Roundabout Onyx Convertible Car Seat

There are so many different carseats on the market, I had a hard time choosing one!  However, I knew that I wanted a convertible one even though it meant that I couldn't take my baby out in the infant car seat, making it less convenient.

The Product
The Britax Roundabout is a convertible car seat that can be used both as in the rear and forward facing position.  It is one of the many car seats available from the Britax line and retails for $179.99.  The Roundabout is available in different patterns.  I have the Onyx pattern.  The car seat is available at stores such as Babies R Us and Amazon.com.

Britax States
"The legendary Britax Roundabout convertible car seat is renowned for safety, comfort and convenience. The Roundabout’s compact size is ideal for use with vehicles with limited rear-seat space. Unique features including a sculpted base, push button release LATCH system with patented Versa-Tether, and built-in vehicle belt lock-offs make a tight installation in your vehicle quick and simple. The tangle-free polyester 5-point harness with 3 harness heights ensures a snug and secure fit and push button harness adjuster help you effortlessly secure your child every day. The Roundabout also features rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and positioning. The Roundabout also offers a cozy, washable seat cover for that ultimate comfort experience for children rear-facing from 5 to 35 pounds or children forward-facing from 1 year old and 20 to 40 pounds. The Roundabout is made in the USA with U.S. and global components."

Contact and Miscellaneous Information
- Website = www.britaxusa.com
- Made in USA
- Product weighs 14 lbs
- Certified for air travel
- Rear facing: 5 to 35 pounds
- Forward facing: At least 1 year old and 20 to 40 pounds

Product information taken from product website.

My Experience
:: My Car ::
My car is a 2005 Mercedes C230 Sedan and it is fairly compact in size.  It can seat five people, but the three in the back are packed in quite tightly.  My husband and I usually have the front seats pushed all the way back, leaving the rear passengers with little leg room.  I was a bit concerned that the Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat wouldn't fit in my car but read from Britax that it fits in cars with limited rear seat space.  When my husband installed the car seat (in the rear facing posiiton) into my car, we were both glad it fit.

:: Size and Bulk ::
One of the reasons I chose the Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat over the Britax Marathon is because it is smaller than the Marathon.  The Marathon is much more bulky and I didn't think my car would be able to fit the Marathon in the rear facing position.  The Roundabout weighs only 14 pounds, which isn't super heavy, but I'd rather not transfer the car seat back and forth between two cars.  The car seat will remain a permanently in my car.  The dimensions of the seat are 18.25 x 25 x 23.5 inches (WxHxD).

:: Convertible ::
The Britax Roundabout is a convertible car seat, meaning it can be used in both the rear and forward facing position.  I thought this would be a great idea before Baby Grace was born, saving money on the infant carrier that would eventually have to be ditched for a larger carseat once she exceeded its weight limit.  In the early months, it wasn't very easy for me to take Baby Grace in and out of the Roundabout.  She was small and looked tiny in the large carseat.  I started to regret my decision of choosing the Roundabout.  However, at around three months of age, it became much easier -- I don't know if it was from repeated experience of taking her in and out or if it was because she grew bigger.  If I had to do it all over again, I would still choose the convertible car seat over purchasing an infant carrier car seat and then a convertible car seat later.

:: Style ::
The Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat that I have is Onyx in color, which is a mix of gray and black.  There are a variety of colors available for the Roundabout, some lighter than others, but I preferred the darker shade so that it can hide stains better.  However, the downside of the darker shade is that it can get quite toasty in the car ... kind of like when you sit on dark leather seats in the car on a hot day.  I do check to make sure the fabric isn't too hot before putting Baby Grace into the car seat if it has been in the sun.  Overall I am pleased with the Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat in Onyx.

:: Installation ::
It's not easy to install a car seat and the Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat was no exception.  While many people may think they have installed the seat correctly, I have heard estimates that up to 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly.  The Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat comes with a thorough instruction manual, which Britax directs people not to detact from the car seat.  We have the instruction manual still attached to the car seat and tucked beneath the car seat cover.  My husband installed the car seat into my car on top of the Kiddopotamus Seat Cover.  It wasn't easy installing the car seat and when he came back from installing it, he was tired and sweaty.  He wasn't sure if he installed the car seat correctly, even after reading the manual and watching the video on Britax's website.  Installing a car seat is quite challenging and you want to make sure that it is installed correctly for safety.  We made an appointment with the California Highway Patrol to have the car seat inspected and the officer said the installation was done correctly. 

:: Fit and Comfort ::
How does Baby Grace fit in the Britax Roundabout?  She fits well now that she is bigger.  When she was a newborn, she looked very small in the car seat.  When seated in the car seat, her head would flop over to one side and the straps would dig into her neck.  Her Auntie gave her a head/neck support that we put over the car seat and that helped with head position during car rides.  We also purchased strap covers because the straps are quite rigid and do not feel good on the sides of the baby's neck when the belt is tightened.  I would highly recommend purchasing a set of strap cover for the Britax Roundabout.  Now that Baby Grace is almost five months old, she fits very well in it.  She still has a lot of growth in the car seat.  As for comfort, the car seat does have a nice amount of cushion.  It looks like it would feel comfortable, though I cannot attest to its comfort personally as I cannot fit in the car seat!  Baby Grace does seem to love her car seat, though, as she fall asleeps in the car seat after only sitting in it for a minute or two.

:: Ease of Use ::
At first, it seems quite initimidating to use the Britax Roundabout, especially for a new parent like me.  Am I putting the baby in correctly?  Is she seated correctly?  Is the belt snug enough?  The California Highway Patrol gave us good tips and pointers on how to use the carseat correctly, such as how tight to pull the belt, where to have the harness, the correct height of the straps, etc.  In terms of getting the baby in and out of the car seat, it's pretty easy now.  I put Baby Grace in and make sure that her bottom is aligned correctly in the car seat.  Then I put her arms through the straps, buckle the two half buckets into the seat, and then buckle the harness.  After that, I adjust the strap covers and then tighten the belt by pulling upwards.  To get the baby out, I push on the button located at the bottom of the seat to loosen the belt and then unbuckle the harness and the buckle.  I like the velcro on the sides of the car seat and on the sides of the belt.  The design helps hold the straps in an open position, making it easier to put the baby in without having the baby sit on the straps. 

:: Miscellaneous ::
Safety - The Britax Roundabout has received high ratings for safety.  The CHP officer said that it was a very safe car seat and said that she uses the Roundabout for her kids as well.  I do like that the car seat is certified for air travel; we have not used it for air travel, but I have seen other families lugging around the Roundabout for traveling.

Washable - The seat cover can be removed to be washed, but we have not had to remove the cover yet because it has not gotten dirty. 

Overall Thoughts
The Britax Roundabout is a safe, reliable, and convenient car seat to protect your little one during car (and plane!) rides.

Thanks for reading.
Pooks
Copyright 2010