Friday, April 18th, 2008...5:05 pm
#27: Britax Car Seats
The Best Parent is better than you because they will ONLY put their child in a Britax car seat. In the Best Parent’s mind, any other brand is akin to strapping one’s child in an infant-sized electric chair or Iron Maiden. Fatal injuries are assured at the slightest scuff on the Prius. Someone using a Perego? Graco? Or even (GASP!) Evenflo? Call Child Protective Services immediately!
The Chicco Key Fit car seat actually scored higher in Consumer Reports safety testing (and they haven’t even withdrawn that report yet). But don’t tell that to the Best Parent. For them, the Britax is the perfect little, bombproof, backseat bunker that will save their brood from anything short of a direct nuclear strike. The irony is that all car seats are only effective if properly installed, and 80 percent of them are not. Remember Britney Spears problems with her car seat? It turns out, believe it or not, that she is a Best Parent too.
So, take that, safety-conscious parents everywhere! When the apocalypse hits, don’t even TRY hiding beneath your Graco and Evenlo. The Best Parent child, however, will be sitting pretty inside their Britax, with nary a blemish on their 5-point harness and “comfort foam.” Of course, the world will be destroyed, but at least the Best Parent will still be better than you.
For more “helpful” parenting tips, join the BPE Discussion Board!
30 Comments
April 18th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I know multiple sets of parents that only by the Britax car seats when cheaper models have the same or similar safety ratings. This post is funny and hit the nail on the head.
April 20th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I am in trouble. I’m white but apparently not the “best white parent” I can be.
My kids don’t ride in Britax carseats. We play at public parks. They have normal, easy-to-spell names. Our high chair is from Ikea b/c it was $25. I buy and sell at consignment. Do I have to turn in my white card? My daughter might prefer that. Every doll she plays with is black or Hispanic looking.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:28 pm
hey blog lady,
check out this article in Toronto Life (aka magazine that best white parents like) called Baby Wars. It’s a gold mine!
http://www.torontolife.com/features/baby-wars/?pageno=1
April 21st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I am a staunch proponent of child safety, especially my own child’s. Furthermore, I don’t trust anyone else with the safety of my child. As such, I must say that the Britax car seat doesn’t hold a candle to our homemade car seat. As long as it is properly anchored to the body of the vehicle, there is absolutely no chance that baby will be injured or anyone in the car injured by projectile babies.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Again, I have to disagree with your narrow view. Many parents get the Britax because it has higher weight and height abilities along with the good safety ratings. Currently we use Cosco car seats for our children, but are having to consider a Britax to help our son stay rearfacing longer for his safety because his weight is nearing the weight limit for his current car seat (don’t ask me where he hides the weight…it’s very odd! Probably his thighs like mommy lol).
May 16th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
lindsey, exactly.
I actually looked up each car seat’s measurements to accommodate my kid’s length and giant head. he has super cute dimply thighs as well.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
to the poster that says the britax has a higher weight limit.
The new even flo triumph advanced goes up to a higher weight and IS CHEAPER.
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
too bad the triumph is so fat you can only fit one in your car, and is ugly as sin.
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:31 am
The Evenflo Triumph Advance harnesses to 50 pounds.
The “big three” Britax seats harness to 65 pounds.
Just sayin. I don’t own Britax seats, nor do I think they’re the best thing since sliced bread, but they DO harness to a higher weight than any Evenflo seat.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I feel that your view is quite narrow and the Britax issue. I do own a Britax seat and it is the best seat I have ever used! My son loves it, it is very safe, easy to use and install and completely worth every single penny of the $300 we paid for it.
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Radian also has 65 or 80lb harness limits & can be used rear-facing as well as forward facing. They are also narrower than a Britax so you can fit 3 across in most back seats & the bottom can fold when not in use. They do run about the same amount of money as a Britax but they can be the only seat you ever use since they go from 5lbs-80lbs. Also they can be tethered rear-facing & have a metal frame so they don’t expire for 10 years. They can’t be installed in all cars but they should fit any car with latch.
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
LOL! And the car seat wars continue!!! Hey, what about the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe? It is actually a cheaper version of Britax and non-ugly! That’s what we have and we are totally the Best Parents Ever!
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Samantha, the Radian carseats are only good for 8 years. Definitely a great seat though, especially for 3 across in the backseat!
