If you’re a new parent, you should always pick only the best and safest of car seats out there. This way, you’ll ensure your little bundles of joy are comfortable. No one should want to improvise when it’s their child’s safety at stake!
It might be a good idea to choose the best Britax car seat for your child. This brand is well-known for providing safety and protection for children during car rides. However, if you’ve never heard about Britax, you might wonder what the hype is about, or why people choose to pay a large sum of money for this brand.
Britax is the brand that many people consider synonymous with quality in the baby vehicle world. They sell car seats all over the world, despite having a somewhat higher price range compared to many other brands.
But, is their reputation justified? We’ve looked at the best Britax car seat (or rather, five of them) and decided to let you know our verdict. Here’s what we’ve found out!
Contents
Best Britax Car Seat – Rear Facing
According to the AAP car seat safety guidelines, rear facing seats are a better choice for infants, from the day they were born until they reach the weight or height limit of the car seat. While rear facing seats can be a bit more challenging to install, they are a safer option.
Here are the 3 best Britax car seats of that type currently on the market:
1. Britax B-Safe Gen2 Flexfit+ Infant Car Seat
Many new parents are already familiar with the B-Safe Flexfit+ infant car seat, but they don’t know that there is a new, updated version of it. The Gen2 Flexfit + offers premium Britax safety and perfect size fit for an infant. It has a sturdy build thanks to the steel reinforced base.
The safety is ensured thanks to the two layers of side impact protection that surrounds the baby’s head, neck, and torso. The 5-point harness moves together with the headrest, making everything adjustable as the baby grows. There is a built in anti-rebound bar to reduce movement in a crash.
The installation is secure thanks to its exclusive SafeCenter LATCH system. All you need to do is to connect lower anchors, pull the existing center-straps to tighten everything into place, then click in the carrier.
The harness is no rethread, as it easily moves with headrest as your baby grows. This can save on you having to keep on re-installing the harness every time you want to adjust it as your child gets bigger.
The seat follows the European Belt Guide, increasing stability even when you don’t have the base handy. Everything is quick to install, and you can use the seat joined with any Britax’s single stroller for a perfect travel system.
| PROS |
|---|
| + Soft fabric |
| + Large seat |
| + No rethread harness |
| + Can install without base |
| CONS |
|---|
| – Heavy |
| – Handle isn’t as useful as on some other models |
| – Long base size may no fit in all cars |
2. Britax B-Safe Gen2 Flexfit Infant Car Seat
This is one of Britax’s classic but still modern car seats. It is rather spacious and comfortable, made to fit babies weighing up to 35lbs with up to 32 inches in height. This allows for a rather large age range for a rear facing car seat.
It has a sturdy build thanks to the steel reinforced base, and the SafeCell crumple zone helps ensure safety. It also comes with a protective shell with foam that will ensure your child is protected head to toe. The cool flow mesh is there to make sure the air flow is great, keeping your kid cool and comfortable at all times.
The 5-point harness and headrest can move together into six positions, making the seat adjustable. This will ensure the seat is still fitting as your child grows.
The seat is effortless to install in just three easy steps. All you need to do is connect lower anchors, then pull the straps to tighten. Finally, click the carrier into the base and you’re good to go. Just like most other B-Safe models, this one also follows the European Belt Guide for safety.
| PROS |
|---|
| + Good quality |
| + Easy installation |
| + Easy un/loading |
| + Base included |
| CONS |
|---|
| – Heavy |
| – Lacks some safety features of the Flexfit+ |
| – The harness can rub on babies thighs |
3. Britax B-Safe Gen2 Infant Car Seat
If you believe other people’s reviews, this might easily be the best Britax car seat for infants. It is made with a spacious seating area and comfortable fabric that will remain comfortable even after long rides. At the same time, it can fit babies up to 35 lbs of weight and up to 32 inches in height.
It uses standard Britax safety features, such as steel reinforced base and SafeCell crumple zone, as well as the protective foam shell that will protect your baby’s entire body.
This seat uses the same installation process as previous two models we’ve mentioned, as it comes with the same SafeCenter LATCH system.
The seat is compatible with all Britax single strollers thanks to its build-up adapters. Not just that, but it can also be compatible with BOB single and Duallie strollers – but you’ll have to purchase the adapters for it to fit. And if it gets dirty – don’t worry, as the cover is machine-washable.
| PROS |
|---|
| + Very comfortable padding |
| + Spacious seat area |
| + Easy to install |
| + Machine-washable cover |
| CONS |
|---|
| – Not suitable for smaller compact cars |
| – Many users reported issues with the shipping box |
| – Detaching the seat from base can be tricky |
Best Britax Car Seat – Front Facing
Toddlers and preschoolers should use front facing seats from the moment they’ve outgrown the weight limitation of a rear facing seat. While some parents don’t know when to switch car seats or why an older child should even use one, experts recommend ensuring your child rides with a harness until they are at least 4 years old.
