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Real Mum Review: Britax Safe-n-Sound Platinum PRO SICT

Since having our little Miss Mabel we have learned so much about healthy hips and hips dysplasia in babies. It really is such a common but crucial thing to pick up in the early days of life so it can be easily healed with the right help. Our little Miss was in the pavlick harness for 8 weeks and one of the main concerns of the doctors during this time was that the baby does not spend too much time in the car as most car seats hold their legs and hips in very tight positions which aren’t good. There are different little tricks you can do to position baby for best hip positioning but long car trips are not recommended. What is interesting is that a lot of car seats and capsules have so much cushioning around the hips that they really aren’t good for babies hips at all. Our OT recommended the safe-n-Sounds car seats for healthy hips as all their car seats seem to have great room for little children’s legs and hips so are a better option for hip dysplasia babies. If the baby is in a harness; it’s best to get your OT to get in touch with Britax to organise a special buckle to attach specifically for hip dysplasia kids as we have done. The best convertible car seat on the market currently is by far the Britax Safe-n-Sound Platinum PRO SICT and I am really excited to share my review with you as we absolutely love it! We have many trips in the car a day as we have school drop off, pick up, after school activities, etc. Our little hip bubba has to just come along for the ride and a lot of the time she isn’t happy, we had lots of tears as we travelled from place to place before we tried this seat.

We have now been in the Britax Safe-n-Sound Platinum PRO SICT for 3 weeks and let me tell you that as soon as Miss Mabel went into this car seat, we had no tears. Besides the fact that it is like the range rover of car seats, it just looks so comfortable and it gives baby room. It is a bigger style convertible car seat; looking at it, you know it has safety first and foremost in line and there is no lack of quality. It is right on point with everything a baby and child needs in a car seat and every parent can feel totally confident that our precious cargo is safe in the car in the Britax Safe-n-Sound Platinum PRO SICT. I highly recommend this seat for hip dysplasia babies as it gives lots of room around the hips and thighs so legs can be splayed and comfortable while travelling without doing any damage to the hips. I know that when baby Mabel is in this car seat, she is comfortable and I have no fear of her regressing with her hip issues.

That’s what I have to say but here is some of the nitty gritty;

– The Platinum PRO SICT is Britax Safe-n-Sound’s most advanced convertible car seat.

– It has a revolutionary dual layer head and torso Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT™) minimises impact forces providing your child with the ultimate side impact protection.

Features: 

ISOFLEX™ 
Equipped with ISOFLEX™ Connectors to provide a simple, firm connection into a vehicle with ISOFIX low anchorages in conjunction with Top Tether. ISOFIX is an alternative method of installation that may reduce mistakes that are associated with traditional seat belt installation.

SIDE IMPACT CUSHION TECHNOLOGY (SICT™) – TORSO PROTECTION 
Torso SICT™ minimises the energy impact on your child’s chest and vital organs and reducing crash forces for greater protection.

SIDE IMPACT CUSHION TECHNOLOGY (SICT™) – HEAD PROTECTION 
Dual layer head protection minimises the energy generated in a side impact crash. The inner SICT™ layer provides 180° protection around your child’s head, whilst the outer SICT™ layer on the seat exterior absorbs immediate crash energy.

REAR-FACING FOR LONGER 
Your child can remain rearward facing until they are approximately 2-3 years old, which is safer for your child. 

ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINT (AHR™)
Designed specifically with deeper side wings that shield and contain your child’s head in a side impact crash. AHR™ grows with your child working with SICT™ to contain your child’s head and to minimise impact forces. 

THERMO5™
This high-performance fabric with Bamboo Charcoal delivers the premium comfort your baby deserves.

HASSLE FREE HARNESS 
Single handed height adjustable headrest and harness allows the seat to grow with your child without the need to remove and re-thread the harness. Reducing the risk of incorrect installation and enhancing correct harness fit. 

INFANT SAFETY CUSHION™ 
This cushion includes EVA composite material that provides support and protection for a small baby absorbing energy during a side impact crash. Specially designed ventilation holes offer breathability and comfort. Detachable wings are exclusive to the Platinum PRO SICT™ making this cushion flexible for longer use as a seat protector and cushion pad.


EZ-BUCKLE SYSTEM 
This system retains the harness buckle in a forward position and prevents the child from sitting on the buckle when boarding.

