Child car seats are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Today’s smart models can rotate at the touch of a button, check whether a child is properly strapped in, and send alerts or status updates to a phone or in-car system.
From October 1, China will have its first national standard specifically covering how those electronic functions should perform.
GB/T 47246-2026 applies to child restraint systems with electronic functions, setting technical requirements from battery-powered controls and sensors to communication systems and electronic safety.
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The idea is to give manufacturers a common framework for developing and testing features that have evolved quickly as child seats become smarter.
For battery-powered models, that includes a low-battery warning.
Electrically adjustable seats are also required to meet anti-pinch requirements under specified conditions: if the mechanism encounters resistance of no more than 100N, it must stop or reverse and issue a warning.
Other smart features are covered when manufacturers choose to include them.
Seats with installation or child-restraint status detection, for example, need to correctly identify and report changes in those conditions.
Connected models are also tested for communication reliability, with data loss and error rates capped at 0.1% under the prescribed test conditions.
Child-left-behind alerts also get a defined performance standard.
Where the function is offered, the system must warn before the connected phone or other mobile device moves more than 35 meters from the seat.
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The standard goes beyond what parents see on an app or control panel.
Electronic components are tested for temperature and humidity changes, vibration, drops, electrical faults, and electromagnetic interference.
It also sets requirements for battery safety, sound levels, the durability of switches, rotating controls, and connectors.
GB/T 47246-2026 is a recommended national standard, with the broader mandatory safety requirements for child restraint systems already covered by GB 27887-2024.
Its significance lies in the electronic layer now being added to those seats: as smart functions become more common, manufacturers will have a shared benchmark for how reliably they should work, not simply a longer list of features to promote.
