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@locavore_mama: I agree completely.
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I know this post comes across as having good intentions, but there is an undercurrent of judgement that I just can not shake.
Every situation is not created equal, as we all know. Things to consider in your purchase of a car seat include your car, the height of the driver and passenger sitting in the front seat, the pitch of the seats, the age of the car and whether it has LATCH or not, whether you intend to travel by air with your seat, length and weight of the child, other siblings that you need to have in car seats, financial position, I can go on and on.
Britax is a global company, I have mentioned before that I own a Swedish convertible, it is manufactured by Britax Roemer. They are a business and their number one goal is profits, so they will manufacture seats that meet the safety ratings for the countries in which they are sold. I do think Britax realizes the situation that they are in with their competitors and they will eventually manufacture a seat with higher RF limits. They are probably not rushing to put one on the market because the demand in the US isn't that high at the moment.
I hope no parent reading this thread feels badly about the choice they made when it comes to owning and using Britax convertibles.
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@looch: I'm with you on the undercurrent issue . . .
ETA: If the Clek Foonf had not come out as I was starting my research on convertible seats, we would absolutely have purchased 2 Britax convertibles.
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I agree with @locavore_mama: & @looch:
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My kid is 90% for height and I bought a Britax Marathon and I intend to rear face him probably until 2.5-3 years old. If he outgrows the seat height wise, we'll get him a graco mysize70. But for now, I trust the brand, my little guy is comfortable and doesn't cry, and he's safe. What could be better than that?
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Oh, and for whatever it's worth, I was part of that Facebook group and checked out a diono rxt - I didn't care for it,. But, to each his (her?) own!
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@looch: agreed.
We went with Britax because it fits all of our current needs. Should it stop meeting our needs we will choose another seat. Britax is a great company with a history of making very safe seats. I'm perfectly comfortable with our choice.
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I really hope that the mamas who have a Britax convertible (which is probably the majority of HB) don't feel badly after reading this thread.
I think there is a lot more to consider than just RF height limits. Not everyone wants to RF their child until they are 4 or 5 or 6. I know you think that is unsafe, but many moms are comfortable with only RFing until 2.
We have a Recaro and it works great for our family. To be honest, we didn't even take RF height limit into consideration. Our daughter is a shrimp.
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I just wanted to chime in since there seems to be some thought that Britax might not offer the "best" choice. I really, really hope no one feels that way about their seat. Repeatedly what you will hear about car seats is that the safest car seat for your child is the one you install correctly and use properly every time.
The seat that fits the bill will be different for different families and cars. Different car seats fit better in some cars than others and some seats are easier to adjust than others. Britax is popular in part because their seats are easy to consistently install correctly and they make it as easy as possible to make sure your child is buckled properly. Turning your child ff a few months sooner in a properly installed seat is far better than leaving them rear facing in a seat you struggle to use correctly.
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@looch: Thanks for posting this because for a split second, I was starting to feel bad that we bought a Britax and FF before the 3 year mark. I'll try to RF my DD as long as possible but she hates car rides so may not be make it to 3.
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@looch: @Rainbow Sprinkles: agreed. I didn't take RF limits into consideration because I think that is not the most important aspect of the safety of a carseat. I most definitely don't feel bad about using Britax. They're a great company.
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We had a Chaperone & a GREAT customer service experience with Britax so we definitely wanted to buy from them again. Easy to install, adjust, and comfortable for LO with good safety ratings. Sold.
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@banana: I thought I was going to be the only one who said they'd maybe stop rf'ing before 3! I agree with @Cole: 's sentiments as well.
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@googly-eyes: I know it's much safer to RF until as long as possible but what do you do if you have a child trying to squirm out of their RF'd seat, screaming through the entire car ride?
My son used to cry so much when he was RF'd and actually vomited. I had to get off the road every 5 minutes because he was going buckwild crazy. That's when we decided to FF him and he completely stopped crying. Sigh... =\
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@runsyellowlites: mine is 18 months old, 96th percentile in height, and only 50th in weight, and fits hers wonderfully. She outgrew her infant car seat extremely early and the Britax is stable, and fits her well- it should last until 2.
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We bought ours because of the safety ratings overall, not just rf. So far, it's great. I'm not sure if DS has a short torso or what but he'll be 2 in two months and even though my great aunt says he looks like he's uncomfortable (insert eye roll, lol) he's totally happy and most importantly safe.
I don't know how long we'll rf. I plan to keep him rear-facing until he outgrows the seats limits but if he were to get uncomfortable and make car rides impossible (I could totally see DS getting there, @banana ! don't feel bad), I would also consider turning him then.
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@rachiecakes: Aw thanks! I hope your LO tolerates car rides so that you can keep him RF! My DD is starting to reallllly hate car rides. UGHHH.
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I don't think anyone should be *bad* about having a Britax. They're a great brand and for a long time the only convertible seat that allowed any resemblance of erf, still allowing most all kids to rf until the minimum recommendation! I was simply questioning why they come so highly *recommended* by HB'ers given there are many other seats that allow rear facing longer, and amongst the professionals aren't that recommended...... From what I was told, many other seats with higher limits fit in most all cars (Radian, Foonf, Netfit, Graco, etc).
Like I said, I know there are alot of parents that simply did not know this b/c Britax plays up their marketing in their other amenities and when they found out they had to invest in another seat to continue rear facing, were not happy. This is the reason why I don't recommend the Combi to others.. even though it's a great seat, has always been easy to install for me, is FAA certified (at only 11 lbs is also easy to transport), & we're incredibly happy with it. <- All things that also make a great seat, but not necessarily a recommended seat since it's rf limits are so short.
I understand CR does their own safety ratings, but from what I've been able to read, their method is sometimes questionable amongst many in the CPST community & all seats have to pass the *same* standards... of course all seats try and market as the "best", "safest", "only seat you'll ever need", etc...... ultimately though we don't know which "scored" better in the pass/fail testing and all seats are just as safe given they are properly installed & allow the child to sit in the safest position.
Everyone has to weigh their priorities when shopping and that's fine that they're different from family to family... I do wish that Britax was more transparent about their low height limits though. I think alot of parents would choose another seat if they had known before purchasing, especially with their higher price tag and the fact that many other seats may fit their needs & have higher limits. Tbh I didn't even know about high rf limits when we got P's Combi or had I ever heard of the Radian, I just liked the seat & that it would work well for a future newborn... had it not been a good newborn seat I may have felt different about the $$ on such a short lived piece of gear. lol
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@runsyellowlites: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Ease-of-Use
I used this in addition to CR and other research I did.
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@swedishfish: We used that too. Funny enough another seat that got a higher rating (The SureRide) gave me ALOT more trouble trying to get properly installed over our Combi. (it seriously almost had me in tears it was so hard to get installed & took 4 tries to get it). *lol in a not funny haha kinda way*
Re-checking them, it's kinda sad to see the rf Britax limits inaccurate.... they are listed as the same as their ff limits, but they are actually significantly lower than 48/49".
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@runsyellowlites: I think all the companies need to do a better job being more transparent about specs. I think the Britax case caught people by surprise since many weren't aware they redesigned the shells. In their defense, that means their seats fit better in some vehicles than before. But of course it also means no extended RF for some long-torsoed kids, like mine.
Live and learn.In general, I'm annoyed by how complicated the car-seat buying process can be for the average family. One day I might become a CPST and make this a writing niche. There is not enough clear info out there.
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@Mrs. Yoyo: Agreed!
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