Britax Car Seats

Britax convertible car seats top others in reviews

Britax convertible car seats get the best scores in car seat reviews, though they're also among the most expensive. This British company crash-tests its seats under tougher European standards, conducting higher-speed and side crash-tests that the U.S. government doesn't require. Also, every Britax convertible seat has a safety feature that most other seats don't: a top tether that works when the seat is either forward- or rear-facing to keep the seat's head area from jolting around in a crash, meant to lower the child's risk of head and neck injuries. Most other seats' top tethers can only be used forward-facing. The Sunshine Kids Radian seats also have a tether that works both ways, and The First Years True Fit Premier has an anti-rebound bar; both are discussed in the "compact and portable" section below.

All Britax convertible car seats get identical crash scores in a major U.S. test, but the priciest ones have higher weight and height limits, cushier padding and some advanced safety and convenience features. All have deep side wings to protect children in side crashes, a layer of shock-absorbing foam padding (similar to the stuff used in motorcycle helmets) plus another for comfort, hand-washable seat padding and a five-point harness with up-front adjustment. One reviewer at Amazon.com calls Britax "the Mercedes of car seats" -- sturdy, well designed and luxurious.

The least expensive Britax convertible car seat, the Britax Roundabout, has long been a favorite in car seat reviews. The latest version, the Britax Roundabout 50 Classic (*Est. $180), is our Best Reviewed convertible car seat under $200. It boosts the old Roundabout's height and weight limits to 49 inches in height and 5 to 35 pounds rear-facing or 20 to 50 pounds forward-facing (enough to keep most kids in the seat until age 6, according to the Centers for Disease Control's growth charts).

There's also a Britax Roundabout 55 (*Est. $200) that ups the weight limits to 40 pounds rear-facing and 55 pounds forward-facing, but the height limit drops to 46 inches. Some parents complain that Britax's higher weight-limit seats fit too loosely around small infants, but Britax sells a foam infant-positioning insert (*Est. $15) to solve that problem. The Roundabout 55 also adds steel bars to stiffen the frame and "cells" within the frame that are designed to collapse in a crash, lowering the seat's center of gravity. Both of these features, like Britax's top tether (which is designed to let out slightly and slowly during a crash) are meant to reduce and cushion the movement of the seat during a crash, thereby lowering the risk that the child will suffer a head injury.

It may be Britax's entry-level convertible seat, but parents say the Roundabout is hardly bare-bones, with plush padding, soft fabric that's easy to clean and wide, no-twist straps that make the seat comfortable and easy to use. On the negative side, the Roundabout still costs more than some other brands.

Like the Britax Roundabout 50 Classic, the Britax Marathon Classic (*Est. $270) has a height limit of 49 inches and a rear-facing weight limit of 35 pounds, but it can hold up to 65 pounds forward-facing. The Britax Marathon 70 (*Est. $280) bumps the rear-facing limit up to 40 pounds and the forward-facing limit up to 70 pounds (it also adds a front harness adjuster, so you can change the harness height easily without rethreading the straps). The Marathon car seat is larger and heavier than the Roundabout, and some parents complain that it's simply too large for their cars, especially in the rear-facing position. If you have a compact car like a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris, you might want to check out the compatibility database at CarSeatData.org (see our Car Seat Brands and Links section) and try the seat in your own car before you commit. Most owners say their children are comfortable in the Marathon, but a few complain about overly tight crotch straps and insufficient recline -- both of which have been improved upon in Britax's Marathon 70 convertible car seat. Overall, the Marathon is similar in features to the Roundabout, but its higher weight limits earn the Marathon more recommendations than any other convertible car seat.

If you're willing to spend more, Britax offers two pricier car seats -- the Boulevard and the Advocate -- with even plusher padding and more features. Both max out Britax's weight and height limits, equal to the Marathon 70.

The Britax Boulevard 70 (*Est. $310) has some additional foam along the inner sides of the car seat for added head protection in a side-impact crash. The side-impact padding is height-adjustable to accommodate growing children. There's also an additional belly pad and an inner infant liner so that babies fit more snugly in the seat. This extra padding is removable. The Britax Boulevard 70 CS (*Est. $330) adds a special "Click and Safe" harness adjuster -- after you buckle your child in, you pull a strap in the front and the harness automatically adjusts to the perfect tightness and clicks audibly to let you know it's done. Reviewers say there's nothing wrong with the added feature, but most say it's an unnecessary extra given that, with a little practice, parents can do just as good a job of judging harness fit themselves.

