Britax vs Chicco – Which Car Seat is Better?

of 7

chicco-kidfit-zip

britax-highpoint

chicco-nextfit-zip

britax-clicktight

chicco-key30-zip

britax-35-carseat

Child car seats variety on shelf in store, nobody - Child car seats variety on shelf in store closeup view, nobody. Goods for safe transportation of children

Britax vs Chicco - Which Car Seat is Better?

Buy Now

Britax and Chicco have both been in the baby product market for many years. They produce not only car seats but an array of other baby products too. Both are well respected and recognized brands in the baby market. They have been trusted by parents for many years to provide the best quality and safest car seats to protect their precious cargo. They both produce car seats for the various different stages and we are going to look at the leading ones in each stage for Britax vs Chicco.

View in gallery

Britax vs Chicco Infant Car Seats

	Title	Price	Prime	Buy
	Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat		PrimeEligible	Buy Now
	Chicco Key Fit 30 Zip Infant Car Seat		Prime	Buy Now

Britax B Safe 35 Elite Infant Seat

Britax B Safe 35 Elite Infant Seat weighs in at around 10 pounds and the base weighs another 9 pounds (although you do not tend to be carrying the base around with you),  which is about average for this type of car seat system. This seat is designed to accommodate your baby from their first ride home and comes with some great features in order to do so.

• Side impact protection surrounds your baby protecting their head, neck, and torso.
• SafeCell Technology meaning that this car seat comes with what is effectively crumple zones just like your car. These SafeCells help to absorb the energy from a crash and divert it away from your baby.
• High Strength Steel Frame that reinforces the base of the car seat.
• SafeCenter Latch this feature makes it super easy to tighten and secure the car seat base to your car.

• Spring-Assisted Recline this ensures that you can find the perfect angle specific to your vehicle for the car seat base.
• Auto-Level Indicators this makes sure that you have got that angle just right every time.
• Built-In Lock Offs means that with a seat belt installation the base is kept snug to the car seat with little effort from you.

The B Safe 35 is also part of the Click and Go System of travel systems that Britax produces. This system allows you to transfer your baby from the car seat to the stroller in one simple and easy click. It also comes with a removable head pad and an extra-large canopy both designed to offer extra support and comfort to your baby.

Pros

• Extra-Large Canopy
• Fantastic Safety features
• Simple to install
• Good weight and height limits
• 5 star NHTSA rating

Cons

• Some have said customer service is terrible
• Heavy and bulky
• Difficulties fitting to a shopping cart

Chicco Key Fit 30 Zip

The Chicco Key Fit 30 Zip weighs in at 10 pounds. The base weighs another 7 pounds. This is another seat that offers a range of great safety features and is suitable from 4-30 pounds in weight.

• Newborn positioner which is removable supports both your baby’s head and body while they are a newborn.
• SuperCinch Tightener that adds all the force needed to make sure that you get that tight and secure fit but without you having to get into some yoga poses!
• It comes with its own self-leveling spring-loaded foot. It also comes with not one but two bubble levels, ensuring that the perfect angle is achieved each and every time.
• The seat has a one-pull harness that tightens the 5 point harness with one pull.

• A really handy feature is the zip-off canopy which comes with a zip on visor providing plenty of shade for your baby. It also has a zip-around boot to keep your baby warm and snug in their car seat.
• This car seat comes with a breathable air mesh, the idea here is to provide airflow channels to improve ventilation and keep your baby cool and comfortable.
• This car seat also has the feature with one simple click to attach to any Chicco stroller, making a travel system that makes moving baby from car to stroller easy.

Pros

• 4 star NHTSA rating
• Zip up features are practical
• Easy to clean
• Gender-neutral pattern

Cons

• Some issues with the Zip hood
• Lower weight limit than the Britax

Main Differences

There are only a few differences between these two car seats are the weight of the base for the Britax is slightly heavier than the Chicco, this shouldn’t really matter as the base will be staying in your vehicle anyway.

Another key point is that the Britax could accommodate your baby for longer as it has a higher maximum weight of 35 pounds and height of 32 “, whereas the Chicco maximum weight is only 30 pounds and a height of 30”. However, the Britax does have a narrower internal space than the Chicco.

Ratings

Both seats have a high rating with the NHTSA but the Britax does score slightly higher as it received 5 stars where the Chicco received 4 stars. The Chicco car seat did not do as well as the Britax in the ratings for installation features, securing the child, and evaluation of labels.

Britax vs Chicco Convertible Car Seats

	Title	Price	Prime	Buy
	Britax Advocate ClickTight Convertible Car Seat - 3 Layer Impact Protection - Rear and Forward Facing - 5 to 65 Pounds, SafeWash Fabric, Otto		Prime	Buy Now
	Chicco NextFit Zip Convertible Car Seat - Carbon		PrimeEligible	Buy Now

Britax Advocate Clicktight

The Britax Advocate Clicktight is built like a tank weighing in at 30 pounds but these car seats are not really designed to be moved around a huge amount. It comes with lots of bells and whistles not only in the safety department but on the comfort side as well.

• 3 layers of side impact protection to help protect your child in the event of a collision. It also has an energy-absorbing shell, foam-lined headrest, and external cushions.
• An impact-absorbing base that works in the same way as the crumble zones in your car. They compress to reduce the force of the collision while diverting energy away from your precious cargo.
• ClickTight Installation system, this system offers the chance to install your car seat but it does not have the limitations of the LATCH system.

• Auto level indicators show you that your child’s seat is always in the correct installation angle for your vehicle. Multi recline positions also make it easier for you to find the proper angle for installation.
• An Integrated Steel frame offers strength that is second to none. This is also what adds to the extra weight of this seat.
• This seat has 14 positions, a quick-adjust system means it can be altered without having to re-thread the harness.

