Britax convertible car seats... (1 Viewer)

[Drew Bethel]

What do you think of the roundabout and where can I get the best online price.

Ok, some of you must be asking yourself - what has HTF come to? :b

 

[Peter Kim]

I bought the Roundabout for my first son, 4 years ago. Served us well - except for the styrofoam padding underneath the cover, which was torn apart by my son's roving hands.

Supposedly, it's the premier infant seat - Britax builds seats/interiors for Lear jets, and their infant seats are standard issue for Mercedes and Porsche.

Since it has been awhile, I was surprised to find Target stores in the Twin Cities carry this high-end seat. They carry both the Roundabout and the Marathon ($199 & $249 respectively - full MSRP).

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BabyAge

 

[Todd Hochard]

Our Roundabout is getting its second round of use with our son. We bought it nearly three years ago for our daughter, and she used it until we were ready to take our son out of the infant carrier.

It is an excellent seat.

Todd

 

[Drew Bethel]

I don't doubt that the Britaxs are great seats. My only issue is that they cost 3-4 times more than the runner ups.

CR ranked the seat below third, trailing only the roundabout and marathon by a slim margin. And it can be had for a meagerly $60!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...30910868802498

 

[Alf S]

As long as the ratings/reviews show the runner up seats are safe and reliable, I would go with the runner up over an over-priced status symbol style seat.

Considering how fast the little ones grow out of them, you can save a lot in the long run going the non-status route.

 

[Philip_G]

damn, all day I was expecting to see nice seats for my miata in here :frowning:

 

[Todd Hochard]

Having bought a "cheap" seat for my growing daughter, and having used friends' seats, I can safely say the Britax was worth every penny.
The padding is much nicer than the other seats, so you'll get more drive time out of your child. The straps are quite a bit thicker than the Graco or Cosco seats, which has a nice benefit of keeping them from EVER getting tangled. The seat cover wore quite well- my daughter was in the seat from 6mos to 38mos, and we didn't have to replace it, even with repeated washings.

My point is that, IMO, you absolutely do get what you pay for. When I purchased it, it wasn't because of the "status symbol" factor, as some seem to imply.

Now that my daughter is in the larger Eddie Bauer Cosco seat, I am SERIOUSLY wishing that Britax made a similar-type seat, but they don't.

Todd

 

[Peter Kim]

No status symbol affect here either. After thorough research, I deemed the difference in the Britax substantial enough for the cost.

While the intent of some may indeed be to broadcast their wealth, real or otherwise, there are those who do value quality and are willing to pursue such quality despite the cost.

It's a bit much to paint with such a broad stroke all those who spend more as vainglorious.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Update:

Well, we visited Target and did a physical inspection of the cheaper Evenflo models vs Britax and my wife and I decided the Britax is worth the extra money.

The thin padding of the other models alone was a huge turn off for me. Yes, safety comes first but when our daughter is planted in a car seat for a road trip we want her to be comfortable as well.

We found a roundabout online for $169. We tried last night by going for a test drive and she fell asleep within minutes - not a bad indicator! Going from a Graco SnugRide, to the Britax is like going from economy to first class.

 

[Peter Kim]

Glad to hear you (more importantly, your daughter) liked the Britax.



Sometimes it's very difficult to convey the merits of a product in words, so until you actually get a real, tactile & comparative effect, it can be difficult to accept the cost/benefit.

As you've discovered, this is not merely an aesthetic upgrade as an attempt to assuage one's social bearings, it's a recognition of form + function, and quality + construction and ultimately a commitment to your child's safety.

 

[Todd Hochard]

I see that you are now trying to appear "richie" by using big words.

I don't think you'll ever be disappointed in spending all that money. I'm not (2nd kid is in it).

 

[Peter Kim]

Reckon' I always loved that one, Todd.