Every parent wants to keep his or her child safe. Out of all the items that we have purchased for our kids, the one item we did not want to skimp on was their car seats. We spent hours upon hours in Buy Buy Baby researching and combing through the different car seats they had available.
With all the different brands out there, I want to share with you why we chose to stick with Britax for our infant, convertible, and booster seats.
Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat
When you are pregnant with your first child, everything can be overwhelming. You have this new child that you are responsible for, and you are busy trying to get prepared before they are born. Anna and I had a laundry list of items that we needed to learn, research, or buy before Jude was born.
Buying a car seat was probably one of the hardest decisions we made. Maybe it was the guilt that we put on ourselves. Is the seat safe enough? How long will he be in it? How much does it cost (because we had to buy two)? Are we bad parents if we buy a cheaper seat?
After a lot of looking and researching, Anna and I ended up purchasing the Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat.
The Pros
To us, the Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat gave us the peace of mind we were looking for.
Side Protection
We liked the Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat’s side impact protection, steel frame, and impact absorbing base.
Easy Installation
When I have had to take a car to the shop to get fixed, I never had an issue removing the base from one car to another. You can use the SafeCenter LATCH or built-in seat belt lock-offs to secure the infant car seat.
Easy to Clean
The cover is easy to remove, which makes hand-washing easier.
Connects With Baby Jogger City Select Stroller
Anna and I have the Baby Jogger City Select Stroller which I have reviewed in a previous post. The Britax B-Safe Infant Car clicks into the stroller making for an easy transition from car to stroller while still giving your baby plenty of protection.
The Cons
There are a couple of cons that I would like to point out as well.
Price
Any decent car seat will cost a chunk of change, especially if you have to buy two. The Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat was more expensive than other brands we considered. At the time of this writing, you can purchase the Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat for $219.99 on Amazon.
Weight
The Britax B-Safe Infant Car Seat is a couple of pounds heavier than other brands. If you are carrying the car seat around a lot, this may be of concern for you.
Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Car Seat
Before Jude grew out of the infant seat, Anna and I were back shopping and reviewing convertible car seats. We still had the same anxieties as we did before: is the seat safe enough? How much is it? Much to our dismay, the convertible car seats we looked at were more expensive than the infant car seat.
After more researching and looking, we ended up purchasing the Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Car Seat.
The Pros
To us, the Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Car Seat gave us sense of security and protection we wanted for our children.
Side Impact Protection
The Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Car Seat comes with 2 layers of side impact protection.
Click Harness Indicator
When your kid is strapped into the seat, you can pull on the snug harness and listen for a click to ensure your child is snug and secure in his or her seat.
Adjusts to Your Child’s Height
With the Quick-Adjust Harness, you can adjust the height (14-position) of the car seat with no re-threading. We found ourselves adjusting the seat every month or two as the kids continued to grow and get bigger.
The Cons
The cons I would like to point are few but worth noting.
Price
With a price of $299.99 on Amazon at the time of this writing, it is no small investment, especially when buying two.
No Cup Holder
As the kids get older and want their sippy cups or water bottles, it would be nice if there was a cup holder attached to the seat.
LATCH weight limit
Once your child reaches 40 pounds you cannot use the LATCH system and need to use the car seat belt to secure the seat instead.
Britax Frontier ClickTight Combination Harness-2-Booster Car Seat
Buying the harness-2-booster seat was the least stressful purchase of all three car seat purchases. We still looked at other brands, but in the end, Britax offered the protection, durability, and ease of use that made it an easy option to choose.
Although Jude was still within the size limits of the convertible car seat (barely), switching the harness-2-booster has made a world of difference. There is a lot more room for him, and it is easier to strap him in. He was excited to sit in his new seat and even commented how much more comfortable it was to sit in. We should have made the switch a a couple of months earlier and will keep this in mind once Adelaide gets older and is ready for a harness-2-booster car seat.
The Pros
The Britax Frontier ClickTight Combination Harness-2-Booster Car Seat gave us the continued protection we wanted while being adjustable to fit our kids as they grow.
Side Impact Protection
With an energy-absorbing shell and foam-lined headrest, Britax’s 2 layers of side impact protection help keep your child safe in the event of an accident.
Built-In Cup Holders
Jude can now store his water bottle in his cup holder without having it drop on the floor.
Adjusts to Your Child’s Height
With the Quick-Adjust Harness, you can adjust the height (9-position) of the car seat with no re-threading.
The Cons
The cons I would like to point are few but worth noting.
Price
Again, they aren’t cheap. At the time of this writing, you can purchase the Britax Frontier ClickTight Combination Harness-2-Booster Car Seat for $279.99 on Amazon.
Seat Width
The car seat is wide and might be a squeeze in smaller cars. If you are trying to fit other car seats next to it, you may need to look at a different option.
Worth the price
I would strongly recommend Britax’s line of car seats if you can work the purchases into your budget. They’re safe, easy to clean, and definitely give us peace of mind. Britax’s customer service is great, too. A couple of years ago when Jude was in the Boulevard, the Click Harness Indicator stopped clicking on both seats when we’d tighten him in. We contacted Britax customer service, and they said that the seat was still safe to use and that the click was just for reassurance. However, they sent us two new Boulevards free of charge without a hassle.
Also, Britax exceeds the safety standards set by the federal government for car seats and conducts twice the number of tests required by NHTSA. All in all, we’d choose this brand again.
What has the car seat purchasing process been like for your family? It’d be great to hear about your experiences in the comments below.
Leave a Reply