Parents are being warned to avoid "killer car seats" that are for sale on eBay, Amazon and AliExpress.

The seats have been tested by Trading Standards officers and have been proven to provide no protection in a crash.

The cheaply made children's seats are on sale for as little as £8 on the online selling websites.

Consumer group Which? said the fabric seats were illegal to use in the UK, but may attract some parents due to the cheap price tag.

The seats are made of thin material with no robust plastic protection and are similar to that of a small cushion with straps that sits on the back of a regular seat.

The tests were carried out by Surrey Trading Standards in 2014 using a crash test dummy which represented a child aged around three.

The dummy hurled through a car windscreen due to the inadequate straps failing - but since the test the "killer" seats have started to reappear.

The car seats have been branded "dangerous"

Which? said the seats “clearly lacked the support needed to protect babies and toddlers”.

It blasted online giants Amazon, eBay and AliExpress for not spotting the distinctive seats and banning them from sale “in order to prevent anyone being duped by a dangerous product that puts their child at risk”.

Amazon, eBay and AliExpress have now said the listings have been removed from sale, but Which? said this should have been regulated quicker, reports The Mirror.

Alex Neill, managing director of Which? Home Products, said: “Parents will be horrified at the thought they could be unwittingly putting their child’s life at risk with one of these ‘killer’ car seats. Online marketplaces cannot continue to turn a blind eye to dangerous and illegal products being sold on their sites.

“The UK’s product safety regime is in dire need of reform. More needs to be done by big businesses and Government to protect consumers from dangerous products.”

An Amazon spokesperson said: “All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who don’t will be subject to action including potential removal of their account.”

Ebay said it had contacted all the sellers and asked them to offer refunds to customers who had bought the lethal and illegal seats.

The "killer car seats" were put back online for sale recently

A spokesperson said: “The safety of our customers is paramount and we do not tolerate the listing of non-compliant items by sellers.

“Our specialist teams work with regulators and trading standards to ensure our block filters stay up to date, using sophisticated software that monitors billions of listings a day to remove any prohibited items.”

AliExpress said it “considers the safety of all our customers, especially children, to be of paramount importance”.

It added: “We prohibit the sale of products in contravention of the Product Listing Policy of AliExpress and we have policies and procedures in place to help us identify listings which infringe the policies of our online marketplace by third party sellers. We will continue to take action against sellers who violate our terms of use.”

You can follow our Plymouth Parents group here.

How do I know if my car seat is safe?

In the UK, there are regulations in place which state that only EU-approved child car seats can be used.

The approved seats are easy to spot as they carry a clear orange label, with the codes ECE R44-03, ECE R44-04 or ECE R129 to indicate they have been put through EU safety testing, and can therefore be legally sold on the UK market.

Britax Romer's car seat safety expert, Mark Bennett, said: "By law, children must be in a car seat until they are 135cm tall or 12 years old – whichever comes first. From 22kg (around the age of four), children can be moved to a booster seat used with an adult seat belt.

“It is vital that parents adhere to these rules no matter how short the car journey, as it’s the only way to ensure children are safe in the event of a collision.”

Britax Römer - Dualfix child car seat
Britax Römer - Dualfix child car seat

While booster cushions have not been banned completely, most companies who sell car seats urge parents to use a high-back booster seat instead, which offers much more protection from the side wings and head support.

Amiad Raviv, from Simple Parenting, the brand behind the Doona car seat, adds: “All car seats used in the UK must meet the relevant European regulation – ECE R44 or R129, in addition to meeting local regulations, such as enhanced fire-retardant requirements.

"Newborn babies must travel in rear-facing car seats, while older children can travel in front-facing varieties.”

How do you decide on a car seat?

When you first buy a car seat, the weight of it is really important, because parents spend a lot of time carrying newborns to and from the car – and some of them are really heavy. However, there are lots of other aspects you should think about, too.

“It’s not just your child’s age that you have to consider when choosing a car seat; you should think about their weight and height, as well as the best fit for your car,” notes Halfords’ child car seat expert, Emily Moulder.

“Also think about whether your child will be making long or short journeys, and if you’ll need to transfer the seat from one car to another. Comfort is a factor too, so bring your child with you when choosing, to try the car seat out in store.”

“Something which is crucially important but often overlooked, is the car seat being properly installed,” says Raviv.

“Research shows that around 80% of parents do not install car seats properly, and even the best seats on the market are much less effective when not installed correctly.”

It’s a good idea to go into a shop to get savvy on installation. You can also check videos on the brands’ websites and YouTube.

Raviv advises opting for seats with additional safety designs, such as anti-rebound protection, enhanced side-impact protection and a five-point harness (vs three-point).

How long should a car seat last?

In theory, you can now buy one car seat that will take you all the way from leaving the hospital with a newborn, to age 12 (though do check the manufacturer’s guidelines, as some should be replaced after six or seven years). Financially, it makes a lot of sense to make a seat last for as long as possible, because they aren’t especially cheap.

However, when you think about this practically, and envisage how many times a baby might be sick in a car seat, how much mud a toddler might ingrain into the fabric, how many times the velcro from tiny shoes will get caught on the base, and the number of sticky-finger swipes it’s going to face, you might feel happier getting rid of an older model to replace it with a lovely, new, clean one.

Should you buy second hand?

“We wouldn’t recommend buying second-hand car seats,” states Moulder. “Unfortunately, there is no way to tell – just by looking – if a car seat has been in an accident, collision, dropped or damaged, all of which can affect performance. There are lots of baby products that deliver great results second hand, car seats aren’t one of them.”

If there is no other option for you, however, Audrey Mizrahi, the UK distributor for grab-and-go car booster mifold, says you must ensure you have the answers to these questions:

- Has this car seat ever been in a crash?

- Are all the parts and pieces still attached to the car seat?

- Are all the labels for proper use still affixed to the car seat?

- Has this car seat ever been recalled?

If you cannot find the answer to these questions, or if the seat should fail in any of these areas, she recommends not making the purchase.

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Top tips for buying a car seat

“Use each stage of seat for as long as possible and don’t be tempted to move to the next stage too soon,” recommends Bennett.

“Rear-facing is the safest option, ideally to at least 15 months, but many seats allow you to do this for four to six years, depending on the model.

"If your car has Isofix (a car seat fitting system), then choose this over a belted option, as it’s easier to fit and provides better crash protection.”

“If you’re buying a car seat for your third child, make sure it fits in the back seat with the two other children, who might still be in car seats themselves,” says Raviv.

Fran Vaughan, founder of Ickle Bubba, the brand behind the Solar car seat, suggests monitoring the weight and height of your child regularly, to ensure you’re using the correct car seat.

“Check that it meets ECE safety standards, too,” he adds.

“A sticker is normally located on the car seat to indicate this. Also, make sure the car seat is compatible with your vehicle. Most are universal, but it’s best to check before you purchase. I recommend choosing a car seat that includes an Isofix base as part of the package. This will make it much easier to install and removes most of the risks associated with a seat belt attachment.”

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Get in touch using katie.timms@reachplc.com, call 07584591102 or tweet me @KatieTimms94.