We recently switched from an Evenflo Triumph to the Britax Regent. Our daughter is 33 months old, 33 lbs and just under 40" tall. She had reached the top limits of her old seat, but being less than 3 years old just isn't ready for a traditional booster. I shopped for several weeks before finally deciding to take the plunge with this seat. My hesitation was price and size.

Ultimately price is easy to overcome, as what is more precious and worth more than the life of a child?

As far as size goes, it is a large seat, no question about it. However, I drive a 2006 Honda Civic Sedan and don't really see how this seat is that much larger than the other seats I was seriously considering: the Evenflo Generations (hated the flimsy arm rests and adjustable head positioner), Graco Cargo (too narrow, not much room for a growing toddler), and the Recaro Young Sport (head wings were too big).

This seat is installed in the backseat on the passenger side. It DOES indeed fit in my car and does NOT obstruct my view out the back window. In fact, the top of this seat is actually lower than the rear headrests are in their lowest position. It does take up the majority of one side of the backseat. We are only a three person family, so I do not have to consider space in my car for additional carseats. There is still plenty of space for one additional backseat passenger and the person riding in front of where the Britax is installed can still ride in relative comfort. I will take some pictures and post them for others to see.

My daughter seems to really enjoy riding in this seat - I think her only complaint would be that it rides lower in the car and makes it a little harder for her to see out the side windows. As quickly as she is growing, I don't think that will be an issue for long. She often nods off in her seat and the side is just deep enough to allow her to do so without her head flopping all over the place. All in all, I'm very happy with this purchase and would recommend this seat to anyone who asked!

My son has grown so fast. He has outgrown the Britax Roundabout and our Cosco Alpha Omega and is now in a Britax Marathon (in daddy's truck) and the Britax Regent in my car. I thought that the Regent would be huge. It really isn't any taller and only slightly wider than the Marathon. I love the fact that my 2 1/2 yr old that is now 40in and 33lbs can still be in a 5 pt harness. The weight was never an issue for us it was the height that made him outgrow all of his seats so quickly. Since the Marathon goes to 49" and the Regent to 53" and they are the same price we thought we better be safe and go with the taller seat. The new Cosco seat out on the market also has a 5pt harness up to 65lbs and is half the price but you have to be careful about the way car seat companies label their packages and market their products. Most companies use the max height as a booster on the packaging and you don't find out until you have it at home and have read the instruction booklet that the height on the 5pt harness use is several inches smaller. Several more reasons we went with the Britax Regent as opposed to the Cosco products (lancer & apex)... We own a Cosco Alpha Omega. So far it is the ONLY baby item that I am giving away instead of storing until we have a 2nd child. My parents, my husband and myself all hated this seat. The harness was such a pain to keep from twisting and the buckle is torturous with a squirmy child. You have to interlock the 2 top pieces and then put that into the crotch buckle. If you use it enough you can get pretty good at it but with the other Britax seats that we owned nobody wanted to. Britax seats are a dream to install - Latch connectors a breeze and belt lock off clips for use when you don't have latch made installation a great experience. My Roundabout was bought pre HUGS system and I still had no problems with the harness twisting. And Britax includes a PERMA-BOOK -which is really just an extra instruction book that is always attached so you never have to worry that a caregiver will not know the correct way to install your childs seat and when you wash the cover you will always have instructions handy for putting it back together.

This is the only decent car seat I could find that uses the 5 point harness for children OVER 40 Pounds.
My 2 1/2 year old is not mature enough to sit with a booster and seat belt yet, although she is 44 lbs and 40" tall. The Britax Regent seat only offers the 5 point harness system, but it can be used for children up to 80 pounds. It does not have a seat belt positioner but I don't see this as a problem since i feel the 5 point harness will be safer for my child, and I can't in good conscience put my child in a car with a only a seat belt holding her and some free floating booster seat in the car.

Another important thing for me is that my toddler can easily get into this seat as it rests lower on the car seat verses having to lift her into the Evenflo car seat we just moved from. There are no arm rests or cup holders, but the padded seat cover does have mesh nets on each side for books or whatever. The seat cover and straps are also easy to remove for washing.
Latching the seat into my car was easy and quick and adjusting the straps to fit my child was extremely simple. When my child reaches 48 pounds i will need to use the seat belt to attach the seat to my car, but that looks pretty easy and simple to do, too.
Who knew my child would be well over the 100 percentile in size and I realize now that I should have bought a Britax the first time around, since most do offer the harness system up to 65 pounds.

This is our 2nd Britax car seat. Or other seat is the Britax Decatholon.
I wanted to move my baby into the Decatholon, so I needed a new seat for my tall 3 year old. I chose this model due to the excellent safety record of Britax & due to the fact it will be the last car seat he ever needs. I plan to keep him in it until he maxes out on weight & height. (I don't plan to move him out of it just because he turns 4 or 5)
My review
Negatives: This seat isn't as nicely made as my Decatholon. The straps are thinner. They twist more then the Decatholon. The seat has a plastic feeling 100% polyester cover with soft fabric on the sides. I'm not sure if Britax was saving cost or they felt it would clean easier, but my son does not like sitting on it when it's 5 degrees outside. It's like sitting on an ice cube. I hope it doesn't get just as hot in the summer as it gets cold in the winter. I prefer a full fabric cover. The cost is TOO high. I think it's a complete scam Britax charges so much just because they can. I imagine many parents can't afford Britax. Lastly, it doesn't recline far enough even with the recline bar. My son suffers serious head flop on long trips, but it's an ok price to pay for safety.

Positives: It was easy to install. We looked on their website for better pictures then the included manual. We did not have problems with the recline bar. We have a Jeep Cherokee- mid size SUV. I can fit this seat + my Decatholon in the back. They do take up the entire back seat. No room for another child or adult back there. My son sits lower. I like this a lot. I hated his head being only a few inches from the ceiling in the Decatholon. I worried about a rollover accident. It fits VERY snug. Much better then my Decatholon, but I imagine that varies with each car model.
It's BIG. I find this a positive. I sat in it in the living room & found it very comfortable! (I am 5'6" & 110 pounds) We could even buckle me in!
It is heavily padded & great for long trips.

Overall I am happy with this seat. I would have changed a few things, but compared to the other options you can't beat the safety of this seat. The added bonus is that your child can be in this seat for years. My biggest wish is that Britax would come down on their pricing so every parent could have such a nice seat.

I read somewhere that this seat used to be called the "Husky" and I can understand why. The closest crotch strap placement still makes for a very roomy fit for my skinny 3-year-old. He moves around so much within the straps even when they are pulled tight. I spent LOTS of money getting 2 of these seats for our 2 cars and now I'm going to have to get new seats because my son really isn't safe and secure. A disappointment to say the least. I have the Britax Roundabouts as well and LOVE those.

