Britax Archives - MomStart

Britax Frontier 85 – 5 Things to Love About A Great 5 Point Harness Booster Seat

October 8, 2012 by Momstart 10 Comments

You might remember a couple weeks ago, I discovered I had a car seat that was about to expire. I really had no idea what kind of car seat I wanted Atticus in, so I started doing my research. I knew he was much too small for a traditional booster seat. He is only 2 years old. That’s where the Britax website came in handy. I absolutely loved using their information and shopping tools to help pick our next car seat and ended up selecting the Britax Frontier 85. Britax sent us one to try out and it is a big hit in our family! It has 5 features that I absolutely love.

I LOVE the 5 point harness booster seat. I know that this is a seat that will grow with him for a long, long time. Now, while he’s still small, I can use the traditional 5 point harness. When he gets bigger (much bigger), I can use the seatbelt like a traditional booster seat.

This seat has Britax True Side Impact Protection. At first, I had no idea what this meant, but I soon learned that it means my child’s head and chest is protected by the design of the seat in the event of a side impact collision. The head and chest are the most vulnerable in that situation. The Frontier 85 protects the head and chest with the rigid seat shell, lined with energy-absorbing foam, along with the head restraint, also lined with energy-absorbing foam.

This seems like a comfortable seat. The super plush material and extra layer of foam seems to make this an incredibly comfortable seat. My son, like most 2 year olds, has no problem letting us know when something is scratchy or doesn’t feel good. He had no problems with this Britax car seat and fell asleep in it the first day we had it! That’s something that very rarely happens with him. I also love that we can keep this seat clean and comfortable by removing the cover and tossing it into the washer.

The quick adjust no rethread harness feature is amazing! Having the shoulder straps at the correct height is extremely important for safety. When you have children though, it seems like they are growing and changing all the time! Simply adjusting the straps with a lever as compared to unthreading and rethreading the belts is such a great time (and sanity) saver.

The cupholders are a great perk to the Frontier 85. I know this really has nothing directly to do with safety, but having a spot that my son can easily reach to put his drinks in has made traveling better for all of us. I’m not finding as many cups under the seats in No Man’s Land now that he has a place to put them. A definite plus if you’ve ever been the lucky one to discover one of “those cups” lost in the car.

I am EXTREMELY pleased with the Britax Fronteir 85. It is big enough for me to feel like my son is safe, secure, and well protected, but not so big that it takes up the whole back seat. It has great safety features and great practical everyday features. If you’re in the market for a new car seat, the Britax Frontier 85 is definitely one to check out. Not sure what you’re looking for? Let the Britax “Fit My Child” car seat guide help you out.

About Ashley (Managing Editor at MomStart): Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at Momicles and follow her @Momicles2010 .

I was provided a product for this review. All opinions are my own.

5 Things to Know About Car Seat Expiration: Child Passenger Safety Week

September 19, 2012 by Momstart 26 Comments

5 Things to Know About Car Seat Expiration – Just in Time for Child Passenger Safety Week

By: Ashley

I usually consider myself to be a pretty informed parent. I’m aware of hot topics, and do my own research to figure out what is best for my son. So, when my sister in law told me my car seat was about to expire, I had a brief moment of wordless, anxiety ridden panic. I didn’t even know car seats could expire! I pulled up the information online, and started researching. Apparently I’ve been living under a car seat safety rock though, because not only do car seats have expiration dates – it’s a pretty hot topic in the world of family consumers and safety experts. Do car seats really expire? Or is it just a corporate scheme to get you to spend more money? I’ve spent a few weeks digging around, talked to our friends at Britax, and I wanted to share what I learned with you. So here are the 5 most important things I found that you should know about car seat expiration.

The development of better technology, more in depth research, and safer seat options is a huge part of car seat expiration. Regulations and requirements for child car seats change all the time. It’s better to have a seat that has been manufactured with the most recent information so that your child is as safe as possible.

Car seat expiration is also due to the materials that a specific car seat is made of. After a certain amount of time, those materials begin to break down. Plastics and foams are not timeless materials. They become more brittle and hairline fractures in the seat can lead to the seat shattering in a crash.

Different car seats have different life spans. The type of material a specific car seat is made with indicates how long of a life that car seat will have. A general rule of thumb is to set the expiration date 6 years after the manufacturing date. Many car seat companies have information online to help you know if your car seat has expired. Our car seat is a Britax, and they have a TON of information online to help me figure out if our seat is still okay.

The manufacture date and the date of purchase are two different things. Just because you find a great deal on a car seat that is brand new at the store, you should still check the manufacture date on the product to determine the expiration date. This is also true when buying a used car seat. You always want to check the manufacture date which is always somewhere on the product.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration supports the research and information behind car seat expiration. Paying attention to expiration dates and replacing car seats when recommended is one of the NHTSA’s top tips for car seat safety.

Now that I know I have an expired car seat, I’m starting the process of shopping for a new one. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on all of that too! I definitely want to make sure my little guy has a seat that will keep him safe and sound.

If you’d like more information on car seat expiration:

· Check out Britax FAQ’s on car seats.

· About.com has a lot of info on car seat expiration.

· More car seat questions answered at Parenting.

Special thanks to Britax for providing information about car seat expiration.

