Vent So sick of Britax Hype!

[cmcki737]

Your right on the graco name I switch them around constantly.

Also the other poster is correct it is a mommy wars thing I have never bought into that stuff and guess that is why it drives me so nuts. My kids dress in all hand me down and mommy market items and while I have more expensive seats it is more about fitting in the vehicle with the number of kids I transport then anything else.

I just wish people put less of a focus on the cool items and making people feel they have to have them and instead on just giving good resources on the mom blog :-/

 

[Kobain's Mommy]

As an owner of 4 (3 current one that was traded in when it expired) and other numerous seats. I go to Britax for their ease of use for their convertibles as well as RF TTing is important to me as well, I also own 2 CCOs because of the RF TTing. I also own or have owned other seats. When people ask me about car seats I ask questions about their car and their child first and do a bit of research before telling them what to get.

But I also get the annoyance of someone posting "Oh what car seat?" and there is like 40 people jumping "BRITAX it's the safest." One poor friend of mine she ended up getting a MyRide after asking about seats. I privately messaged her and we talked more indepth. When she posted pictures of her child in their new "big" seat some friends jumped all over her it wasn't a Britax. She came crying to me asking if she should take it back. I told her no, and also pointed out some of the Britax lovers picture of misuse. Eventhough their kids were in Britax they weren't safer than her child in a properly installed MyRide, that she was using properly.

 

[Phineasmama]

As an owner of 4 (3 current one that was traded in when it expired) and other numerous seats. I go to Britax for their ease of use for their convertibles as well as RF TTing is important to me as well, I also own 2 CCOs because of the RF TTing. I also own or have owned other seats. When people ask me about car seats I ask questions about their car and their child first and do a bit of research before telling them what to get.

But I also get the annoyance of someone posting "Oh what car seat?" and there is like 40 people jumping "BRITAX it's the safest." One poor friend of mine she ended up getting a MyRide after asking about seats. I privately messaged her and we talked more indepth. When she posted pictures of her child in their new "big" seat some friends jumped all over her it wasn't a Britax. She came crying to me asking if she should take it back. I told her no, and also pointed out some of the Britax lovers picture of misuse. Eventhough their kids were in Britax they weren't safer than her child in a properly installed MyRide, that she was using properly.

Have you showed her the awesome MyRide side impact videos on youtube? That's really awful they would make her cry about her new car seat. And a perfectly good seat too!!!

 

[MommyShannon]

I've definitely seen the Britax push in moms' groups online. It stinks that do many want to "get the word out" that Britax is the safest then turn around and balk about erf (or even rf to 2 which I don't consider erf) or not wearing winter coats in carseats. I mostly point people here, but if they won't come here, I ask more questions like pp mentioned. I love our Britax seats, but wouldn't recommend them to someone with tall kids that wouldn't buy another seat down the road if their child outgrew it too quickly. If somebody has an average sized kid and will only rf to 2, I think its a great recommendation since its so easy to install right and tighten the harness right. Alternatively, I'm hesitant to recommend the FR85 b/c of the tricky install with LBP in a lot of vehicles unless its someone who will put in the effort to learn to install it right. I try to show DH how to install all our seats (and he is concerned and very technical), but he does much better putting in a Britax convertible and nautilus than the TFP or FR85.

 

[Kac]

Why don't you recommend them to come here so that we can help them find the right seat for their car?

 

[cmcki737]

Why don't you recommend them to come here so that we can help them find the right seat for their car?

I did I always do

 

[Avery'sMama]

Way back in 2004, when I was a new Mommy, Britax was the best for convertibles hands down. They were the first to have higher weight harnesses, the first to have lock offs, no-retread harnesses...

I scrimped and saved for my DD's Boulevard after she outgrew her Comfort Sport. And then for a Regent in 2007 when DS needed the convertible.

A lot has changed in CPS in the last nine years, but I still have a Britax convertible in my stable of seats. And while DD2 is riding in a Radian so she can still rearface comfortably, I don't really like it.

My in-laws classic Marathon is expiring in June and I'm replacing it with another one. They can install and use it correctly. There is no other seat I've used in my 6 yrs as a CPST that I would use till expiry and happily replace.

IMO, Britax deserved the reputation and worked hard for it. Other companies are following in their wake, and doing good things, but I do think Britax convertibles are still the easiest to install and use at this time.

