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Britax car seats: German engineering at its finest

  • Parkers pick of the best Britax car seats
  • Why is Britax so safe?
  • A deep dive into Britax's industry-leading safety features

Written by Eleanor Weaver Updated: 13 October 2023

With a strong German and British heritage, Britax car seats pair German engineering and design to create stylish and safe car seats that’ll no doubt give you peace of mind. Developing and producing child car seats for all age groups since 1966, Britax has led the way in child car seat safety with their innovations having a direct impact on modern safety legislation today.

It’ll come as no surprise that as a result, Britax car seats are seriously high quality. Tested to the highest standards, the company strives to take its car seats beyond the legislative guidelines to provide the safest car seats and booster seats for little ones.

We’ve taken a deep dive into their safety features and shared the best Britax car seats available to buy in the UK.

The best Britax car seats at a glance:

Editor’s choice: Britax Römer BABY-SAFE 3 i-SIZE – Buy now from Boots
Best Britax seats for toddlers: Britax Römer DUALFIX M i-SIZE – Buy now from Demon Tweeks
Best Britax car seat on a budget: Britax Römer EVOLVA 1-2-3 – Buy now from Boots

Parkers pick of the best Britax car seats:

Editor's choice
The BABY-SAFE 3 is ideal for travel on the road, and travel on the go thanks to the adjustable carry handle and sun canopy that'll provide your little one with UPF 50+ sun protection. The car seat itself comes with a five-point harness to help distribute the force of any impact whilst the seat's protective shell keeps your little one safe and tight.

This car seat is perfect for newborns. Suitable from birth to approx. 15 months, it has lie-flat technology to allow for a more comfortable and ergonomic position for newborns, and a newborn insert specially designed to give extra support to small babies.

Pros

  • Excellent safety and comfort features for newborns and small babies
  • Easy to use and install
  • Automatic position adjustment with the headrest ensures the most ergonomic position at all times

Cons

  • For base rotation and ISOFIX, you'll need to buy the Flex base iSENSE (sold separately)
Best Brtitax car seats for protection
Suitable from approx. three months to four years old, the DUALFIX iSENSE is a super-smart follow-up seat that provides superior protection and comfort through your little one's growing tot years. Designed to be rearward-facing only for the whole duration, it provides the best protection to your baby in the event of a frontal collision. And rest assured even with a side collision, they'll be well protected with deep protective side wings and side impact protection.

An extra fun feature for parents is the smart lighting technology that allows your child to see and to be seen. Ideal for keeping an eye on your child, providing comfort, and harnessing them in with ease in the dark.

Pros

  • Smart lighting feature to comfort a young child and make fitting easier
  • Extended rearward-facing for superior protection
  • Great safety features - others include a five-point harness and soft neoprene performance chest pads

Cons

  • For base rotation and ISOFIX, you'll need to buy the Flex base iSENSE (sold separately)
Best Britax seat for toddlers
The DUALFIX M i-Size is ideal if you're looking for a baby car seat that'll take them into their toddler years. With the base included, it is ISOFIX compatible and offers 360-degree rotation - super helpful for placing your child into the car seat and changing from rear-facing to forward-facing without needing to reinstall. Safety features include Side Impact Protection, deep protective side wings, rebound bar, chest pads, and a five-point safety harness.

Like the DUALFIX iSENSE and BABY-SAFE 3, this car seat is R129-compliant and i-Size ready. Using a height-based system, it keeps your little one rearward facing for longer for safer travel, uses state-of-the-art Q dummies to test side impact protection, and is easier for parents to find the right fit.

Pros

  • 360-degree rotation with base included
  • Extended rearward-facing for superior protection
  • Great safety features - others include multi-recline, adjustable leg support, and a V-shaped headrest

Cons

  • Won't cover all of childhood
Bets for growing children
Part of the Britax ADVANSAFIX range, this seat is designed to go the distance. Providing safe carriage for your little one from approx. 15 months all the way up to 12 years, it's the perfect follow-on seat if you only want to buy the one car seat for toddler years and up. Approved to the latest i-Size standard, it comes with a five-point harness with extended use up to 21kg. Thanks to its FLIP&GROW function, you can easily switch from this to the three-point seat belt system without removing parts.

For safety, it has the proven technologies of XP-PAD and SecureGuard for frontal impact protection, SICT for protection against side impacts, and is ISOFIX compatible to keep the seat locked in place.

Pros

  • Multi-stage car seat - prolonged use and cost-effective
  • ISOFIX compatible
  • Easy to convert for each stage of your child's growth

Cons

  • Does not provide rearward-facing
Best Britax seat with booster functions
The Britax Römer ADVANSAFIX IV R is a very similar design to the ADVANSAFIX i-SIZE, just without the i-Size approval. This car seat is a Stage Group 1/2/3 car seat for kids weighing nine to 36kg, approx. nine months to 12 years. From 15 months, you can use the Flip&Grow function to change from the integrated five-point harness to the vehicle's three-point seat belt, transitioning towards a Group 2/3 high back booster.

