Good Car seat?? Britax Regent? What do you think?

Question

I'm planning on purchasing the Britax Regent for my hubby's car. Looks like a great seat, and I'm purchasing it from Ebay from an excellent seller/store. I also have a $25 gift card for ebay, so I know I'll be saving around $100 on this seat :) What do you think about it, good investment?

Answer 1

Are you in Canada?  if so, it is illegal to use a carseat from across the border that has not been approved for use in Canada.  The Regent isn't available in Canada, so it will not be approved.   If you had an accident and insurance found out that you weren't using an approved carseat, they may not pay if any injuries occur.

Answer 2

As long as it's brand new and your child weighs more than 30-35lbs, then it sounds great!  The Regent will allow your child to be harnessed for a very long time.

You should never buy a used seat (unless it's from someone you trust with your child's life) and children should ride rearfacing to the limits of a convertible carseat (30-35lbs in the US).

Answer 3

Well -without knowing some extra details, I'd say likely yes.

First details being - how old is your child, and how tall, and what weight? Children should remain rear facing AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!  Babies should stay rear facing AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! Turning kids forward at 20lbs/1year is an outdated practice that could cost you your child's life! American Academy of Pediatrics says to keep kids rear facing to the limit of their convertible car seat. All current models go to at least 30lbs, many higher.

A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone.

In the age of the internet its amazing so much misinformation exists! Please please do not listen to people telling you to turn your child forward facing 'at your judgement' or when her legs touch the seat. In truth, most children LIKE resting their feet on the back of the seat in front of them. Check out this photo album exclusively of rear facing kids, many of them much older than 12 months: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum... It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (see sources) that ALL babies stay rear facing as long as possible, up to the weight/height limits of their seat. Most seats go to 30lbs rear facing, some go higher, check your manual. They are too tall for an infant carrier when the head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Too tall for most convertible seats when their ears reach the top of the seat. Has nothing to do with how long their legs are! There isn't a single documented case of a child breaking their legs b/c they were rear facing in an accident. There are, however, lots of cases where children have been killed and seriously injured where a rear facing seat would have protected them better. They are safest rear facing b/c their bones have not yet completed the ossification process that bonds/hardens them like adults. They need the bracing support that a rear facing seat offers to withstand a crash. 20lbs AND 1 year is the bare minimum as far as the law is concerned, but the law is the bare minimum of safety, and who wants to do the bare minimum for their child?  So if your child still fits rear facing, he/she shouldn't be in a REgent just yet since its a forward facing only seat.

Second detail: is the seat new or used? NEVER purchase a used seat unless:

1)it has never been in any wreck

2)it has all the original pieces, including manual

3)it has never been dropped, which means never been checked as luggage at the airport, either, since this frequently happens when checked or gate checked .

4)it is less than 6 years old

5)the straps have never been completely submerged or washed with anything other than mild soap(it messes up the flame retardent treatment)

If you wouldn't trust the seller with your child's life, don't buy a car seat from them.

Also, realize that if you are purchasing it from a non-authorized Britax dealer, it voids the warranty. Ask what the date of manufacture is, ask if the box is damaged. There are some authorized Britax dealers on eBay (like albeebaby, under some other name I can't recall right this minute...) but the majority are not. They sell old seats or seats that have been returned to the store, which makes it a used seat and unsafe to use.

If all the above requirements are met - I have to say, I LOVE the Regent. My son is in one. He's 3 1/2, 42lbs, 41" tall, and it was the only seat left that fit him. The Sunshine Kids Radian didn't work in my car at all, so the Regent was it. Its big and cumbersome, but its also very cushy and comfy, easy to use and install (just read and reread those instructions!) and Britax stands behind their product.

If you realize the date of manufacture on the Regent is too old (remember seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, whether its been used the whole time or not, and that, going to 80lbs, most kids will fit in the Regent until they are about 8 years old, so you want to get the full use out of it) or for some other reason realize you don't want to use that eBay seller, Britax has 2 annual sales, and one is coming up at the end of January/Beginning of October. Going through eBates and Baby Universe (online) got a Regent for $200 in October. Also, albeebaby online currently has Regents on sale for $239 + free shipping.

Answer 4

I would be cautious buying a car seat on ebay because I had a terrible experience doing just that two years ago. The photo of the item made it look great, the description as well and the seller answered all my questions. When I got it, it reeked of cat spray. it was awful, the seller had good feedback and I was so shocked she wouldn't refund my money. She denied any knowledge of this but it clearly was shipped this way.

so my advice is, if it's USED on ebay DO NOT BUY IT!! it's just not worth it. I agree with the other commenters that your child's life is worth spending the extra $$ to get a secure seat. Just my 2 cents.

I found this question while searching for answers on car seats with 5-point harness system for tall kids. my daughter is over 3 yrs and quite tall too. ;-)

I also found this one which is a little less than the Britax and a little narrower too, good for a non-SUV car: http://www.skjp.com/products/skjp_radian...

Good luck to you!

Answer 5

well if you re saving 100 buck...yeah sure is

Answer 6

From all that I have read concerning these seats Britax is a leader in the car seat industry and is proud to offer products made in the USA with U.S. and global components.

I would make sure through Britax first and check the serial number of the seat that you are buying just to make sure it is real.