Frequently Asked Questions

Generally, you have two options when choosing your baby's first car seat - an infant carrier or a rotating car seat.

An infant carrier is a car seat that can be installed in the car either with the car's seat belt or on an ISOFIX base. This type of seat can be easily removed from the base and placed on a compatible pushchair, for example, for quick errands. The infant carriers are optimised for the needs of babies and can be used up to 15 months (depending on the size of your baby).

VIEW OUR INFANT CARRIERS

While an infant carrier can be taken out of the car when your baby is asleep, a rotating seat stays in the car. These seats can be rotated towards the open car door to make it easier to place your child and are usually used for a longer period of time, up to 4 or 7 years. They usually come with a removable newborn insert to meet the needs of babies and toddlers at the same time. Inserts need to removed once the little passenger grows out of it.

Click here to view our rotating seats suitable from birth.

Toddler car seats are available as rotating seats (from around 3 months), rearward-facing seats (from around 3 months to 7 years), forward-facing toddler seats or combination seats (from 15 months to 12 years).

Rotating car seats remain installed in your car but can be rotated towards the open car door to make it easier to place your child. Some of the seats can also be rotated to a forward-facing position when your child is at least 15 months old and 76 cm tall, but we recommend that they are used rearward facing until 105 cm (≈ 4 years).

Click here to view our rotating toddler seats

Forward-facing toddler seats can only be used from 15 months and 76 cm. They have an integrated 5-point harness and are usually easy to move from one car to another.

Combination car seats are car seats with a longer usability time of approx. 10 years. They are forward-facing only, so they can be used from 15 months and 76 cm all the way up to 12 years or 150 cm

Click here to view combination seats

Check for ECE R129/03 approval

This means the car seat adheres to the strict European safety standards. You can also check out the safety ratings given to most seats by European testing organisations like Stiftung Warentest and ADAC.

Check that it is compatible with you car

Our FIT FINDER® is a comprehensive car fitting tool that will help you check that our car seat is compatible with your car. This is a vital step both in ensuring that the car seat’s safety features will all be able to function in your vehicle, and also to ensure that you are fully insured should any accident occur.

Use our FIT FINDER®

Understand its key forms of protection

We appreciate that car seats are complex things. But we also believe it’s important for parents to make informed choices about the type of protection they offer their children. So we’ve pulled together some of the key safety features to consider in choosing your car seat.

What kind of harnessing does it offer?
5-point harness, 3-point harness or a vehicle adult seat belt?

Does it offer advanced side impact protection?
In case of a common form of collision – from the side.

Does it offer superior head and neck protection?
To protect a growing child’s vulnerable head and developing neck muscles.

Does it offer extended rearward facing travel?
Proven to be the safer way to transport smaller children (and a legal requirement until 15 months).

Check that your child is ready to move to the next stage of seat

For safety reasons, you should keep your child in each stage for as long as possible – until they reach the height and/or weight limit of the car seat. The general rule of thumb of moving your child to the next group is:

• Move from an infant carrier when your child exceeds the body size limit and/or weight limit and can sit up unaided, or if their head is higher than the top of the infant carrier.
• Move from a toddler seat (rotating seat or forward facing (FWF) seat or extended reward facing (ERWF) seat with integrated harness only) when the upper edge of the shell is roughly at eye level of the child or your child exceeds the body size and/or weight limit.
• Do not move too early to a highback booster (children) seat because these seats are wider to accommodate larger children. Also a younger child's shoulders are too narrow to hold to the adult seat belt securely. A small child can therefore easily slip out from under the belt, especially when they fall asleep during the journey.

A child’s head should ideally never exceed the top of the seat shell. This is especially important when using an infant carrier in order to minimise the risk of head contact with interior components of the car should an accident occur. The recline angle of our Extended Rearward Facing (ERWF) child seats (DUALFIX 5Z, DUALFIX PRO (M), DUALFIX (M) PLUS, SWINGFIX M PLUS, SWIVEL, MAX-SAFE PRO, SAFE-WAY M, etc.), is more upright than in an average infant carrier, which reduces the risk of the child’s head coming into contact with the car interior.