F: The FP Safe Voyage Deluxe only harnesses to 55#. Based on the Britax Decathalon shell. It’s too bad they are no longer making them!
As for Britax being only for “best parent ever…”, I didn’t buy a Britax b/c it’s the most expensive (and therefore “the best”), I got it b/c they are extremely easy to install and use properly, can be tethered RF and have a higher harnessing weight than most other seats on the market.
ALL carseats on the market are equally “safe” provided they are used correctly 100% of the time…they all have to pass the same tests to be approved. We have a $40 Cosco Scenera on my husband’s truck…as long as it’s installed and used properly, my daughter is just as safe in it as she is in the Britax in my car.
Consumer Reports is not well liked in the carseat community b/c they do not disclose how they test or how they rate the seats. Some years the seats are higher on the list than the year before, but the seat hasn’t changed at all…so why should the rating?
June 4th, 2008 at 9:50 am
We have a Britax because it was the closest thing to a gold-studded protective bubble that I could find. Nothing but the best for my precious baby Mmylisah (Melissa). But seriously, we bought one because it’s inherently cheaper in the long run. It will rear face to 35 pounds and forward face to 65 pounds. While I realize the Radian goes higher forward facing, I like the ease of the Boulevard’s installation better.
But then, that’s what makes me a best parent ever. I have time to research my car seat and brag about it as an anonymous user on a blog. But hey, that’s your taxpayer’s dollars at work. I’m a government employee on the clock.
June 7th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Wow, the more I read this, the more I realize that I am a Best Parent Ever.
Of course, I own a Britax, and the only difference I see is that I believe in Attachment Parenting, so I do not use a “nanny”, b/c I am better than that!
June 8th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I have to agree about the Britax seats. I honestly hate Britax, they are not as easy to install as they are supposed to be, they arent very plush, there is only 1 that has an adjustable crotch strap, they are difficult to adjust and my kids both screamed in them. My poor little girls legs are too fat to go in a Britax and the straps leave huge nasty red indentions on her thighs, my poor boy was already WAY too tall for the top slot on the Marathon at only 40lbs and 4yrs old and not to mention… they are $$$$ !
We went with the Evenflo Triumph advance for the girl and the boy fits very well in it, WAY better than the Marathon. He is now in a Graco Nautilus and both for half the price of a Britax !
June 12th, 2008 at 3:42 am
I am one of those freaky parents who researches things like carseats almost to death before making a purchase. My hubby and I are both quite tall, so it is a reasonable guess that our son will be tall, as well. So when we needed a new carseat because our Evenflo Triumph V broke after 2 years of use, we ended up with a Britax Regent. That thing is huge, yes, but we will be able to keep him in a 5-point harness for quite a while (he’ll be 3 Sunday). In the meantime, we have replaced our Evenflo with a new Triumph Advanced. I’ve changed out the two seats many times, and, hands down, I MUCH prefer moving the Britax, even with all its cumbersome size and weight, to the Evenflo. I couldn’t find any of the new Evenflo’s with the LATCH clips that are supposed to be like the Britax, so maybe those are better. But the one we have now is actually quite difficult to install. Loving the Britax!
June 19th, 2008 at 10:52 am
This post made me laugh out loud!
We DO have a Britax in both cars….. and we LOVE them. Easy to install, higher weight limits, and safe! If that helps us in our quest to be the “best parent ever”…. BONUS!
p.s.
I thoroughly enjoy your blog!
July 18th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I own the Alpha Omega Elite carseat and it can harness a child up to 100 pounds! My daughter is currently in it rearfacing but at least I know that I will NEVER need to purchase another carseat!
July 20th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
I don’t care for Britax seats one bit. Overpriced, cumbersome, and totally unattractive. Taste is varied, though, since someone said they thought Evenflo Triumph Advances were ugly, but mine is gorgeous: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3028985
I love it. I’ll use it up to the 50 lb. weight limit and then go to a nice little booster for my boy…one that is well-rated in safety of course. I don’t care about the name. I care about what works, what protects my baby and what we can afford.
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I’m sorry it’s not the safety rating for me. All carseats are safe or else they wouldn’t be on the market, but Britax has a higher weight limit and height limit. There are others as well that are slightly cheaper. Car accidents is the number one cause of child deaths from ages 2-14….you got that right it’s not AIDS, Cancer or anything else it’s CAR ACCIDENTS!!!! They are working on making plus size car seats to help keep heavier and taller kids harnessed longer to try and bring that statistic down. So this one is acceptable to me.
