Britax Q & A and Car Seat Giveaway
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The submission period for this piece has ended. We will announce the winner and post the answers on the site around December 18.
A few months ago my husband and I went to one of those car seat safety events and were very surprised to learn that not only did we have our son’s seat installed incorrectly, but my son was also too tall for the seat we were using. We’d been driving around like that for several months and I never would have known if I didn’t stop to get it checked. Since then I’ve become a big advocate for car seat safety. I recommend that all parents take the time to visit a certified car seat inspector just to be on the safe side. It’s free and gives you peace of mind. To find an inspector near you, visit SeatCheck.org.
To help you out a little more, The Average Parent has partnered with Britax and Dr. Laura Jana to answer some of your questions directly. As a media spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a member of the AAP’s Section on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention, Dr. Jana is one of the leading experts on child safety and development. Her passion and dedication to this area of parenting will provide a platform for you to gain more overall knowledge about the proper use of child safety seats.
Win It: What’s more, we’re also going to giveaway Britax Roundabout 50 Convertible Car Seat to one lucky winner. To be entered to win, all you have to do is summit your question in the comment field. We will collect all the answers at the end of Friday, Dec. 11 and post Dr. Jana’s answers to the site a week later.
About the Roundabout 50: With a retail price averaging around $200, the Roundabout 50 is one of the Britax’s more affordable seats. With this budget-friendly price, you get the top safety features you’ve come to know with Britax and the versatility of a seat that can easily be used from birth through toddlerhood. Its generous height and weight limits provide more room for growth, making it a practical choice for any average parent. Britax sent me one to review and I must say I was rather impressed. It is so incredibly soft and plush that makes me wonder when they’ll start making seats in my size! It’s not overly big either, so it doesn’t take up the whole back seat like many high-end seats do. The microfiber fabric is easy to clean. And because my son is exceptionally tall, yet slim for his age, it is a perfect solution for us. I feel as though he’s safe and comfortable in this seat.
Update: Dr. Jana will provide answers to some of the top questions asked. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to address each individual question…but you still get an entry in the contest for asking. We are working on scheduling Dr. Jana for a live chat session some time after the new year.
Here’s my question:
My daughter is 21/2 and weighs 35 lbs…she is able to unbuckle herself from her convertible seat…it’s a graco and it’s pretty easy to get out of…I put her into a highback booster using the regular car seat belt in an attempt to keep her buckled in….
Is this the safest thing I can do or should I shell out the extra $ for a seat that is harder for her to get out of???
My son is 8 years old and weight about 60 pounds. I currently have him in a backless booster. He is not complaining about sitting in one, but at what point is he able to just be in the seat?
My son will be three in January and seems to big for his current seat. What is the weight and height to go into a booster seat? What age is recommended? I don’t want to put him in the next size seat if it is not recommended or not safe.
My son is 8 months old and is already 29 inches tall and 22 pounds. Do we really need to wait until he is a year old to face him forward in his carseat?
My daughter just turned 1 a few weeks ago but is only 17 1/2 lbs. She’s in the toddler seat and I know you can’t face her fwd until she’s 1 AND 20lbs. Why is that? At the rate that she’s gaining weight who knows when she’ll be the required 20 lbs.
I just had a newborn, and as we were leaving, the nurse told us the law might be changing so a child has to be rear-facing until he’s 2 years old. Do you know anything about this and, if so, how many of these forward-facing car seats can actually be turned around?
I know what the weight limit is for our car seat, but at what point is a child determined to be “too tall” for a toddler car seat?
How can I convince my 3.5-year old that her zebra-print Britax is just as cool as the “Big Kid” booster that her 6-year old cousin uses? I want her to stay in the Britax for longer!!
A British study came out recently that kids are safest rear-facing until age FOUR. Our doctor is now recommending age two or the maximum weight of the seat. Does this not hurt the legs of a tall child? What’s the verdict on timelines re: rear vs forward facing for babies/toddlers?
Where is the safest place for a car seat in the back of a car?
We have a car that has deeply contoured seats. We have been unable to find a seat that fits nicely that will install level. Is there something that can used underneath the seat to make up th difference (approximately 4 inches)? Also, when rearfacing does the seat need to be pushed all the way against the actual car seatback?
Any tips on getting kids to learn to buckle and unbuckle by themselves?
Is it safer to use both the latch and seatbelt to secure the carseat to the seat or just use one or the other by themselves? You would think using both is safest…but I not so sure.
I thought my 2003 Jeep had the LATCH system, but can only find the latch “brackets” between the back seat cushions. I can’t find one in the back cargo area to tether a forward-facing car seat, so I’m using the non-LATCH installation instructions. Is that the best thing to do? Could that rear cargo-area LATCH bracket be hiding somewhere?
We have left our son rear facing in his car seat until now. He is almost 2 and about 27 pounds. Is there any reason that we should turn him around before he reaches 35 pounds (which is the limit to have our car seat rear facing)? So far he actually seems to like facing backwards–he never complains.
Also, how important do you feel it is to have a child in a 5 point harness until a certain weight (say 65 or 85 pounds) as some car seats now allow you to do?
Is this really a safer option than a booster for an older child?
My son is 2 years old and weighs close to 34 pounds. I am also wondering if he needs to be in a five point harness system. We have him in a high back seat with a normal seat belt that crosses over the front of the car seat.
I still have my convertible carseat from five years ago when my daughter was in it. Is it still safe to use for my son who is almost one?
Can you use the recline feature when the seat is front-facing?