Additionally, the child’s body is more supported over a larger surface area of the seat than they would be in an infant carrier where the child is in a flatter position. In our ERWF child seat models, the child can continue to use the seat until he or she reaches the maximum stated size and/or weight or their eye-line is level with the top of the seat shell/headrest. The child would typically outgrow the seat before reaching either one of these stages since the child’s shoulders would no longer fit beneath the headrest (found in most of our ERWF products) in its highest position.

To determine if a child seat fits in your car, there are five types of car seat approval that are currently reflected in the Britax Römer product range. The relevant type of car seat approval can be found on the orange approval label on your car seat:

1. i-Size universal ISOFIX: This car seat will fit any i-Size approved seating position according to your car’s manual. These seats are installed with ISOFIX and either support leg or Top Tether.
    
2. Universal belted: This car seat is only restrained with the vehicle’s 3-point seat belt and can be installed in any universal seating position, as defined in your car’s manual.
    
3. Specific vehicle belted: The car seat must be installed with the car’s 3-point seat belt and must be stated on a specific list of approved cards. This list is available for those specific car seats by following the QR code printed on your product, leading you to the user guide and type list on our website.
    
4. Specific vehicle booster seat: These car seats are highback booster seats which are not i-Size compliant. A type list of approved cars is available on our website and must be taken into account.
    
5. i-Size booster seats: These car seats are highback booster seats which are i-Size compliant. That means that they will fit all i-Size approved seating positions according to your car’s manual. They can be installed with ISOFIX and 3-point seat belt or 3-point seat belt only.

If stated on the orange approval label, a car seat can also be approved to more than one type of approval depending on the method of installation, e.g. for combination seats with a longer suitability or infant carriers which can also be used on a base. To check the suitability before buying the car seat, you can also check our handy FIT FINDER® tool.

We always recommend to ask your local retailer for a test installation in your car (please ask for a member of staff trained by Britax Römer) before you buy the car seat to make sure all of the car seat’s safety features work in your car.

Think about your child's needs

We all know that comfort and a sense of security are vital for a young child. So think about not just their age, but their specific needs – do they want to be able to see you while they travel? Will they spend a lot of time sleeping in the carrycot? There are pushchairs to suit every set of needs.

Think about your lifestyle

Do you have a small car boot, or very little storage at home? Will you walk a lot on tough terrain? Do you plan on building your pushchair into your fitness regime? Will you be using public transport? These kind of questions can help you identify not just which pushchair may be right for you, but which accessories may make all the difference.

Understand the kind of features that may be important to you

It may seem like there’s an endless maze of options out there – but understanding the different features may help you to prioritise what’s important for you

Do you need to connect an infant carrier or carrycot to the pushchair chassis? 
All our Britax Römer pushchairs have the suitable infant carrier adapters included that allow you a hassel free connection between pushchair and infant carrier.

Do you need a seat that can face both forward and rearward?
Look out for which pushchairs feature reversible seat units so that smaller babies can maintain eye contact with you, and growing children can look out at the world

Are you particularly small or tall?
All of our pushchairs feature soft-grip handles, but look out for the handles that are also height adjustable

What recline options do you need?
Small babies benefit from lying flat to help their spine and respiratory system develop healthily. But growing babies enjoy the stimulation of looking out at their parents and their world. We offer a range of adjustable reclines to keep babies and young children comfortable and happy

What wheels will best suit where and how you live?
Front wheels can be locked (for stability on uneven ground) or allowed to swivel (for easier cornering.) Large wheels cope well on sand, mud or snow, while smaller wheels enable a more compact fold. Quick-release wheels are perfect when you have limited storage or a small car boot. We have options to suit every need.

Will you be out and about in weather extremes?
We offer a range of hoods with extendable visors for protection from sun, rain, wind and more.

