Britax Chaperone

Baby Car Seat  7/10

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Britax Chaperone
Britax is another international baby products manufacturer, and its rear-facing Chaperone brand infant car seat has won several awards, including the iParenting Media Award. The Chaperone is designed for babies weighing four to 30 pounds, up to 32 inches tall and with a seated shoulder height of 6.5 to 30 inches. It has an anti-rebound bar at the bottom to stabilize the infant by minimizing any rotation in case of collision. The Chaperone’s quick-adjust no-rethread harness makes it easy to reposition the safety harness’ shoulder height. Its long list of features includes a five-point harness, a multi-positional canopy to protect against wind, rain and ultraviolet rays, extra side impact protection, an ergonomic handle and a low birth weight foam insert for babies weighing 4-11 pounds.

This car seat works well when on the go. Its design makes it compatible with the Britax Chaperone stroller as well as the Britax B-READY, B-NIMBLE, B-SCENE and B-AGILE strollers to make a complete travel system. It can also be used with other stroller brands using its own adaptor strap, which is included. The price $172.48 to $229.99, reasonable considering all the bells, buzzers and whistles this car seat has. But a major drawback is its recall history. In November 2010 the CPSC recalled 23,000 units because the chest clip can break and pose a danger of laceration. That lowered our product rating.

Quick Specs

  • Weight: 10 pounds
  • 18.3 by 25.3 by 30 inches (handle up)
  • 18.3 by 17.8 by 30.6 inches (handle down)
Strengths

The anti-rebound bar is something not seen on most other car seats. The extra step the manufacturer takes here increases safety.

The foam in the seat protecting against side impact not only restrains the head but the neck and spine as well. It absorbs energy and disburses the crash force in a collision.

The canopy is a nice touch, especially when protecting against the glare of the sun.

Parents will appreciate the compatibility with not only Britax brands of strollers but other brands as well.

Weaknesses

The recall history is the biggest issue.

The anti-rebound bar mounted on the base on the seat can get in the way of putting in and taking out the baby from the seat.

Some users complained about difficulty in getting the seat properly aligned on the car’s back seat when installed with the base.
Other consumers, apparently accustomed to car seats even lighter than this one, said the Chaperone is heavy and hard to lift.

 

Prices

Valerie Baldowski is passionate about writing about everything from childrens safety and juvenile products to gardening tools. She is the mother of a high energy 8 year old child so she is accustomed to researching childrens products and services. Her writing and researching began at an early age… See more about Valerie