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darell
07-07-2000, 06:36 PM
Hey look at me! First post on the boards. Sure hope the site speeds up in the near future. It's glacially slow currently.

Anyway, that's not my point. I'll gladly promote any of you to "my best friend" status if you can give me any info on when Britax will be selling their long-promised ISOFIX RoundAbout. Britax will tell me nothing except "probably this year." They told me the same thing last year at about this time. My new Volvo V70 with ISOFIX attachment points will be parked in our garage next month, and our new daughter will be parked in her bassinet the month after that. I sure hope the seat is available soon!

Thanks,
Darell

alandenisefields
07-08-2000, 04:09 PM
We'll contact Britax Monday and see if we can get an update on this. Yes, it is late.

Another idea: Have you tried Fisher Price Safe Embrace? They are supposed to have an iso-fix model out as well.

Alan & Denise Fields, Authors

LMom
07-08-2000, 10:28 PM
Last week, Britax emailed me that the ISOFIX system will be available in September 2000. Hopefully they are correct because they originally told me June 2000. What about using an infant carseat/carrier for the first few months if you have to? It is much easier with a new baby. Also, I was told that ISOFIX adapter systems will be available to attach to old Britax carseats.

darell
07-09-2000, 01:41 AM
Thanks guys. It'll be great to see what they have to say these days. I've heard of the Fisher Price Safe Embrace, but from what I know about the Britax, there is just nothing better out there!

-d

darell
07-09-2000, 01:43 AM
Hi -

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm actually planning on using an infant seat first, so I'll have few months of buffer time for them to get their act together. I was told last month, by the president of the company that they would never be able to adapt their older seats to the ISOFIX system. But then, he's the one who told me the seats would be ready for sale in 1999.

- Darell

luvrose
07-10-2000, 05:29 PM
We have the Ford Focus which also has the ISOFIX system. We just purchased the Fisher Price Safe Embrace II and installed it yesterday. Installation was fairly easy, although we did need a rolled-up towel to level it. Our only concern was that the padding seemed a little skimpy, but we bought a cover for it (the OshKosh one) and that improved the cushy-ness. The straps are seatbelt quality and they fasten very securely -- I doubt our daughter would ever be able to get out by herself. It also comes with built-in tether strap for front-facing. It sells at our BRU for $150.

I'll write back later when we've used it for a while!

P.

superjordan
08-05-2000, 07:03 PM
What exactly is ISOFIX? We have a Britax Roundabout that is 2 1/2 years old. Is this something we need for our carseat?

Lynn

darell
08-05-2000, 07:42 PM
Lynn -

If you don't know what it is, then you don't need it. Not to worry. ISOFIX is the new international standard for mounting child seats in cars. This is the first year that cars are being made with the mounts, and VERY few seats are made to fit the mounts yet. The idea is that many folks don't put the seats in right (admittedly it's really tough in some cars) and this new mount makes it a simple process of just clickin the seat in place. You don't have to fuss with the seat belts anymore. It's a good thing, and your next new car will probably have ISOFIX capability. It isn't something you want to add to your car since it would be cost-prohibitive. It will be many years before it's commonplace to use the mounts.

- Darell

superjordan
08-06-2000, 05:05 PM
Thanks for the explanation. I remember hearing about this some time ago. I had just forgotten.

Lynn

sarsah
11-02-2000, 12:39 AM
I had been holding out for a new model of the Round About with ISOFIX to come out, but can wait no longer -- my 5 month old son is just about out of his infant car seat. (We are in the process of purchasing a Ford Windstar which will have the ISOFIX attachments).

I looked at the Fisher Price Safe Embrace II seat and in my opinion, just from looks & feeling of the seat padding, it is AWFUL!!! I'm sure it's safe, but it sure didn't seem very comfortable. When I compared the two seats, the choice was simple. I purchased the Round About, using a coupon it was only $10 more than the Safe Embrace.

Sarah....

Morrie
11-29-2000, 10:24 PM
I just got the Honda Odyssey with the LATCH system and contacted Britax about it. I did not receive any new information about an ISOFIX, but they did say they would 'probably' be releasing a LATCH compatible car seat in 'early spring'. Much as I love Britax and desperately want to have one for my peanut due in February, if it comes down to it, I will use something else because the one thing you can't rely on Britax for is a release date.

