Britax Freeway and Hi-Way the same?

[charley]

Hi,

we are thinking about buying a Swedish RF car seat, and after some research on this issue, decided for the Britax Hi-Way. There is a Swedish eBay equivalent called Tradera.com where you can get a used Britax Freeway (not the Hi-Way yet) for pretty affordable prices (around 40 $; the new price in Sweden for a Hi-Way is around 270 $). Now I heard that the Freeway is the earlier Hi-Way and is no longer produced while the Hi-Way is simply the one that has taken over now. Yet before buying a used Freeway I would like to figure out whether they are indeed the same seat or whether the Freeway is lacking a few important features of the Hi-Way. The lady in the Swedish Babyshop where we recently looked at seats upon our vacation couldn't tell. Does anyone have an idea?

Thanks for helping out!
Charley

[Lara]

Hi,

I'm not sure what the difference between the freeway and hi-way are. I would ask here:

http://forum.nybaktmamma.com/forumdisplay.php?f=392

The ladies are wonderful (and speak english lol. I've got a post over there right now).

Also, I would NOT even consider buying a used seat. Its not worth the risk of it having been in a crash, or misued in some way.

I'm back to the drawing board as to what we are going to get when a friend goes to sweden in April, but its between the multi-tech and two-way. Yesterday I would have told you the multi-tech, hands down. But now I'm leaning back towards the two-way :rolleyes:...but only if I can get the manual in english.

[crunchierthanthou]

I thought the freeway was similar in size to the RA. and maybe even ff only?

[TerisBoys]

The US Freeway was identical to the RA except it only FF.

It's possible the Swedish seat has the same name but is totally different.

[Lara]

Okay, as far as I can tell it looks like the freeway has been discontinued. I could only find it on the britax.fi site, and only through google. Its not on britax sweden's site.

So, I think I'd go with the Hi-way if I had to pick one. (but, honestly I'd go with the two-way over that! it has a taller shell so will last much longer)

[charley]

Hi again and thanks so far for your answers. (And thanks for the link to the other forum. I actually posted my question there just a few minutes ago.)

I have realized now that the Britax Freeway seem to be different in Sweden (where they are no longer produced) on the one hand and in the States/ UK on the other. Just from looking at pictures at eBay etc. you realize there are differences. So maybe it wasn't the best idea to post my question in this forum. From what I have found out so far, the Freeway in Sweden was RF while the Britax in the UK/ USA was/is apparently FF.

So all this sums up to the quesion whether the RF Freeway (as it was sold in Sweden) and the Britax Hi-Way (as it is sold in Sweden right now) are the same.

...and I will have another look now at the Two-way. We have a small car, though, so we might actually be happy about a smaller one. Anyway at some point I would have to purchase the largest size of seats, wouldn't I?

[Lara]

I've got a small car too :).

The Two-Way supposedly fits well into small cars because it can be installed so upright. And it can also be used forward facing to its weight limit too, which I like (55 lbs, saves the need for another hwh seat later on.) It also turns into a booster, but I'm not sure how great that function is.

[Adventuredad]

Hi there,

I've got both seats and they are excellent. Kids can use them rear facing until 55 lbs(!) which I love. My son used the Freeway RF but has now grown out of it. My 20 month old daughter is using a Hi-Way, of course rear facing.

Hi-Way is basically the newer model of Freeway. The major difference is you don't have to use a belt clip, it has built in lock-offs (or whatever they are called). It also has more padding and better side impact protection. The Hi-Way also has a "bar" that touches the floor which enables the seat to be used without leaning against front panel or against back of front seats. I can't say enough good things about both seats.

The fit quite well in small cars as well. We've used both seats in front and back seats, front sets give more space. Currently using Hi-Way in front seat for our daughter (no air bag of course). The front seat is the safest place for a rear facing seat but you probably knew that already.

The Freeway is semi-retired now and we keep it in Mexico for our longer vacations there. We usually bring our car seats on all vacations trips because we like our kids to use car seats that are rear facing.

I saw that you were going to buy one on Tradera. Maybe you found one already, if not let me know. I can pick one up here in Sweden and send it to you. The shipping is not cheap but the rear facing safety is incredible.

I'm kind of a carseat freak so let me know if you have any questions or need help with finding some Swedish rear facing seats with higher weight limits.

