A CAR SEAT IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN (Britax Club Class)

Member Name: wardenblw431

Product:	Britax Club Class
Date:	10/08/03 (1843 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Suitable from birth to 4 years, Comfortable, Reclines

Disadvantages: Quite bulky and heavy

When I was pregnant with my first child we knew nothing about car seats, but like all new parents safety was paramount and paying £100 for a car seat didn't daunt us in any way. It's a small price to pay to save your child and we have found that this £100 has been money well spent. We are now using it for our second child aged 9 months, and it's still as good as new.

After trailing around various suppliers we finally chose Halfords and found the staff very professional and eager to help. They showed us all the car seats available and we decided that the Britax Club Class was for us. We had heard a lot of good things about this particular car seat and it had a lot of high ratings.

The car seat has many features including a 5-point harness that can be adjusted with a one-pull strap. The harness is very strong and supports the child well. There are five forward facing positions from upright to fully reclined, which is brilliant for when a child is asleep. It stops their head from flopping forward. The seat is easy to recline as their is a lever at the front which tilts it forward or back. However, this is easier to do if the car seat is fitted in the middle of the rear seat and not at the door side.

When we purchased the car seat the man from the store came out and showed us how to fit it correctly. It was also recommended that babies under the age of 9 months should face the rear of the vehicle. To give more support to the baby's head you can pay an extra £9.99 for a head support. We bought this, but did not need it as the shoulder straps were enough to secure our daughter.

The safety harness can be altered in height as the baby grows. There are 3 different height positions.

Once the child is 9 months old the car seat can face the front of the car.

The car seat covers can be easily removed for washing and the good news is that they are machine washable. The only downside is that the shoulder str
aps are not detachable and I find that these are always getting covered with dribble or sick. Once the covers have been removed they are easy to fit again. Should your car seat covers become old and tatty looking, then replacement covers can be purchased. I have seen them in Mothercare, Halfords and other suppliers of baby equipment. They retail at about £20 plus.

The car seat fits most cars. but if in doubt you can always ask at time of purchase if someone can check this out for you.

The car seat can be secured either by the diagonal seat belt or lap belt, which makes the seat very versatile. It sits firmly in the seat and if it's fitted correctly doesn't wobble. It also sits high on the seat allowing the child to have a good view of the world outside.

This car seat fitted all our safety requirements and provided comfort from the deep padding. Although the seat is quite heavy and bulky especially when transferring from car to car, I would still recommendt this car seat. I am glad to say that it has lasted over 5 years and still looks as good as new. It is still available in shops today, but the price has risen slightly to just around £110, but there could be other added safety extras.

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