Britax Releasing a New BPB

[Maedze]

There is no argument there is a group of us that would love to see higher weight rear-facing seats. Unfortunately collectively the number is small that would keep their children RF longer. As well, our seats in Sweden that RF until 4 years old a good bit larger than what we have here today in the US. So, they would utilize more space front to back in the vehicle and utilize a foot prop to secure the restraint. (Remember the foot prop on the Baby-Safe Infant carrier) Maybe someday, but this isn't #4!

I hope this helps.

Have a great week.

Sarah

Well, that is totally disappointing

I realize you aren't *Britax* and aren't responsible for making decisions, but just as a question, shouldn't a company purportedly dedicated to child passenger safety actually support best practice, not just put lip service to it? That video on youtube about TSIP showing the one year old baby forward facing in a Boulevard was just disappointing, and made me feel that Britax cares more about the almighty dollar than actually keeping kids safe :thumbsdown:

 

[emandbri]

Thanks for the update!

Good morning all-
Know that my position here at Britax as an Advocate is to influence best practice into our product line. However, sometimes that can be very difficult if (a) the safety standard allows less (FMVSS 213 simply states a BPB cannot be recommended for children less than 30 lbs.) and / or (b) the average consumer doesn't make buying choices based on based practice, but by the law. YES - WE all know the law is not best practice. Trust me - it is tough to balance best practice, average consumer desires AND retail feedback that their consumer's are asking for.

I still see no reason why britax can't start theirs at 4 and 40, just because everyone else has boosters starting at 30 lbs and 1 year doesn't mean you have to. If you won't do 40 can you at least do 35? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!

 

[SafeDad]

Well, that is totally disappointing

I realize you aren't *Britax* and aren't responsible for making decisions, but just as a question, shouldn't a company purportedly dedicated to child passenger safety actually support best practice, not just put lip service to it? That video on youtube about TSIP showing the one year old baby forward facing in a Boulevard was just disappointing, and made me feel that Britax cares more about the almighty dollar than actually keeping kids safe :thumbsdown:

These days, that almighty dollar means the difference in being in business and being out of business. Also, last I checked, Britax already markets some very exceptional convertibles that allow children to be rear-facing to an age and weight consistent with best practice in the USA and Canada.

Even in a good economy, at best, it is a very, very small niche of people that would buy such a seat. With all the costs involved in having a seat updated to meet USA requirements, getting it certified, having new manuals printed, having the necessary marketing done and all the other costs, how many people would buy it at the $500 they would have to charge to have even a small chance to break even, at a time when people aren't buying anything?

Witness the disappearance of the pricey BabySafe, back when the economy was doing relatively well. The irony was that Consumer Reports praised the nearly identical Cozy Tot and lamented that such a safe model wasn't available in the USA. They conveniently failed to mention the cost of importing one or the cost of the identical Baby Safe when it was available.

Britax, like other manufacturers, may be a part of this issue, but only a tiny part. The bigger part of the problem is with big box retailers who give floor space to low cost models. It's also with consumers who want the cheapest seat possible, even if it's made in China. It's with our general inability to educate parents about the possible benefits of extended rear-facing, even beyond 1 year and 20 pounds. It's with the lack of research to show there is really a benefit to rear-facing beyond 2 years.

Kudos to Britax for keeping their company and manufacturing in the USA and employing our friends and neighbors, as well as setting an example for safety in child restraints. I'm glad they have the almighty dollar in mind. If they didn't, their new parent company may have split them up and/or sold them off long ago to some entity that could care less about child passenger safety.

 

[SafeDad]

Good morning all-

I have had several messages regarding questions about the new seats that are coming in 2009. There isn't a whole lot I can share at this time that you don't already know, but here it is:

Thank you, Sarah, for giving us some first hand information!

Given the reception that manufacturer's representatives have received at online forums in the past and still receive today, I appreciate your participation and Britax' involvement in the community in general.