I admit I was hooked into buying this by a very sad video that was circulating on the web. This was expensive, but in the long run you may save $$ because it is the only car seat you will need once baby is a year old (& 22 pounds. It is a really nice, comfortable car seat and child will be secure with a 5-point harness for as long as possible. If you think about it, everybody probably should be (even adults!) CONS: it's not as easy to switch from one car to another quickly as other carseats I've owned because it has this bar thing that is used in some arrangements and not others. Instructions, especially recent "Product Update" about "lap belt short route versus long route" instructions seem overly complicated (this is one reason it is difficult to move the seat from one car to another if the set up is any different, i.e. if the car doesn't have LATCH, because you have to stop and think--"do I need to use the bar on this car? Do I need to use the short belt route or the long belt route for this car? Aww shucks, maybe we'll just stay home . . .)

My 3.5 year old is 44 inches tall and 45 lbs. He has outgrown his Britax Decathalon so we have purchased the Regent. In our car the seat does not obscure rear vision in the slightest, it's the same height as the seatback with the headrest in the lowest position. My son loves the seat and finds it to be very comfortable. The only competing seat appears to be the Radian80, otherwise tall kids wind up in booster seats before they're ready.

Installation is very secure using the "long route" belt installation and top tether in our Honda Odyssey. It's not as easy to install as the Decathalon due to the way it's made, but that's something that's done so rarely as to be inconsequential. I will purchase another for my Saab wagon.

Just wanted to let potential buyers know that I returned this seat. Foolishly i did not listen to others' warning about the size. It is enormous and would have made driving/sitting in the front seat impossible. My car is a 2006 jetta which has decent rear leg room and it was immediately obvious that this is seat would not work.

Another warning to be ignored by dopes like me. :-)

I bought this seat after two certified carseat technicians told me how great it was to have the 5 pt harness up to 80 lbs. I have a brand new 2008 GMC vehicle and this seat was way too big for it! My child looked like she was sitting on a throne. I had difficulty getting it out of the box it was so enormous. It is huge. I returned it and bought a Britax Marathon that has the 5 pt harness up to 65 lbs instead. I'd recommend trying out the Regent in person in your car and on your child before buying this one for sure.

We bought the Regent so my husband could have a carseat for his car. I figured I might as well buy the regent because it will last until my boy is 80 lbs. I have a britax decathalon now and love it. The Regent is too big for my son who is on the low end of the weight scale for this seat (22-80 lbs.)at 24 lbs. There just isn't any support for his little body when he falls asleep. His head falls uncomfortably to the side or straight forward and down. The seat sits too upright unlike the decathalon which is more for his size. I'm still rating it high because like my decathalon it is easy to install and very sturdy. I'm not going to return the Regent because it is a great seat. We will just have to wait until our son is a little bigger. Good looking seat too!

I bought this to replace a Marathon that my 7 yr old son outgrew. Knowing that children are much safer in a 5 pt than a regular seatbelt made it easy to decide to purchase another Britax seat with a higher weight limit. Look at this product's specifications. They are wonderful. It wasn't that hard to install and my son says it's so comfortable! It is a larger seat but it fits fine in the backseat of my 2002 Taurus with the Marathon that my 5 yr old still uses.

If you are looking at a child safety seat, seriously consider this one. Don't balk at the price...if you spend money on anything for your children, a quality safety seat should be one thing you don't skimp on. After all, you can't control other drivers and your precious children need all the protection you can give them! Visit the Britax website for more product specs, videos and safety information too.

I love this carseat. I drive a PT Cruiser, and size is not an issue. I have a Britax Marathon and a Britax Regent in my backseat and they fit just fine, with a little space between them. The Regent seat is lower than the Marathon, so my daughters (2 years apart) are eye-to-eye with each other. There is no problem seeing in my rear-view mirror. I wish they were in-stock so that I could get another right now!! (they are easy to install, but I just hate moving any car seat from vehicle to vehicle)

Best car seat available. Good price, easy to install. We feel safe and secure. Plenty of room to grow for my 4 year old, and also a comfortable and safe seat for my 7 year old. Better than the average booster that is held only by an adult seat belt. Tether anchor gives added security. Would NOT buy any other car seat. We have a small SUV and the seat is very large, so we had to give up the "third" middle seat between the two Regents but SO WORTH it for the saftey. Please check out this video about a five point harness.
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This car seat is great. It is huge and it was a pain to install, but it seems secure, safe and comfortable now that it has been installed.

My only complaint is that the seat only goes up to 53" but it is recommended (and will soon be required in my state) to have children in a booster seat until they are 4ft 9 inches (57") or 8 years old. I had hoped this would be the last car seat I would have to buy, but it seems as though it isn't the case. None of the other toddler seats with a 5pt harness went any higher so I certainly wouldn't recommend another seat instead of this seat, I just wish Britax had designed this seat a little differently.

We purchased this car seat after hearing about potential seat-belt failures with conventional belts. The five point harness and tether make this seat much safer for a child. Since this was the reason I wanted to continue to travel with my 7-year old in a car seat, the few pluses outweigh the many minuses. Overall, I am happy with this purchase.

Pluses:
Safety of five point harness and tether
Comfort for long trips (much better than Cosco booster with back)

Minuses:
Large size makes positioning in center of back seat impractical with other passengers (in a Honda Accord)
Plastic coated material may be uncomfortable in summer (no alternatives)
No cup holder (I get tired of holding/passing the drink to my child on long trips)
Difficult to reinstall (threading center shoulder belt through back holes was not easy)
Poor design of shoulder strap adjustment (the child's weight presses on the strap that needs to move- it is positioned between the Britax seat and the car's seat, making it difficult to adjust). Child cannot adjust alone.
Color- either girl-y colors, beige, or black/grey. Black/grey was our only choice, and I'm afraid it will be hot in the summer

We bought this seat for our 2-year old daughter. We needed an extra seat for a second vehicle but didn't want to forgo the 5-point harness so soon. We already had a Britax Marathon but it was obvious we'd need a larger seat soon so the Regent got the nod. The regent has ample padding and a lush cover, is built solid, and is sturdy.
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br /That being said, the seat is wide, tall, and heavy. It has a metal "recline bar" that wraps around the back and gets in the way of easily using the latch system. The anchor for the rear has the adjustment buckle too far away from the top of the seat and is difficult to get tight before it runs out of adjustment. The seat barely fits in my wife's Acura TSX (the front almost touches the back of the front seats, mostly due to my height and the need to have the seat all the way back). It fits better in my Chevy Avalanche but it still has issues with the anchor strap buckle position and the "recline bar" interfering with the latch system. I'm also surprised to see that the latch system is only rated up to 40lbs but the seat is rated up to 80lbs. This means that after your child reaches the 40lb mark, you'll need to fasten the seat to the car using the seat belts--although it might be easier do to the recline bar/latch issue.
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br /Bottom line: I feel my daughter is comfortable and well protected in this seat. Once you have it in your car and secured, leave it there, it's a hassle to move, the Marathon is much, much easier.

