Britax Römer ADVANSAFIX III SICT review

At a glance:

A high-quality car seat from a brand you can trust, this car seat will last your little one until they are 12-years-old. Our panel of mum testers loved the design, the Isofix fitting and the washable covers, but found it slightly annoying having to remove the seat to alter the height.

What they say:

The ADVANSAFIX III SICT is our new seat for growing children from 9 kg up to 36 kg. The 5-point harness safely secures small children up to 18 kg in the car seat. For larger children, who are secured with the car’s 3-point seat belt, the SecureGuard provides an additional 4th contact point keeping the lap belt at the correct position. The seat also features removable SICT for additional side impact protection. What’s also unique are the multiple recline positions for all ages up to 36 kg. Advanced safety and comfort for your growing child.

Tested by mum Jules Walker for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:

Would you recommend this to other mums?

I'm a keen fan of rear facing for as long as possible, and usually have a Joie 360 Spin, which makes life as easy as possible when taking my little girl in and out of the car. This one is forward facing only and when I think back to when my little one was nine-months-old and too big for the infant seat, I would have felt anxious having her in this car seat purely because it is forward facing. That said, due to the wide age range, it is a viable alternative to those only wanting to buy one car seat for that time period. I personally didn't want anything beyond four-years-old or so, purely because I know technologies and laws will change. This one though allows your little one to be in the seat with the harness until they are about five-years-old, which is a year more than most car seats of this type.

How did this product make your life easier?

The Britax ADVANSAFIX III SICT car seat was good quality and the seat felt really well cushioned. The padded chest straps looked really comfortable and the quality of the material felt good. The covers actually come off, which to me is a huge plus point, as it can be thrown in the washing machine in the event of a little accident. When using the harness, you can actually get them off without removing the harness as well so I know that it's still in securely. The chassis feels slightly more open, especially in comparison to our Joie 360 Spin, this makes it a bit easier than most forward facing only car seats to get them in. This one car seat goes all the way up to 12-years-old, so could be the only purchase you need to make from about nine-months-old upwards. It's an Isofix with top tether restraint, meaning it doesn't have the arm on the floor, which is the perfect alternative for cars which have those under floor storage compartments.

Would you choose this product to win?

If you're looking for a car seat that you keep until your baby is 12-years-old, I think this one would be a good contender. The quality is good and the ability to remove the covers to wash means you can keep it looking nice, (despite your little one's best efforts to smear everything on it!) I like the design and the ability to tilt the seat.

What changes would you make to this product?

There are certain areas of the design which are slightly flawed, for example the button to adjust the headrest is behind the head rest, meaning that you either have to adjust it before putting it in the car (something I didn't do), or you have to squeeze your hand rather uncomfortably behind the seat to do it when it's in the car. The top tether Strap and clasp are designed poorly which leaves the straps twisting and stopping you getting it as tight as you possibly could. The harness straps also have nowhere to fix them to when baby is not in the car seat, which means they often fall into the seat leading to baby sitting on them when being put into it. The tilting is also quite difficult and limited if the top tether strap is as tight as you can get it. The instructions also need to be much clearer - Google and You Tube were needed to make sure we had done it properly.

Tested by mum Jodie Handley for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:

Would you recommend this to other mums?

I would recommend this car seat to a fellow mum, as it lasts for such a long time as it is suitable for up to twelve years of age, and comes with an alternative adapter which is brilliant. I love how secure the car seat is as it attaches to the car by Isofix point and top teather, as well as the seat belt. This puts my mind at ease as it simply does not budge.

How did this product make your life easier?

I’m not sure if it did initially make my life easier as the car seat can be quite difficult to get my three-year-old into, as it is fiddly to keep the strap clasps together. It has however made life easier as it is strapped in by Isofix and top teather, so it definitely puts your mind at ease as it is super secure. That said, my little girl can get her arms out of the straps easily which is worrying as they are difficult to tighten once she is in.

Would you choose this product to win?

I would choose this product to win an award on the basis of how secure it is. I liked the top tether fastening – this is a feature that I have not used before, as well as the Isofix points and generic seat belt fasten I felt more at ease knowing how secure my child was.

