Britax- Safest? Or Self Proclaimed Safest?

[Momof4Girls]

*doh*

Thought Evenflo was a Dorel company....

Raechel

 

[skaterbabs]

It can be confusing because so many are, but no. The Dorel companies are Dorel, Safety First, Cosco and Eddie Bauer.

 

[snowbird25ca]

One other, possibly nothing more than peace-of-mind factor, is that Britax seats are not made in China, whereas many other seats (nearly all others) are. Dorel (manufacturer of the EFTA among many others) has had a really crummy reputation as far as recalls, injuries, and that sort of thing.

Raechel

I don't believe evenflo seats are made in China either, and not all dorel seats are made in China either.

And as one of the PP said, the EFTA is not made by Dorel.

It's important to note that a carseat being made in China is not reflective of the quality or safety of the seat. All seats pass the same minimum safety standards. A correctly used seat that is installed properly and fits the child properly is going to protect that child in a crash as much as possible, and in most cases as well as any other properly used, installed, and fitted seat.

I'd place bets that if Britax moved their manufacturing to China everyone would still love them because they know them and would continue to expect the same quality. It's not all about the country a seat is made in, it's about quality control processes.

 

[skaterbabs]

It's important to note that a carseat being made in China is not reflective of the quality or safety of the seat. All seats pass the same minimum safety standards. A correctly used seat that is installed properly and fits the child properly is going to protect that child in a crash as much as possible, and in most cases as well as any other properly used, installed, and fitted seat.

AMEN!!

 

[southpawboston]

I'd place bets that if Britax moved their manufacturing to China everyone would still love them because they know them and would continue to expect the same quality. It's not all about the country a seat is made in, it's about quality control processes.

well put! i'm sure those anti-china arguments would stop once britax moved their manufacturing there. it's all about the quality control process. in fact, aren't american made cars considered *not* as good as in some other countries?

in all honesty, i've heard just as many stories about britax quality problems as i have any other seat... fraying adjuster straps, cracking bases, lock-offs failing, etc. in fact, a weak/ripping adjuster strap is about the single worst failure that can possible happen to a carseat, yet i've only heard of it happening on britaxes (at least based on stories here-- there have been several people with adjuster straps that have frayed badly and even ripped apart!). granted, britax is very good about replacing seats that are defective, but i still don't get why people think they are higher "quality" in terms of manufacturing.

 

[mama2Cecelia]

we loved our Britax Marathon because it had built in lockoffs.....we have older vehicles, this feature is a godsend

unfortunately our dd outgrew that seat at age 4 by height.....she's got a really long torso

she is now in a Regent......installed in the middle w/lap belts.......

we have 91 and 92 Honda Accords

I paid $1K for my car and $220 (US) for the Regent.......heck, I'm more worried about the seat getting stolen than the car.....

I was involved in a serious head-on (my 91 Accord w/no airbags vs. an 85 full-size Chevy pickup)

I had a bruise on my collarbone for 3 weeks from my seatbelt doing its job

unfortunately, I tried to stop.....my foot was stomped on brake pedal at the time of impact (equivalent of hitting a brick wall at 80mph) ......broke my ankle and shattered my lower leg.........didn't walk for three months.....had three surgeries and went to bankruptcy court.......that's why I'm still driving a 16-year-old car........drove it when it was spankin' new though......used to be my mom's ;-)

if you divide the $/by years of use......it's much less than $100/yr....

we are a one-income family.......dh is a sahd

I'm positively disgusted when I hear people make $ excuses about not keeping their kids harnessed longer, i.e., buying a hwh seat.....most are driving a much newer, larger vehicle and have not only the vehicle room, but also other little ones to pass the seat down to.....

~~Kris
CPST and proud mama to Cecelia....who is on her way to car seat geekdom!

 

[Momof4Girls]

Just checked the box for an EFTA at my local walmart today.

Says *assembled* in USA, but not manufactured. It also says uses foreign parts. Does that mean that all the parts are made in China, and it's just assembled in OH to say "assembled in USA"? I sent them an email (they're not available for calls except M-F), but had to check, since I was there.

Raechel

 

[snowbird25ca]

Just checked the box for an EFTA at my local walmart today.

Says *assembled* in USA, but not manufactured. It also says uses foreign parts. Does that mean that all the parts are made in China, and it's just assembled in OH to say "assembled in USA"? I sent them an email (they're not available for calls except M-F), but had to check, since I was there.

Raechel

All manufacturers use parts that are manufactured in various places. IMMI isn't made in the USA, and they supply the LATCH belts and harnesses for many seats (including Britax.) Covers often aren't made in the USA either.

