Understanding the ADAC child car seat test 

When it comes to child car seat safety, independent testing makes a difference. The ADAC test, conducted by Germany’s largest automobile club, ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club), is one of the most comprehensive and well-respected consumer safety assessments in Europe. While ADAC is a household name in Germany, many parents outside the country may be less familiar with what their safety rating means—or why it’s considered the “gold standard” for child car seats. 

ADAC works together with leading consumer institutes*, such as Stiftung Warentest, to evaluate car seats far beyond the minimum requirements of European legislation. The test is updated bi-annually to keep up with advances in safety and technology, and its results are widely used by parents, retailers, and manufacturers to compare products on an equal footing. 

Safety is at the core of the ADAC test, with an emphasis on realistic crash simulations: 

Frontal impact: Protection for the child’s head, neck, chest, and abdomen during a forward collision. 

Side impact: Protection from lateral forces. 

Seat construction/design: Evaluation of how the seat is built, including belt routing and stability on the vehicle seat. 

Notably, the ADAC test simulates real-life accident scenarios at higher speeds and with more advanced dummies than most regulatory tests, offering a true “stress test” for car seat performance. 

The test setup also includes an analysis of all materials for harmful substances (such as certain flame retardants or phthalates) to ensure that the seat is safe for everyday contact with children. 

The final “ADAC Rating” is based on the lowest score in any weight class or installation type, ensuring that weak points cannot be hidden by strengths in other areas. This approach makes the test especially rigorous: even a single “poor” result in one important category will significantly lower the seat’s overall rating. 
For seats that can be installed with both Isofix and vehicle belt, ADAC primarily tests the Isofix installation. However, if a seat performs poorly when installed with a seatbelt, that result becomes the official rating.

ADAC’s procedures go beyond the minimum legal standards set by the UN R129 regulation (also known as i-Size). For example: 

Crash speed: ADAC frontal impact tests are performed at 64 km/h, compared to 50 km/h in UN R129. 
Side impact: ADAC’s test is also faster and simulates more realistic collisions. 
Additional focus: Ergonomics, user-friendliness, and chemical safety are included.

Other respected tests, like the Swedish Plus Test, focus on specific safety aspects such as neck loads in rear-facing seats. However, ADAC’s broad approach offers a more holistic picture of everyday safety and usability. 

A strong ADAC test result is a mark of trust for parents and caregivers. When a Thule car seat receives a high score from ADAC, it means the seat has excelled in demanding, independent tests—not just in crash performance, but in real-world use, comfort, and chemical safety. 

The ADAC uses a unique scoring scale where lower numbers mean better performance. This is the opposite of many consumer ratings, so it’s important to know what the numbers mean when comparing car seats:

0.6 to 1.5 = Very Good
1.6 to 2.5 = Good
2.6 to 3.5 = Satisfactory
3.6 to 4.5 = Sufficient
4.6 and above = Poor

For example, a score of 1.6 indicates a product is in the “Good” category—just a step below the very best. This strict rating method means only products that truly excel in every test area achieve the top scores.

Summary
When choosing a child car seat, independent, transparent testing is essential. The ADAC test is one of the most thorough available, measuring what truly matters: your child’s safety and your peace of mind—on every journey.