Do you live in a country where it gets dark very early in winter?
Some of our models have been designed with northern climates in mind – with 3M ScotchliteTM reflective strips for visibility in lowlight conditions.

Is storage important to you?
Will you be doing extensive shopping by foot? Are you planning regular family adventures equipped with all the paraphernalia they involve? If so, then consider the type and size of storage offered across our range.

Explore your four main options

The all-in-one travel system
Suitable from birth until approximately 4 years, all-in-ones are a flexible system made up of a chassis, rearward and forward facing seat, carrycot and infant carrier adapters. They allow a small child to lie flat or travel in their infant carrier, a growing child to sit facing their parent and a toddler to sit facing the world – all in the ultimate comfort.

The lightweight pushchair
Lightweight pushchairs are designed with the needs of urban families or growing children in mind. Though still suitable from birth (with an optional carrycot), they are designed to carry children until 15kg or 4 years. They are often available in 3- or 4-wheel models and offer a streamlined, flexible package.

The double
Double pushchairs are designed to accommodate the needs of growing families, side-by-side for maximum comfort for children of different ages, or even for twins. Some doubles even have a removable seat so they can be used as a single when only one child needs to be transported.

All Britax infant carriers are compatible with all Britax and Britax BOB pushchairs. They are also compatible with the below models from other leading pushchair brands.

More information on compatible pushchairs

Please ask trained store staff for the required adaptors and do contact the pushchair manufacturer if you have any further questions.

We have introduced three different collections for some of our products to provide for the different needs of parents and children.

LUX Collection

Our most premium collection using luxurious fabrics made from recycled yarn, including seawool. These products have an unique star embossing effect and leatherette details for a premium look. Also these products come with additional comfort and safety features which differ per product.

STYLE Collection

Our STYLE collection provides a flawless harmony of design and functionality. They feature fine mesh fabrics for superior air circulation as well as woven fabrics with a modern melange effect. These products also come with additional comfort and safety features which differ per product.

CLASSIC Collection

Our CLASSIC collection offers a fresh and minimalistic design with lasting comfort thanks to soft and high-quality fabrics.

Superior protection in a frontal collision

Car seats are designed to absorb crash forces through the shell of the seat and spread the remaining crash forces away from the child’s body. Rearward facing car seats offer the best protection in the event of frontal collisions – the most frequent type of accident on the roads.* 

Physics dictates that in the event of a frontal collision, it is safer for a child to travel in a rearward facing car seat as crash forces are directed to the back of the seat, while the remaining energy is spread evenly across the head, neck and upper body. In a frontal collision with a forward facing seat the energy of the impact is distributed differently across the seat structure and restraint system – potentially resulting in more energy impacting on the child’s body. 

Our belief in the safety of extended rearward facing is supported by Swedish government advice and by safety organisations across Scandinavia. Sweden has the lowest car crash fatality rates for children in the world.

Experience that counts

We’ve been designing industry-leading car seats for approximately 50 years – and have been championing rearward facing seats in Sweden for over 20 years. During this time we’ve constantly used our learnings to develop innovative ways to make safer, simpler, more flexible products. Our research and development team are continually making advances in energy management – enabling us to enhance the protection that our products offer from every possible angle of impact (including rollovers) in a road traffic accident. We’ve also been able to develop an industry-leading selection of belted seats that enable rearward facing travel beyond the limits of ISOFIX – all the way to 7 years old. Our expertise is regularly shared with governmental bodies and safety experts worldwide.

The Plus Test - driving safety standards higher

The PLUS Test is a voluntary test, which sets demanding standards for a seat’s ability to protect the head and neck in frontal collisions. Currently the PLUS Test is carried out on seats designed for the Swedish market – the only country in Europe where parents transport their children solely rearward facing up to four years. Not all child restraint systems have been able to pass the test since its introduction in 2009.