Pros

• Easy installation with either LATCH or seatbelt
• Click feature for tightening straps is really useful

Cons

• Very heavy seat
• Does not come complete with a cup holder
• Some issues with straps being too short
• Some users have had issues removing the seat using the Click-Tight button

Chicco Nextfit Zip

Chicco Nextfit Zip weighs 25 pounds, this is about average for this type of car seat. It comes with a host of features in both safety and comfort for your baby.

• SuperCinch Tightener is a force-multiplying tightener that is designed to be used with the vehicle LATCH system to ensure a tight and secure fit.
• LockSure Belt System designed for easy and clear installation using the vehicle seat belt. This has clear routing and integrated lock-offs.
• 9 position leveling system allows for the seat to fit a wider range of vehicles both rear-facing and forward-facing.

• Duoguard provides two layers of side impact protection, it also has a deep rigid shell and energy-absorbing foam. The seat is also reinforced with a steel frame for extra stability and strength.

Pros

• Zip features are a nice touch
• Fits a good range of children, even from newborn.
• Easy installation with LATCH and their SuperCinch technology
• Safeguard lower LATCH connectors

Cons

• The large base can make it difficult to install in contoured seats
• Some users have mentioned that the deep sides make it difficult to place a child in the seat, especially rear-facing

Main Differences

Both these seats have fantastic features both in safety and comfort. There are only minor differences between them, the Chicco comes complete with a cupholder while with the Britax it has to be bought separately. The Chicco weighs considerably less than the Britax, this is a concern if you are planning on moving the seat between vehicles.

Ratings

The Britax did score higher in the NHTSA rating for forward-facing. But otherwise, they are pretty evenly matched car seats.

Britax vs Chicco Booster Seats

Britax Highpoint

Britax Highpoint is a booster seat that uses the cars’ own 3 point harness to secure the child. This car seat has no 5 point harness system. The seat weighs 12 pounds which makes it easy to transfer from vehicle to vehicle with little trouble or need to be built like the Mountain (Game of Thrones). It has some great features to help keep your big kids safe and comfortable at all times.

• Three layers of side impact protection that features external impact cushions.
• It has a very spacious design and comes with deep side walls this ensures that your child has the full head, torso, and pelvic side impact protection.
• A great little feature is that it comes with flexible lower connectors meaning that you can secure the car seat to the car even when not in use. No more car seat sliding around the back of your vehicle.
• 10 position quick-adjust head restraint, so that finding the perfect fit for your child is easy and painless.

• Made from breathable fabric to keep them cool and comfortable at all times. It also has two armrests for their added comfort.
• SecureGuard Belt-Positioning Clip is a fantastic feature as it keeps the seat belt secure and positioned correctly at all times. Great if you have children who like to fiddle with their seat belts.
• Colour coded belt guides for your child to follow making it super easy for them to get it right each and every time.
• Both cup holders are removable and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Pros

• LATCH system to secure car seat when not in use
• 3 layers of side impact
• Clear color-coded seat belt path
• 10 position height adjustment

Cons

• No rating available from NHTSA currently

Chicco Kidfit Zip

Chicco Kidfit Zip weighs in at 12.1 pounds and is another car seat from Chicco that comes with so many features. Many car seat manufacturers become less creative when you get to this kind of car seat yet Chicco has made sure that this seat has similar safety features to that of their infant car seats and their convertible ones. This car seat comes with some great features for both safety and comfort.

• DuoGuard Protection this gives your child head and torso protection, it has a rigid shell and energy-absorbing foam at all of its 10 positions.
• SuperCinch Tightener is the same LATCH system that is in place in their other car seats as well. This ensures that tight fit with as little physical effort from you.
• Quick-Release Removal for that one hand release, making it so simple to just grab and go, making the seat so easy to transfer between vehicles.

• Easy zip-off cushions making it easy to remove for a quick machine wash. This cushion also provides some added comfort and durability to this seat.
• The seat base is engineered for extra comfort with triple foam padding.
• It comes with a 2 position backrest so that it can mimic the position of your car seats.
• It has 2 foldable cup holders and comes with a detachable compartment that fits into either cup holder for storage.

Pros

• Zip-off cover for easy cleaning
• Cover is machine washable
• A simple to install LATCH system
• Lightweight car seat, easy to transfer from one vehicle to another
• Clearly colored belt path makes it easy for your child to follow
• 4 star NHTSA rating

Cons

• Head protection is very lightly padded

Main Differences

There are only a few differences between these car seats. The main one is that the Britax has a higher weight and height limit than the Chicco. This would be important depending on the size of the child that you require the seat for.

It was extremely difficult to find any disadvantages to either seat, they have been well designed with this age group in mind and also ease of use for parents.

Ratings

The Britax car seat has no rating with NHTSA currently this may be due to the fact that it is a recent addition to the Britax family. But I have no doubt that it will score highly the same as the car seats in the range.

The Chicco car seat has a 4-star rating with the NHTSA for overall ease of use. This is no surprise as all their car seats are well designed and built for practical use.

Britax vs Chicco

In this review, we have compared the pros and cons of some of the top-ranking seats from both brands. Personally I think that if you chose a car seat from either of these well-established brands you will not go far wrong. All their car seats have great features for ensuring that your little bundle is comfortable at all times in their car seat. Most importantly they have safety features that almost guarantee the safety of your precious cargo.

These car seat brands are evenly matched and personally I believe they are both winners and would not hesitate to recommend either brand to any parents.