certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.
The Bottom Line
The Britax Regent is a car seat that serves a very specific purpose; it does one job and does it very well: Extended harnessing for the forward-facing-only child. The Regent lacks some of the ease-of-use features we have come to expect from Britax. However, when properly installed this seat will keep your older or heavier child harnessed comfortably for years. With a price tag upwards of $250, parents/care givers that want to keep their child in a harness (therefore safer) for as long as possible must be willing to pay for it.Pros
- Top harness slots of 20.25" to accommodate taller children
- Upper weight limit of 80 pounds to accommodate heavier children
- 2nd position for crotch buckle to accommodate larger children
- Easy to use harness; doesn't twist like other brands
- Handy pockets in the cover of the seat for snacks, toys, etc.
Cons
- Costs $250 or more
- Heavy and NOT easily moved from vehicle to vehicle (weighs 25 lbs.)
- Due to its size, the Regent may not fit well in some vehicles
- NOT FAA approved - if you're flying with a child that must be in a harness, you'll need a different seat for those flights
- adjuster strap on harness is sometimes difficult to pull
- Minimum weight for this seat does not follow best practice (turning a child forward facing at 22 pounds isn't recommended)
- Installation may not be compatible with some vehicles (see description)
- Lacks built-in convenience features of other Britax seats (lock-offs, Velcro on straps, etc.)
Description
- Britax Regent is a forward facing ONLY seat with a 5-point harness for children from 22 to 80 pounds
- May be installed with LATCh up to the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations or with the vehicle belt
- Four harness heights to accommodate taller and older children; weight limit higher then most other restraints
- Britax's patented HUGS system used to minimize strap-twisting and reduce forward head movement on impact
- Top tether reduces forward head movement on impact [liRemovable, stain-resistant cover
- Relatively simple to adjust harness
Tech Review
The Britax Regent is a great car seat, but there are some issues with installation that can be a source of frustration for some parents. I hesitate to call it a difficult installation, however, because if you read the manual of both the restraint and the vehicle you shouldn't have too much trouble. Installing the Britax Regent is different from other car seats due to its serpentine belt path and different installations based on the weight of the child. If you can get past the different installation methods of this car seat, I think you'll be very happy with your purchase.The Regent has the comfortable, stain-resistant plush covers Britax is known for. While you do have to un-install the seat to adjust the harness height, the adjustment itself is fairly simple to make. The Regent lacks some of the features Britax users have come to love, though. Most notably the built-in lock offs are missing, so if your vehicle's safety belt does not lock on it's own, you must use a locking clip.
My son has been using this seat for nearly 3 years and is very comfortable in it. My daughter rides in the Britax Marathon and will regularly ask to sit in her brother's Regent if he's not along for the ride. That tells me that it's as nice for them to sit in as the other Britax seats.
Many convertible car seats can be described as a "Jack of all trades, master of none." This seat, however limited in it's use, is definitely a master of its trade. Forward facing only, high weight and height limits. Most (if not all) children will be ready for booster by the time they outgrow the Britax Regent car seat.
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