The Britax Roundabout Car Seat

Britax Childcare, the maker of the Roundabout car seat enjoys a good reputation amongst many parents as a company that provides quality and reliable car seats and other products geared toward our children. Its carseat and related products are available to children of all weight and sizes from newborn up to adolescence. The Britax Roundabout is just one of their many quality products. The Roundabout is a convertible car seat that can be used as rear facing or front facing. It is designed for children from 2.3 to 13.6 kg (5 to 30 lbs) on a rear-face position. While on forward facing, the child has to be at least one year old and 9.1 kg (20 lbs) and up to 18.1 kg (40 lbs). If your child doesn't satisfy the above height, age and weight requirements then you shouldn't be using the Roundabout. Check out the other car seats in Britax's line up like the Marathon or the Diplomat.

Some of the best features of the Britax Roundabout includes its deep side walls which it claims will distribute crash forces and can shield the child in a crash especially protecting the child on a side impact hit. The car seat’s shell is lined with energy absorbing material, such as Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam, that provides a rigid barrier around the head and torso. Its compact size is also ideal for small babies and for cars that have limited space on the back. The five-point harness is also easy to use and, with the adjustable three harness heights, provides a secure and snug fit for your child. As with other car seats in the market, it has push button lower connectors that provides quick and simple installation. A unique feature included in the Roundabout is the Britax patented technology called Versa-Tether®.

What is the Versa-Tether®
First off, a tether is a strap that links up the top of the car seat to an anchor that is bolted to the vehicle's frame. This setup reduces excessive car seat movement in the event of a collision. You can say that less movement equates to less chances of serious injury. Unlike other car seats, the Versa Teether on the Roundabout, utilizes two attachment points on the seat that distributes the forces of the crash while it anchors the top of the seat to the vehicle. In my view, a good setup that will reduce movement of the car seat during the impact. The Versa Tether can also be used on both rear and forward facing position unlike other tethers.

You have a variety of choices on seat covers when you buy the Roundabout. I'll bet you that there is always one for every family to like. You'll have the choice between the Roundabout Onyx, Cowmooflage, Jessica, Granite, Bridgeport, Latte, New Denim and Tan Swirl. My personal choice is the ONYX. I like its sleek and modern look. My wife likes the Tan Swirl for its color. What's good actually is you can buy optional replacement covers so you can interchange if you want. I like the fact that the covers are easy to take out and are machine washable. You can just take them to the laundry when they get too dirty.

In my opinion, the Roundabout is a very good car seat. Go to your local store so you can see it yourself. Check the built and feel the fabric. Compared to other car seats, it's a bit on the pricey side but, can you put a price tag on safety? By being able to see it yourself, you will be able to judge if the extra price is for the brand or for the quality. The only thing I would add is to make sure that you follow the manufacturer recommendation on the height and weight of the child that it will carry. Always follow it for optimum safety.

Where to Buy?
Usually you can find the Britax Roundabout on specialty stores, but from my latest trip to our closest Babies R'Us store, I was able to find another Britax product there, the Marathon. So, Britax is probably going mainstream as far as getting retailers to sell their products. But, the best is to check the online shops to get better prices. I know that you can find it in Amazon but you should shop around as there are other internet retailers as well that carry it. You should go check them all out to get the best pricing. Also, coupons and deals are always popping up all over the internet. Just two weeks ago, I saw a good deal for the Roundabout car seat that is offering it for almost 20% off. A quality car seat with a 20% discount is a great bargain! Look around. Seek a deal and you shall find it.