Adventuredad

[snowbird25ca]

The fit quite well in small cars as well. We've used both seats in front and back seats, front sets give more space. Currently using Hi-Way in front seat for our daughter (no air bag of course). The front seat is the safest place for a rear facing seat but you probably knew that already.


I just want to comment on this before a bunch of other do, that this poster is over in Sweden. In Europe it is quite common advice to put rf'ing seats in the front seat. It's quite different than north american advice, so please keep that in mind when replying to our new member. :)

Adventuredad - welcome to our forums. I'm sure you'll love it here. People might occasionally forget you're in a different country, so feel free to pipe up and tell them that if they challenge what you've said - although you may want to preface with what country you're in. ;)

[Adventuredad]

Sorry, I guess I should have been more clear. I thought the fact that
I offered to buy a RF Swedish seat and ship it over was clear enough.... I've lived half my year in Us but I'm over in Sweden now.

It's true the advice is different but that's because almost all Swedish kids use rear facing seat until about 4 years of age. And if you have a RF seat, the safest place to be is in the front seat. It's not a big difference between being in the rear seat but it's helpful as the kids get older. The front seat gives more leg space and it's usually also less distracting to see the child than having the little one in the back seat.

Just to be clear, one should not use a FF toddler seat in the front seat and it's not done over here. I'll try to reveal my location a little clearer from now on.....

[scatterbunny]

First, welcome to the boards, AdventureDad! I read a bit of your blog, and it's great to have you here as a part of our community! :)

I need to clarify something, though. In the US we do NOT recommend placing any rear-facing seat in the front seat because of airbags. Many vehicles cannot have the airbags shut off, and an airbag deploying into a rear-facing seat will almost certainly kill a child. I've seen the crash test videos to prove it, and heard the real-world stories to back it up.

A forward-facing harnessed child up front, while not ideal, is acceptable if all other rear seating positions are full. A harnessed child up front is safer than having a boostered child up front. The seat should be pushed back as far as possible, as well.

[Adventuredad]

Thanks for the warm welcome:-)) I know about the different recommendations. It's really funny to see how use and advice varies per country.

People face the same issues here with airbags but it's no problem. Car is simply taken to a authorized service center. Using the front seat is great since it often means parents keep their kids rear facing years longer because of the extra leg space.

Every child death is very tragic but the amount of kids being killed by airbags is also unbelievably low. I think only about 5 per year last time I looked. It's a scary situation but thankfully extremely rare.

[snowbird25ca]

Sorry, I guess I should have been more clear. I thought the fact that
I offered to buy a RF Swedish seat and ship it over was clear enough.... I've lived half my year in Us but I'm over in Sweden now.

It's true the advice is different but that's because almost all Swedish kids use rear facing seat until about 4 years of age. And if you have a RF seat, the safest place to be is in the front seat. It's not a big difference between being in the rear seat but it's helpful as the kids get older. The front seat gives more leg space and it's usually also less distracting to see the child than having the little one in the back seat.

Just to be clear, one should not use a FF toddler seat in the front seat and it's not done over here. I'll try to reveal my location a little clearer from now on.....

Sorry, I wasn't trying to sound critical towards you. :o I know sometimes posts get skimmed so I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't a bunch of replies correcting you since I knew your info was accurate for your country. So it was mostly directed to everyone else who comes across this thread in case they skimmed and only saw rf'ing in front seat. :thumbsup:

It is really interesting the difference in advice between the countries. Did you find it odd how different it was when you moved from one to the other?
(I should ask too, is it true that in general 5pt ff'ing harnessing isn't done, that kids go straight from rf'ing to booster?)

[scatterbunny]

Unfortunately, getting any dealership to disable airbags is extremely difficult in the US. Everyone cites liability reasons. So the official recommendation is never to place a rear-facing child in the front seat with an airbag. This warning is even emblazoned on the carseats themselves.

Also, US crash statistics clearly show that the front seat occupants are more likely to be injured or killed in a crash than back seat passengers. Most crashes in the US are frontal, so it makes sense sitting in the front is more dangerous; people are closer to the point of impact.

