Our Alternative to the Britax Roundabout
Written: Aug 08 '01
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Pros: Easy to move child between cars and in and out of seat.
Cons: None so far.
The Bottom Line: Bottom line - fits in both our cars in rear facing mode, price is right, 5-point harness, and excellent design
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| Xorg's Full Review: Century Avanta |
My wife and I spent a great deal of time looking for a car seat for our newborn, and the Britax Roundabout was the seat that just about everyone gave rave reviews, so we ordered it. The Britax is theoretically designed to be forward and rear facing, and that's where the problem is.
Quite frankly, the Britax Roundabout is not ideal for newborns in a rear facing installation - the seat is big and very bulky, and the rearward installation did not seem secure at all. So back to the store we went.
We spent at least an hour looking at almost a dozen different car seats that were suitable for newborns and rearward install. Also important was that the seat fit in our Saab 9-3 and Acura TL - the Britax was a VERY tight squeeze in both our cars when installed rearward.
The Century Avanta was our choice.
It fits perfectly in both cars, and while the child does sit a bit high, I'd rather have this and seat that sits securely on the back seat than a lower riding seat that barely fits on the seat at all and which is difficult to secure tightly in a rear facing install.
The five point harness is very well designed and relatively easy to adjust, our little boy seems quite content in the seat even with straps all around.
Perhaps the best feature is the base/seat design that allows the seat to be removed with the child without having to constantly buckle and unbuckle the child. One pull and the seat detaches from the base and becomes an adquately, if somewhat heavy child carrier. You can also order an additional base for $35, so this makes it a joy to move the seat between cars.
At half the price of the Britax, the Century fits a newborn's needs perfectly, and fits in our cars! We'll still use the Britax when we can install a seat forward facing, but for the next year or so, Century's seat is it, and we're glad we found it!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 89
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
Xorg
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Peter
Location: Manchester, CT
Reviews written: 57
Trusted by: 14 members
About Me:
Computer and Technology Gadget Addict/Guru.
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