Technically speaking, it's probably difficult to even track down whether the nuts and bolts come from the US or where.

But assembled in the US = fair wages and generally good working conditions if that's one of the china concerns you have... And if you looked at every seat from the aspect of every single component, there's no way you'd find a seat with every single part made in the USA.

It's kind of a moot point in my opinion, although I do understand there are those who only buy made in the US products. The question is always how much made in the US stuff uses foreign parts... quality and not the country it originated from is really what's most important. :thumbsup:

 

[Stresch]

The main reason we try to buy things made in the US is the labor issue. I know that there are very poor working conditions here in the states. However, there are at least some laws and enforcement here.

I won't ever buy Recaro because they have a manufacturing facility in Michigan, but instead of bringing new jobs into the state which desperately needs it (and which it has the skilled workforce for), they decided on starting production of their new products in China. My assumption is that they decided it was cheaper. However, that savings certainly didn't get passed onto consumers. If I'm getting sweatshop labor, I'm paying sweatshop prices for it, but given the chance, I am spending my money on goods that are less likely to be made by exploiting other people.

That said, I think the Britax Marathon is the safest seat for us. Because we know how to use and install it correctly, and it fits our child. Had we gotten a different seat, we probably would feel the same way about that one.

 

[joolsplus3]

The Britax assembly plant is lovely. I'd work there in a heartbeat

 

[Momof4Girls]

OK, the primary reason I don't want to buy MIC products is because of all the safety concerns of late. All the toy recalls for lead-based paint, those stupid aquadots things that had the date-rape drug in it (my brain is blanking on the chemical name for it...), etc. If they can't do *toys* safely, why should I trust my child's safety to a seat manufactured in china? After all the discussion around Easter about "Would you let your child eat candy made in china"...

Yes, I still buy made in china things...clothes, for example. With 4 littles, lots of debt (incurred while my dh was in college), and shopping at Whole Foods, we cannot afford to shop for clothing that is not made in China. However, nobody's going to die from wearing clothes, LOL.

Raechel

 

[Momof4Girls]

It's kind of a moot point in my opinion, although I do understand there are those who only buy made in the US products. The question is always how much made in the US stuff uses foreign parts... quality and not the country it originated from is really what's most important. :thumbsup:

And I've come to trust some countries' manufacturing more than others. Chinese children's products of late (and even some others...toothpaste etc) have left me leery of a truly chinese-made product. I'm fine (currently) with Britax using some products from Mexico etc. I believe some of their covers might be made in china (I might just be thinking of my MCP, though...), and even then, the cover is not a safety factor (like the shell, belt path, harness, etc).

Basically, what I'm saying, is, it frequently seems that the country of origin is directly related to quality of product.

Raechel

 

[joolsplus3]

But the concerns with toys and candy is that a child is ingesting things. There's not really a chance for ingestion of carseat parts, and it's well documented that carseats spew all kinds of toxic gasses anyway, no matter what country they come from. A seat shell and a harness are pretty standard...if the test models don't fail, the manufactured product won't. :twocents:

 

[Unregistered]

Don't forget 4) Fits your budget. Someone who can't afford a $300 seat shouldn't be made to feel bad that they own a $45 seat. A Britax is only best for you if you can afford it. And when all things are equal -- fit to the child, fit to the car, and can be used properly -- the next we like to look at is cost effectiveness. The Scenera is more cost effective than the Comfortsport, so people with a limited budget should aim for the cheaper seat, not the more expensive. Conversely, people who can afford it should go for an EFTA or a Britax rather than a three in one because it will work better for the child for longer (contrary to Dorel's marketing). So while we all wish everyone could afford an easy and long lasting seat, budget does play into this and must be taken into consideration.

Wendy

You can't put a price on life! Britax is the best! Side impact protection is something needed here. I lost my son in an accident with a car seat that was a decent price but a bad seat. It is worth saving your pennies, that is all I am going to say.

 

[snowbird25ca]

You can't put a price on life! Britax is the best! Side impact protection is something needed here. I lost my son in an accident with a car seat that was a decent price but a bad seat. It is worth saving your pennies, that is all I am going to say.

I'm sorry for the loss of your son.

While I don't disagree that SIP standards would be a good thing to have here, many seats do have features that offer good SIP. I would like to try and reassure you that some collisions are unsurvivable no matter what, and there is no guarantee that had your son been in a different seat he would've survived. We know that all car seats, regardless of brand, do a good job of protecting children when installed and used correctly. Sometimes it doesn't matter the price or the seat, nothing can be done to change the outcome... Some collisions are classed as unsurvivable simply based on intrusion into the passenger area. It doesn't matter if you're doing everything 100% perfect and have the "safest" seat, if there is significant cabin intrusion and significant force, there is often loss of life as a result. It's a sad but grim reality.