*Casimir “Child Car Passenger Fatalities - European Figures and In-Depth Study”; Alan Kirk; Loughborough University, UK; Conference: Protection of children in cars, Munich, 2011.

Nearly 50 years of experience and constant technical innovation have enabled us to understand in minute detail what happens in different types of collisions.

What types of restraint systems are available?

3- or 5-point integrated harness restrained systems. Integrated harness means this harness is built into the seat and can be used according to the approval label + user guide.

3-point vehicle (adult seat belt). There are seats which can used with the 3-point vehicle belt only or often in combination with the ISOFIX system. The seats can be used according the approval label + user guide.

How does a 5-point harness work in a collision?

A 5-point harness significantly decreases the forces a child experiences during a crash since the forces are diverted from the child along the harnessing to the five points of contact with the seat. When the child is decelerated by the harness, the cushioning occurs across a wide area and limits shoulder and hip movements, resulting in low stress to the spine and the forces being directed away from the parts of the body containing vital organs. 

In case of a roll-over, side impact or an offset impact (where combined vertical, lateral and or oblique loading lateral forces can lead to ejection or submarining), the shoulder contact points and the crotch strap stop those risks and keep the child safely in the protecting seat shell. 

In addition, the harness allows for adjustment to the child’s body and therefore offers a good and customised fit.

Why do we use a 5-point harness?

In all 5-point harness seats, the straps come down over the shoulders and across the hips to fasten to the buckle that comes up between the legs. The harness sits closely against the bony parts of the pelvis (the crotch and hip straps) and across the shoulders and rib cage (the shoulder straps). When a child moves forward in the seat, as they would in a crash, the properly tightened harness is already "holding" the child and it effectively restrains them, spreading the crash forces out through the seat and the remaining forces across the strong bones of the body.

Why do we use a 3-point integrated harness on infant carriers?

The 3-point-harness in combination with the optimised interior protection for the baby offers no safety compromise versus a 5-point-harness but does bring the added benefit of a much easier installation of the baby in the seat. Parents using an infant carrier often are using a car seat for the first time. Easy installation is an important and safety relevant requirment especially for this "first" car seat. Whether it is a 3-point-harness or a 5-point-harness, it is essential that it is tensioned correctly.

Why are child car seats with integrated harness often more expensive than car seats with shield systems?

Harnesses are complex to design. The visible part is only a small fraction of the total harnessing system, which comprises straps, tongues, crotch strap, attachment means to the shell and a key element: the buckle. Technology is needed to allow easy tightening and release of the harness, and the harness needs to be routed around the shell to allow connection at the right points for the load to be distributed whilst providing easy access to the parents securing their child in the seat. In addition, designing a shell which can properly withstand the forces the harness places on the upper shell, to effectively restrain the upper body, is technically advanced and costly.

All highback booster seats are belted car seats: the majority can be attached with ISOFIX in addition. That way, the car seat is always firmly connected to the vehicle even if no child is placed in the car seat.

For safety reasons, you should keep your child in each car seat stage for as long as possible – until they reach the height and/or weight limit of the car seat.

In general, we recommend:

• Move out of the infant carrier when your child exceeds the height and/or weight limits and can sit up unaided, or when their head is higher than the top of the infant carrier
   
• Move from a toddler seat with integrated harness when the top of the shell is approx. at the child’s eye level or your child is over the height and / or weight limit.
   
• Do not switch to a highback booster seat too early, as these seats are wider to accommodate larger children. A younger child’s shoulders are too small to hold the adult seat belt securely and therefore the child can easily slip out from under the belt, especially when they fall asleep.

Please note: Height as well as weight (if stated) limits are mandatory parameters to be observed when using a car seat.

