Friday

Britax Advocate CS - Britax's safest seat ever

The NHTSA has estimated that 3 out of 4 parents do not properly use child restraints, thus preventing child safety seats from protecting your child the way it should.

Choosing the correct car seat for your child

We interviewed several Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPST) and asked them which is the safest car seat on the market? They all agreed unanimously that the safest car seat is the one that suits both your car and your child best. Parents give plenty of thought towards designing a nursery, but little thought towards selecting the most appropriate car seat. Many parents research the top-rated car seats and then select according to the list and their budget. Unfortunately it isn't this simple, as even the top-rated car seat won't provide top notch protection if it isn't suited for your car and your child. We strongly recommend finding a store which has a full selection of demo car seats available on hand for you to take out of the store and fit into your car, in order to find the perfact match, in conjunction with your child. After finding a perfect match and installing it in your car, we urge all parents to have their car seat professionally checked and fitted by a Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPST). This service is free and an essential step in making certain that you have the safest fit. In addition, you will learn invaluable safety tips that will go a long way towards making your car seat a safe place to be. Details for NHTSA Child Safety Seat Inspection Stations can be found here. Remember to plan early as the wait time on average is 3-4 months.

Car Seats do expire

While parents are aware that they need to discard their car seat in the event of a serious car accident, many are unaware that car seats have an expiration date! Each car seat should be labeled with the date of manufacture and the date of expiration. Typically, car seats have an expiration of 6 years. The plastic and expanded polystyrene cushioning degrade over the years, unable to absorb the shock of an impact. This renders the car seat ineffective and dangerous. Be sure to always check the date of expiration on your car seat.

Introducing the Britax Advocate CS from Britax USA.

Introducing the Britax Advocate CS from Britax USA, one of the few car seats manufacturers that proudly makes it car seats in the USA.

Product Features:

Side Impact Technology
True Side Impact Protection
Click & Safe Harness Adjuster
Five-Point Harness
Premium, Push-Button Lower LATCH Connectors
HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard System)
Infant Body Pillow
65-pound Weight Capacity
Rear and Forward Facing Recline
No Re-thread Harness Adjustment
Patented, Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether
Built-in Lock-Off(s)

Fit & Specs:

Rear-facing: 5-35 lbs
Forward facing: 1 year and 20 lbs, up to 65 lbs
Further details can be found here (Fit & Specs)


Side Impact Crashes

Watch the video to learn more about Side Impact Crashes and how the Britax Advocate CS is uniquely designed to offer further protection in this type of crash. Additional information can be found here.

Installation Videos and User Guides for Britax Car Seats can be found here.
Use the demos to assist you in installing your car seat correctly and then make an appointment to have your car seat inspected at no charge.

Our team had the opportunity to work extensively with the Britax Advocate CS, under the guidance of a professional team of Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPST). The Britax Advocate CS is designed to be used rear-facing for babies weighing 5-35 lbs and forward facing for babies who are both 1 year and 20 lbs and up to 65 lbs. Further details can be found here (Fit & Specs). Due to its size, the Britax Advocate CS is best suited for medium size vehicles and up, particularly in the rear facing position. Our team of parents were asked to install the Britax Advocate CS into their vehicle, following the directions in the booklet which accompanies the car seat and consulting with the demo and instructions on the Britax website. The parents were delighted with how quickly and easily they were able to install the car seat. A consultation with a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) confirmed that the parents had indeed installed the car seat correctly, but offered additional tips for installation that would provide the safest fit possible. During the consultation, the Child Passenger Safety Technician systematically went through a detailed safety check list, educating the parents about the key components in installing, maintaining, and using the car seat in the safest manner. The parents commented how valuable the information shared was and how every parent should have the opportunity to have this one on one session. The Technician customized the car seat for the child and explained how to adjust the car seat as the child grows in weight and size.

The Britax Advocate CS is engineered for safety and comfort, and when used correctly, in the appropriate vehicle for your child, will offer your child protection in the event of a car accident, especially when a side impact collision is involved. Two features which make the Britax Advocate CS stand out from its competitors are the True Side Impact Protection and the Side Impact Cushion Technology, which offers protection for the child in the car seat as well as the adjacent passengers. Another feature that stands out on this model is the Click and Safe Harness Adjuster, which is an audible aid which provides additional assurance for parents that the harness is in the appropriate range of snugness. During your consultation with a Child Passenger Safety Technician, you will learn about the importance of obtaining a snug fit where straps are concerned and a hands on demonstration and an opportunity to obtain some hands on practice under the guidance of a professional will go along way.

PURCHASING:

Click here to find out where to purchase.

For additional information and to view the Britax product line in your country, please visit: www.Britax.com

7 comments:

Anne said...

Most informative. You have convinced our family to have our car seat checked by a professional. We are due with our 2nd in 4 months and I will schedule an appointment! We are looking to purchase a convertible car seat for our 1st and will take a closer look at the Advocate CS. This car seat is loaded with features and I am particularly impressed with the side impact cushioning technology as we will have 2 mini passengers in the back now. Thank you!

Jim Meters said...

We are true Britax fans and although my kids are out of convertible car seats, if we decide to have a 4th, I will consider the Britax Advocate CS! I wanted to share that I thought that I knew everything about installing car seats until I had a consultation with a Technician. Wow, it was really an eye opener and I was shown the best way to install our car seats and methods for installation that don't come with instruction booklet. I felt empowered afterwards and encourage all parents to make an appointment. It should be mandatory.

Claire said...

Britax is top quality all the way and well worth the expense. So awesome that this car seat is made in the USA. How rare is that these days! LOL

Anonymous said...

Thank you for taking the time to work with the products before featuring them. So many other publications don't even see the product let alone work with them. This Britax model looks top quality. It is going on my top 5 list!

Teresa Millman said...

This car seat looks great! I wasn't aware of the importance of having the car seat checked by a professional but now I am a convert.

Amy Peters said...

Fantastic review! You guys rocks. Would love to see you review other Britax models. We are expecting our 2nd baby in 2012 and we need to upgrade or infant car seat. I haven't found many reviews about their infant models.

Success Through Play said...

Thank you Amy! We will see what we can do :-)