Britax- Safest? Or Self Proclaimed Safest?

[lorinick]

I agree about Rf'ing but you must have some small kids. My son unfortunately will outgrow RF'ing at most at 3 yoa.

I LOVE our Britax car seats. We now have 2 blvds but had one MA before and i have loved them all. I like the SIP provided by the Blvd. but also love the features on the Britax's compared to other seats.

I agree my son would have never been able to rear face past three. He's off the charts in height. He would have been very uncomfy. My goal is age two for DS#2 rf in Blvd.

 

[jen_nah]

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.

I don't work with a lot of Compass seats so that is why I didn't have them on my list. Just not enough experiance with them. I will say the TF looks to be like a nice seat.

 

[wendytthomas]

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.

If carseats were tested like cars then we would be able to finally say that X seat IS the safest and Y seat is a death trap. However, if the BMW and the Kia were tested on a pass/fail system where they had to meet requirements, then yes, we could say that a Kia was perfectly safe if you could not afford a BMW. That anything out there was as safe as the next, especially if you drove the best and safest you could and wore your seatbelt and kept it in safe condition.

As it is, carseats just have to pass testing, not show their results. So no, a Britax is not safer than a Scenera, and if given the choice between a terribly installed Britax and a properly installed Scenera, the Scenera wins hands down every time. A parent who takes the time to learn the seat they have and use it properly is going to protect their child. Period.

Wendy

 

[snowbird25ca]

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.

But can you tell me, 100% for certain, that Britax is the safest? Because that's what your post is implying. And as we all know, there is no way to know which seat is safest. For all we know, Britax has done a remarkably good job with PR and making their seats have features that techs like. Wouldn't it be a shock if they came in near the bottom of the totem pole after telling parents "if you have the money buy a Britax because they're the best."

I'll go on record as saying I don't think Britax is the best or the safest. I have more trust in other seats that I own than the MA I own, and it's because I wonder how much of Britax's "safety" is marketing. That doesn't mean I think they're unsafe, but I don't think they're top of the barrel either. And telling parents otherwise is misleading - because nobody knows how they compare. :twocents:

 

[Patriot201]

I wonder how much of Britax's "safety" is marketing.

That (marketing) and store employees telling parents that Britax seats are tested at incredibly high rates of speed, such as 70 mph, 75 mph, or 100 mph, and that they pass with flying colors. I am not sure how that rumor got started, but it seems to have spread like wildfire around this continent.

 

[carseatcoach]

But can you tell me, 100% for certain, that Britax is the safest? Because that's what your post is implying. And as we all know, there is no way to know which seat is safest. For all we know, Britax has done a remarkably good job with PR and making their seats have features that techs like. Wouldn't it be a shock if they came in near the bottom of the totem pole after telling parents "if you have the money buy a Britax because they're the best."

I'll go on record as saying I don't think Britax is the best or the safest. I have more trust in other seats that I own than the MA I own, and it's because I wonder how much of Britax's "safety" is marketing. That doesn't mean I think they're unsafe, but I don't think they're top of the barrel either. And telling parents otherwise is misleading - because nobody knows how they compare. :twocents:

:yeahthat:

I don't hate Britax. I've owned Britax seats before. I might own Britax seats again in the future. But I certainly don't believe Britax is the best/safest just because Britax says so.

 

[joolsplus3]

I think Britax is riding on some reputation from the past, too. Back when the choices on the market otherwise didn't have top tethers, EPS foam, lockoffs (and that was when most cars didn't have locking belts), all reinforced slots, non-twist straps, and easy to remove and wash covers, the Roundabout was a darned-fine choice (Even the much beloved competitor Fisher Price Safe Embrace had non reinforced slots and *zero* comfort padding). But now that other seats have most of those features and are getting harder and harder to misuse, Britax isn't so far ahead any more. :twocents:

 

[carseatcoach]

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.....

An argument could be made that a child in a mediocre seat in a newer vehicle with more safety features is safer than a child in a "better" seat in a less-safe vehicle. I know that cars cost more than carseats, but I don't necessarily fault a family for choosing to prioritize vehicle safety over carseats, as long as the seats they are using are at least adequate.

 

[cpsaddict]

I have owned numerous seats and currently own a Marathon. I LOVE my Marathon. I can install and reinstall in less than 5 minutes. This is important to me. I love the easy to use LATCH straps, easy to use tether, the velcro to secure the straps. How easy they are to clean...I could go on and on. I had a Sunshine Kids Radian and it certainly is a nice seat, but the Marathon is easier for me to use. I can use pretty much any seat out there, but I prefer the ease of the Britax. For my sister, the Marathon is the seat for her. She has an older Explorer that is terrible for car seats. Non locking seatbelts, really inclined, cushiony seats. SHE can install the Marathon, rather than having me come over every single time she needs to move it! The built in lockoffs and rearfacing tether are great for installation.
I don't get into the whole where it's made, why it's made or what they say. Simply put, it works for me and my family.