 "Love it!" | 2006-06-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1YF8SRQU9IJHN |
I just read the previous review and I can't say that I agree at all!
I love this carseat and base. It is not hard at all to remove from the base. I've not had any issues whatsoever; you push on the lever and it's out. I'm not the world's strongest woman by any stretch of the imagination and it's fairly easy for me.
I also have the Britax Preview stroller and have to disagree with the previous reviewer on this as well. The carseat fits perfectly on the stroller. I did have to read the instructions to figure out exactly how to place it on there but otherwise, it fits perfectly. It combines as a travel system and I LOVE it! There was no issue for me here either!
I highly recommend this carseat & base! It really is plush and I shall not delve into the safety.....100% recommend! |
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 "Easy as Pie" | 2006-04-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A38VAWSD43R7GM |
My wife and I are quite happy with the Companion set. The most enjoyable aspect is the modular freedom that we enjoy. We've got one base in our car, and each of our parents ordered one for their own. When we go to visit, all we need is the carrier and we can plop our daughter into whichever car is easiest. The carrier itself is cozy and snug, and holds our one-month daughter securely, without the excess room and need for head pillows that we had with a convertible seat.
The base is remarkably easy to install compared to the larger full-size car seats; you simply flip up a latching panel and route the seat belt under some sturdy clips, then lock the panel back into place. It has a wind-down support bar for stability and adjustment of different seat types, which came in very handy with the bucket seats in the back of my car. If you're lucky enough to have a newer car with LATCH clips, then it's even easier. The anti-roll bar is wonderful, and the loud click when the seat snaps into place helps reassure you that she's seated correctly.
The carrier itself is large, but sturdy. This isn't something you sling over your arm and walk through the mall with, but I don't believe many people want to carry a baby around too long anyway. There's a pull-handle on the back of the seat that releases the clips from the stroller or seat-base. With the handle up, all I need to do is pull up on the handle with one hand, and up on the release catch with the other. It's easy and painless, and I've yet to wake my daughter doing so. In a large vehicle, like an SUV, you do need to climb in a bit to lift the seat out. If you aren't pulling up, then it's not going to release. If you're standing on the ground beside it and lack the leverage to lift straight up, then you'll have problems as a result. This isn't, in my mind, a fault of the mechanism.
The accompanying stroller (Britax Preview) is a little clumsy to set up compared to most larger strollers. The process of preparing it to accept the carrier takes a little bit of time, but after some practice, it's not so bad. You do have to remember to drop the back down into the reclined position, or the carrier won't fit in properly, and the release catches to do so are awkward. The only really annoying thing about this stroller that I find is that the hood clips onto the sides, and every time I collapse the stroller, those clips pop off. Getting them back on takes some work, and isn't easy on the fingers. However, the handles are extremely comfortable, the stroller is lightweight and compact compared to my full-sized babytank, and the whole thing steers like a dream. The handle for the carrier folds over at ninety degrees, providing a bumper of sorts to deflect errant passer-bys or to protect the softer bits of the carrier (and the baby inside) from bumps with walls or store displays.
All in all, it's not a perfect system, but it beats the stuffin' out of a non-removable carseat and a full size stroller any day. Add on the security and peace of mind that comes with the safest brand of carriers on the market, and I'm content. |
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 "Love Britax, Hate this seat" | 2006-01-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1A6MA47YX3XRL |
For my first child, I had the Graco SnugRide, then switched to the Britax Marathon for the convertible at 4 months. I wanted my second child to be in the infant seat longer, so I got the Companion. It was more plush than the SnugRide and had the stability bar, which is designed to keep the seat from flipping up. For the amount of aggravation this seat is to use on a day to day basis, it had better be safe.
The seat is incredibly difficult to get off the base. You almost have to rip the seat off the base, and even then it won't come off. Good for safety, bad everywhere else. The carseat really doesn't fit that well on the britax stroller (which is the only stroller on which it fits). You have to pull the latches onto the stroller. This is actually painful on your fingers and time consuming. Of course, after wrangling with the seat for several minutes to get it out, you really aren't in the mood to pull latches on the stroller. And by this time, the baby is awake, so you could just save yourself the hassel and taken her out of the seat and stuck her in the stroller.
Lastly, unlike every other Britax model, the center clip isn't really a clip that fastens. You just loop the belt through the clip. After a while, the clip is permanently bent from the tension of the belt and just sort of sticks out (and into the baby). I'd rather have the clip like the marathon.
One good point, the straps are easier to tighten then they are in the marathon.
Anyway, I'll still by a marathon for the second baby, and my first is still in his. But I can't recommend this carseat or its base. I will say, the stroller by itself is very nice for the price.
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