# What happened to Britax?



## sarahsmiles (Jan 9, 2007)

So years ago, on this very forum (I'm almost positive) Britax was the bomb. I'm back now because DS is going to be moving from an infant seat soon, and every other message says Britax are so ... not the best.

What happened? Is it a question of new Britax not being as good as they were, or is there something wrong with my old (2007) Boulevard?

I'm going to begin mapping out our options for the 2 kids in 3 cars and might move DD to another Nautilus and give DS the Britax to rear-face, but if this is A Bad Thing, someone please tell me why.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

The Britax you have is fine, the same it's always been. But that's the problem. Other seats have come out in the meantime that cost less, last a lot longer, and are cheaper. So why buy a Britax for $250 when you can get a MR for $150 that rf's 5 more pounds, has more leg room, fits newborns, and will last just as long? You could say similar for the True Fit, Complete Air, Radian etc etc.


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## sarahsmiles (Jan 9, 2007)

Thanks. That helps a lot to know there are other options & DH will be pleased we don't need to drop another $250.

But ... what's "MR?" I poked around and the True-Fit looks like an option, but the Radian looks to be priced like a Britax. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your email. It's been a long day ...


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## DevaMajka (Jul 4, 2005)

MR is MyRide.
I think one benefit of Radians is that there are some models that rf to 45lbs now, and some that rf to 40lbs.


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## Natsuki (May 4, 2004)

5-10 years ago, Britax was the only game in town when it came to high quality convertible carseats. They were highly recommended b/c they had high height/weight limits, were easy to install and use correctly, and were well-made.

All of those things are still true.

What has changed is the competition - in the past few years it has caught up with Britax and innovated past them in some ways, all for lower prices. So while Britax is still good - you can get other seats that are equally as good (or better), often for less money.


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## Equuskia (Dec 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sarahsmiles* 
Thanks. That helps a lot to know there are other options & DH will be pleased we don't need to drop another $250.

But ... what's "MR?" I poked around and the True-Fit looks like an option, but the Radian looks to be priced like a Britax. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your email. It's been a long day ...

The Radian is priced like the Britax, but the shell is taller, and the rfing weight much higher depending on the model you get.


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## bigteamug (Sep 29, 2008)

I would add that while we have Radians and like them, and they have the virtue of being narrow, they have their issues too - difficult installs for many, and no built-in lock offs (My car does have locking seatbelts, I just think that the built in lockoffs like Britax has can be easier to use). On the other hand, we have a older Blvd that was HORRIBLE for smaller rear-facing infants.

Some things never change - the best carseat for you is the one that you can get a secure install with in your car and use correctly each and every time.

While it used to make it easier for choosing a seat that Britax was so far ahead of the competition, I guess I should be glad that there are so many good seats to choose from now.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Nothing happened to Britax. And that's the problem (IMO/IME, of course, and worth exactly what you're paying for it). Six years ago, they had capacity and features far beyond other seats in the market. They're still making almost exactly the same seats today, but other companies have caught up and then surpassed them.

ETA: Britax seats are still fine to use. They pass all the tests they need to pass.


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## Adventuredad (Apr 23, 2008)

Britax is still doing well and are making nice seats. Short story is Britax was taken over by a LBO firm some years ago looking to make some serious money. The deal was done at the top and value is since much lower. The LBO company has not put in enough money for R&D etc. IMHO.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

I cannot for the life of me figure out what LBO and R&D means


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## quietserena (Apr 24, 2006)

R&D - research and development.

dont know the other one.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *quietserena* 
R&D - research and development.

dont know the other one.

Ah, that makes sense thank you!


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## npl (Nov 29, 2008)

I'm guessing that LBO is Leveredged Buy Out - basically a financial business takeover.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

If you are looking at the leading seats these days, you are going to want to look at the radian seats (althogh priced like a britax, you get SO much more for the money - they have 8 year expirations, and since they actually fit many kids from birth to somewhere between 6-8 years old, and have 40-45 lb rfing limits,m and 65-80 lb ffing limits, they are a tremendous value.) As well as the first years truefit, the graco myride, dorel/cosco/safety 1st complete air and 50-lb alpha omega seats, and evenflo symphony 65 and triumph advanced.
Those seats all rf tio at least 35 pounds, and possibly 40 or 45, and all FF to 50/65 or 80 lbs.
The other, VERY important thing to look at in addition to the weight limit is the height limit/shell height/slot height.
For example, the britax convertiblkes have a 65 lb FFibng limit - but, ,never gonna happen. Most kids outgrgow the britax seats by height when they weigh 40-50 pounds.
The radian, truefit, complete air and alpha omega 50-lb combos have the highest shells and slots.
So, it can be hard to compare which will ACTUALLY last your child longer. For example, my daughter would have lasted longer in an evenflo triumph advanced, which has a 50 lb limit, than in a britax seat with a 65 lb limit, because the britax was outgrown by height before she turned 5, and the triumoph advanced she still has a smidgen of room in now at 5.25(note: shes BIG, many kids fit those seats much longer).
So..it's very complicated, lol. Plus you have toi add in whether oir not it installs easily in your vehicle, and the price of course.

As for giving the britax to your new child and buying a new seat for the older child, tht may indeed be a good idea? How old is the older child? We now have SIGNIFICANT evidence in favor of rearfacing, inculding specific studies showing enough of a benefit to recommend that age 2 be considered the MINIMUM for forward facing, and that keeping every child RFing to age 4 should be the GOAL. If the child is age 4 or over, ,then a nautilus is a great choicee..even if the child is say..3.5. But, if the child is 3younger than 3.5, your money would be best spent buying a seat that has a longer rearfacing capability, like the radian or myride, in order to keep your older child as safe as possible.


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## KayleeZoo (Apr 8, 2003)

Several years ago, I wouldn't have considered buying anything but Britax. And I didn't- every seat my kids had was a Britax. After reading the FMVSS 2009 compliance test results (the tests that every seat on the US market has to pass in order to be sold here), I was SHOCKED. There were Britax convertibles that barely passed the minimums for head excursion with the top tether, and failed without the tether (the Marathon used FF for a 3 year old dummy) Some of the other seats discussed here (Radian. True Fit, Nautilus) did much better than the Britax seats in the test. I know that one test doesn't really prove that a particular seat will function poorly (or very well, for that matter) in a real-life crash, but to me, I'd really rather start with a seat that performs well in controlled testing and then choose based on our particular needs after that.

From a practical standpoint for people who are concerned about best value, long-term usability, etc. it doesn't make sense to buy a $300 Britax that offers a lower RF weight, has a shorter top harness height and is outgrown both RF and FF sooner, and less RF leg room for a bigger toddler or preschooler than a seat that offers better fit, longer usage and costs less. We've never considered cost when it comes to our kids' seats, but you can bet I'm taking the crash test data into consideration. A Britax seat that fails ANY of the criteria with a 3yo just isn't acceptable to me.


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## Adventuredad (Apr 23, 2008)

LBO= Leveraged Buy Out. Sorry....

Britax was IMHO far ahead 10 years ago and built up a great reputation. They still make great seats but I feel like they could built a better base for the future. But it has a lot to do with the new owners and money.

Working with Britax is great. They are very reliable, deliveries are always on time and are a pleasure to deal with from a retail point on view.


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