I'd also love to hear about forward-facing harnessing vs. booster seat usage in Sweden. I believe the general idea is that a five point harness used forward-facing places too much stress on the child's neck in a crash because it holds the body too rigidly, and a booster with three point belt is safer because it restrains the child while allowing the body to move a little, lessening force on the neck? I'd love to hear anything/everything you have to say on the subject, and it would be awesome if you had any Swedish data to share! :)

[Adventuredad]

Snowbird: Don't worry, I didn't take it personally. I like to hear different vies on things, it's very educational.
It's true that people go straight from RF to booster. As you probably know, the Swedes in general tend to use RF seats longer than most any otehr country. Our seats are certified for RF use up to 55 lbs. So most people use them up to about 4 years og age and then go to a good booster seat. I know there are discussions about 5 pt harnessing in Us but it's not something we talk about here despite having razor sharp focus on child safety. The accidents statistics here are amazing and there are extremely few kids dying each year despite being in booster seats from 4 years or so.

scatterbunny: Thanks for clearing that up. Yes I 'm well aware of the ridiculous legal system. Here it's no problem to disable it and the safety record shows it's not an issue either. A high percentage of kids are riding in the front seat here. Anything from infants to 4 year olds. The US crash stats might say occupants are safer in the back seat but that does not apply to RF carseats which is what almost everyone here is using. While using a RF seat, the safest position is in the front passenger seat (airbag disabled). For two reasons. First, seat is leaning against instrument panel which is slightly safer than being RF in the back seat leaning against front seat. Difference in safety is very small, I would say irrelevant. Second, a parent is statistically less likely to be distracted since the kid can be seen in the front seat and one does not have to turn around and constantly observe what's going on in the back seat. The overall difference in safety is small but it offers one great benefit. Parents are far more likely to keep their kids RF since front seat always offer more leg space. And as you know, keeping a child RF is a huge difference in safety.

[scatterbunny]

I believe Sweden's crash statistics do support your reasoning. :thumbsup:

[Adventuredad]

Scatterbunny: I have some contacts at a crash testing facility here. I'll find out some more hard core facts about the issue of harness vs. booster seat usage. It's not really discussed over here despite the focus on safety which leads me to believe the way we use booster seat is very safe. But I'll find out more for you (and others)

[scatterbunny]

Thanks so much! :) I kept my child harnessed in our primary vehicle until around the time she turned 6, and she was almost 50 pounds at that time. For many parents, extended harnessing is imperative because our children simply will not sit properly in a booster seat without leaning out of position or messing with the seatbelt. For others, the fact that race car drivers were harnesses because it's safer is enough to convince them of the benefits. In the US, side impacts and rollovers are fairly common, and very deadly, and it's true that a five point harness will hold anyone's body in place better in a rollover than a three point belt.

Ultimately, I'd need to see data that proves there are increased neck loads on children in harnesses forward-facing, and I'd need to see something that indicates those increased neck loads actually translate into increased injury risk.

My daughter is now almost 7, 51 inches and 59 pounds, and I still wonder if she should be back in a harness, sometimes. She's mature enough now to sit properly 99% of the time, but I worry about side impacts and rollovers. I've seen crash test videos of dummies in three point belts, and the shoulder without the belt rotates quite a bit, the dummy definitely moves more than I'd like to see. It worries me.

[arly1983]

Advernturedad, if I get my perscription for a sweedish seat, I would love some help finding a store willing to ship to me.

I have some questions about these seats (http://www.britax.se/bilbarnstolar08.htm)

Is the two-way plus have a taller back than the regular two-way? I want the one with the highest back because he will probably outgrow it by height before weight.

Any advise you have would be greatly appreciated.

[scatterbunny]

I do believe Swedish seats allow RF until the tops of the ears meet the top of the seat back. Adventuredad (or anyone else who knows), please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's sticking in my head.

[arly1983]

I do believe Swedish seats allow RF until the tops of the ears meet the top of the seat back. Adventuredad (or anyone else who knows), please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's sticking in my head.

Thanks, Jenny, thats what Chelsae said so I think that is correct.

By comparing pics of her girls and Jackson, we think his head is even with or slightly over the top of the two-way already so to make it worth the cost of importing one, I am trying to make sure I get the tallest I can find.

