Britax 70: a short, sad review

Maedze

New member
So, I finally got my paws on one. I went with rulers, tape measures and a good camera....and didn't take any measurements or photographs because I was so very disappointed.

The short version? My three year old, who fits rear facing in the My Ride with just under 2" of clearance to the top of the shell, has completely outgrown the new Britax seats rear facing.

And not only 'just' outgrown. His head is DEAD EVEN to the top of the shell. He is 31 pounds, 38" tall, and probably outgrew this seat rear facing more than six months ago...in other words, by 2.5 years.

The seat is still easy to install, but as others have noted, the recline function is flimsy and poorly designed....not at all ergonomic.

I'm disappointed, and frankly, a little embarrassed for Britax. :twocents:
 
ADS

BookMama

Senior Community Member
Really? Because my DD1 (from one of Darren's picture posts) has at least 1" above her head in the MyRide, and she still fits in the MA70 RF.

:confused:
 

Maedze

New member
:shrug-shoulders:

Don't know what to tell you. I stood there, looked horrified, explained to the clerk why I was horrified, and then felt too depressed to muss around with it further.

I was working out a theory in my head on the way home about how, because the My Ride has a wider 'seating' area, his hips are further spread out, which means his spine can relax a bit, so he doesn't sit up so tall as he did in the BV70, but I didn't fully develop it. LOL.
 

SavsMom

New member
I hear ya - I have lost the Britax love. I was super excited about these seats but now that I have actually gotten to see my daughter in one I find myself liking my Radian and Symphony even more.
 

Amaris

New member
The more I read here the less excited I am about them. I really want to turn Kaitlin rfing again and was hoping these would work. The radian keeps over-reclining with Kaitlin in it. She's between 35 and 36 lbs so the 35lb rfing seats won't work. At target a few days ago I tried her in the roundabout (50 I think, not the new one), the mr, the ca, and the 40lb rfing scenera. I can't figure out how to post pics from my phone (droid 2.1 os) but the ca was the only one she really had room to grow in and I'm not that fond of it. At this point I'm done with britax except for the monarch we have. I can't believe, with all of the competition out there now, that they would actually make a seat with a shorter shell!
 

njkj

New member
Amaris: If you download the photobucket app you can put pics from your phone straight to photobucket then copy the IMG code here.
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
Sofi had at least 3 inches above her head in the My RIde, installed in my van last weekend. And she had less than 2 inches in the Marathon 70 installed in my van today :( She's also 31 pounds and 38 inches.
 

NicoleCPST

Senior Community Member
When I went back to BRU today they had the Boulevard70. Bella only had about 2inches left to RF and to FF the highest harness position was only about 2inches above her shoulders. My kid only has a 13inch torso!:thumbsdown: she really had no space in it either. I wanted tolike them, wanted them to live up to their (over-rated) reputation...I'm sticking with Radians.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
Maybe we could all make a plea.
You know, gotta give kudos to Britax for the Frontier issue..the seat had some serious issues at first, and they went and jumped right in and fixed a lot of it. Not that the new seat doesn't have issues, but they did man up and change most of the important stuff, especially harness height and beltpath.

Maybe they are here..and listening....and noting the ABJECT HORROR we all feel about these new seats.
Britax? Are you listening? Why on earth would you LOWER your shells?? You have to know you were already taking a hard hit in recommendations here, because you had ALREADY become the carseats with higher limits that had the LOWEST shells...we've been directing people to complete airs, true fits, radians en masse. And so...in reposnse to that...you......LOWERED your shells? *blink, blink* Really? I realize most engineers don't get a lot of exposure to ...people..or..the sun. But some of your reps..we KNOW you....we TALK to you......how on earth could you have let this happen?? Or maybe you didn't. Maybe you were in there, screaming "must have higher shells and slots!!!" Whatever happened...please fix it. Fix it quickly. The new honeycomb technology stuff seems great, just make the seats bigger.
 

Maedze

New member
The sad thing is, if the head rest were included in the rear facing height it would be such a grand little seat! Nice short profile for n00bs at 45 degrees, as tall as the True Fit when the head rest is up. And it WAS easy to install. And the LATCH holders were nifty! (Ok so the recline thingy is ridiculous and I don't know how a MONKEY quality assurance approver passed it, let alone a human with a high school diploma). But! I could overlook that!

I've decided they think we're stupid. And I'm offended.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Maybe the "all" part.

I'm certainly feeling some abject horror, knowing what's coming my way in the next few months from the local store that gives out my card, and only sells Britax convertibles.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
I'm not at all impressed with the seat, but I'm not exactly abjectly horrified. As others have written, it'll get many kids RF to 3 and FF to 4.5ish -- that's not superb, but I'd be thrilled if parents at a check actually did that.

I am horrified that they've actually taken steps backward in terms of shell height, and that they raised the weight limits without raising harness/shell heights. As Maezde wrote, it seems as if they think parents are stupid (and okay, yes, there are some days I think so too) and it's kind of insulting.

(I wonder if they planned to include the headrest and then it didn't pass? Just speculation...)
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
My problem will come when I have to explain that they just paid 2-3 times as much, for a seat that will last less in the safest way to transport their kid (the parents I see actually want to ERF quite frequently), or that the seat will not ACTUALLY harness (or usually rear-face) to the listed limits, and that the headrest can't be used above the shell. Not to mention the problems with the recline I forsee dealing with... *sigh*
 

Pixels

New member
As a formerly "stupid" parent, and before that nanny with my own carseat, I really did believe that the only way kids outgrew seats was weight limits. Britax raised their weight limit, so now theirs is the highest of any seat in most stores. Therefore, it will last the longest, right?

Of course, now I know better, but that's because of this website.
 

luvsviola

New member
Britax raised their weight limit, so now theirs is the highest of any seat in most stores. Therefore, it will last the longest, right?

That is what the parents I encounter at BRU every single time think. I have given up trying to be helpful when I am there... The AOE goes to 100 pounds, so it has to be the best.
 

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