We have one Eddie Bower seat and this Britax Roundabout. It was well worth the extra cost for the Roundabout. We knew Britax Car Seats got great ratings, but we wish someone had told us how much better they are than the other seats. It's a huge difference. We're considering throwing out the other car seat and getting a second Roundabout. Bottom line: it's easy to use and super comfortable for our son.

We are extremely happy with this carseat. We saw no need for an infant/detachable since we use a sling to carry our baby.
br /One note though: If you plan on using this seat for a newborn, make sure your purchase separate head support. Our baby was small, and for awhile even having double headsupport wasn't enough to keep her head from falling forward. We just tucked a folded blanket under her chin to help give her support.
br /One major bonus, she's very comfortable in this seat. When she went through her fussy, oops I mean high need ;) period, just sitting her in this seat (not even driving anywhere) calmed her instantly!
br /We love the fact that this is the only carseat we'll need to buy. When you take that into consideration, not having to buy an infant and then another carseat later, the price is not bad at all. Britax= quality safety!

This is a great seat and we bought two of them for our two cars when
br /our first born was about 1 yr old. He is now 3.5 yrs and grown out of
br /it at only 32 lbs (seat rated to 40 lbs). You may want to consider buying
br /the Marathon or Decathlon instead (rated to 65 lbs).
br /The reason is that the shoulder
br /strap holes on the Roundabout are no longer at or above my son's
br /shoulder so he cannot use it anymore. Since he is not yet 40 lbs,
br /he cannot use a booster seat (new OR law) so we now have to buy him
br /two more car seats. We couldn't have saved buying the Decathlon
br /earlier anyway because our second child is 11m old and can use the
br /two Roundabouts now. However, you may save buying a Marathon/Decathlon
br /instead of a Roundabout depending on your situation.
br /
br /So now we considered the Marathon but settled on the
br /Decathlon because in the Marathon the gap between the back of the seat
br /and the buckle seems to be 1 inch less than in the Roundabout or
br /Decathlon. This means that it presses uncomfortably against the
br /crotch area. We have two Decathlons now for our 3.5 yr old. He likes
br /both the Roundabout and the Decathlon.

I found this car seat to be much easier to use and instal than the other car seats we have used (COSCO's Alpha Omega Elite Convertable. My daughter is large for her age and it was nice that we were able to keep her seat in the rear facing position until she was one year old. If you have a big baby (over 9lb at birth) this is your seat.

I am an obsessive car seat shopping mom. I have purchased 6 car seats in the past two years for my two kids and two cars. Not only did I thoroughly research all the brands and models, I asked the dozens of women I know with children about their car seat experiences. Britax comes out worlds ahead of all other seats. I have also owned the Cosco Alpha Omega (horrible problem with the straps tangling and baby's head falling forward, HUGE mistake purchasing this one!) and the Graco ComfortSport. While I'm sure they will keep my baby safe during a crash, they lack several crucial elements: ease of installation, quality of construction, comfort of my child. I had the others in my second car which I only drove with the kids if I had to. If I were to start buying seats all over again, I would only buy Britax from the get-go(probably just buy the Marathons as my 6 month old son will not last long in the Roundabout, but it has served by tiny 2 year old daughter well). If you don't have the money to spend on a Britax, don't buy one, but if you do...you should! You will not regret it. br /
br /
PS...Have it checked to ensure proper installation!

I have owned my Roundabout for 3 1/2 years. I bought it when my youngest and last child was 3 months old. I have used many different convertibles over the last 9 years and I can honestly say the Roundabout has been the easiest and the best car seat I have EVER used. You might be looking at the price tag and wondering why in the world ANYONE would pay 199.99 for a car seat. Let me just say my Roundabout has been a very good investment! Here is why:

Ease of use: This car seat has by far been the easiest seat I have EVER used. The harness adjuster is as smooth as butter, the harness straps NEVER twist and I can install this seat quickly and easily both rear facing AND forward facing.

Safety: Britax was one of the first manufacturers to include EPS foam lining their car seats. This foam is similar to the foam found in bicycle helmets. This foam will help crash forces to be distributed properly in a crash. Instead of hitting hard plastic, your child will hit the foam. I also like that Britax allows for the tether strap to be used in both the rear facing and the forward facing position! Using this strap rear-facing, makes the car seat very stable! I LOVE it! As far as I know, Britax is the only company who allows for the tether to be used while the seat is rear facing and forward facing.