I'm sorry if these words are difficult to read. They are meant to be reassuring that in most likelihood a different seat wouldn't have made a difference. I also don't want other posters & lurkers to feel that their child is going to die in a collision if they don't buy a Britax seat... there are many brands out there that perform side impact testing now, and even those seats which don't have that done, still protect kids most of the time.

Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[PixieEMT]

The Britax assembly plant is lovely. I'd work there in a heartbeat

Do they do tours like the Crayola factory in Easton??? My next family vacation!

OP: I agree with WendyTThomas' first post and what she told you. (Sorry Wendy I was just skimming the thread before bed.)

Before I purchased my Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe (made by Britax) 2 years ago, I thought all seats only went to 40lbs. My two favorite things about Britax seats are 1) high harness weight limits and twist free harnesses.

Thanks, for stopping by!

 

[jen_nah]

well put! i'm sure those anti-china arguments would stop once britax moved their manufacturing there. it's all about the quality control process. in fact, aren't american made cars considered *not* as good as in some other countries?

in all honesty, i've heard just as many stories about britax quality problems as i have any other seat... fraying adjuster straps, cracking bases, lock-offs failing, etc. in fact, a weak/ripping adjuster strap is about the single worst failure that can possible happen to a carseat, yet i've only heard of it happening on britaxes (at least based on stories here-- there have been several people with adjuster straps that have frayed badly and even ripped apart!). granted, britax is very good about replacing seats that are defective, but i still don't get why people think they are higher "quality" in terms of manufacturing.

SPB,

I think why we hear more of the Britax problems is because the majority of the board members own Britax. I would guess that most of our active regular posters about 90% of them own a Britax seat. So, The more of the same seat and less of the others we are going to hear of the problems.

While I do think they make a great quality product over many other seats on the market. I also think their customer service is better then a lot of other manufactures. They do stand behind their products and are quick to fix any issues a customer has even if the seat is out of the warrenty period with little hassle. Look at those that are have harness fraying with their Sceneras and just trying to get a safe replacement. Several have had new replacement Sceneras shipped to them with the same defect. Then when asked for a refund are having to jump through hoops to get their $40 back.

I agree there are other great quality seats and manufactures but those that top my list are very few (Britax, Recaro, Sunshine Kids, Clek, & Chicco)

 

[snowbird25ca]

I agree there are other great quality seats and manufactures but those that top my list are very few (Britax, Recaro, Sunshine Kids, Clek, & Chicco)

Compass should absolutely be on that list too. They had an immediate response to an error on the CDN stickers on the true fit - the official recall by TC on the stickers was issued just a couple weeks after it was discovered and they were mailing the labels to registered owners before the recall was even released publicly.

Really, pretty much every manufacturer has at least one seat that is a good and useful seat to be recommended.

 

[dhardawa]

Don't forget 4) Fits your budget. Someone who can't afford a $300 seat shouldn't be made to feel bad that they own a $45 seat. A Britax is only best for you if you can afford it. And when all things are equal -- fit to the child, fit to the car, and can be used properly -- the next we like to look at is cost effectiveness. The Scenera is more cost effective than the Comfortsport, so people with a limited budget should aim for the cheaper seat, not the more expensive. Conversely, people who can afford it should go for an EFTA or a Britax rather than a three in one because it will work better for the child for longer (contrary to Dorel's marketing). So while we all wish everyone could afford an easy and long lasting seat, budget does play into this and must be taken into consideration.

Wendy

See, I have to disagree here. A seats safety has nothing to do with price. That is like saying a Kia Rio is safer than a BMW if the BMW is out of your price range. We all have to make choices every day like this. I drive a Chevy Malibu because that was the safest car that was in my price range. Is it the safest? No. Is it the safest I could afford? Yes. Does that make me a bad parent? No. Budget must definitely be taken into consideration by the person purchasing the seat, but when asked, "What is the safest seat," telling someone that the safest seat is one they can afford is untrue and puts that parent into a situation where s/he doesn't have the information s/he needs to make an educated decision.

 

[carseatcoach]

If a parent cannot or will not pay for a Britax, we need to take Britax out of the equation completely. It doesn't matter how great Britax is (and I agree that they have some great features, but am not convinced that they are the greatest seats ever) if they will never make it into that kid's family's car.