Although I have heard many comments on the large size of the Britax Regent, it does not phase me. I/my daughter am/are thrilled with the plush comfortableness, extra support and protection provided by having a larger toddler car seat. It gives us piece of mind to keep her little being safer in the car for as long as we can. I would highly recommend this product.

This is an excellent car seat!! I feel confident every time we drive our car that our son will be safe! There is nothing like a 5 point harness for your child! And the latch system is a must - the car seat is so secure and that puts our mind at ease! Thank you Britax!!!

We used a Peg Perego infant seat for the first year. We loved it, but after 11 months our son started getting a bit cranky. He was ready to face forward in a bigger seat. We didn't mind spending the extra money given the good safety reviews, but we wanted to make sure we'd get to use the seat as long as possible. As many of the other reviewers have noted, the Regent is one of the few (perhaps only) seat out there that goes up to 80 lbs. All the others cap out at 65 lbs.
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br /The seat is large (takes up one seat and half the middle seat), but we regularly take long trips to visit family and it's definitely worth it. If you're putting your little one in the seat right after their first birthday, you may want to consider using a head support for sleeping. We just reused the one we had used in his infant seat when he was first born.
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br /The install is easy if you follow the directions, but the seat is not one I would recommend moving from car to car on a daily basis. We tried it out for the past three months and are now buying our second seat for convenience as we take turns making the daycare runs.
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br /Our only complaint is that the straps get slightly tangled at the hips from time to time and need to be readjusted. Other than that, the straps stay in place and go on and off easily. The strap pads stay on better than they do on the Peg Perego.
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br /All in all - worth the money and the peace of mind!

This is the perfect seat for older kids who have outgrown the convertible seats, but still are not ready for a booster-or parents who are not comfortable having their child only strapped in with the car seat belt. I have owned this for about 5 months now and really like the seat. My 4 year old daughter likes it too. A few thoughts on some complaints that I've seen...
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br /First is size. It's a big seat, but it's designed for bigger kids! it's not an infant/convertible seat. You can't have it both ways, a small seat for a large child! If people expect to have high weight and height limits, then they'll just have to deal with the size. I have a feeling most people are used to seeing the compact size of infant and convertible seats, once you adjust to the idea that this is really a 'big' kids seat, it's not that big. It fits just fine in my mini van. And as you read other reviews, parents who have smaller cars than mine are saying it fits fine too.
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br /Second is the fabric. I actually like the polyester fabric. It's not too hot in the summer and really not that cold in the winter, at least where we live. I think that if the whole seat was made out of the same kind of plushy, padded material that a lot of the convertible seats are made out of, then the kids would be hot and uncomfortable. Besides, it's been easy to wipe clean, and seems very durable so far. (Sometimes that plush fabric wears down faster)
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br /Third is the installation and movability of the seat. This seat is not meant to be moved in and out of cars-or traveled with. Use a cheap Cosco seat for that. Once this seat is installed, it's not going anywhere! If you have the mindset that this will be your main seat, and any other cars you travel in you'll just have to use another spare seat then you'll be fine. As for installation, most car seats install the same basic way. Some are more of a hassle than others but once you install one, you've really installed them all. So, that being said, this wasn't any worse than the other seats I've installed. Yes, there is the funky 'long/short' route depending on how much your child weighs, but that's really not a big deal. So, spend the extra 3 minutes it takes to figure it out, and be happy that your child is in a very safe seat!
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br /Fourth is the strap adjustment. With the exception of my Evenflo convertible seat I think this seat is very easy to adjust. The HUGS plastic things on the straps really do seem to help make the child more secure in the seat and when you pull on the lower strap to tighten, it's fairly easy. I've used several different seats and every one of them (except my older model Evenflo) I wasn't happy with how the straps tightened. I was never able to get them buckled in good enough for my taste, but this one passes the test.
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br /This is a well designed, safe car seat that is perfect for your older children. I highly recommend it.

I have had this seat now for several months. My son is almost 3 and is tall for his age. I refused to move him to a booster because I feel that he needs to be in a 5 pt harness as long as possible. True, it is a large seat, and I would recommend that you try it out at a local store first to see if it fits in your car. However, it is solid. Between the LATCH and the top tether, it is not going anywhere. My son is very comfortable in it. I plan to buy the same one for my 9 month old once she meets the minimum requirements for it. I have owned Gracos and Evenflos. Nothing compares to this Britax as far as quality is concerned. Plus, I have peace of mind knowing that my son is safely in a 5 pt harness for many years now. It is more expensive than some others, but think of it this way....how can you question spending $250 on a carseat that will potentially save our most precious cargo in the event of a car accident when you pay tens of thousands of dollars on a car?

This is a great seat. I bought two of the tan color for my van for each of my girls. Then bought two of these in the black for my husbands truck. We did lots of research on this seat and the safest seats out there. This is one of the best. They are HUGE and very comfy. I have two girls ages 7 and 9 1/2 years old. My 9 1/2 year old is very small and only weighs 44 lbs so she is old enough to not be in a seat but she is much smaller than my 7 year old. She had gotten too tall for the straps for our old booster seat. I did not want a booster without the safe 5-point harness. I am so glad we found this seat. It is worth the money. You can not put a price on your child's safety. This will be the last seat you ever buy because it should fit them until they are completely out of a seat.

We bought the Regent so my husband could have a carseat for his car. I figured I might as well buy the regent because it will last until my boy is 80 lbs. I have a britax decathalon now and love it. The Regent is too big for my son who is on the low end of the weight scale for this seat (22-80 lbs.)at 24 lbs. There just isn't any support for his little body when he falls asleep. His head falls uncomfortably to the side or straight forward and down. The seat sits too upright unlike the decathalon which is more for his size. I'm still rating it high because like my decathalon it is easy to install and very sturdy. I'm not going to return the Regent because it is a great seat. We will just have to wait until our son is a little bigger. Good looking seat too!

Like other moms, I've also watched the video on YouTube of the mother who who shared the passing of her son who didn't have a 5 point harness as a car seat. As a mother, I try to make sure that my children are safe no matter the cost. As far as I know, there are 3 car seats out there that has the 5 point harness for toddlers over 40lbs (Safeguard, Sunshine Radius and Britax Regent). After doing some research, I didn't see the advantage of paying $399 for a Safeguard that has the same features as the other car seats listed above. In addition, I had my son who's 40lbs and 41 inches in height sit on the Safeguard and felt the seat was too narrow and didn't provide much thigh space. He's not a big kid either. Same with the Sunshine Radius. The Britax Regent is HUGE as everyone mentioned but it's comfortable and my son loves it. It's very wide so the legs have some breathing space. The only setback is that the head space is too wide so the only concern I would have is that his head would bobble from side to side when he falls asleep. Other than that, we love it. I have one in the Landcruiser and one in the Prius. Yes, it fits nicely in the Prius with an infant car seat or the Britax Roundabout which we have in the back seat.