Comfort: My son looked very comfortable in his car seat from the very first day we tried him in it and actually, at his current age of 3 years and 8 months, he STILL fits in the Roundabout. He's close to outgrowing it by height, but he still fits! He is now 35 pounds and 40 inches tall. :-)

I highly reccomend this seat!

Mom and car seat safety fanatic

The seat is great, and installs especially well in cars with the LATCH system. My huge disappointment comes when trying to clean the fabric cover. My baby is occasionally carsick, and to remove the fabric cover from the seat one first must remove the entire seat from the car (we have ours put in by firemen so have to have that redone each time). Then you have to go behind the seat and remove the shoulder harnesses from the the adjustable bracket (which loses any adjustment specific to your kid). Next, to feed the harnesses through the fabric cover slots, you have to remove all the latches and harness guides. Now you are finally able to wrestle the tight-fitting cover from the padding and foam. Of course later on, if you re-install anything incorrectly, you compromise the safety of the seat. Plan on an hour in and out everytime your kid has an accident in the seat and you have to wash the cover! In this age of Velcro, snaps, zippers, and buttons, I think this is ridiculous, and calling Britax they just said "We'll talk to our design team..."

We bought this carseat for our daughter and were absolutely thrilled with it. It attaches very securely to the vehicle seat wihtout moving. I can easily install this seat into the car very safely. As a nanny in the past, I would install other childrens carseats into my vehicle and they were just so unsafe and would move around on turns, etc. This one won't do that. My daughter used it from birth right on through to 4 years old. The tether strap is a very great feature and now most vehicles have the child latching system available which makes it very easy to secure this seat. Even without using the tether strap, the carseat is very secure in the car. I would recommend when installing it into the vehicle to actually get in the car and put your knee into the seat and put weight down and pull the seatbelt as tight as possible and then lock the clips. In doing this, it give a very tight grasp on the carseat without using the tether (although of course, I recommend using it). It is one of the best investments you can make.

After getting a lesser quality Even Flo Triumph, my husband and I got the Britax roundabout. We couldnt be happier with this seat, it's very easy to install, and very easy to adjust your child in. Britax also has quite the reputation for saftey and quality, I only wish I had bought this seat sooner and not wasted my time and money on an inferior brand that had many design flaws. Save your money and buy this seat, you won't be sorry.

We purchased both the Roundabout and the Britax Brownstone. In retrospect, I wish that we had purchased 2 Roundabout seats. The Roundabout seat installs easily and our son seems very comfortable. When we travel, it is a snap to install/un-install the Roundabout in a rental car or an airline seat.
br /
br /While the Britax Brownstone looks extra comfy and luxurious, it is a total pain. The seat is very large and didn't install as securely (as the Roundabout) in our vehicles. The Brownstone's size cramps the back seat and makes it more difficult to maneuver our son in and out of it. It is so tall that it obstructs part of the rearview mirror in our Subaru Outback and Volvo Cross Country. Finally, It is cumbersome if you need to un-install it for any reason. The Brownstone is probably better suited for a large SUV or a minivan.
br /
br /Some reviewers were concerned about the design of the restraints and the potential for hip dislocation. I wouldn't waste any time worrying about this.
br /Also, our son wears cloth diapers and he fits fine in both seats.
br /

The Britax Roundabout is a great car seat to take on planes. I have found it to fit in the seat well and it is narrow enough to roll down the aisle of many planes when using the Go Go Kidz TravelMate - Black/ Orange! My son has slept many hours on overnight international flights resting his head on the soft side panels. I have also used the Traveling Toddler: Attach a Toddler Car Seat to a Rolling Carry-on with this car seat, and it fits nicely strapped onto luggage. I have found Britax car seats to be very sturdy and made with higher quality products to withstand frequent travel and use. The Britax Roundabout is a "JetWithKids" recommended product!

