The 5-point safety harness has a one-pull adjustment and to accommodate your child from baby to pre-schooler, the headrest and harness are height adjustable. Britax has designed this to be done from the front, with one hand, so no faffing about behind the car seat. The seat also has 4-position recline and ventilation channels in the back to help air circulation.
Before installing the Britax SAFEFIX plus, I was actually opting for a different Britax car seat. However, because Britax is very proactive about ensuring you buy the right car seat for both your child and your vehicle, it would not recommend my original choice and instead said I should try this. This is a really great service, particularly if you have no real idea of what you want in a car seat. On Britax’s site, there’s a useful Fit-Finder and Fit My Child section that will help you decide if this is even a car seat you can use.
What we love
Car seat installation is normally an area both my husband and myself fall down on. He’s too impatient to read the instructions and I find instructions incredibly badly written, so we end up going straight in there and working out how ‘not’ to fit something! The online video for the Britax SAFEFIX plus was really useful though and because the car seat just slots into the car’s ISOFIX system, it was all fairly straightforward and we were good to go in about 10 minutes.
The Britax SAFEFIX plus also looks good. There are no pretty designs or funky details but there’s not a lot of point in that if you want it to last over three years, through changing tastes and trends. We had the Jet (plain black) fabric option, which looks sleek in our black car, but you can also get a two-tone design if you’re after something a little brighter. If you do want a statement car seat, check out the cow-inspired Cowmooflage option!
The cover is a quick and easy to remove and is washable. You can also get spare covers.
Other plus points include the Side Impact Protection, the Click & Safe audible harness system and indicators confirming the ISOFIX hooks are engaged.
What to watch out for
Although I’m a fan of the Side Impact Protection, the padded side wings did take Rosie a while to get used to, so she wasn’t keen on sitting in the seat to start with. However, she now doesn’t mind a bit and they help stop her head lolling around when she’s dropped off to sleep.
The only other thing to watch out for is to ensure the harness is fitted tightly. We had left Rosie a little room so she wasn’t totally squashed in on a journey up north, but we soon discovered she’d managed to get herself out of the harness and had opened the back door (must sort child locks!). As long as the harness is pulled tightly enough though, this shouldn’t cause you any problems.
If I’m being picky, I guess because of the fitting of the Britax SAFEFIX, it seems like a bit of an effort if you want to take it out and put it into someone else’s car. If you plan to be car swapping a lot, this might not be ideal.
Who is the Britax SAFEFIX plus car seat best for?
Parents after an ISOFIX option that boasts safety and subtle style.
The Britax SAFEFIX plus is a great all-rounder, ticking the boxes when it comes to safety and features to keep your growing child comfy. Very easy and straightforward to use, it’ll look good in any car, too.