Here are two best Britax car seats that are front facing:
1. Britax Grow with You ClickTight Plus Harness-2-Booster Car Seat
This is the upgraded version of the standard Britax Frontier car seat. You can use it as both a front-facing harness seat and as the belt-positioned booster. You can use the front-facing mode from the moment your child is 25 lbs until they reach 65 lbs. The booster mode can hold up to 120 lbs.
The ClickTight technology allows easy installation, and the seat has two layers of side-impact protection that will ensure your child’s head, neck, and torso are safe in case of an accident. Another good safety feature is the integrated steel frame that minimizes destabilization.
You can easily adjust the headrest to nine different adjustable positions using one hand only, and the seat can recline in two positions. This will maximize comfort.
The seat comes with cup holders and a snack compartment, making it great for travels. It also comes with a one-year limited warranty, but an expiration date of nine years.
| PROS |
|---|
| + Two cup holders and snack compartment |
| + Easy installation |
| + Simple to adjust |
| + Good safety |
| CONS |
|---|
| – Heavy |
| – Wide |
| – Hard to tighten straps |
| – Customer service has been criticised |
2. Britax Grow with You Harness-2-Booster Car Seat
Until the ClickTight+ version appeared, this was considered the best Britax car seat that is front facing and a booster seat at once.
It is designed with nap-friendly padding and soft fabrics, enabling superior comfort. Many kids love to nap in this seat, so the ride will be calm and quiet. This is further enforced with a soft comfort pad that will keep your toddler from rubbing against the harness strap.
The seat has the ability to switch between two modes depending on your toddler’s size. You can use it as both the front facing car seat and the booster seat for harness. There is no need to get a new car seat for as long as your kid needs it!
At the same time, the seat has several safety features, such as two layers of side impact protection, impact absorbing base, as well as the forward movement reducing V-shaped tether. Not to mention the durable steel frame!
| PROS |
|---|
| + Easy installation |
| + Spacious |
| + Easy to use buckles |
| + Comfortable |
| CONS |
|---|
| – Headrest can be squeaky |
| – Some users have reported a faulty Styrofoam |
| – The pebble grey looks more purple |
Types of Car Seats
We’ve already briefly mentioned when to use both seat types. However, what we didn’t explain is that there is more than one type of these seats on the market.
Overall, there are:
- Rear facing only seats
- Front facing only seats
- Convertible seats
- All-in-one seats
We’ll explain every type in depth.
Rear Facing Only Seats
Depending on the model, these seats are usually used for infants up to 22-35 lbs and 26-35 inches. As you can guess, they are rather small, and most have carrying handles for easier transport of the baby.
Most of them come with a base that you can leave in the car. The seat itself clicks into this base. This way, you don’t have to constantly install it whenever you want to use it. If you have more than one car, don’t worry. Usually, you can buy extra bases for the same seat.
Keep in mind that these seats should only be used for travel, and not outside of the vehicle.
Front Facing Only Seats
Front facing seats are intended for toddlers who have outgrown rear facing seats, either by their weight or height. They should be used for as long as possible, depending on the model and your own child’s size.
Most front facing seats with harnesses can be used for kids weighing up to 40-65 lbs. However, seats without a harness that can be used as a booster can hold up to 120lbs, depending on the seat itself!
Convertible Seats
Convertible seats can switch between rear and front facing according to your needs. Most of the time, you’d start by using them as rear facing, and then when your child is older, you’ll switch them to front facing. Thanks to this, they can be used for a fairly long period of time.
Convertible seats tend to be bulkier than both rear and front facing seats, and, unlike rear facing seats, they usually don’t come with carrying handles nor separate bases. Instead, they are designed to stay in your car.
They are usually the height of a front facing seat, but are adjustable, making them great for both babies and toddlers. They also have a 5-point harness that you attach at the shoulders, hips, and between the child’s legs.
Just like front facing and rear facing seats, they should be used for travelling only, and not for sleeping or feeding.
All-in-One Seats
These seats can be used as rear facing, front facing, or even as boosters. They can be used even longer than convertible seats. However, this also means they are rather large and bulky, and they might not fit in all vehicles.
At the same time, they don’t have a carrying handle or a seat base. Still, they have a much higher weight and height limit, making them a good choice for babies and older toddlers alike.
The Bottom Line
Many parents swear on their best Britax car seat. They consider this to be one of their biggest parenting helpers – and it’s easy to see why. This brand has all you might want in a child’s car seat, and more!
Many factors determine which exact Britax car seat is the best for you. For example, if you have an infant, rear facing car seats are a must. On the other hand, once your child has outgrown it, you might want to switch to a front facing car seat.
Either way, once you pick the best Britax car seat for you and your toddler, you’ll never want to switch to another brand!