Weight limits are only given for car seats that are installed with ISOFIX (and no 3-point seat belt) with an integrated harness system. For safety reasons, the child must not exceed the indicated weight limit, so that together with the weight of the car seat, the maximum restraint force of the ISOFIX system is not exceeded. The age interval is only a rough value based on height/weight/age statistics to give an indication on how long your child will fit into a certain car seat

The following car seats of our current range are approved for use in airplanes:

• BABY-SAFE PRO (TÜV ID = 0000084321) | 0 – 13 kg and 40 – 85 cm body height
• BABY-SAFE 3 i-SIZE (TÜV ID = 0000075774) | 0 – 13 kg and 40 – 83 cm body height
• BABY-SAFE CORE (TÜV ID = 0000084987) | 0 – 13 kg and 40 – 85 cm body height

Older Britax Römer car seats:

• BABY-SAFE PLUS¹ (TÜV ID = 9811400300) | Group 0+ (R44)
• BABY-SAFE PLUS SHR¹ (TÜV ID = 9811400300) | Group 0+ (R44)
• BABY-SAFE 2 i-SIZE (TÜV ID = 0000059040) | 0 – 13 kg and 40 – 83 cm body height
• BABY-SAFE iSENSE (TÜV ID = 0000075774) | 0 – 13 kg and 40 – 83 cm body height
• BABY-SAFE 5Z (TÜV ID = 0000084321) | 0 – 13 kg and 40 – 85 cm body height
• BABY-SAFE 5Z2 (TÜV ID = 0000084321) | 0 – 13 kg and 40 – 85 cm body height
• ECLIPSE² (TÜV ID = 0000028802) | Group 1 (R44)
• KING QuickFix² (TÜV ID = 8811400300) | Group 1 (R44)

¹Suitable for children up to 13 kg or until the head extends over the edge of the infant carrier.

²Suitable for children from 9 to 18 kg. Accessory kit required and available from your retailer

As airline regulations regarding suitable car seats can change regularly, we recommend that you always check with your airline before travelling.

American child seats are approved according to the US standard FMVSS 213. In Europe, child seats must conform to the European safety standards ECE R129. Therefore we always recommend that parents choose only car seats that conform to the European standards for use in Europe.

As these are independent testing organisations, we have no influence over whether and when our car seats are tested. But we can assure you, that all of our car seats have passed stringent internal crash tests in accordance with the latest safety regulations to protect what matters most to us.

Modular System: Base compatibility overview

Do you already have a BASE or planning to buy a BASE compatible car seat of our Modular System?
Check the compatibility matrix first.

We offer a guarantee for manufacturing or material defects on all products for two years. The warranty period begins on the date of purchase. Please retain your receipt as proof of purchase and complete your warranty card if available. For any warranty inquiries, please complete the form using the Britax Römer portal link below.

OPEN BRITAX RÖMER SERVICE PORTAL

For instruction manuals for our current models, please click here.

Although Britax Römer child seats do not have an official expiration date as we use high-quality UV-stabilized material to prevent aging effects, we endorse the general advice of The European Nursery Products Confederation and suggest that these should be used as sensible guidelines. The count for the lifespan begins when the product is first used.

Why?

Laws, rules and standards are regularly updated to integrate the latest findings of research on child safety;
Products, technical solutions and design evolve, also as a consequence of standards’ evolution and to reflect state of the art technology and features to ensure child’s safety;
Functional parts of the products may have reduced performance due to wear or exposure to external factors, such as food and drinks.
Britax Römer does not recommend the use of a second-hand car seat with an unknown history as you cannot be sure that it hasn’t been involved in an accident (even if there are no visual signs of damage) or that parts, labels and instructions may have got lost.

When designing our restraint systems, we aim to strike a delicate balance in terms of the forces required to open a buckle – high enough to deter children from opening it themselves, but not so high that the buckle can’t be opened by someone else in the event of a dangerous accident situation. Similarly, a more complicated buckle system is not legally permitted if it could also prevent an adult from opening the buckle in an emergency.

We recommend that parents find the best balance between making the harness so tight that the child feels uncomfortable and tries to escape – and making it so loose that the child can easily slip out of the harness. The harness should be snug but not tight against the body (two fingers should fit between the harness and the child’s chest). If your child unbuckles or slips out of the harness, we recommend that you stop immediately and rebuckle your child.