 

[strollerfreak]

Kudos to Britax for keeping their company and manufacturing in the USA and employing our friends and neighbors, as well as setting an example for safety in child restraints. I'm glad they have the almighty dollar in mind. If they didn't, their new parent company may have split them up and/or sold them off long ago to some entity that could care less about child passenger safety.

TRUE THAT!!!

rep for you!

 

[NannyMom]

I'm thinking it would have to be another regent-like seat. If we know they are doing a new infant seat, a new 65lb seat, and a new bpb, then what else is there if it's not an eerf seat?

Maybe a narrow seat, like the Radian.

 

[SafeDad]

Jean made you put those U of M photos in your signature, didn't she? There has to be something in the user guidelines prohibiting that...

 

[joolsplus3]

I just want to add that the worst danger to forward facing kids comes from side impacts http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/6/398, and no company is doing quite as fine a job of offering substantial proof that their seats perform well in those kinds of crashes http://www.britaxusa.com/side-impact-protection/default.aspx

I'd love a bigger RF seat right now, but good FF seats are still very safe when used properly (Come work at BRU with me for a day, try to convince a dozen set of parents that RF past a year is safer...try not to bruise your forehead when banging it in frustration when people disagree with you and demand armrests and cupholders...)

 

[Jeanum]

Jean made you put those U of M photos in your signature, didn't she? There has to be something in the user guidelines prohibiting that...

<giggle> I didn't do it, I swear. I still have a UofM Parkway that would make her ensemble of Michigan seats in her van even more special if I would part with it, but I'm keeping it for DH's car.

 

[laccaycol]

Those are all great thoughts, but I have a more modest request: PLEASE get rid of the ratcheting adjusters. Please. Make them all smooth.

(Then put one on an EERF seat.)

On the Multi-Tech it is a smooth adjuster none of the ratcheting Love my multi-tech so much that i wouldnt get another seat unless its like the multi-tech very easy to use

 

[zeo2ski]

I'm thinking it would have to be another regent-like seat. If we know they are doing a new infant seat, a new 65lb seat, and a new bpb, then what else is there if it's not an eerf seat?

Mmmm yeah maybe with adjustable head wings/harness.

Good to know now that's it's not an EERFer, it would be a huge disappointment finding out later. Now I'll be happy to see whatever it really is.

 

[Amaris]

Maybe a narrow seat, like the Radian.

I'm thinking possibly regent-like, but narrower and lighter. I could be completely wrong of course, but looking at their list of retired seats I see that they usually keep something similar to that in their line. They've had the super elite, the husky, and the regent. It's possible that they are using the frontier to completely replace that line, but isn't the highest harness height on the frontier shorter than the regent?

 

[emandbri]

Mmmm yeah maybe with adjustable head wings/harness.

Good to know now that's it's not an EERFer, it would be a huge disappointment finding out later. Now I'll be happy to see whatever it really is.

I would like to see foam on the whole seat, not just around the head.

 

[mommaon112903]

I'm thinking possibly regent-like, but narrower and lighter. I could be completely wrong of course, but looking at their list of retired seats I see that they usually keep something similar to that in their line. They've had the super elite, the husky, and the regent. It's possible that they are using the frontier to completely replace that line, but isn't the highest harness height on the frontier shorter than the regent?

It is lower by I *think* almost two inches I don't know where we would be without our Regent! Josef was 3.5yrs when we bought the Regent and AT the bottom slots, by his fourth b-day he was on the second slots. He is now 5.2yrs at AT the third slots. Without the Regent we would been in a booster at 3.5yrs and 30lbs most likely

I am sooo happy that they are releasing a new HBB! I hope they bring the cowmoo with it too!

 

[scatterbunny]

I am happy to hear that a new BPB is in the works, and I'll reiterate, I hope it's as tall as the Frontier in booster mode. American children seem to only be getting bigger, and not just weight-wise. I'm always amazed at the number of children I hear about who are outgrowing Frontiers in harness mode by height at 5 years old, and Regents at 6.