I would probably buy this seat again...
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br /Advantages: can attach to middle seat, lap belt only, to creat appropriate head rest and five point harness, because the SUV doesn't have a shoulder belt OR head rest for the center back seat. And this seat will accomodate a child up to 80 lbs. It has a great third point harness: finally a hook that can be tightened like a regular seat belt.
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br /Disadvantages: it is BIG. It takes up more room than any car seat I have ever seen. This is fine in the back of a Tahoe... but it may be too big for a regular car. And, like just about every car seat I have ever bought or used, it takes some creativity and elbow greese to get the thing tight into the seat. The special tilt bar doesn't work at all.
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br /KCM, Middleton, WI...
br /four kids in 5 years... that's a lot of car seats.
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This car seat is excellent. The instruction are easy to follow and installation is also very simple. I was in a car accident a few days ago and the car seat securely held my beautiful baby boy in place. I would recommend it 100%.

This was our second Regent since we were so pleased with the first. We will purchase another next year for our youngest. At first, we were concerned about it fitting well in the minivan after reading others' reviews. No problems fitting in the captain's chairs of our Odyssey. The seat is stable, fits in snuggly, and is much wider than others we have looked at giving the kids more hip and head room. This seat will easily fit the kids up to the mandated weight for our state. The kids are comfortable in their seats, they love the side pockets for keeping their snacks and toys. There are plenty of adjustable slots for the straps to fit our 3 and 5 year olds. Britax is a wonderful company to deal with and sent the updated installment information and new straps before I even heard about the first seat's problem. These are our 5th and 6th seats from Britax (4 roundabouts previously). I wouldn't buy any other!

We had initially purchased 2 3 in1 alpha omega elite. We were happy with them. However, after 2 years i stumbled upon some info that stated you HAD to use it as a bel positioning booster at 40lbs. While this is considered legal, i just cannot imagine that a child wouldn't be thrown out with just a seat belt i ncase of a major crash. The regent is the one car seat (if you did not start with a roundabout) that can be used as a 5 point harness until 80lb. yes it's more expensive but isn't your child worth it?

I love this car seat. I have bought other britax carseats in the past, and I love this one, It makes me feel like my 4 yr old will be safer. I tried a graco booster seat, and felt like if we were to get in a car accident, that he would not be safe. Would recommend this product for everyone.
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only a month after I bought 2 of these for my 5 yr old twin daughters. After being rear-ended on the interstate by a semi truck loaded with steel, my daughters walked away. I suffered a neck injury, but my girls were perfect. They didn't even experience any soreness. They are a little bulky, but they protected my precious cargo. It is worth it's weight in gold. I had them in an evenflo booster seat for a few months before this, and didn't feel they were safe. If they had been in those seats when we were hit I am certain they would have been injured.

We have two of these car seats. They are the best seats we have ever owned. My kids are now three and seven. The seats are very large and heavy duty. My three year old looks a little small in it. I feel like it is so much safer that a booster seat. The head support is nice if they fall asleep on trips in the car. The seat is nicely padded. It is very easy to install. The only drawback it the lack of cup holders. It is still worth it!!!

Best car seat available. Good price, easy to install. We feel safe and secure. Plenty of room to grow for my 4 year old, and also a comfortable and safe seat for my 7 year old. Better than the average booster that is held only by an adult seat belt. Tether anchor gives added security. Would NOT buy any other car seat. We have a small SUV and the seat is very large, so we had to give up the "third" middle seat between the two Regents but SO WORTH it for the saftey. Please check out this video about a five point harness.
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Although this seat appears to be well worth the money especially for safety features, I was unable to use it. I have a Honda Fit and no matter how I positioned the back seat and moved the front seat up, my 3 1/2 year old daugter could not put her feet straight. The car seat is pretty big and is better suited for a full size car, minivan of SUV.
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br /I'm so upset, I really wanted a seat with the 5 point harness that was made for older children.
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br /I guess I'll be returning it.

My tall 3 1/2 yr old loves this seat. Her little sister inherited her Britax Marathon (which I also love). This seat is a bit large and heavy, but that is to be expected with a seat designed for older kids.
Complaints:
-The side pockets are nice, but a cup holder would have been even better.
-the stabilizer bar underneath was a BEAR to get in. I had to use a rubber mallet to pound it in.
-pricey - again, to be expected for what you are really getting (safety)
I liked it so much I bought 2 (plus 2 Marathons earlier).

UPDATED NOV 2008
br /I have owned this car seat since March and have it installed with Latch long method since my daughter is still under 40 lbs (see manual) with the incline bar in place in the back of the seat. It is installed in a 2003 Honda Odyssey in the bucket seat behind the driver's seat.
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br /I came home from shopping today to find my daughter in the seat and the end of one of the shoulder straps in her lap! Broken. I removed the seat from my car and upon turning it over found that the strap had completely frayed in the spot where it comes to end in the black metal clip underneath the seat. The elastic piece that holds the seat cover onto the seat has snapped in several places also. The other shoulder strap is about 50% frayed in its black metal clip. The seat elastic on that side looks undamaged.
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br /I called Britax and was told that there is no recall on any of the Regents. They are sending me replacement straps and buckles free of charge. They were nice but did not seem concerned.
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br /My daughter is only 38 pounds, so we have a long way to go to the 80 pound limit. I am of course disappointed and alarmed.
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br /And now for the if's:
br /If the straps frayed once, what are the chances that the new ones will do the same? When I originally installed the seat I took it to the police station and they confirmed that the seat was installed properly. However, in looking at the seat in my living room, I am wondering if the seat itself was reclined too far, thus putting all of the weight of the seat onto the back where the straps are and not on the seat bottom and causing the damage. If that is the case I feel like there is a design flaw, considering that I did have the incline bar installed.
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br /I am just left wondering, what happened?! I feel like I wasted $200, and am trying to decide whether to purchase something else altogether or try installing this seat differently when I receive the replacement parts... I was really hoping that this seat would be the one that would last until we didn't need any type of seat anymore, as I prefer the 5 point harness over the shoulder/lap belt on a regular booster. If you own this seat, PLEASE check it to make sure your straps are still intact.
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br /Original Review
br /We purchased this seat for our three year old and gave the Roundabout to her infant brother. The seat is very roomy, and has lots of positions to adjust the straps. The straps have extra cushions on them and they don't tangle. The seat is huge, but since it's in a minivan in a single bucket seat it fits pretty well. Because the seat is so large I do worry that as my daughter's legs get longer she's going to be somewhat crunched; she sits behind the driver's seat, and I can only move my seat so far forward to give her room. The seat was easy to install with LATCH.
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br /The reason I am only giving the seat four stars is because even though the five point harness can be used up to 80 lbs, the seat is only supposed to be installed with LATCH up to 50 lbs. This is per the manual that comes with the seat. After that the seat is supposed to be installed with a regular seatbelt. The whole reason I wanted this seat is because it went up to 80 with the 5 point harness, and I thought that was using LATCH the whole time; I would have liked to know that it only went up to 50 with LATCH before I bought it. I just wonder how much safer it is having a seat with the five point harness when it's only installed with the seatbelt.