Had the roundabout for over a year. Installation was much easier than another $70 Graco carseat we have, which ended up not getting used much. It's also good for daily use as it's easy to fasten/unfasten. I'll definitely get another Britax when our child grow out of roundabout. (should had bought one of those Britax that fit up to 65 pounds)

We have it in the rear passenger side and it fits great. Still leaves plenty of legroom for the front passenger. The seat material is very soft and comfortable. The belts and buckles are easy to use. There are velcro patches to hold down the seat belts when baby is not in the seat. This makes it so convenient to put baby into the seat! No more having to struggle with pushing aside the seat belt so she doesn't end up sitting on it, or trying to pull it out from under her butt. Installation seemed pretty simple too, especially with LATCH (my husband did the installing so I can't speak to this part 100%). We're using it rear facing right now for our 6 mo. old.
br /
br /I was deciding between the Marathon and this one. I am glad I chose this one b/c I don't like the idea of a super large car seat like the Marathon. But it will depend on how quickly your baby grows. Mine is only 15.5 lbs. at 6 mos. so I figure I have a while before she reaches the 40 lb. limit and moves onto a booster seat, whereas I have a friend whose 5 mo. baby is already 18 lbs. so she probably should go with the Marathon. Just my opinion though.

After reading extensive reviews on many car seats, the Britax name stood out time after time in ease of use, easy installation, comfort, and safety ratings. I was a little apprehensive about spending all that money, but knew that this carseat would be used for at least the next two years and would be worth it.
br /I can get baby in and out very quickly because the straps are out of the way on their velcro piece and the harness is so easy to snap and unsnap. The straps took a little time to figure out the loosening and tightening, but once you get it, it's fine.
br /
br /It is also very quick and easy to install into vehicles. We recently flew with it (the airline lost it for the first two days AGHHHH!) and we just latched it in to the rental car and got going. No fuss, no tugging.
br /I had to purchase this because my 6 month old outgrew her Graco carseat so quickly and now I am thinking that I should have spent the little extra $ and purchased the Marathon since it is a little bigger and would probably be of use a little longer! Still, I am definitely pleased and very satisfied with this great carseat.

I have to by a second car seat for by second baby and I had no doubt in buying the britax roundabout again! It is very easy to install and most important it is very easy to recline while I am driving and the baby seems tiered. We love it!!!

awesome product, well worth the money. The only car seat I will ever buy again!! Comfortable, attractive and withstands wear and tear of kids.

I bought this car seat for my daughter when she was 4 months old. She is now 2 years old and it is still in perfect condition. The straps NEVER get tangled. It is also so easy to adjust the straps. Everything about this car seat is amazing. My mother in law has a Cosco and I HATE it. Spend the extra money it is worth it.

Since I relied so much on reviewers' comments when I looked for a car seat, I thought I should return the favor and post my thoughts.
br /
br /I think the Britax Roundabout is great. It's ridiculously easy to install (we used the latches) and equally easy to switch between cars. I've used it in both rear- and forward-facing modes in a Toyota RAV4 and a 4-door Nissan Sentra, and it fits really well.
br /
br /One complaint I had about the rear-facing mode, though, was that with the RAV4, the Roundabout would not sit properly in the seat. When the latch-straps were tight (like they're supposed to be), the end of the seat toward the front of the car bounced up. No amount of pool noodles would fix this, but the sheriffs checking car seat safety said this was fine (but I secretly worried about it anyway).
br /
br /I originally had wanted the Marathon because the age range was a longer period of time and the Ashley Floral print was way cuter than the gray I ended up with, but the Marathon will not fit rear-facing in a small car. Also, other reviewers had commented on how, with the Marathon, kids can easily grab the release latch on the straps -- something much more difficult with the Roundabout because you have to hold down a button to loosen the straps.
br /
br /Speaking of the straps, they are the easiest to operate of all the seats on the market. (I know because I tried my 10-month-old in all of them before buying a seat!) You just clip, buckle, and then pull the strap to automatically tighten the straps to the right tension. To get the kid out, a push of a button loosens the straps for unbuckling and unclipping, and there are even velcro patches to hold the straps out of the way.
br /
br /The seat itself is super comfy -- firm yet snuggly. My only complaint is the fabric -- the velvety upholstery has made my kid a little sweaty when riding in the sun this summer, but mostly it's fine.
br /
br /Overall, the Roundabout has been a trouble-free, unregrettable car seat choice for us. It may be a little expensive, but I think the convenience, safety, and durability are absolutely worth it.
br /
br /Hope you found this helpful! Good luck on your car seat search!

After searching for just the right seat, I'm happy to say I love this one. The instalition was so easy. I have an Acura and I was afraid it wouldn't fit well into the car rear facing, but it fits very well. With room to spare. I would highly recomend this seat.