[scatterbunny]

I completely understand, I just wanted to make sure the difference in RF height limit was noted. :)

[Adventuredad]

Scatterbunny: It does make sense a harness being safer but I don't know enough about the benefits and disadvantages to say something smart:-) The whole society here is very passionate about child safety in cars but I've yet to see anyone using a harness for older kids. That leads me to believe it's not as fantastic as it appears but I'll find out more about it and get back to you.

This child safety thing is very much a cultural issue. As I visit other countries I find most parents not caring at all about using car seats. My nightmare is always Mexico, where about 99% (rich or poor) don't use child seats. Drives me crazy.

So I'm really glad to see you and many others be so concerned and aware about safety for you kids.

[Adventuredad]

ARLY1983: Just read what is says on the website, you speak Swedsh right?:) The Britax website is not very good so I called their head office for more information. The Two-Way is the old model and has according to Britax not been sold for a long time. The differences in the Two-way Plus are supposed to be minor according to Britax. Fabric, colors, etc. She could not find the regular Two-way in her notes which must mean it hasn't been sold for quite a while. I asked about the height of heh back and she told me it was about the same.

Another possibly important issue with the Two-way Plus is the 5 pt harness and if that's a good idea or not to use it facing forward. This ties into the question Scatterbunny asked. Basically, is it better with a 5 pt. harness or a booster seat with regular seat belts? I've talked to my contact at the Swedish Road and Transport Institute (VTI) which are basically like Gods when it comes to testing of cars and car seats. They started doing this WAY before anyone else. I'm awaiting more info from my contact at the Swedish National Society for Road Safety (NTF).

People here have asked specifically about using the Two-way Plus with the harness and the recommendation from NTF is to use the regular seatbelt instead. This is because the neck is under too much pressure with a 5 pt harness in a crash. The Two-way Plus is certified but not ideally suited for use with regular seat belts. The way the belt is guided is not as good as with a regular booster seat. The seat is also much heavier which is not a good thing.

I will post more when I find out hardcore facts about the harness/regular seat belt opinions but the recommendation here is to use a booster seat with regular belts when riding forward (after 4-5 years of age).

If you want to buy a seat from here I can take care of it and ship it over. The same goes for anyone else who wants one of our great rear facing seats which can hold your kid RF until 55 lbs. Let me know and I'll take care of it.

Scatterbunny: I'll post when I have more facts about the 5 pt harness opinions. About the head height, the general guidelines here are to switch seat when 1/3 of the head is sticking up above the seat back. I guess that's about the same as the "top of the ears".

CHARLEY: I guess I didn't read your question properly before but $40 for a Freeway sounds too good to be true. It's an older seat but still nice and safe. It's my preferred seat or our daughter when we're in Mexico (where I keep it). But I agree with Iluvbabies57, I prefer a new seat instead. If you need a new seat, of any kind, please let me know and I'll help you out.

I just looked at your different profiles and feel kind of silly. Most of you have thousands of posts on this forum, perhaps I should be the one asking you questions instead..... :)

[CRS]

Is the two-way plus have a taller back than the regular two-way? I want the one with the highest back because he will probably outgrow it by height before weight.

From all the questions I have asked before I imported a Two Way Elite, the Two Way was the tallest. However with the Britax Multi-Tech coming on to the market somewhat recently, I have no idea. From what I understand the Two Way, Two Way Plus, Two Way Elite are all the same seat, but different names for different countries etc.

[Adventuredad]

I see that the Two-Way Elite can be purchased in Norway but it's not on the Swedish Britax site. Two-Way is the older model of the Two-Way Plus and apparently they are very similar.

[Lara]

The only difference between the two-way plus and elite is where they are sold. One is made for the Norwegian market, one for Sweden. Well, that's just what someone at a babystore in Stockhom told my friend anyways lol. The seat I'm getting is the Two Way Elite (It will be here on tuesday).

The Two Way is on the britax sweden site ;)

http://www.britax.se/twoway08.htm

[Adventuredad]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[lenats31]

From all the questions I have asked before I imported a Two Way Elite, the Two Way was the tallest. However with the Britax Multi-Tech coming on to the market somewhat recently, I have no idea. From what I understand the Two Way, Two Way Plus, Two Way Elite are all the same seat, but different names for different countries etc.

The Multi-Tech is 62 cm tall.

Lena