The Britax Regent does the job for my tall three year old. The first time he got in this seat he said, "my arm isn't going to hurt anymore?" Meaning the old car seat was too tight on his shoulders even at the largest settings. It takes up a seat and a half in my Buick Rendezvous. 2 complaints - directions are not all that clear for installation and the belt the 5-point harness goes into could be better quality. You have to angle it just so to get the harness to lock into place (no audible clicking to let you know it worked either). Otherwise, it is very comfortable. My step-son likes the pockets on the sides for his "stuff". Also, the open design on the sides allows for more movement than a traditional seat, but it is so much safer than a booster seat.

I like that it is the safest booster seat available. I was surprised and annoyed that the belts get twisted like cheaper brands. I have the other britax seats and those belts are thicker material and never twist.
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br /The seat does take up more space than the other seats as well. I used to be able to sit as a passenger between my two car seats and now I cannot.
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br /Comments from other 5 year old kids are that it is a baby seat because it fastens like their old seats, but that is exactly the reason I like it. However, it is not as easy and fast like the other booster seats out there. I didn't want to sacrifice safety for convenience.
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My 2 year old son has always been in the 95-97 percentile in his growth so he out grew the converitable car seat pretty fast. The Regent is nice and roomy for him since he is a tall toddler. It was very easy to install and I love the latch system on it. The latch system is different from others, and easier to use. The Britax priced scared me at 1st, but after getting it and using it I am now a faithful Britax user now.

I wasnt ready to put my 3yr old in a booster seat, but he was almost to outgrow the 40lb weight limit on his other carseat. The Regent is perfect for him! It was easy to install, and fits in our minivan great! And this seat will fit him for years to come. I'd definitely recommend this seat to a friend.

We have 2 of these car seats, one for each child (ages 2 and 4). My 4 year old daughter is VERY tall for her age, and quickly grew out of her previous car seat, even though she was no where near the weight limit. I highly recommend this car seat because it can easily serve as your booster seat as your child gets older. It's so well made, and so comfortable! Also, using this as a booster seat for older children makes it more comfortable for them for long trips, and frankly, I think much safer. We used these in our CRV and now our Pilot and have no complaints about size. They fit easily and we have a big oversized box of toys in between both seats. Well worth the money.

After exhaustive research, we purchased two Britax Regents for our almost four year-old daughter to use in the family cars. We have always been a Britax family and have found the Britax seats to be the most effortless on the market. There is no struggling with the straps to get a good fit... basically, it just "works." She loves her new seat and says it is comfy. The safety stats are great for these seats too. We really wanted to keep her in a five point harness rather than a booster because of the extra safety that the harness and real seat provide. I love that the Regent can be used up to 85 pounds.

Amazon has the great price on this seat. My son who is almost 4 yrs old (30 pounds, 38" tall) fits well in this seat and can get many years of use in this seat. It is roomy and it installs great in my 2004 Nissan Altima on the rear passenger side. It wasn't as big and bulky like I was expecting (I was afraid it might be too big for my car). He has plenty of leg room and the seat DOESN'T take up all the seat in the back. I am still able to put the cup holder in the middle down like when we had his Graco SafeSeat2 installed. It is not as heavy as the Sunshine Kids Radian. Overall, this seat is worth the price for knowing that my son will be secured and in 5 point harness for years!

We bought this almost a year ago for my son's 3rd birthday, in anticipation that his baby brother would be taking over the Britax Marathon. It is huge! Good thing, because my son is tall and skinny. I was worried about it being too big for our little car, but it fits just fine. We drive a newer Toyota Corolla, so it doesn't get much smaller than that. There isn't a lot of extra room, but I wouldn't expect to have any while puting two kids in a compact car. And because we drive a small car, we want the safest we could find and the Britax seat are it. We have no compaints about this seat at all and plan to keep our son in this 5 point harness seat for as long as he will fit. Peace of mind!

My first suggestion is to take your child with you to a store that allows you to try out the seat before you buy it. Put your child into the seat and check for a good fit. I was planning on buying a different seat, but my tall daughter had nearly out grown the seat I was looking at buying. I bought this one since there was some height growing room. I want to provide some positives and negatives:

Positives:
-VERY EASY TO INSTALL/change vehicles. Leveling does not seem to be a big problem like I have had with other seats.
-Very, very, easy strap adjustment. Love this feature; it is pretty much a one click change. This comes in handy when you need to adjust for coats, jackets, or just differing thickness of clothing.
-Can be used as rear/front facing.
-5 point harness for added safety.
-Nice material covering the seat.
-Easy to clean.
-Most important... I feel that my daughter is safe in this seat.

Negatives:
-Expensive
-This seat is large (both wide and tall). I would check to make sure it fits your vehicle(s).
-Could use a little more padding.
-Not really made for newborns/young infants. It states that you can use it for this age group, but I do not believe that it provides good neck/head support.
-Recline is difficult to use when front facing.

Overall, I love this seat and my daughter loves her "big girl" seat also. I highly recommend this seat!

We purchased this car seat for my 2 year son after doing a lot of research on the available seats with the 5 point harness. With this seat you can use the 5 point harness up to 80 pounds. My son is 38 pounds at 2 years old so I wanted a seat that would be very safe and last for a few years. He thanks us everyday for the seat as he is much more comfortable in it. It's much larger than our last seat but fits great in the back of my 2004 Honda Accord and my husband's 2007 Ford Explorer. It is worth the price seeing how comfortable and knowing how much safter he is in this seat! Remember that 5 point harness seats should be used for children for as long as possible. A 5-point harness is an undeniably safer option than a booster seat that uses a lap and shoulder belt restraint. Thank you to the family of Kyle Miller for sharing all of their knowledge about car seats in memory of their son.

This seat is big, but it fits in my Subaru Outback. My son wasn't big enough for a booster, but he was too tall for his other Britax. I feel safe having him in the 5 point harness and he loves his seat. It was easy to put in, but it is heavy so I wouldn't want to keep moving it from car to car.

What else is there to say? The benefits FAR outweigh the negatives. It fits fine in my backseat of my Honda Pilot, but there is not enough room for an adult to sit in the middle seat when there is one of these installed on either side. It is difficult to install, only because you need to REALLY pull on those Latch belts. My husband has to put one knee in the seat to get enough leverage to pull them tight, and I just pretty much avoid ever taking it out of my car myself. Once those straps are tight though, that things doesn't move a millimeter, even on my leather seats. It feels so secure and it gives me such peace of mind...it was worth every penny.