August 21st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I love my Britax because I can afford it.
August 25th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
“#
Veronica
July 18th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I own the Alpha Omega Elite carseat and it can harness a child up to 100 pounds! My daughter is currently in it rearfacing but at least I know that I will NEVER need to purchase another carseat!”
The AOE does NOT Harness up to 100lbs ! It harnesses up to I think 40lb possibly 45lbs, after that it is meant to be a belt positioning high back booster ONLY.
September 7th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I bought a two Britax car seats not because it would make me the BPE but because they are easy to install. Oh yea, they were on sale for a because the fabric was discontinued. Gasp!! I bought “the best car seat” at crappy seat prices lol. JK I have used them all.
September 15th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Yeah, the first car seats were Britax. Although we (gasp) actually moved them from one car to another when we needed to, instead of buying 2 sets of the wretched expensive things. We actually got them as shower/welcome baby gifts. As soon as they outgrew those though – Evenflo boosters. And so far the kids are still alive.
I never did understand why it is so impossible for most people to install them properly. It is really not that difficult. But don’t mention that to a BPE – it is akin to child abuse to have anyone other than Albert Einstein install a car seat.
September 17th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Ok, so I did a lot of research and bought a (gasp!!) evenflo triumph advance. As to it being too wide, i checked the measurements and it is just as big as the britax (i think it was just as fat and maybe 1/2 inch shorter). then there is the whole height issue. the triumph goes to 50″ the britax 491/2″. Not a big deal? no, just means up to 6 months longer in a 5 point harness. But what about the weight limit? Well unless your kid is really fat, they will never get to the weight limit before hitting the height limit, so it really doesn’t matter, does it. Then again, if you as a parent really feel like you have to have a name brand to make you feel good about yourself, go for it. It’s just as safe as my evenflo. One more thing that I read. Ease of use. I have not installed a britax, but i did have two other seats (one cosco, one safety first) which were both an absolute pain everytime to install them. I about cried every time I had to install them. Then I bought my evenflo. Love it. And then I bought another so I have one for each girl. One I bought for $100 the other I bought for $80. I really am the BPE and I don’t need a Britax name to prove it.
November 15th, 2008 at 3:19 am
OK–so maybe I’m a BPE in this particular area regarding car seat safety. I wanted a seat that could be used rearward facing to 35 pounds, and forward facing for as long as possible thereafter. Being from Scandinavia, where tethering seats is a must, I also wanted a seat that could be tethered when rearward facing and that was easy to install…and that didn’t leave a whole lot of options. We ended up getting a Britax, but to “dilute” my BPE-ness, at least we got it at one of the semiannual sales.
January 18th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I’m also the best parent ever because we own 4 Britax seats between 4 cars. I’ve been called worse. I even make other people children ride in the Britax when they are in my car. It’s so absurd to believe that people by them to be posh or feel like a better parent than YOU. The fact that the original poster is so po’d by the assumption that we are better parents goes to show who is really conscerned about self image. The truth of the matter is the seats have a huge weight and height range and can last for ever. The other seats on the market that accomodate older children in 5 point harnesses (which are by far safer than boosters) are just as expensive. The Graco nautalis has no recline. The Radian crotch strap is way tight. The Evenflo weight and height limits don’t even come close to the Frontier. We tried on at least 15 different seats. The Britax fit my kids and car the best. Perhaps lots of parents just choose them because they are a good seat so in turn worth the money. I don’t feel like being frugal would somehow make me a better parent or make my kid safer. P.S. I also nursed both of my children so they’ll be smater and more well adjusted than your bottle fed children. Just kidding! Try your seats on for size and if you can afford it forget the price tag.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I have a Britax Blvd for my 17mnth old that I bought on sale, and I love it. I bought it after a lot of research, and the fact that they kept pushing the date back on the new Recaro that I really wanted.
I also have a Graco Nautlius that my almost 8yr old DD sits in harnessed. My 9yr old rides in a booster seat and will till he is 100lbs.
I also own an apex 65 and am getting ready to purchase either a Recarro como or a Britax Regent or frontier so that my children can stay harnessed longest.
Jennifer