

Car seats and booster seats are broken up into a bunch of different categories, or 'Types' as they are referred to in the Australian Standard. It can be confusing to know what is what and what suits who, so we've put this together to try and make it a little clearer.

Rearward Facing Types

These seats are designed to rearward face, and use the internal harness of the car seat to secure the child.

Type A1 seats are designed to rearward face to a large 6 month old.

Type A2 seats are designed to rearward face to a large 12 month old.

Type A4 seats are designed to rearward face to a large 30 month old.

Samson in a Type A1 seat, commonly referred to as an 'Infant Carrier' or 'Capsule'.

Forward Facing Types

These seats are designed to forward face using the internal harness of the car seat to secure the child.

Type B seats are designed to forward face to a large 4 year old.

Type G seats are designed to forward face to a large 8 year old.

Ephram in a combination A4/B seat, commonly referred to as a 'Convertible Car Seat'. Pictured here in B mode.

Booster Seat Types

These seats are designed to forward face using the vehicle's lap sash seatbelt. Children under the age of 4 cannot travel in a booster seat.

Type E seats are designed to forward face to a large 8 year old.

Type F seats are designed to forward face to a large 10 year old.

Oscar in a Type E seat, commonly referred to as a 'Booster Seat'.

Combination Types

The fun doesn't stop there! Using these base Types, we can combine them to make new kinds of child restraints. Some (and by no means all) examples include;

Type A2/B seats are commonly called 'Convertible Car Seats'. They rearward face as an A2 seat to a large 12 month old, then convert to a forward facing Type B through to a large 4 year old.

Type B/E seats are commonly called 'Convertible Booster Seats'. They are a Type B restraint up to a large 4 year old, and then convert into a Type E for use until a large 8 year old.

Type A4/G seats are commonly called 'an Achieve or Grandeur', because no other manufacturer in Australia has been able to figure out how to design one (snap!). It rearward faces as a Type A4 to a large 30 month old, then converts to a Type G, forward facing through to a large 8 year old with the internal harness.