– You can see more at: https://www.britax.com.au/car-seats/britax-safe-n-sound-platinum-pro

I highly recommend this convertible car seat, it really is amazing and I feel super confident as a mum with this great product holding onto my baby on a daily basis.

In the meantime, check out this beautiful video from the Britax family; really is lovely. Enjoy!

 


Thank you, Cassandra Michelin, for sharing your thoughts.

You can read the original article here.

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Top 5 Snacks For a Long Car Trip

When we found out that we were expecting a third child we were thrilled. The final piece to our little family puzzle was soon to be complete. Towards the end of the pregnancy nesting shifted up a gear and we needed to get organised. Car seats were a top priority as we knew that fitting three car seats on the back seat was going to be a struggle.

We have a regular sized SUV and when I looked into the back seat I wondered, how we were going to fit three seats in. I wanted to continue using Brtiax seats to ensure the most comfortable seats for the kids. And most of all I really didn’t want the space of our car to interfere with safety.

Britax offered to help me fit three seats along the back of our narrow car and I started the researching process. There were a few key things that helped me achieve this:

  • Call your professional seat installer BEFORE purchasing your seats. I wish I had known this, as it would have saved me a huge amount of time and effort. I used Pearces Child Restraints and they were fantastic, knowing exactly what would work with my car. Plus they had most of the Britax branded car seats available to look at, test on the kids and even buy on the spot.
  • Educate yourself on car seat safety and get your seats professionally installed. I felt really awful when I saw the difference between how my seats were currently fitted when we arrived compared to when I left. My installer also taught me how the child should be correctly seated, how the straps work most efficiently and what might happen if they weren’t (you don’t want to hear it but you should know).
  • Choose good quality seats. Britax was my choice as they have so many different seats that can be configured to suit your car. For me, I needed a very specific middle seat for my toddler, one that sat forward and was narrow. No other seat would have safely fit the three seats in. We chose the Britax Maxi Guard PRO™ for Harry because it was slim line and has a hassle free harness (no more twisted straps!). Amelia is in the middle and we needed the Britax Millenia™ which is a perfect slim line seat that neatly fits in the middle slightly forward of the other two. And for the baby we chose the Britax Unity™ ISOFIX Compatible Baby Capsule. The capsule is so easy to put in and out, suitable to use up to 12 months (approx.) and converts to a rocker to help keep bub asleep when you transfer out of the car.
  • Choose a capsule for your baby if you have lots of pick-ups and drop-offs or other kids. I didn’t use a capsule with my first two and managed OK with the baby carrier but this time I am in and out of the car on average 6 times per day – needless to say the capsule has been a lifesaver.

TOP 5 SNACKS FOR A LONG CAR TRIP

With our three seats now fitted neatly along the back seat of our car we were set. Our little bundle Archer arrived and fit in perfectly next to Harry and Amelia. Next, I needed to figure out how to keep them all entertained for our long summer car trip we had planned. These are my 5 go-to snacks for the car, note; normally we don’t promote eating in the car but on long car trips you can be stuck somewhere during snack time and these can get you through until the next pit stop. What are your favourites?

The edible necklace: The Edible Necklace is a little length of string, with some delicious ‘beads’ that keeps a toddler occupied for long periods of time.

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Apple, pear and oat balls: A healthy homemade snack that contains the goodness of fruit, oats and nuts that takes no time at all to prepare.

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Banana apple and cinnamon muffins: These are the perfect balance of healthy meets tasty, try them in a mini muffin tin for a better bite sized snack.

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Cheesy crackers: Melt in the mouth little cheese bites that you can adapt to add different herbs and spices. Also try a dairy free version here.

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Pick n mix fritters: A savoury snack that will keep the kids tummies full but are very simple to eat and wont make a mess!

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Thank you, Allie Gaunt, for your amazing recipes.

You can see Allie’s other recipes here.

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Briar Stanley’s Precious Cargo

It’s safe to say the words ‘precious cargo’ could spring to mind when buckling up your children in to the car. I’m a stickler for safety when it comes to car seats, which is why I chose Britax for my most important passengers, Sunday and Rafferty.

