November 07, 2013 - Britax Enhances Convertible Car Seats with New Fashions and "More to Measure" Education

This December, Britax launches a new crop of colorful fashions for its refreshed convertible car seats. In addition to research on the latest trends in color and style, Britax continues its focus on the science of safety, combining fashion and function in these revitalized convertible car seats.

To ensure all car seat fashions are stylish and fresh, Britax researches trends two years ahead of the season, according to Whitney Welford, associate designer for Britax. The major trends for 2014 blend a nod to the past – muted color palettes with a vintage feel – and a modern mélange of cheerful colors, geometric pattern, animal prints, floral influences and pattern layering.

"At Britax, all of our products are thoughtfully designed," said Welford. "From fashion trends to safety standards, we constantly research and respond with the best, highest-quality products – including this new range of brighter, more saturated colors and sleeker patterns for our full line of convertible car seats."

Britax Leads in Safety

Britax engineers, tests and builds its stylish convertible car seats in North America to ensure superior quality control. Along with elegant designs, Britax car seats have more safety features than any other brand – and like these new fashion-forward designs, the safety is all in plain sight.

Britax convertible car seats feature Bases with SafeCell Technology, designed to compress in a crash and significantly lower the center of gravity, thereby counteracting the forward rotation of the child seat. Integrated steel bars strengthen the seat's connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing in a crash. Britax's patented Energy Absorbing Versa-Tether has a two-point attachment that reduces crash energy and forward movement using patented staged-release tether webbing. The Advocate, Pavilion and Boulevard also offer HUGS™ with SafeCell Technology® to manage crash energy while keeping the chest clip properly positioned. As the leader in pioneering side impact technologies, Britax convertible car seats feature a rigid shell with deep side walls lined with energy-absorbing foam providing Side Impact Protection. The Advocate, Pavilion and Boulevard offer a second layer of protection with energy-absorbing True Side Impact Protection head restraint that keeps the head, neck and spine aligned. The Advocate also includes Side Impact Cushion Technology, a third layer of protection, with energy-absorbing cushions on the child seat's exterior to reduce side impact energy by diverting 45 percent of the crash forces away from the seated child.

"The Britax safety system offers the most advanced protection for children," said Joyce Kara, Britax Product Manager. "Parents can rest assured that safety is everything to us, because we know that their children mean everything to them."

More to Measure

With its refreshed convertible seats, Britax is taking a leadership position in helping parents better understand the importance of knowing their child's seated shoulder height when choosing a Britax convertible seat.

A properly fitted child seat harness should be located at or above the child's shoulders in the forward-facing seating position. Parents currently shop for car seats with children's weight and standing height in mind, but children's torso heights can vary significantly. This torso variance often causes children to outgrow their car seats before reaching the full weight and standing height capacity of the seat.

The maximum seated shoulder height label on the new Britax convertible seats indicates how much room children have to grow until it is time to transition into their Britax combination harness-2-booster seats. Parents will appreciate this new visual indicator as another Britax ease-of-use feature that gives them one less safety concern.

"We recommend parents measure for seated shoulder height in their children, along with weight and standing height, when selecting car seats," said Kara. "Britax offers a full line of convertible and combination harness-2-booster seats that have some of the highest top harness slots in the industry to ensure that a child rides safely in a five-point harness as long as possible."

Additional changes in the convertible seat labels include a quick-response (QR) code on the side of the seat. Parents can use a QR code reader and scan the QR code with their smartphones to gain instant access to online installation videos and the seat's user guide to aid in proper installation. Britax seat labels also now provide a visual reminder that the LATCH system in all convertible car seats can only be used until a child reaches 40 pounds; after that, seat belts must be used for secure installation.

The Britax convertible seats will be available in their new fashions online and in independent and major retailers this December. The convertible seats are part of the full Britax line of car seats, strollers and accessories.