safety | Natural Baby Shower
Safety
travel | Natural Baby Shower
Travel
ARTICLE by Natalie Brown

ADAC - what does it mean?

 |  Reading time: 4 minutes
B_for_Blog | Natural Baby Shower

Here at Natural Baby Shower, we place top priority on safety. Our car seat brands go through rigorous testing to ensure little ones are provided with the best possible protection in the real world of car travel.

For the car seat newbies, there are many tests and laws that child car seats will go through. One that is definitely worth your attention is 'ADAC'. This tests the safety of car seats to standards that far exceed the standard EU regulations.

We've explained the jargon that is car seat testing and translated all the results of this year's rigorous ADAC test to help you decide on your perfect car seat...

CYBEX Sirona SX2 i-Size

What does ADAC stand for?

ADAC stands for The Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-club - catchy name we know! It was founded in 1903 in Germany, and is an organisation that tests everything to do with car safety - including children's car seats.

ADAC has its own state of the art technology facility, where each year it puts a vast variety of car seats on the market through rigorous car safety tests. All ADAC tests are also published in consumer magazines such as “Which?”.

Maxi Cosi Pebble Pro i-Size

The 3 main criteria for the ADAC car seat tests include:

  • Safety (50%)
  • Operations (40%)
  • Ergonomics (10%)

This means not only is the safety of the seat measured but also the ease of use for parent, comfort for your little one and that all important installation.

ADAC strives to mimic reality as much as possible in its tests by measuring impact in a real car-chassis instead of a test sled and by using the advanced "Q series" test-dummies which have more sensors than the ones used in regulation tests. These "Q" dummies are able to collect more data for optimal analysis of the tested seats.

In general, all car seats made are tested to either R44 or R129 (i-Size) regulations, however ADAC test seats even more rigorously than these standards, so you, as a parent, can see which car seats have really gone above and beyond to ensure a child’s safety.

Standard tests measure collisions at 50km/h whereas ADAC tests frontal collisions at 64km/h and side collisions at 50km/h to really put the car seats through their paces.

What's more, ADAC also check how well-maintained the fabric is so you don’t have any harmful or toxic substances near little one.

ADAC Car seat testing

What do the ratings mean?

To help you find the perfect car seat, ADAC have divided its ratings into five categories. The lower the score, the higher the safety rating! 

It is worth noting that not all car seats are chosen to be tested by the ADAC. So, if you are looking at a car seat that does not have an ADAC score, it doesn't mean they are not safe. 

Our ADAC car seats

Let's meet some of the car seats here at Natural Baby Shower that have been awarded with ADAC scores...

Results Spring 2021-22

In Spring 2022, the ADAC results concluded that one model received a ‘Very Good’ rating... the Cybex Anoris T i-Size. A score of 1.5 is one of the highest results ever received and is one that is not given out often. The ADAC explains that it was the only seat to receive such a high rating due to the integrated frontal protection. The Cybex Anoris T i-Size’s airbag has been designed to reduce the impact on the child’s neck, head and chest.


    • “ADAC concluded that there is a low risk of misuse with the Cybex Anoris T i-Size and that the seat is very easy to install, with simple operating instructions and warnings. This is ideal for parents who worry about making a mistake with the installation, and thus putting their children at risk."


      “The ADAC tests showed that the Nuna Pipa Next i-Size posed a very low risk of injury in a frontal collusion and low risk in an event of a side on collision. They also praised the good belt course of the seat and how stable it was once installed in the vehicle.”


      “ADAC concluded that there is a low risk of mis-installation with the Besafe izi Modular RF X1, with instructions that are clear and easy to understand.”


      “The Cybex Solution S i-Fix scored very highly in the ADAC tests being only a mere 0.3 points off of the ‘Very Good’ coveted rating. ADAC didn’t have a single criticism about the seat, and those last 0.3 points presumably rested on the scale of the positives- for example, the distinction between ‘low risk’ and ‘very low risk". 

      • ADAC Score 2


      “The Maxi-Cosi Mica Pro Eco i-Size was praised for its good workmanship and that the cover was machine washable.  The seat was commended for having 'optimum' belt routing but was giving criticism for not being particularly stable in the vehicle.”

Check out our car seat collection for a full list of ADAC approved models. Plus, discover our car seat buying guide for more information on how to pick the perfect car seat for your family.

Shop all car seats>>

Explore more articles