The Only Car Seat You’ll Ever Need!
As a mom, buying the best gear for your family can be quite a daunting task since there are so. many. options! If you’re in the market for a car seat and confused about what you actually need, LOOK NO FURTHER! The new Britax One4Life Car Seat accommodates children from 5-120 pounds and converts from rear-facing infant car seat all the way to a big kid booster! This means it’s the only car seat you’ll ever need for your child. Sound too good to be true? I’ll prove its not! Read on for all the details on this amazing car seat and how it can transition from infant seat to big kid booster with ease.
A huge thank you to Britax for sponsoring this post! In exchange for this post, Britax has gifted us two of the One4Life Car Seat. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
The One4Life Car Seat goes from a rear-facing infant car seat to a booster seat, making it one that will last for 10 years! It will accommodate children from 5-120 pounds and up to 63” tall, making this the only seat you will need from birth to big kid.
The One4Life Car Seat will easily transition between these modes:
- Rear-facing seat for infants and extended rear-facing toddlers (5-50 lbs.)
- Forward-facing 5-point harness seat (22-65 lbs.)
- high-back belt-positioning booster seat (40-120lbs.)
Ease of Use
The click-tight technology makes installation a breeze— you pinch to open, thread the buckle, click it closed and you’re done! The click allows you to be certain that the seat is actually installed and ready to go.
With the convenient push of a button, you can adjust the recline to 9 different positions. This allows for maximum safety and comfort as the child grows. When converting to booster-mode, you simply adjust the recline system into “B” mode and store the straps and buckle into the built-in harness compartment.
When it comes to Britax, safety is their number one priority. Britax offers:
- SafeCell Impact Protection- a system of patented technologies that direct crash forces away from your child. This keeps them safe in the event of an accident.
- Stabilizing Steel Frame- Provides stability for the seat as well as absorbs the crash impact through the strong steel frame.
- V-Shaped Tether- Attaches to the car seat in 2 places with staged-release stitches. Keeps the seat secure by reducing and slowing forward movement.
The One4Life also offers two layers of side impact protection in its energy-absorbing shell and foam lining that surround the child’s head, neck and spine. The extra layer of side impact protection ensures your child will remain safe and secure in the event of a crash.
The cover is safe to machine wash and dry, which is any parent’s dream! Kids can spend a lot of time in their car seats. The naturally flame-retardant SafeWash cover is available on four models (Drift, Eclipse black, Cadet, Plum), which can be easily cleaned between rides.
The One4Life also has cup holders on both sides. My kids were especially excited about this feature, ha! They can keep their cups or snacks in these convenient holders, which makes life easier for me. I can focus on the road while they have access to their snacks, instead of having to pass things back to them.
Safety
Studies show that car crashes are the leading cause of death in children ages 1-13. This is why it’s so important to use car seats in the way that provides maximum safety for the child. Maximize the safety potential of the seat simply by keeping the child rear-facing for as long as possible, or by keeping them in the harness until they outgrow the maximum height or weight requirements.
The safety benefits of keeping your child rear-facing longer are based on scientific facts and extensive research and studies– it doesn’t have anything to do with different lifestyles or parenting styles. Fact is fact. During a front impact, a child in a rear-facing seat has the head, neck and spine in alignment, cradled by the car seat, preventing whip lash and other injuries. “According to a study published in the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, at age three there is still only a 50% probability that the C3 vertebra has finished ossification. The older a child gets, the more time their spinal column has to strengthen and the reality is the longer, the better.” Rear-facing car seats, which support the head, neck and spine, are designed to distribute the crash forces across the shell of the car seat, keeping your child safe in the event of an accident.
In a side collision, the rear-facing seat will pivot with the force of impact, keeping the child’s body safe and in alignment. With a forward-facing seat, the body leads this pivot with violent force, pulling them into the harness and away from the seat behind them. With the seat not cradling them, it leaves them at risk for hitting the window or door frame.
Proper Installation
When installing a car seat, it’s important that you always refer to the manual from the car seat manufacturer. Research was conducted on the proper installation of car seats based on recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It was found that:
- 86 percent of families positioned the newborn incorrectly in the seat.
- 77 percent incorrectly installed the seat.
- More than a third positioned the harness retainer clip too low.
- 69 percent of babies had a loose harness.
- 2 out of 5 seats had an incorrect recline angle.
- A third used the incorrect harness slot.
- 1 in 5 families installed a non-regulated seat.
- 44 percent of seats moved more than 1inch side to side.
- Half of the seats that used seat belts did not have the seat belt retractor locked.
- About a third had lower anchors that were too loosely attached.
- Many used the incorrect seat belt path.
- Many also incorrectly used lower anchors in the middle seat.
- 11 percent had twisted straps, which can decrease straps’ effectiveness in restraining a child in a crash.
Installation Tips
These mistakes can seriously injure a child in an accident. Pay close attention when you’re installing the seat. Some key things to keep in mind during installation include:
- The harness in the rear-facing seat slots should be positioned at or below the child’s shoulders. The harness should be snug with no slack to pinch when testing the harness straps.
- Harness chest clips should be placed at the center of the child’s chest at armpit level.
- The car seat should be installed tightly in the vehicle with either LATCH or a locked seat belt. The seat at the belt path should not move more than an inch side to side or front to back.
- A rear-facing seat should never be placed in the front row. The airbag can cause serious injury or death if inflated.
- For convertible or 3-in-1 seats in the rear-facing position, the seat belt or lower anchor webbing should be routed through the correct belt path.
- The seat should be positioned at the correct angle/recline. This will ensure the child’s head does not drop forward. Refer to the built-in angle indicators or adjusters.
- Refer to the car seat instructions and vehicle owner’s manual about whether the car safety seat can be touching the back of the vehicle seat in front of it.
- For more car seat installation tips, refer to the NHTSA website
Holiday Deals
Valid now through Dec. 8, 2019, at participating retailers, while supplies last:
- Featured Products with Deals:
- Up to 20% off Britax Convertible Car Seats (Marathon ClickTight and Marathon ClickTight ARB, Boulevard ClickTight and ClickTight ARB, Advocate ClickTight and ClickTight ARB)
- Recieve 15% off Britax Boosters (Highpoint, Midpoint)
- Enjoy 15% off Britax Strollers (B-Lively, B-Lively Double, B-Free)
- Get 15% off Britax Travel Systems (B-Lively & B-Safe 35, B-Lively and B-Safe Ultra, B-Free & B-Safe Ultra, B-Free & Endeavours)
- 20% off select BOB Gear Strollers
- See here for more information:
Now that you know the facts and safety guidelines when it comes to car seat safety and installation, you can feel confident that your kids will be as safe as possible in the vehicle.
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