We LOVE our Roundabout. Its extra-soft fabric and plush cushions allow our daughter to travel in both comfort and complete safety. Handy velcro tabs keep straps out of the way when loading/unloading child. This is a great car seat for long-distance rides or around town!!

We have three kids and have gone through a lot of car seats. Our Graco infant seat lasted six years and four children (not all our own). Other seats have not been as fortunate. With car seats I have learned that adjusting the straps can be a major source of frustration. Since we plan to get a lot of use out of our car seat we went to the store with one thing on our minds, easily adjustable straps. Unfortunately all the models we saw in the store were pretty complicated and some models were really wide. They looked like little flying saucers. We couldnt find anything we liked so I bought this online because the reviews said it was easy to adjust. I am pleased with the straps. They adjust better than any car seat I have owned. They left things simple and the straps adjust very smoothly. I was also pleasantly surprised with their latch system. Our other car seats are a pain to latch in and out of the car, but this is so simple. The cover fabric is very soft but I gave it four stars because it says it's not machine washable. I don't like to handwash things. I also wish it had an level indicator to show whether it reclined enough in the rear facing position.

after debating about spending the $$ on this seat, i purchased this and 2 others to try in our small SUV. (we have a land rover freelander.) the others were bulky and harder to install. this was by far the best of the 3 i bought. (i returned the other 2!) not only is it comfortable for my baby, who has so far used it from 3 months to 9 months old and it still looks brand new... but it also is easy for me to put her in. the straps don't twist and i love the velcro that holds the straps to the side as i put in/take her out. this model also rated the highest in consumer reports crash tests!!
br /my daughter will use this one til we have another baby that needs it, then i will buy a big girl Britax seat for her!

This seemed to fit better in our SUV than the more expensive Britax models. Baby seems to be comfortable in it. The straps twist far more than our graco infant car seat straps did, but this minor annoyance aside, we would unquestionably buy this seat again.

This carseat is the absolute best. I purchased this seat when my daughter outgrew her infant seat and my only regret is that I didn't buy this seat from the very beginning. It is comfortable and easy to use. I looked at other Britax models but didn't find those as easy to use. Do yourself a favor and invest in this seat.

Although others have reviewed Britax seats and given them high ratings, I would tell you not to buy Britax. We have the Roundabout carseat and it's been popping out of the lock-offs no matter which car we've tried it in. This causes the seat to move quite a bit since the lock-offs are supposed to keep the tight seatbelt in place. When I contacted Britax, they sent new lock-offs for us to install, but that didn't fix the problem. When I called again to tell them our seat isn't safe and needs to be replaced, they told me they couldn't do anything for me. After spending this price on a car seat to keep our precious cargo safe, you'd think they'd be willing to replace it. Do not buy from Britax -- they won't help you if you have a problem with your seat. It's the most disappointing customer service I've ever received.

After hearing what everyone says about Britax I feel that I need to urge people to do their research instead of listening to biased and/or uninformed people that act like they know what they're talking about. I have researched carseats for weeks now. I want a britax because everyone says they are the safest. BUT...they is no research showing that it is. the only published crash test is on consumer reports and the results are not the greatest! Now, I know you may think, "oh, but they recently pulled their reviews because...", but not only were the poorly designed studies that were pulled on infant seats, not the other types of car seats, but also they were pulled because they were subjecting the seats to crashes higher than stated, to crashes of 70mph...In which case, I'd rather have a seat that with stood that test!!! And as far as them being up to "european standards" like they love to brag about, that has nothing to do with the US seats. the US has different regulations on seats here. So a seat that has the exact same name in the US may not be the exact same seat that is sold in europe. Sadly, some of the additional safety features on the seats there have not yet been accepted here and so the seat is made to pass US regulations, sometimes making it a less safe seat. So, where does all this research claiming britax is the safest seat come from???? As far as I can find, it comes from britax themselves, sales people and stores who use that false info to easily sell the most expensive seat, and uninformed people passing on "what they heard" and now claim as "fact"!!! I really wanted to get a britax, but I simply could not find anything to confirm their safety, and only found ratings that state otherwise. (this is in exception to the ease of use rating, which I agree is important) and for those interested, the evenflo triumph V got the top ratings on consumer reports.