Morrie

millermom
12-12-2000, 05:04 PM
From the postings here, I should assume that the only carseat available that works with ISOFIX/LATCH is the Fisher Price Safe Embrace II? And that's a convertible seat, so there are no infant seats? I sent email to Century to find out if they plan to manufacture one, but haven't heard yet.

darell
12-12-2000, 05:21 PM
Volvo was supposed to make one, but the recalled them a week or two after they came out last spring. I can't imagine what the problems are, but there you go...

- Darell

acavert
01-17-2001, 07:19 PM
For what it's worth I called Britax today and all they could tell me is that the new system will be available sometime this year. I take this to mean no time soon. Very disappointing given their reputation for safety features.

darell
01-19-2001, 01:06 PM
I'll say that is disappointing! They began giving that answer to me in 1999! Thanks for the input though. We have about six more pounds to go before we'll be needing it.

- Darell

darisgin
01-24-2001, 12:35 PM
Calling 1-888-4BRITAX no longer yields a live representative, only a series of voicemail menus and FAQs. One cannot even *get* information on the Britax ISOfix from the company anymore...(and US website has no email address).

joesmommy926
02-13-2001, 02:51 PM
That makes 2 of us! I have been holding out to buy a RA. My son was born 9-26-00 and he has just a little longer in his infant seat and I desperately want the RA. It is raved about wherever I go and the patterns are awesome! I have a 1999 VW Passat which has the ISOFIX. I think it would be a shame not to take advantage of it.

I called Britax and they couldn't give me an exact date but said sometime in the spring (where have I heard that before?). The rep I talked to said something about marketing issues holding it up, but who knows. She told me to keep checking the website.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, but I am as anxious as you are! I will buy the FPSEII if the RA is unavailable. Another poster mentioned getting the OSh Kosh seat cover to increase the cushiness, so that is our Plan "B".

darell
02-13-2001, 04:21 PM
Here is what the CEO of Britax just told me:

Hello Mr. Dickey,
We will be starting to build our forward-facing seat with ISOFIT/LATCH this
month. It will be called the "Expressway" and will be based on the Freeway
Plus (20 to 40 lbs.). We made some adjustments to the Freeway Plus to
bring down the cost so the Expressway with ISOFIT connectors can retail
close to the Freeway Plus. The Roundabout has passed our government tests
with the ISOFIT but we are developing a system for easier routing
rear-facing. We want to avoid mis-routing possibilities.
The ISOFIT connectors are our own Britax development and had to be started
from scratch using principles known from our buckle designs of the
past. The biggest delay was caused because when using the adult seat belts
in the vehicle, their strength is huge. The US gov't test for LATCH
anchors in vehicles has been the subject of great controversy and we have
found that our LATCH connectors must be far stronger than the gov't test
would require. Some vehicles on the road have very severe crash pulses,
plus as with some vehicles we expect consumers will use the 2 inner anchors
that are far wider than the gov't standard specifies. The gov't standard
specifies 280 mm spacing and the 2 center inner anchors can be 500 mm
apart. This wide spacing is (according to the gov't standard) too wide and
not "legal" for LATCH use, but we know consumers will use it to position
the childseat in the center rear. This very wide spacing, we found, can
place extremely high twisting loads on the LATCH connectors and we had to
make design changes to accommodate the higher loads. If we only designed
for the gov't test we would have had the system out 6 months ago.
We have been working closely with vehicle manufacturers to get the system
tested in real vehicles with full scale crashes. Fortunately, the
forward-facing ISOFIT is fine, but unfortunately, rear-facing is far more
challenging.
When your daughter turns 1 year the Expressway will be fine, but perhaps
she will outgrow the infant before turning 1 year old.
As you know, we're not good at predicting release times, but we're very
close to having other new products finished this month and the Roundabout
ISOFIT will get top priority soon. If you look at our website
www.childseat.com you will see that we have many new products imminent plus
a Travel system will be available by spring.

My apologies for all the delays.
Kind Regards,
Tom Baloga


Our daughter was born 9/10/00, so we're in the same boat. That's a pretty good plan B though.

