Question Britax price question

smh0216 · Sep 7, 2008

DD1 is outgrowing her Britax Roundabout in DH's car and I need to get another seat for her. She is 3 1/2 yrs. old, 33 lbs, 38 in.

I've only had her in Britax seats. She is currently in a Regent in my van.

I've been checking out some of the combo seats and I guess I'm trying to decide between the Britax Frontier and the Graco Nautilus.

I'm not sure that I really feel like paying over $250 for the Britax seat, when I can get the Nautilus for around $150.

Can anyone explain to me why Britax seats are so much more expensive than all of the other seats??? Are they made better? Am I compromising my daughter's safety if I put her in a less expensive seat?

crunchierthanthou · Sep 7, 2008

I don't think anyone is looking to rehash the debate over Britax seats being worth the price.

There's no evidence that they are any more safe than other seats on the market. All seats pass the same minimum standards, but there's just no way to say whether one provides a higher level of safety.

The GN is a great seat with some nice features and that installs well in most vehicles. It has relatively high top harness slots and makes a decent booster. It's definitely worth the price you pay.

The Frontier has a bit higher top slots and is currently the tallest booster on the market. It also has a 9 year expiration in harness mode where the GN is only 6 years for harnessed and high back booster (but 9 for backless).

Are those few things and the Britax name worth double the price? It's hard to say- especially because the Frontier can be a tricky install and is having some cover quality issues- not to mention the as yet unresolved harness concerns.