 

[safeinthecar]

IMO, Britax deserved the reputation and worked hard for it. Other companies are following in their wake

I had a parent at a check once point out that Britax has the most experience at doing the things other companies are following along doing, so by virtue of experience he felt they had an advantage to getting it right.

It's a pretty valid theory actually. My kid's pediatrician is the head of pediatrics at a teaching hospital. When they see a med student, I feel comfortable and if it's something big I get a call setting them up with a specialist a couple of days later, but when they see her personally and it's something big, I know that she'll be on the phone setting us an appointment with a specialist before I even walk out the door and that there's a good chance she'll get off the phone and tell us to go straight upstairs and see a specialist right then.

I know that and you know that this doesn't work quite the same in the car seat world, but I can't fault anyone who sees some logic in the theory.

 

[Kobain's Mommy]

Have you showed her the awesome MyRide side impact videos on youtube? That's really awful they would make her cry about her new car seat. And a perfectly good seat too!!!

That was before the videos came out. And at the time I had a MR and a Marathon (the one that expired last year and was given to me when my friends DD outgrew it). I just told her would I tell her a bad seat that my own kid was sitting in. The Marathon was in DH's truck that we rarely used.

 

[SnoGurl]

Oh the mommy wars-- the reason S. and I no longer go to toddler group.

I've had a Britax in my car all week (a Marathon) and the thing is a Beast! I'm one of 'those people' who has a 30,000+ vehicle and a Scenera hanging out in it (in my defence I live in Canada, so I did spend a whole $80 on it! lol). And you know why? Because I LIKE it. I can appreciate that the Marathon (and the Boulavard that I've also used in my car) is easy to install (and I did covet it, breifly!), but it doesn't meet my needs. I change my seat between vehicles 4,5,6... somtimes it feels like a million times a day. So yeah, I guess having a Britax would be nice for ease of use, but I didn't know any different when I learned to install my Scenera, and the Britax is just way to heavy for me to be hauling S. under one arm and it under the other from car to car to car. I originally bought the Scenera because I needed a seat RIGHT NOW, and had to drive an hour as it was to avoid getting my only other option -- an AOE. My original plan had been to replace the Scenera within the month, when I was able to get to the city to buy something. However, I ended up liking it so much I bought a second one (which I did not like as much at first, but am now back to enjoying it!). S. and fly at least once everyother month, and I loooove flying with the Scenera. I also have a Via35 that I still use frequently when it's cold, but we've had such a mild winter that my Scenera has definitly been getting the most use.

From what I've read and know, it seems like Britax has worked to build the reputation that they have, and that it is a good company. If a Britax met my needs, I would have no qualms purchasing one. But the fact is, right now, it doesn't. And no, no one should be made to feel shamed because they can't afford one. Sometimes things come up and you need a seat RIGHT NOW, and no amount of scrimping or saving in a short time period is going to help you come up with that money. Or maybe you just don't want one-- and a person shouldn't be made to feel bad about not buying Britax because *gasp* they don't want to! How horrible that Britax doesn't meet their needs! (Can you tell I got some flak at toddler group?!)

 

[mominabigtruck]

I think having a britax is like any other luxury brand item, once you get used to having all the extras, it just blows your mind that someone wouldn't want all that. I got into britax because all of my boys are freakishly huge and they were the only seats they fit in back in the day. Now, even though there's tons of options out there when I look at seats I'm looking for cover plushness and durability, thick straps and IMMI buckles, premium latch, ease of use and installation and all of that comes from owning britax.

So yeah, I own other brands because some other seats fit my needs better but that doesn't mean I like them as much as I like my britaxes. Right now I probably have 20 seats and 7 or 8 of them are britax and most are the same seat. You will have to pry my many original blvds from my cold, dead hands because I have yet to find a seat that does everything they do and that everyone loves.

 

[lorinick]

They are indeed great seats BUT not any better than other seats on the market and not deserving of the ridiculous hype

I will give them credit, every car I have put my marathon 70 in it has fit perfectly I've used it in a dodge caravan. Dodge charger, Toyota corolla, scion xb, Toyota tacoma, Denali.

I agree! Very easy to use. I've installed the Blvd/MA in so many cars and it fit perfectly every time.