What changes would you make to this product?

I wish it swivelled for ease like my Maxi Cosi car seat does, as for me this makes it much easier getting my baby in and out of the car. Also, I do not like how easy it is for my child to get her arms out of the straps, and I feel that they do not tighten as much as other car seats I have used. I know that children can do this in most seats, but in my eyes, there needs be an additional clasp to prevent it.

Tested by dad Stephen Bailey for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:

Would you recommend this to other mums?

I would recommend the Britax Römer ADVANSAFIX III SICT to a friend because my child finds it comfortable to sit in, and will sleep in it for short periods of time in the recline position when we have been on longer journeys. I like the fact that it is a stage 1-3 car seat, which means that I won’t have to ever buy another one. It also has an Isofix fitting so I feel that my child is safe in the car.

How did this product make your life easier?

The Britax Römer ADVANSAFIX III SICT makes my life easier as it gives me peace of mind that it is fitted to my car, with both Isofix and the top tether so I feel that my child is safe. It is quick to put my child in the car seat and do the straps up, which saves time not having to fiddle around. Being stage 1, 2 and 3 means I don’t have to research car seats or go out shopping for car seats in the future.

Would you choose this product to win?

Although this product has lots of good features, I would not choose this to win as I struggled to work out how to change the size of the straps and height of the seat once it was connected to the car. It seems that you have to disconnect the car seat in order to raise the height as your child grows, as the lever is behind the seat.

What changes would you make to this product?

If I could change one thing about this product, it would be the position of the lever to raise the height of the car seat. It is annoying to have to disconnect the seat from the car in order to access the lever to raise the height. It would be far better to have it at the top of the seat so that it can be changed in-situ with my child in the seat.

Tested by mum Tatiana Artahona for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:

Would you recommend this to other mums?

I would recommend this to fellow mums as it last for a long time and my baby seems comfortable in it. If somebody wants only a car seat for a long time, and doesn’t want to have multiple car seats as their baby grows, this is a great option. However, it definitely doesn’t fit in every car, so I would recommend that mums check their car beforehand. It was easy to move from one car to another, it reclines and is washable which for me is a must in baby equipment.

How did this product make your life easier?

This car seat makes my life easier because it takes away the worry that I will need to hunt for more car seats in the future. I feel like it is a great investment for parents, who won’t need to worry when their child meets a new weight or age. It is washable which is a must, especially in something designed to last that long. It reclines which is always helpful and it is easy to install. That said, it was too big for me to use in my car.

Would you choose this product to win?

I won't choose this car seat to win a Mother & Baby award, because it can't be rear facing and from a security point of view this is important to me. The fact you are able to convert the seat from a five-point harness up to 18kg is great, however I would be worried about buying a car seat designed for this long, as I would be worried about the car seat laws and regulations changing.

What changes would you make to this product?

It would be great if it had the option to be rear facing, so this is the first thing I would change. Also, I found the adjust button really difficult to reach when the car seat was in the car.

Tested by mum Elena Boler for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:

Would you recommend this to other mums?

I would definitely recommend this product to a friend or fellow mum as it is great value for money as the seat will last my baby a long time. It has a number of great features like multiple recline positions to keep your baby comfy on the move, and also an adjustable headrest which helps to keep baby's head in upright position when he falls asleep.

How did this product make your life easier?

This car seat made my life easier as it is very easy to install and also to move between vehicles. The seat has an ISOFIX option or seatbelt for securing into the vehicle which gives me peace of mind that my baby is safe on the move. The ohanded adjustable harness makes life so much easier and the various reclining positions help my baby to get comfortable on long distance journeys.

Would you choose this product to win?

I would choose this to win as it is a great value for money car seat which will last a long time. Among all lovely features it has got Pivot Link system which provides added protection in the event of collision by directing the force downwards, and then forwards more gently reducing the risk of head and neck injury, also it has side impact protection (SICT) in a side collision.

What changes would you make to this product?

There are a few things I would change about this car seat. First of all, I don’t like the plastic clasps on the five-point belt, as they have a look and feel of a lower quality product. Secondly, the headrest is not easy to adjust when the car seat is in the car, which makes the whole thing quite fiddly.