A few weeks before the baby arrived we got the Britax Safe-n-Sound Platinum PRO™  installed professionally. The SICT stands for ‘Side Impact Cushion Technology’ which minimises impact  – providing the child the ultimate side impact protection. I also love that the convertible car seat is designed to grow with the baby. The Safe-n-Sound range can be used in the rear facing mode from birth to around twelve months, and then converted to forward facing mode when Rafferty is 12 months old. I chose the colour ‘Khol’ (to minimise stains), but it also comes in a sandstone and charcoal.

Big sister Sunday has also been travelling in comfort for about a year now in her Maxi Guard. We use it in toddler mode for now, using the built in harness. Once Sunday is a little older, we’ll convert the seat to Booster Seat Mode, which is for children around 4 to 6/8 and uses a standard sash seat belt. As Sunday is on the tall side, I love the size of this seat and Sunday is a big fan of her cute little arm rests and drink holder.

My happy little travellers. I’m happy too, knowing my precious cargo is in safe hands.


Thank you Briar Stanley, we are glad to hear your little ones are happy travellers.

You can read all about Briar’s journey here.

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Hear What Everyone Is Saying About Our Crash Exchange Program

We are passionate about what we do. We know that a lot of responsibility sits on our shoulders—the responsibility of keeping your loved ones safe on the move and that is why we will never, ever, be happy with ‘good enough’.

We will always go far beyond what’s required and won’t stop until we’ve achieved what’s safest for your child. We treat industry standards as a minimum. We insist on going further to test our products in the toughest of real life situations. This means we don’t just comply with the latest safety standards, but champion even safer standards. That also means doing what is right—not what is easiest…

As much as we don’t want it to happen, we like to hear that we were there for you and your child during your hour of need. Here are some of your stories that you’ve shared with us that have touched our hearts:

Sarah Jones

My family and I were recently in a car accident, whereby our vehicle was hit from behind at high speed. As a result, our vehicle was deemed a write-off. My partner and I sustained some minor injuries from the impact and our 11 month old daughter, who would bore the most impact being the rear seat of the vehicle in her Britax Safe and Sound Millenia, came away from the accident completely unharmed. We couldn’t be more pleased with our decision to purchase the Millenia and have been recommending the restraint to friends with children and how it kept our daughter from injury.  We believe if it wasn’t for the restraint and having it fitted by an RMS authorised station that the outcome and injury to our baby would have been far more significant.  Even if the Crash Exchange Program did not exist, we would have no hesitation in purchasing another Britax Safe and Sound. We are very satisfied customers!

Regards, Sarah Jones


Michelle Sheridan

Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have Britax Safe-n-Sound car seats for my children. No doubt, the life of my toddler was saved when our car collided with a bus at 60km/h. The front passenger seat was crushed and my son was sitting behind that seat at the time. The total extent of his injuries was a small bruise on his shin where the air bag cover flew off and hit him. Nothing else. With all of the drama that follows an incident like this, I have been so grateful to the team at Britax for being compassionate and supportive and wanting to help me through this emotional time. Being 30 weeks pregnant, my phone calls to Britax have been the only ones that haven’t left me in tears and despair; in fact they have left me feeling empowered and positive. Having experienced such a financial loss through no fault of my own, these replacement seats have been greatly appreciated and I am so glad that the crash exchange program exists. Thank you Safe-n-Sound for going above and beyond any expectations.

Kindest regards, Michelle Sheridan.


Leonie, David and Polly Byard

We are incredibly grateful for the care and science Britax put into making their car seats. We knew we wanted the very safest seat available when pregnant with our baby, and our 0 to 4 year convertible Platinum seat has proven invaluable. We were in a side-on crash when our daughter was 12 months old, with the car being beyond repair and all of us suffering whiplash. However the osteopath and doctor who have seen our daughter were very impressed with the impact absorbed through the seat and the minimal injury she sustained due to the airbag technology. I feel certain her injuries would have been worse in a seat that did not minimise her head movement the way the Platinum did. Following this incredibly traumatic event, Britax have been sympathetic and very quick in putting us through the crash exchange program. I would never like to know what injury our daughter might have sustained had she not been in such a safe and well-made car seat.

Regards, Leonie, David and Polly Byard.