I wanted to respond to a few comments I saw here about this seat being too big for small cars and too big for skinny kids. I have a corolla and it fits just fine. It is big but it is supposed to last you for quite a while. It doesn't block the view. It took my husband about 5 minutes to read through the manual and about 5 more minutes to install it. It is rock solid. It did look like it was a little challenging to install, but he managed just fine. We have a Marathon in our other car and we needed a second car seat, so we went for this one to make it last a little longer. My daughter is 19 months old and barely 23 pounds. She is pretty small. And she doesn't wiggle in the seat, she is strapped in nice and tight. I tried it out before buying it and the after we installed it. I haven't had a chance to actually use it, since we just got it, but I am sure it will be fine. We love our Marathon and I am sure we'll love this one.

I bought 3 of these for my 7 year old, 5 year old and 3 year old, this is the greatest forwrd facing car seat $$$ can buy! I feel very secure that they are safe, best insurance you can buy to save your child(rens) lives! Easy to install, but large.

I bought this product after using a Graco booster with 5 point harness six months ago. The Graco seat, which wasn't cheap, was difficult to use and had a bunch of extra useless padding that tore. This Britax seat, while incredibly large, is great and my 3 year old son loves it. He has a small build so I know this will last him a while and it is so easy to use and I feel that he is safer in it. Staying in a 5 point harness is much safer than a normal car seat belt and he's worth it. I plan to buy another when my baby girl is old enough.

The tether does not stay at the top of the seat. GM seats are narrower at the top and hence the tether straps slide down the sides of the seat. They get very wobbly. My husband and I are both pretty competent engineers. I called Britax who said they couldn't possibly know every vehicle (GM, Pontiac, & Chevrolet are not exactly rare vehicles) My husband and I are both pretty competent engineers.

My husband and I are both pretty competent engineers and cannot get them to be stable. The local fire department child seat installers had no advice either.

I had finally bought these expensive carseats, and I expected more from Britax. The seats are headed for Goodwill.

After reading all the positive reviews on this product and already owning a Britax Roundabout, I was excited to get this car seat and install it in my vehicle - a '99 Plymouth GrandVoyager. Well, after just over 1 week of use I'm not overly impressed, and am some what disappointed in it.

It is HUGE - I didn't realize just how huge until I put it in my vehicle. I did get it installed, barely. It used 100% of the seatbelt for the under 40 lbs installation. Which is probably a good thing, considering it doesn't have the built in belt locking clip like the roundabout. But what really miffs me is that it is difficult to adjust the harness straps because of the design of the seat. What I loved about the Roundabout was it was so easy to adjust the harness for different clothing and the like. But with the Regent the straps are squished between the carseat and the vehicle seat - the pressure makes it difficult to adjust the harness. Perhaps this would not be as much of an issue with bucket seats? But if it's hard to get the straps tightened appropriately, the child is less likely to be strapped in correctly and safely.

Within a few days of use I had the harness straps get twisted around some how, I have no idea how. As for the little elastic things that are suppose to hold the straps back to make it easier to get kids in and out - worthless. Maybe they will be more useful when my daughter is much larger.

Hopefully though it is as good for safety as they say. Though I hope to never need to find out. Because that's about the only positive thing I've got to say about it - other than it seems a comfortable seat to be in. Which is important when you take a lot of 3-5+ hour drives.

We recently ordered this seat for our 3-year-old daughter who had outgrown our other Britax car seat. Britax makes great car seats, but buyer beware...this car seat is huge. I would not fit in my husbands Honda Civic at all, and it barely fits in my Subaru Forrester. Thankfully, we had the Forrester or else we would have had to return this seat and get something else. Other than that, it seems to be a nice seat made well. The only other thing I wish it had were cup holders, but we can work around that one.

This is a great car seat, but installing it was very difficult. It required me calling Britax. They were helpful, but it still takes 2 adults to install and I still cannot get it completely tight like the Marathon. My daughter loves the seat and it is very comfortable for her. I have a Honda Accord and I would not put it in anything smaller.

I needed a new car seat for my 3 and a half year old and I started looking at the reviews for the Britax Regent. I wanted him to be comfortable and get something that would last. Well, he loves it and he just looks SO comfortable in it all the time. We just tested it out on our first rode trip and give it a big thumbs up! It is definately large though. We have a sienna minivan and it takes up the whole seat so be cautious if you have a smaller suv, it just may be too large.

I love this car seat, but it is so heavy and difficult to install. I did not realize how big it was when we ordered it. It is very comfortable and my son loves it!

This carseat was a little harder to install. I love how low it sits. Our 3 yr old can climb in by herself, and she likes that too. She also loves the print. She's in the middle seat of our Suburban, she loves being able to look right out the window in her big girl seat.
br /She is 39inches tall and 36lbs. She's on the first setting for the shoulder straps.
br /The only thing that bothers me about this carseat, is how easily the straps get twisted. Every single time we take her in and out of the seat, the straps are twisted. It's very annoying.
br /Other then that, this seat will last her until she's the height for an adult seatbelt.

We just started using this seat & love it. It wasn't overly difficult to install, although it is a HUGE seat. I fit in it!! I wouldn't try to use it in a small vehicle, but in our Suburban it fits just fine. My son says its very comfy & loves it too!

We have a 2yr old and a large 4yr old. We originally bought the Britax Marathon when our 4yo outgrew her "bucket" infant car seat, and that was great, but when our 2yo outgrew his bucket, we decided to get the Regent for her and move him to the Marathon. It was the best decision for both safety and saving money in the long run. The Regent and the Marathon both fit fine in the back of the Mini, and the front seats are pushed back plenty far for any sized person in the front. If you do need to move the seat from one car to another frequently, I would not reccommend this seat because that would be a pain, but we have one in the mini van and the mini cooper so my rating does not apply for moving it from car to car. The grand parents cart our kids around as well as their cousins. I am here to buy a 3rd Regent (ouch cha ching) since they have a Marathon Roundabout in their van and my son is approaching the max weight (40lbs) on the Roundabout and they need to cart more kids at one time as well! I like this seat because my daughter is happy in it, it is safe, and my kids will not outgrow it and be forced to use a less safe booster seat before they are ready/I am ready.

After doing my research and not feeling right about putting my 3 year old in a booster seat, I purchased this seat. He is sooo comfortable and has plenty of room to grow into this wonderful seat. After riding in a booster for 2 months, I thought I would have trouble getting him to ride in it. He was exciting about his "Super Big Boy Seat" and adores it. He also uses the mesh pockets as his cup holder and they work perfectly. Yes this seat is big but it fits perfectly in my Pacifica's captain seat. I have piece of mind knowing that my preschooler is safe. Bulk and heaviness is a small price to pay for your childs safety.

