Britax car seats are some of the most trusted car seats for kids. Apart from being made in the United States, Britax has a good reputation for making high-quality and durable products.
If you own a Britax car seat, you’d want to know if you need a base to use the car seat. There are a number of car seats that can be used without needing a base. However, could the same be said about Britax car seats?
In this short write-up, we will see the different types of Britax car seats and also talk about whether a base is needed for a Britax car seat. We will also see the difference between base installation and baseless installation.
Related: Are Britax car seat non-toxic? (Read this first!)
Table of Contents
Do you need a base for Britax car seats?
A Britax infant car seat can be installed with or without a base, depending on what you want. When you purchase a Britax infant car seat, it usually comes with a base which can be installed permanently in your car.
While it is possible to install a Britax car seat without a base (by using your vehicle’s seat belt), it may be stressful for you to install and uninstall the car seat each time you want to place and bring your kids out of your car.
If you own another vehicle, you can buy an extra car seat base and install it in your other vehicle. This would give you rest of mind and offer more protection for your little one.
If you want to know if a Britax car seat can be installed without a base, the answer is YES. Britax offers two installation methods for their infant car seat – using a base or using your vehicle’s seat belt.
Recommended: Do Britax car seats expire?
Do All Britax car seats use the same base?
You can use any Britax infant car seat with the Britax Gen2 car seat base. However, the old Britax car seat base is only compatible with B-Safe 35, B-Safe 35 Elite, B-Safe Ultra, and Endeavor.
While the Britax Gen2 infant car seat base is universal for all Britax infant car seats, you can’t use it with other brands of car seats.
Therefore, if you are buying an extra Britax car seat base, go for the Britax Gen2 infant car seat base because you can install any Britax infant car seat on it.
Infant Car seat: base installation Vs. baseless installation
The major difference between a car seat base installation and baseless installation is that the base installation makes things easy for you. With a base, you don’t have to unbuckle or uninstall the car seat to carry your child out of the car.
Once the base is installed, all you need to do is to click the car seat into the base. With the Click Connect Technology, it makes the process faster and safer.
As for the baseless installation, you would need to install the car seat using your vehicle seat belt every time you want to take a ride with your little one. While that may not be a big deal for some, it could be tiring sometimes.
Do you have to use the tether with Britax?
It is always advisable to use the tether with Britax car seats or other car seat brands because it provides more safety features in case of a crash.
If your car has the tether feature, you should use it when installing a forward-facing car seat using the LATCH system or the vehicle seat belt.
Always go through your vehicle owner’s manual to find information on the location of the tether anchor and weight capacities.
You might want to read this: Are Britax car seats compatible with other strollers?
Are car seats safer without a base?
Regardless of the installation method, both base and baseless car seat installations are safe if done correctly. You should go through the car seat user manual to determine which method of installation is best.
The reason for having a base is to make it easier for you to move your child in and out of the car. There are also some features on the car seat base that makes installation accurate, thereby providing more security to your child.
Knowing the Type of Car Seat You Need For your Child
If you are a new parent, it could be somewhat daunting to choose the first car seat for your newborn. There are different types of car seats for kids and knowing where to start from would help you choose the perfect car seat for your child.
Below are the types of car seats available in the marketplace and the best time you need each of the car seats.
Infant car seat (Rear-facing only): This is the first car seat you will be using for your child for the first 2 years after birth. It usually comes with a base and you can buy an extra base if you have another car.
You can also attach an infant car seat to a stroller to form a travel system if the car seat is compatible with the stroller.
Convertible car seat: A convertible car seat can transition from rear-facing to forward-facing. That means you can use a convertible car seat for a longer time when compared to the rear-facing only infant car seat.
However, if you decide to buy a convertible car seat, it won’t click into a base or stroller. You’d have to uninstall a convertible car seat before taking it out of your car.
For the rear-facing infant car seat, you only need to detach it from the car seat base.
Read more on when to turn a Britax car seat forward.
All-in-one car seat: If you decide to purchase this type of car seat, you can use it for up to 10 years. That means you won’t be needing any other car seat until your child is grown enough to seat on the vehicle seat.
Just like the convertible car seat, an all-in-one car seat won’t click to a base or a stroller. You can use a base and stroller for infant car seats only.