Jesse

When I was pregnant, I spent countless hours researching. There are so many websites with so much information and the entire experience is completely overwhelming. It was only after all this researching and purchasing three different seats from Britax that I decided I was now completely loyal to Safe-n-Sound. And what a good decision that was. I was recently involved in a serious accident and my vehicle was extensively damage. I honestly don’t think my son felt a thing. His tiny little precious body (he was 17 months old) was completely fine. Now that the accident is behind us, I’m incredibly grateful to Britax for replacing my son’s car seat with a brand new one. You just don’t know what damage it could have sustained and it’s incredibly reassuring to know that his new car seat is going to work well again, should the need ever arise. So thank you Britax – for everything.

Regards, Jesse.


Carly

Thanks so much for making for being so helpful in replacing the seat after our accident. My Meridian AHR tilt and adjust was comfortable and really easy to use. It also performed extremely well in our recent car crash. We were towing our caravan on the freeway when we began to swerve quite rapidly between lanes and ended up crashing into the hurricane fencing and were then facing the wrong way in the fast lane. While this was quite a serious crash my son didn’t have a scratch on him and was even laughing at the end of it. I’m very thankful that I had such a quality car seat. The crash exchange is fantastic they replaced the seat and were really easy to deal with.

Regards, Carly.


Darshan

Thank you so much for all approval of exchange. I not only really appreciate all your time and help but I am also really glad that I bought a Britax Safe-n-Sound seat for my baby. I believe my daughter is safe and well after such big accident just because she was in Safe-n-Sound seat. We are very thankful to the Britax team for making such amazing safe product for kids. Me and my wife cannot thank you enough.

Regards, Darshan.


Miranda

We made the choice to buy Britax Safe-N-Sound restraints for both of our children, not only for the exceptional quality (Australian made and tested), but also for the assurance of the Crash Exchange program they offer. Just like any other insurance policy we hoped to never have to use it, however the additional peace of mind simply strengthened our decision. Unfortunately late in November 2015 we were involved in a road incident where we were impacted from behind at significant speed, causing us to subsequently impact the car in front. Our car was declared a statutory write-off but the only injury our 6 month old son sustained was a minor friction burn to one side of his neck where the padded protector had slipped down, and the expected scare from the sudden jolt. Nothing else! We’ve since learnt that the belt pad has been redesigned to afford greater protection. We are confident of the quality and won’t purchase anything but Safe N Sound in the future. With the praise I’ve been singing I’m sure friends and family won’t purchase anything else either! I can’t thank Britax enough for the quality of the restraints they manufacture, and for also providing the crash exchange program to ensure compromised restraints are taken out of circulation. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Regards, Miranda.


Keith

In 1980 our first daughter (of 3) was born. We were in Australia then and a friend gave us the money to buy a high chair. It was a fine metal chair with a blue denim patterned vinyl seat and backrest, with a red table. 35 years on and what an investment!!This chair has been used for our 3 girls, and our 6 grandchildren, nieces, nephews & children of friends. It’s the hardest wearing piece of furniture we have ever owned! It’s been re-upholstered but it’s still going strong. Fabulous product.

Regards, Keith.

 


Kylie

Thank you Britax Safe-n-Sound for your fantastic Crash Exchange Program. Not only does it keep damaged car seats from being resold, it also helps struggling families replace their damaged car seats after the unthinkable happening – a terrible accident!  On a personal note, three of my children (5yrs, 3yrs and 10month old baby) and I were involved in a serious car accident on a gravel road which resulted in the vehicle rolling on 7th January 2016. It is my belief, as well as all attending emergency services (Ambulance, Police and Fire Brigade) that no injuries (not even a scratch) resulted from the accident due to the children being strapped in correctly in their age appropriate car seats. The Emergency services commended the car seats. Thank you Safe-n-Sound for such a wonderfully safe product. I can’t express enough my gratitude that if it wasn’t for your seats I don’t think the children would be in the position that they are today.

Regards, Kylie.


Jayne McConnachie, Steven and Tristan Lane

We are just writing to thank you for your crash exchange. My 6 year old son and myself were involved in a serious head on motor vehicle collision on 30th January 2016. We were hit in excess of 90km/hr and the car did a full 360 degree turn before coming to a stop. I (the driver) sustained multiple injuries to the right hand side of my body and fortunately my 6 year old son who was in your Maxi Rider AHR came out with no injuries at all. If he wasn’t in the Maxi Rider with the AHR I no doubt believe he would have sustained several serious injuries. The actual side of the car he was in cracked at the door jam and came apart and yet the seat and its head protection remained fully intact! Again, thank you so much. We thoroughly appreciate your wonderful crash exchange program and thank you for making car seats that provide the utmost of safety in the cases of a collision.