If a qualified car seat fitter advises that the angle of the infant carrier shell on the car seat is too steep, we recommend using our modular system with the FLEX BASE 5Z or VARIO BASE 5Z (depending on compatibility requirements) as this allows you to adjust the angle of the base to provide a flatter lying position for your baby, keeping them comfortable and safe. Please check our vehicle list to see if the base is compatible with your car.

Sweating in young babies can often be a sign that their ability to regulate their body temperature is still developing. We advise parents to use their own judgement as to how their child is dressed if they appear to be hot.

However, we do offer specific summer accessories for some of our car seats. Please visit our accessories section for more details.

For safety reasons, rearward facing car seats, such as infant carriers, can only be installed on the front passenger seat if the airbag is deactivated. Please refer to your car seat and car owner’s manual.

The same applies to our rotating seats when used forward facing. However, it is advisable to move the passenger seat as far back as possible if a passenger airbag is activated. Please refer to your car seat and car owner's manual. As a general rule, children should be transported in the rear where there is less risk of injury in the event of an accident.

Unlike the front passenger airbag, side airbags inflate only slightly – so they have minimal contact with the child’s car seat. As long as a child is properly secured in the car seat and cannot lean out of it, the use of a car side airbag posed no risk.

If you are concerned, we advise you to contact the car manufacturer to find out how far the side airbags extend when deployed and whether they are likely to contact a child restraint in the rear outboard seats. The EuroNCAP tests also assess the safety of child seats in a side impact, so check www.euroncap.com to see if your car model is one of those tested.

The function of the vehicle seat belt in a highback booster car seat (suitable for children above 100 cm which are only restraint with the vehicle seat belt) is to hold it and the child firmly and correctly in place. There are many factors that can contribute to insufficient (incomplete) belt retraction, including the temperature outside and inside the car and the angle of the vehicle seat belt as it passes through the upper belt guide of the car seat depending on car type, child and seat.

To determine if you have a problem with insufficient belt retraction, please follow these steps:

Always refer to the car seat user manual (including type list where applicable) and the car owner’s manual when installing the child car seat!

1. With your child in the car seat, ensure that the car seat belt runs smoothly and securely through the upper belt guide and lower belt guides.
2. Ensure that the seat belt is correctly fastened and that it is not twisted. The seat belt should fit snugly and evenly around the child’s body.
3. Ask your child to lean forward and then back in the car seat. If you find that the car’s seat belt is not fully retracted and there is slack in the seat belt, please try the following:

• Adjust the headrest of the car seat so that the headrest is, if possible, 1-2 positions higher or lower than its previous position (depending on the height if the child and additional instructions in the user manual) If the belt still does not retract sufficiently and the child seat is fitted with a XP-PAD, please test the belt retraction without the XP-PAD.
• If the belt retracts sufficiently without the XP-PAD, then the car seat should be used without the XP-PAD. The car seat still offers superior safety performance.
• If these steps do not solve the problem, do not use the seat and contact Britax Römer customer service immediately.
• If the car’s seat belt stays correctly in place as your child moves around while seated, but does not fully retract when unbuckled, then you can use the car seat without restrictions

If a child is wearing a very thick coat, there is a risk that the harness or seat belts may not be tightened sufficiently. Therefore, we generally recommend that very thick coats are removed in the car and the child is covered with a blanket over the top of the harness if extra warmth is needed.

After an accident involving a child seat, the forces absorbed by the seat can cause fine cracks in the structure, which may not be visible to the naked eye. We therefore strongly recommend that the seat is replaced.

All car seat covers can be removed and washed in a delicate wash at 30°C using a mild detergent. Please follow the instructions on the washing label on the cover. Do not spin or tumble dry.

We don’t believe in taking risks when it comes to child safety. A used car seat with an unknown history is always a risk because you can’t be sure it hasn’t been involved in an accident (even if there are no visual signs of damage).