It's strictly forward-facing but is fitted with great safety components including the V-shaped headrest to control the movement of your child's head in the event of a crash, as well as side impact protection and SecureGuard. Also good to know; it has been tested by ADAC with a Good rating and a grade of 2.3.

Pros

  • Multi-stage car seat - prolonged use and cost-effective
  • Easy to convert for each stage of your child's growth
  • ISOFIX compatible

Cons

  • Does not provide rearward-facing
Best Britax seat on a budget
As the name suggests, the EVOLVA evolves and grows with your child through Stage Groups 1/2/3. Approved according to regulation ECE R44, its five-point harness, performance chest pads, and highback booster protection ensure maximum safety for your child. Suitable for ages approximately nine months to 12 years, the lightweight car seat can be flexibly fitted in most cars.

This seat also promises comfort for your kid through the stages. As well as having comfy recline positions, it has handy cup holders on either side so you're child can store their drink or treats for the ride.

Pros

  • Lightweight and easy to fit - handy if you need to swap between cars
  • Multi-stage car seat - prolonged use and cost-effective
  • Comfortable design in a choice of colours

Cons

  • Does not provide rearward-facing
Best Britax booster seat
This new generation KIDFIX was developed in partnership with leading car manufacturers to create a car seat that's as safe as possible. In fact, during internal tests in 2021, it was the safest KIDFIX in its range to date. Suitable for children aged approximately three-and-a-half to 12 years, it's been tested with the latest Q-dummies for the best safety features. This includes shock-absorbing foam pads for the neck and chest, SICT, SecureGuard, and an ergonomic headrest.

It promises safety through all the stages as the high-back booster provides three-way protection: The seat shell provides head-to-hip protection; the upper and lower belt guides provide correct belt-positioning; the padded headrest protects and comforts your child's head and neck.

Pros

  • Great safety features
  • Compact and lightweight design
  • ISOFIX compatible

Cons

  • Doesn't have recline options

Britax car seat FAQS

What age are Britax car seats for?

Britax offers a range of car seats, and these can suit babies (birth to 15 months old), toddlers (nine months to four years old), and children (three-and-a-half to 12 years old). If you’re after a car seat that’ll go the distance, Britax’s Advansafix range can be used for the longest – approximately 15 months to 12 years.

How safe is a Britax car seat?

The German-based company doesn’t mess about – it’s developed its own in-house dynamic testing and in 2017, launched one of the most modern and technically advanced crash-test centres for car seats worldwide.

As a result, the car seats are packed with some fab and innovative safety features:

Five-point harness: In the event of a collision, a five-point harness distributes the force of impact across five points and into the car seat, protecting your child from all directions of impact.

V-shaped headrest: Designed to control the movement of your child’s head to ensure they have optimal protection in the event of a side collision.

Adjustable headrest and harness: Britax’s padded headrest and harness can easily be adjusted with one hand to suit your child’s height for optimal security.

Pivot Link ISOFIX System: Britax’s patented Pivot Link ISOFIX System directs the force of an impact down into the vehicle seat, and then forward more gently to greatly reduce the risk of head and neck injury.

Advanced Side Impact Protection SICT: The integrated SICT inside gives your child superior protection in the event of a side collision. It keeps them away from the impact while absorbing energy at the same time.

SecureGuard: In a three-point seat belted car seat, the SecureGuard helps to protect your child’s delicate abdominal area by acting as a fourth contact point. Based on their internal tests, it can help to reduce abdominal forces in the event of a frontal collision by up to 35%.

XP-PAD: This shock-absorbing foam pad that sits around the edges of the seat belt prevents the impact of your child’s chin on their chest in case of a frontal collision.

Deep protective side wings: Soft padded sides act as a protective cocoon to help absorb any force from a side impact.

The car seats undergo rigorous independent testing at multiple stages and the effort Britax has put into making safety paramount has been recognised by consumer tests such as ÖAMTC and Stiftung Warentest in Germany, and ADAC.

Not only that, but Britax has paved the way for car seat safety across the world. The company was involved in the first legislation for the requirement of child car seats (regulation ECE R44) and developed the first ISOFIX car seat. Seeing as ISOFIX anchorage points are now required in all new cars and the feature has been integrated into i-Size car seats too, it’s fair to say Britax know their stuff when it comes to child safety.

Will a Britax car seat fit my car?

If you’re not sure which car seat to go for, Britax has created a handy Fit Finder tool that’ll help you find the right car seat from their range. It’ll make sure the car seat fits your child and your car without compromising on safety.

We’d also recommend checking if your car seat comes with the required base included so you’re able to use all the safety features. A number of Britax’s baby and toddler car seats require a base to be bought separately if you want ISOFIX, rotation, and other safety features such as a rebound bar and support leg.

Below are the bases and compatible car seats – these will add extra cost so make sure to take this into consideration before buying.

FLEX BASE iSENSE can be used with the following Britax car seats: BABY-SAFE iSENSE, BABY-SAFE 3 i-SIZE, DUALFIX iSENSE, and DUALFIX 3 i-SIZE.

Eleanor Weaver is the Deputy Homes & Garden Product Editor for A Modern Kitchen, Modern Gardens, Yours, and Take A Break Pets, writing for Parkers.

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