Babywearing with a Britax Baby Carrier

August 14, 2012 by Momstart 332 Comments

By: Ashley

With fall just around the corner, I’m setting up our family to do lots of hiking, outdoor enjoying, football gaming, and more. Fall is one of my favorite seasons (though I think I say that about all of them…) and I love to stay on the go. Atticus is past the babywearing stage for the most part, but when he was smaller, it didn’t stop me from staying on the go. Thanks to our great baby carrier, I was able to strap him on for trips to the park, short hikes, sightseeing, heading to a pumpkin patch, and even picking out a Christmas tree! I wasn’t one of the moms who wore him ALL the time, but I loved the freedom that babywearing gave me. I could snuggle him up next to me, and hit the trail… LITERALLY!

All of this is why I am SO EXCITED to let you guys know that Britax wants to do a giveaway! Britax is often known for their carseats (I have 2 of them myself!), but they make great babywearing gear too. They’re just feeling pretty giving right now and want to let us share that with you guys. J No arguments here!

I haven’t personally tried the Britax Baby Carrier, but there are 2 things about it that I absolutely love. I love how it provides multiple positions (facing in and out). That was always the toughest part about baby carriers – convincing your baby that they didn’t need to look around. I also love how in the facing in position, children are not just dangling, but sitting down.

I know I’ve told you why I loved wearing my baby around, but Britax sent me a list of 10 Babywearing Benefits and I would love to share it with you. These tips come from Jamie Grayson at The BabyGuyNYC.

1. Happy Baby: One thing that stresses parents out the most is a fussy nugget, and according to a study in Pediatrics, babies who are worn for at least 3 hours throughout a day have reduced crying by 43 percent¹

2. Aides in Development: The first three months of a newborn’s life are often referred to as “The Fourth Trimester,” and carrying a new nugget close to your heart helps her adapt to life outside the womb by becoming familiar with your breathing rhythm, heartbeat and voice.²

3. Feeding on the Fly: Have a hungry nugget and you’re out and about? Breastfeeding can be easily accomplished while wearing a baby.

4. Hands-Free Traveling: Jet setting with the family? Of course you’ll need a stroller when you’re traveling to and from your destination, but try gate checking your stroller and boarding with your snuggling nugget in a baby carrier. It’s amazing how “handy” two free hands can be!

5. Keeping up with Life: A comfortable baby carrier offers the wearer the freedom to complete routine household chores while sharing the time with your little nugget.

6. Keep Moving: For people who like to get outside, wearing a baby is an ideal way to navigate everything from the concrete jungle to cobblestone streets. You can conquer any terrain with a baby carrier

7. Bonding can be Shared: Wearing a baby is a great way for partners, dads, grandparents, adoptive parents and other caregivers to bond with your baby. You carried him for nine months…Let someone else enjoy carrying him, too!

8. Calm Babies are Observant: Babies who are worn are usually calmer, allowing them to appreciate the world around them. A calmed baby is better able to observe social cues and develop healthy relationships.

9. Shopping is Less Taxing: Grocery Run? It is so much easier to wear a baby and push a shopping cart than to navigate with shopping cart and stroller. Leave the stroller at home and enjoy shopping baby.

10. Sleeping Baby = Peace of Mind: Nothing beats the feeling of looking down and seeing a sleeping nugget on your chest. Just unbuckle the front of the carrier and lay nugget down without even waking her up! Ahhhhh….Peace for everyone!

1 Hunziker, U. A. and Barr, R, G. (1986). Increased carrying reduces infant crying: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 77, 641-8, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3517799

2 Ludington-Hoe SM, Swinth JY. (1996). Developmental aspects of kangaroo care. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 25, 691-703

Now that you’ve been refreshed on all things Babywearing… you should do 2 things. First, enter to win this great Britax Baby Carrier giveaway.

We’re going to be choosing 2 winners! Second, go online and check out some of the great Britax products, like the Baby Carrier.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winners, Cindy A. and Debra B.

Please see the giveaway rules

Christmas in July: Britax Boulevard Giveaway

July 19, 2010 by Momstart 328 Comments

We purchased the Britax Marathon for Zoe before she was born. I worked at a local boutique and was very comfortable with the brand, we found one at a price we were willing to spend at Target and had it ready to go for the day she was born. You can’t take your baby home unless you bring a car seat to the hospital with you.

I decided to go with the Marathon as my first car seat because I knew I was going to give birth to a large child. The Marathon’s weight limit starts at 8 lbs and goes up to about 65 lbs. (be sure to check the manual before you purchase one). At no surprise, my daughter was born at 8lbs 7 ounces and she fit just right.

There is a 5 point harness and it is very easy to adjust. The seatbelt that holds in your child is very easy to change, the most complicated part is once their growing slows down you just have to remember how to do it. Also, a latch system makes it very easy to install and it has an anchor for SUVs and Vans. If you find a vehicle that doesn’t have the latch system built into it, the car seat is very easy to install over seat belt.

One fun fact about Britax is that the car seats come in so many different patterns. Britax Boulevard is available at Babies R Us and at Amazon.com

My only complaint is that I don’t like to take it off to clean it and I haven’t ever taken it off and cleaned it. I’ve heard that many other people do it all the time, but that’s not my thing.

Enter to Win:

Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat Valued at 309.99

Rear Facing 5 – 40 lbs

Forward Facing up to 70 lbs

For More Details visit Britax Boulevard.

To Enter:

Visit Britax and tell me which fabric you would choose if you won and if you get to choose.

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This giveaway Ends August 3. All rules can be found under giveaway rules. This giveaway is provided by Britax.