Britax's top-of-the-line convertible car seat, the Britax Advocate 70 CS (*Est. $370), comes with everything you get on the Boulevard 70 CS -- plus it's the only Britax seat with air-filled cushions on the outside to further protect the child in a side crash. Britax says these cushions also protect nearby passengers who may slam up against the seat during a crash. Since neither the U.S. government nor ConsumerReports.org tests car seats in side crashes (and the Advocate isn't tested in Europe, where side crash-testing is common), it's hard to know whether the side-impact cushions are worth the money -- but plenty of parents say the beefed-up Advocate gives them peace of mind, especially if they have to place the seat in an outboard position where side crash damage is more likely.

Britax has recently discontinued two of its seats, the tall Decathlon (with a 49-inch, 65-pound weight limit) and the Diplomat, sized for smaller cars (with a 40-inch, 40-pound weight limit). We found them still for sale at major retailers. Both get typically great Britax ratings.

Compact and portable convertible seats

A more portable and compact alternative to the Britax car seats is the Sunshine Kids Radian65SL (*Est. $230). The Radian65 is a high-capacity seat with high height and weight limits (up to 53 inches tall and from 5 to 40 pounds rear-facing, or 65 pounds forward-facing). Its slim steel frame makes it less bulky than other seats, so you can fit three Radians in the backseat of a sedan, SUV or minivan if you need to. The similar Sunshine Kids Radian80SL (*Est. $265) extends weight limits to 80 pounds forward-facing and 45 pounds rear-facing. Since the height limits are the same on both seats -- 53 inches -- taller children may not benefit from the extra weight capacity. The Sunshine Kids RadianXTSL (*Est. $270) has the same specs as the Radian80, but adds a height-adjustable headrest and deeper side-impact protection.

One feature that sets the Radian convertible car seats apart is that they are foldable; that makes them easier to transfer between vehicles or to bring along on airplanes or taxis. Still, some parent reviewers complain that, at a minimum of 23 pounds (24 pounds for the heftier XTSL), they're too heavy to carry around even with the included carry strap. A popular remedy is to use a wheeled cart or pop the folded car seat into a stroller. Some parents find the crotch straps too restrictive for heavier children, but Radian does carry an optional longer center buckle strap (*Est. $8). Ease-of-use ratings are mediocre according to the NHTSA, and some parents say it's difficult to install, or so tall that it won't fit rear-facing in their small cars. While the Sunshine Radian car seats don't work for everyone, they are filling a niche for heavier children who still require a five-point harness, and for parents who want to keep their children in the safer rear-facing position longer.

A much smaller, lighter option is the Combi Coccoro (*Est. $195), a compact seat designed to fit well in small cars -- even rear-facing. It's also slim, so you can fit three across the seat, and weighs half as much as the Sunshine Radian65SL (although it doesn't fold for carrying). Owners with tiny cars call the Coccoro a godsend, but some caution that it's hard to get the seat installed tightly rear-facing, and expert testers agree. The Coccoro car seat's height and weight limits are also much lower than the Radian65SL's: 40 inches, 5 to 33 pounds rear-facing and up to 40 pounds forward-facing. However, there is one report (and a YouTube video) of the Coccoro car seat flipping towards the back seat when in the rear-facing position. Combi has issued a statement on EliteCarSeats.com that they understand that this could happen in very dense vehicle cushions. To rectify the situation they suggest using the Combi Zeus 360 Recline Adjustment Pad, which is available to consumers at no charge by calling the customer care line; and that "a slim swim noodle or tightly rolled towel wrapped in 1 layer of non-skid shelf liner will also offer additional friction to the bottom of the Coccoro and prevent back-flip."

The First Years True Fit (*Est. $130) is the only convertible seat with a removable headrest, making it easier to fit rear-facing in a small car and actually leave some leg room for the front passenger. It costs less than the Britax and Radian seats, and it earns nearly equivalent ratings from some respected sources. Heather Watson at CarSeatBlog.com and Hollie Schultz at BabyGizmo.com both include it -- along with the ubiquitous Britax seats -- in their lists of the best convertible car seats. The True Fit has high-end convenience features like up-front adjustment, multi-position crotch strap and impact-absorbing expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. User reviews are generally positive as well, but some reviewers do report difficulty with installation and rear-facing adjustment. The First Years True Fit Recline (*Est. $160) can recline either forward- or rear-facing. So can The First Years True Fit Premier (*Est. $215), and it's the only convertible seat available in the U.S. with an anti-rebound bar to prevent the seat from rebounding in a crash while rear-facing (the Britax and Sunshine Kids seats use a rear-facing top tether for the same purpose). Federal government testers rate the True Fit Premier the easiest to use seat on the market.