Customer Reviews

Britax Diplomat Convertible Car Seat Cowmooflage

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was hesitant to spend so much money on a car seat when there are so many cheaper options out there. I did a lot of research before deciding to purchase this particular brand and model. My reasons for buying were the ratings (both safety and user ratings), and the design of the car seat.

I chose this particular model because the Diplomat is specifically designed to fit in cars that have smaller back seats without compromising the safety of your child. I have a 2006 Subaru Impreza and this seat is a perfect fit - we had trouble with some other seats where we really had to move the front seat forward and incline it forward in order to make room for the car seat, which makes it impractial to use the front passenger seat for another person.

Anywhere you look the ratings for the Britax seats are always 4-5 stars, for both the safety and the usage. I found this seat incredibly easy to install and had it in the car in a matter of minutes. I prefer to use the seat belt system rather than the latch, and most other car seats when you want to use the seat belt system you also have to use a locking clip to hold the belt in place which I find very difficult to use correctly. The Diplomat has 2 locking clips built into the car seat on each side and they are very easy to use.

Two other features that I love on this car seat are the extended head-rest pads on the side and the knobs on the sides that let you adjust the straps. The head-rest pads extend much further out on the side than any other car seat I've seen providing extra safety and more support for when your little one falls asleep and their head tilts to the side. The knobs that let you adjust the straps are conveniently located on the side of the car seat and not the back, so you can easily adjust the straps without having to take the car seat out of the car.

We purchased a Britax Roundabout first and while it's an excellent car seat and very similar I like the Diplomat better. It has those few 'extras' like the removable pads, extended head-rest, and strap-adjusting knobs that make it worth-while.

We have a Britax Boulevard (rear facing) in a Ford Escape Hybrid (just fits). The Boulevard is Britax's full sized convertible car seat. The Boulevard would only fit in our other vehicle if the corresponding front seat was pushed so far forward that it was unusable. I think that the Boulevard will easily fit in both vehicles when it is forward facing. Purchasing the Diplomat means that you will need to purchase a larger car seat when your child outgrows this one. But, it is a reasonable option if you would like a high quality seat and want to continue to use the corresponding front seat in a small to medium-small sized vehicle. For us, it was cheaper to purchase this car seat than to purchase a different vehicle.

A very well made and safe seat. I believe that Britax is the only manufacturer that has a rear facing tether (all have a front facing tether I think... this makes the car much more stable if it is properly installed... there is a very noticeable difference). The harnessing system seems much easier to use in this than our previous infant seat. I especially like the fact that the strap height can be adjusted without removing/taking apart the seat. I also believe that Britax is the only car seat that is USA made.

Love the cow print! My little girl is a peanut so the size issue others talked about hasn't affected me. I love that its not so huge in my car...and by the time she is too big for this seat will be when she starts using a booster anyways :). She is 8 months old and it works great - she's been using it since 4 months.
I can't wait until she meets the age/size requirements to turn her around so she can ride forwards!!!