I've been using the Regent for my daughter for something like 8 months, and we're completely satified. It sits low on the seat, so there's minimal leg hangover (which we didn't like on the Marathon once she got bigger), and she's fully comfortable no matter how long a trip we're taking.
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br /It's not too hard to install. I thought it would be after reading reviews, but it wasn't that bad. Like with the Marathon, I have to get in the seat to feel like it's secure when I'm using the Latch attachment, but at least it's a little bigger and therefore easier to get into.
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br /The one thing I don't love is how hard it is to get replacement covers. They're everywhere for the Marathon, but not for the Regent. Also, I think they're phasing out the Regent in favor of the Frontier (which we also have), which is a real shame.

arrived sooner than expected, arrived in ready to use state. The kids love the seat.

I'm a mom of three kids, and aunt to 6 others, so I have lots of experience with all types of carseats. After 2 months of research I decided on the Britax Regent (our first Britax) and I am EXTREMELY happy with my decision. PROS: Large enough for my son for years to come (he's 2yrs). Very nice padding-not overdone, yet plenty for extended comfort (big issue for my son). Simple yet secure 5 point harness. The crotch strap is adjustable as the child grows. Although it does not have a recline "lever" it does have a recline bar in the back which positions it with the perfect amount of recline for a sleeping toddler. There are slits in the fabric (where the childs bottom sits) so that you can reach in and help quide the seat belt through, when securing in the car. Very easy to install, despite some other reviews. Fabric is comfy, and easily cleaned. The side head-protectors are of ample size and hold a sleeping child's head, and seem to be correctly shaped to protect the head area during a collision. Changing the height of the straps is the simplest design I've even seen. Tether strap is new and improved and secures the seat so that it doesn't move AT ALL. My son is skinny, yet no problems with securing him as some reviews have stated...very secure in this seat.
br /CONS: If you are used to putting three people across the backseat of your vehicle, that may not be possible with this seat because it is large.
br /OTHER FACTS: The seat sits directly on the seat of your car and does not have a "base" like some other toddler seats which means your child may lose some of his/her view of the outside through the windows. Not airline approved because of size (not due to safety issues). We ordered the Recaro but sent it back. It has excellent safety features, however, my son is only 25 lbs and 36 inches tall (tall and very skinny) and he looked like a sardine in the Recaro. He was uncomfortable and refused to sit in it after trying it only once. The side "wings" seem great as far as safety, but they were so large that my son could not see past them and seemed to feel "squished". Not knocking the Recaro....but in terms of comparison, just wasn't the seat for us.
br /To sum it up, this seat exceeds all of my expectations and as an experienced, comfort and safety conscious mom, I would definetely recommend this seat. Thanks for reading.

I ordered my first Britax Regent a year ago for my then 5 year old daughter. Her brother got her Marathon and now I'm back to order another Regent for him. We currently own a Roundabout, Marathon and one Regent. I'm purchasing another Regent because my 6yo daughter loves hers and anytime I only have her younger brother who is 3.5 he loves to ride in her seat. He hasn't outgrown the Marathon but we are going to move that in to my husband's car as they have both outgrown the Roundabout.
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br /I can't speak for any other seats since I've only used Britax. But I love the Regent. It's comfy and safe!

My daughter was outgrowing her Roundabout, so we decided to purchase the Regent. We are hoping this will be her last carseat! :)
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br /Big selling points:
br /1) plenty of harness slots and it also has two crotch slots
br /2) The Regent seems to have a slight recline in comparison to the Frontier or the Graco Nautilus. We tried our daughter in a friend's Nautilus and it was too deep for her.
br /3) High weight and height limits!
br /4) Doesn't take up much more space than the Roundabout.
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br /We did have trouble installing it in the back center of my Maxima. The seats in the back are molded so they are similar to buckets seats. The adjustment straps run under the seat, so we couldn't adjust them with the seat installed in the middle position. She sits behind the driver now.

We ordered this car seat for our 2 year old daughter. She is almost 37 inches and was too big for her other car seat so we decided to go with Britax. I researched alot of car seats and everything you read about Britax is positive. We love that it goes up to 80 pounds. We love the 5 point harness which is a must for car seats these days. Our daughter used to fuss and cry when we had to put her in her old car seat. From day one of putting her in this one she has not made a peep she loves it. It is very roomy for her and she is 36 pounds and almost 37 inches tall. She has plenty of room to grow in it and is very comfy in it. She no longer crys when we have to put her in the seat and now actually can get up in it herself. It was very easy to install and is very stable car seat. You will love it I wish I origonally went with a Britax from the begining. I recomend it to anyone.

This is my second Regent. My children and I were in an accident earlier this year that left my son and I bruised and sore. We are both still under doctors care. My daughter, who was in her Regent, had her shoes knocked off her feet, but did not have a bruise on her. This car seat functioned wonderfully, and I immediately replaced the wrecked one with the same car seat.

Britax Regent Youth Car Seat Onyx I bought this car seat for my son when my daughter outgrew her baby seat and moved into his convertible car seat. It is quite heavy, but easy to install and adjust! My son is so comfortable in it, he often complains when riding in my husbands car that he misses his other seat in Mommy's car!!! Not just for bigger children. My son is on the small side and he will be able to use this seat until he's ready for a seatbelt. It's much safer than a booster!

The Regent is a big seat, and a little heavy when you are lifting it to install, but once you get it in your car, it is good and sturdy! The seat cover is fairly easy to remove and wash, and the whole seat is pretty simple to take apart if you have to clean it thoroughly, which is a huge plus if you have a vomiting kid or one prone to diaper blowouts! The biggest plus of all is the fact that the 5 point harness can be used all the way up to 80 lbs (!) so if you have a special needs child, like I do, that needs the harness a lot longer than usual, the Regent is for you! I think my petite daughter will be able to fit in this seat until she is 18! Also, I can fit two of these in my Toyota Prius back seat just fine, although I try not to take them out very often since they are so big and a little cumbersome to move around. I just leave them where they are and they do a terrific job! This seat is worth every penny!

Heavy to handle, so don't plan on moving this seat from one car to another. Provides the peace of mind my wife and I were looking for to keep our children safe while traveling. Wider than average car seat; may not fit adjacent to another car seat. We have a 98 4-Runner, so there's room for two with a little space in between them. We will purchase for the younger daughter soon. Best price ($216) through Amazon vs. direct from Amazon partner. Shipping extra, but reasonable.

Fits perfectly in my Honda Odyssey, and my son loves sitting in it! I love that I can keep him in the 5-point harness so long!

