Britax Roundabout - Is It Really The Safest?
Written: Oct 16 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very easy to install, attractive fabric choices
Cons: Extremely expensive, and I'm not so sure you're actually buying added safety
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| prfstars's Full Review: Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat - Puma |
As my daughter's first birthday approached and I started to look for a forward-facing car seat, I was dismayed by the choices. Unlike infant seats, which come in a variety of fabrics and patterns, most front-facing or convertible seats were just plain ugly. They are generally gray, black, or dark blue, with covers that resemble car upholstery at its worst. On an outing to a baby boutique, I spotted the Britax Roundabout. The Roundabout was offered in a variety of fabrics and patterns, including a blue denim one that I loved. I took one look at the $200 price tag, and decided I'd better shop around.
Honey, It Says Here That The Roundabout Is Safe
When I got home that day, I looked on the internet to see if I could find a better deal on the Britax. I had no luck with prices, but I found tons of information. Every ad touted the Roundabout as the "safest carseat you can buy." Every owner seemed to love the Roundabout.
The Roundabout is a convertible car seat, and can be used for newborns, infants, and toddlers.
When I told my husband that I planned to buy the Roundabout, he raised several good points. His first, and most important point, is that all car seats must meet the high safety requirements of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If installed properly, and approved car seat should be safe. Unfortunately, many people don't take the time to install car seats securely. My husband's next point was that the so-called "safest car seat" designation seemed to come from ads, only. We had trouble finding any crash-test information that verified that the Britax seat was indeed the safest. The Britax carseat includes a tether to better secure the seat, but once again, we had trouble finding data. My husband felt the price, which was double the price of other car seats, was all in the name. He felt we'd be paying $100 extra for prestige, not safety.
So, I ignored him and bought the Britax anyway. It was not that I didn't respect my husband's research on the merits of the Roundabout, It was that I really loved the denim cover.
First Impression
My first impression of the Roundabout was wonderful. I loved the way it looked, and more importantly, the ease of installation. Unlike most car seats that require an annoying locking clamp to secure the seatbelt, the Roundabout has convenient clips built right into the seat that simply snap closed. I loved that!
The Roundabout's worst feature has got to be the harness itself. Unlike most five point harnesses that have a simple closing mechanism at the chest, the Roundabout's is a puzzle. You have to line the two pieces up so that they're perfectly parallel, which is quite challenging given their shapes. It takes a while to get used to this, but once you do, it's not hard. Just don't ever expect anyone else to be able to put your child in the carseat.
One thing I love about the harness, though, is something so simple that every car seat should have it. There is a pad just above the lock, so the seatbelt between the legs never comes in contact with your child's body. She never has to feel cold metal in the winter or hot metal in the summer.
Durability
I've had the Roundabout for two years now. The fabric has faded a bit, but other than that, it's held up well. The seat cover is easy to wash, and hasn't stained at all.
Is It Really The Safest?
The short answer is no. The Britax may generally be safe, but between safety recalls and crash tests, it's performance has not been what I'd hoped for.
This year, Britax had to recall nearly 10,000 carseats made in 1999 because they did not meet an important Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. The problem was that the foam in the head area had been formed improperly, allowing a child's head to move way too much in the event of an accident. My car seat was not affected by the recall because it was a bit older.
When I heard about the recall, I was a bit shocked. Somehow, I imagined that since safety was such a big selling point for Britax, they would be immune from such problems. My first stop after the recall was Consumer Reports, where learned that they gave the Roundabout a mediocre safety rating. While they gave the Roundabout high marks for ease of installation, they gave it an unbelievable "fair" rating for toddler crash protection, and only a "good" for infant crash protection. In some instances, the tether improved safety, and in others, it worsened it.
There were several Century models listed that were one-third the price of the Britax, with much better crash-protection ratings.
Is It Worth It?
You can't put a price on your child's safety, but I don't think the Britax Roundabout is measurably safer than some carseats that are a fraction of the price. If you're basing your decision on safety alone, check out Consumer Reports, and check out the NHTSA web site (www.nhtsa.dot.gov) for information on any possible problems.
I like the look of the Roundabout, but it's hard to justify spending that extra $100-$150 for a nicer fabric selection. If you like the Roundabout's appearance and don't mind the expense, buy a Roundabout. If you're on a tighter budget, but are considering the Roundabout because you've heard it's the safest, please, please, please read as much as you can before you spend that extra money.
You can't put a price on your child's safety, but before you pay a very high price, just be sure you're actually paying for added safety.
Recommended:
No
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