My own child was already an inch over the Frontier's top harness slots around her 7th birthday, weighing about 60 pounds at that time. She's 7.5 now and about even with the Regent's top harness slots, at 65 pounds. She's not abnormally proportioned, or super long-torsoed, either: she's in the 97th percentile for height, about the 90th for weight, is the size of an average 9-10yo, just outgrowing size 8 clothing and moving into size 10.

I understand that Britax focuses on best practice (harnessing as long as possible), and I think that's wonderful. The Frontier and Regent allow the longest harnessing of all seats on the market. They have the tallest top harness slots, and the highest weight limits. Knowing when my own child outgrew those harnesses, though (age 6-7), I thought it was an unwise decision to discontinue BPBs. There are going to be those kids who outgrow the Regent at 6-7 and still need a tall BPB. Why force those parents to shop for a different brand (especially when most others on the market don't offer the height+SIP that Britax offers)?

So yes, I'm ecstatic about a new Britax BPB, just make it TALLER than the Monarch and Parkway were, more along the lines of the Frontier in booster mode. :thumbsup:

 

[Maedze]

Maybe I'm silly to be so disappointed

I just felt that if ANYONE was going to take the leap and bring something new and beautiful on the market, it would be Britax.

They took a risk in the 90s selling the Roundabout when everything else was pretty awful in comparison, and people bought it and it took off.


We have such a hard time convincing parents to rearface beyond the limits in part because even with 35 pound limits, the seats are not really designed for a long legged three year old. Sure kids can drape their legs, but it's BECAUSE of the design of the seat, not because it's the thing they're most likely to do.

If we could show the parents, "See here, how the seat is designed for older children to have their feet resting comfortably in front of them?" that would go along way towards squashing the belief that their 1 year old babies are 'uncomfortable' rear facing.


And Sarah, I do appreciate your contribution to the board and willingness to answer questions. Understand I am not holding you personally responsible for corporate decisions

 

[cowgirlsmommy]

So when is this 4th seat going to be announced?! When will I get to see at least some pics of the Chaperone? What is going on with the Madison cover for the Regent? I have so many questions!

 

[Irishmama]

It's good to know Britax is listening. Thank you!

It's not just parents who aren't following best practice. I had an associate in BRU tell me that the Evenflo Symphony was good to 100 lbs with the harness and when I pushed, she finally looked and said oh, it's 40 lbs. but you can leave them in the harness longer than that :jaw:, and I could turn a baby ff at about a year, or a little earlier if I wanted to, that you have to turn them at 1 yr. and 20 lbs. I tried to share that I had heard that they are supposed to rf to the max limits of the seat, but she kept disagreeing with me.

You can pass along to Britax for me that we love our Parkway, my only complaint is that dd says the headwings are too narrow. And please, please, please, a narrow seat. Installing our Radians is going to drive me to the loony bin! With all the people switching from minivans and SUV's to smaller cars and needing a narrow seat for a three across, I think there's an interest in it. Just my :twocents:

 

[Gypsy]

I completely agree that narrow is in!

If Britax made a narrow, low profile seat with high top harness slots that would work in 3 across configurations and harness tall kids to about age 8 (20 inch top slots please!), it would be the most highly recommended seat on this board because it would fit SO many kids and work in SO many situation - to make it even better, PLEASE approve the long belt path - 3 across would be a dream with a seat like that.

 

[Thanksgiving_Twins_Mom]

I completely agree that narrow is in!

If Britax made a narrow, low profile seat with high top harness slots that would work in 3 across configurations and harness tall kids to about age 8 (20 inch top slots please!), it would be the most highly recommended seat on this board because it would fit SO many kids and work in SO many situation - to make it even better, PLEASE approve the long belt path - 3 across would be a dream with a seat like that.

YES, narrow HWH seat puhleeeeze.... especially if we could get something like a narrower Frontier, it'd fly off the shelves here in the SF Bay Area among parents of twins who are outgrowing convertibles b/c so many folks stick with sedans and wagons instead of minivans, need to do 3 across, and aren't planning to have other kids that they'd pass a convertible down to.