My daughter loves the Regent! It has made long car rides much more enjoyable for both of us. When my daughter outgrew her Britax Roundabout, we got her a Graco Turbo Booster. She loved the Disney Princess cover, but the seat itself was terribly uncomfortable. It sits very upright, making it difficult to sleep. When she did manage to fall asleep, her head constantly fell forward. When she woke up, her neck was sore and she was miserable.
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br /After watching a video about the dangers of not having your child in a harnessed car seat, I decided to finally get rid of the Graco and look into carseats with 5 pt harnesses. The problem was, my daughter is 5 years old, 42 inches tall, and 41 lbs. What I discovered is that though she was well under the weight limit, her seat to shoulder height made her too big for most 5 pt harness seats. She was cramped in the Graco Nautilus and already on the last shoulder strap adjustment.
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br /The Britax Regent is perfect. It's roomy, and she has plenty of room to grow. The seat is solidly built and well designed. I feel better knowing she is safe in a 5 pt harness. Best part is my daughter LOVES it. This seat is so soft and comfortable - it's like sitting in a favorite arm chair. I've had it in my car for 1 week now, and my daughter has fallen asleep 3 times already. No more bobbing head! I initially hesitated purchasing the Regent because of the size of the seat and the price. The seat is big, but not THAT big. I have a Saturn wagon, which is a relatively small car. I put the Regent in the center, and I can still fit 2 boosters on either side, though admittedly it's very tight. With regard to the price, I got it on sale at Amazon for $237. Can you really put a price on safety? It's not a lightweight seat that you'd want to frequently move from car to car, but the installation is very easy - it took my husband 5 minutes.
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br /I looked into the Britax Frontier which features more side impact protection. But the Regent allows you to stay in a 5 pt harness longer, with the shoulder height being a full two inches more. I finally decided the 5 pt harness was the more important safety feature. Again, I can't say enough about this seat. I only wish I had bought it sooner.

This car seat is nice an comfy. I had no trouble installing it, though it is large. I was a little concerned because other people had said that the child can loosen the straps themselves, but my son hasn't tried to do that so far. This is my 2nd Britax car seat and they are the best.

We actually bought this seat for out 3 year old when the 1 year old graduated to a regular carseat. The older guy was using a Britax Marithon and it seemed like he was getting too big for it. Well, let me tell you, the Regent will fit him until he's in college!!! It is huge. It is very wide and gives him lots of room. Theres also much more room between the crotch belt and his well...crotch so his little parts aren't getting squished anymore. The fabric is like a suede..very soft and luxurious. It was super easy to install, and I believe this was well worth the money.

Very durable, attractive seat !!! Definitely worth the money !!! We feel very secure knowing our little one is safe with this seat !!!

This seat was purchased for my then 8 year old after my husband was in an accident. My 8 year old fit comfortably in it until she was 10! I have a Mazda5 and the seat was easy to install in every seat. (the Mazda5 has 3 rows) Even though the seats looks big, it really fits well. It also fits in my husbands car (2006 Chevy Cobalt) along with my other seat (sunshine kids Radian80) with just enough room for my oldest. (who outgrew the Regent weight wise before she did heightwise) Yes, these seats are pricy and you could go with a cheap seat or a booster, but in my opinion Britax seats are worth the money! The only problem that I had was using the short belt path in the 3rd row. I just couldnt get it tight enough. I used the long belt path and problem solved! My middle child who is 6 moved into the seat in April of 209 and has years to go before she outgrows it! Great seat all the way around!

If you don't have a newer vehicle with the LATCH restraints, and your child is under 40 pounds, you are going to have a difficult time installing this seat. The problem we have in our Honda Odyssey and Accord is that the Obyssey does not have latch in the 3rd row, and the Accord does not have it at all (1998 model). The required installation for children under 40 pounds, using the vehicles seat belts, requires extremely long seat belt lengths -- longer than we have in either vehicle.

Please check your installation requirements before purchasing!

This car seat fills a need- for a child bigger than 40 pounds who won't sit in a booster. However, this is the biggest car seat I have ever seen! We call it my son's "throne."

I drive an SUV, and this seat barely fits. It must be positioned behind the driver, because otherwise it obstructs vision and creates a HUGE blind spot. If you are used to Britax seats (all are fairly tall) then this is not too much higher, but it is very broad at the top.

My son thinks it is very comfortable and he has a lot of growing room.

We have used Britax products in the past and loved them we are just as happy with this car seat. My daughter loves it! I was hesitant to purchase the seat based on how large others had said it was. We have a Volvo station wagon and it fits nicely with another car seat. I would recommend this seat to anyone who is looking to use it until their child is out of a car seat. I did not have any issues with the buckle being low as others had mentioned.

I bought this seat for my daughter who is 4, it is a great seat, we really love it and it is super safe. I should have realized that the yellow on the seat would get dirty really fast. We don't eat in the car and the yellow is starting to go brown in a few spots. I have spot cleaned it and the fabric doesn't look nice anymore. So, my point is that the carseat is fabulous, the colors and lack of machine washing are a pain.

My kids like it. They are very comfortable sitting n it. I have peace of mind thinking they are in safe place. The downside is that, the price is expensive but I think it's worth.

Had this car seat for almost a year now for our 2 year old. The great thing about it is that she will be able to use this for years and years to come. Seems very comfortable in it. We will be purchasing another for our son

I bought this for my 4 year old because I wanted him in a 5 point harness that he could use as he continues to grow. It is very comfortable for him and I feel very secure having him in it.

This seat is HUGE and we had to return it (costing is about $100 w/ a restocking fee, the shipping cost and the vendor changed us for the cost of outbound shipping too). We have a BMW X5 (SUV) and this seat was way to big. We have a Marathon and love it. We choose to wait a bit for the frontier to come out and love that one! It seat is nice but very large and very heavy!

We have three kids that have gone through 2 Britax car seats. They are ok. They rattle, and one of the shoulder restraint holders cracked off. They had a recall on our particular model a couple years back and it took 3 tries calling their customer service to get them to send the repair parts for the fix, which we had to do ourselves. The cam operated adustable belt (a must have - many manufacturers now have it) has been fairly smooth though going on close to 4 years now so that is a plus.

The main reason that I took the time to write this is to point folks to check out the Cosco Scenera. It is almost identical to the Marathon to include the cam operated adjustable belt. The belt feeds through the entire seat identically to the Britax models (patents must have run out I guess) It also costs less than $40. We puchased one of these for our second car and have been impressed thus far, though it is admittedly new. At such a dramatically lower cost, it may be worth buying the Cosco first to see how it works out before opting for the waaaay more expensive Britax - that is unless buying the $600 Peg Pergo stroller that's identical to the $100 Graco or the $300 Britax that's identical to the $40 Cosco makes you feel better about yourself. Don't worry, we're not judging, we've been there too.

A quick note on "growth" car seats. We at first justified spending the zillion dollars on our first couple Britax seats thinking that we could use them for a long, long time with the generous weight limit. Make sure you take a look at the useable overall height and usable torso height though. Our 45 lb 43" 4 1/2 year old son's torso is already too tall to fit in the Wizard, which claims it can support a 65 lb 49" child. Something to think about before shelling out so much money. I completely agree that any price is worth a child's safety, but paying way more for an identical product that works just as well is just silly.