Regards, Jayne McConnachie, Steven and Tristan Lane.


Katherine Healy

I choose the Britax safe n sound platinum car seat before my son was born, based on it’s safety rating on government websites. I wasn’t aware of the crash exchange program until after the accident. It was such a relief to have one less worry. My 8 month old son and I were extremely lucky to be relatively unscathed being hit by a truck 3 times on the freeway. We got thrown from the outside lane across all lanes,  ending up bouncing off the inside guard rail, facing the wrong direction after much spinning out of control. Whilst upset my son was unharmed. Both the police and paramedics checked the baby seat was still in excellent condition & fixed in place. I am so grateful for his safe n sound seat and that I had it installed by a qualified fitter.

Regards, Katherine Healy.


Janine Best

When we purchased Safe-n-Sound we were doing so feeling assured that were doing our utmost to keep our most loved ones as safe as possible. I never thought we would need to use the protection, however when we were involved in a serious car accident we were so relieved that we made the decision to buy such a great car seat. An oncoming vehicle veered onto our side of the road, as my husband swerved to miss her car, she side swiped our car hitting right where my son was sitting, ripped the rear axle from the chassis and sent our car spinning. Thanks to Safe-n-Sound the only injury was a bit of blood when my son bit his tongue. AMAZING, my two precious children were safe and well. The Crash Exchange Program has been wonderful and further solidifying our choice to use Safe-n-Sound. Thank you so much for keeping our family safe.

Regards, Janine Best.


Eun Kim

I never considered that any fatal accident would happen to me or my family. Even the day after I delivered a baby…My husband, daughter and my father was on the way to the hospital to see the baby and me. Later that day, I received a phone call from an ambulance guy that there was an accident. I could not say anything and my brain stopped as I was so shocked. I only remember how much I thank God when the rescue person said “everyone is safe. And a child was in a car seat safely.” My daughter was perfectly safe even though the impact hit the door directly where she seats. I was so proud of myself that I choose THE SAFE car seat for my child. I definitely recommend and even insist to choose Britax car seat to everyone near me. Thank you Britax! I only choose Britax to the future for my family!

Regards, Eun Kim.


Liam Obrien

I would like to commend you on the quality of the restraint. The accident itself was quite significant and resulted in the car being written off and I suffered a fair bit of whiplash. I can say confidently that my daughter barely even noticed the accident and suffered no injuries as a result. I also want to thank you for the exchange program – it is an excellent initiative.

Regards, Liam Obrien.


Sinead

Thank you so much for assisting with our application, we are so delighted to hear that we will receive such a wonderful replacement seat, we are so grateful. We accept and understand all of the terms of our application. I’d like to take this opportunity to praise the work that you all do at Britax, specifically with the crash exchange programme. In such a stressful and scary time it is such a wonderful thing to know that we don’t have to worry about our daughters car seat safety after the accident. This is a magnificent programme and congratulations Britax on working towards clearing the market of crashed seats! We were already going to be Britax customers for life, and this just cements that! Thank you, thank you!

Regards, Sinead.

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Rozalia Russian Trusts Britax…

We’ve once again had the pleasure of partnering with model, entrepreneur and super-mum, Rozalia Russian.

As a working mother of two, Rozalia is always on-the-go and Easter was no exception. Over the weekend, the Russian family ventured out to collect Easter eggs at an event.

Thanks to Britax, both 3-year-old Willow and 2-month-old Kingston travelled safely in their Britax Platinum PRO™ car seats.

 

 

Both Mum and Dad appreciate how the seats fitted seamlessly into their vehicles. They were also impressed by the Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT™); “It is hard to put a price on peace of mind and this is exactly what Britax have given us”.

Fabric with Bamboo Charcoal – high performance Thermo5™ , the seat guarantees breathability. This received the tick of approval from Rozalia; “One of the elements of the Britax Platinum PRO™ that was a winner for us, was the fabric, made from Bamboo Charcoal material” means children will travel in quality and comfort.

You can be certain your energetic bunnies will be supported with Platinum PRO™ Britax Safe-n-Sound’s most advanced convertible car seat!

Thank you Rozalia for your kind words and putting your trust in Britax.

You can read all about Rozalia’s weekend adventures here.