- Darell

joesmommy926
02-14-2001, 10:33 AM
Actually, that response gets me thinking. Is the FPSEII as safe as Britax is trying to make the RA? It makes me wonder if FP just released a ISOFIX model carseat without thinking of all the possibilities that Britax is apparently doing.

Hmmmm, the plot thickens.

darisgin
02-26-2001, 04:12 PM
Of course, had the US merely adopted the proven, hard-mount ISOfix system in use in Europe, Mr. Baloga's worries would never have materialized. That is, Americans would have been unable to position a hard-mount ISOfix seat in the center position.

A Britax representative said of the Britax Expressway's debut: "in the next few months; we don't know when exactly." No surprise there.

darell
02-26-2001, 06:06 PM
You are correct....and of course in my Volvo I have the hard-mount ISOFIX system, so I'll never be able to use the thing in the middle. And here I sit, waiting....

- Darell

darisgin
02-28-2001, 11:15 AM
Darell -

You were one of the lucky ones to acquire Volvo's seat in the approx. 2-week window in which it was offered? (That is, before they recalled it?)

If so, how do you like it?

darell
02-28-2001, 11:56 AM
Darisgin -

All I have is the booster seat that Volvo sent me for buying the car early. It isn't anything that I can use for YEARS. As far as I know, it was the infant seat that was recalled.

- Darell

darisgin
02-28-2001, 12:29 PM
This just in:
http://www.childseat.com/whats_new/wne_detail.cfm?wne_id=11

EXPRESSWAY ISOFIT

Coming Soon! The new EXPRESSWAY ISOFITTM toddler seat!

Britax held three (3) US patents on the ISOFIX concept. But in January 1998 Britax waived it's rights to the patents for the public good in order to allow the US DOT to mandate the 2 bar attachments.

Britax, the world's leading manufacturer of child seats, has again set the pace for safety and innovation in the new, easier-to-attach child seat equipped with an ISOFITTM LATCH system of attachment. The Britax ISOFITTM system complies with US Department of Transportation regulations that require new attachments for child seats beginning in the year 2002. LATCH is the acronym for the attachment bars in US/Canadian vehicles: Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. The DOT requirements were based on and harmonized with the International Standards Organization (ISO) proposal called ISOFIX, using 2 bars permanently attached to vehicles, which do away with problems associated with using adult seat belts. Britax has already been supplying the world's first rigid ISOFIX child seat in Europe to Volkswagen, but the new ISOFITTM system for the US includes a soft webbing attachment plus a top tether attachment. Britax has been installing tethers for over 25 years in Australia; the Britax Roundabout was equipped with a tether since its introduction here in the US in 1997, and the traditional Freeway Plus is equipped with a tether since February 1999. Top tethers have since become required in the US on all forward-facing child seats after September 1999.

The first product to get the ISOFIT TM System will be the “Expressway” model based on the Freeway Plus (20-40 lbs).

Britax held three (3) US patents on the ISOFIX concept. But in 1998 Britax waived it's rights to the patents for the public good in order to allow the US DOT to mandate the 2 bar attachments. In order to allow the US Government to complete the Final Rule, Britax agreed to give up it patent rights covering various aspects of the easier to use system. “We’re in the business of saving kids’ lives, said Wally Czernakowski, recently retired Managing Director for Britax Roemer in Germany and one of the patent holders, “including saving them in a competitor’s child seat.” The other patent holder, David Burleigh, Britax Technical Director in the UK, agreed, “Every parent wants a simpler system. Every child deserves the best protection.” Britax Roemer in Germany will introduce its new “Pivotlink” rigid Isofix child seat in Germany and Japan during March and April.

“When it comes to innovation to make safety simple, Britax will always be the world leader,” states Tom Baloga, President of Britax Child Safety, Inc. For example, Britax is currently the only company making child seats that can shut off an airbag.

Don't forget to check back in What's New for updates on this new arrival!

darell
03-01-2001, 02:23 PM
Thanks for posting that darisgin. It all sounds good, but if the seats aren't available for us to purchase, they still aren't saving our kid's lives.

- Darell

Rachele
06-13-2001, 03:52 PM
Hi!

I was able to order my Britax Expressway toddler car seat today and it will arrive in 6 weeks. Britax is now shipping these seats.

strusmom
06-13-2001, 10:08 PM
Does this mean that the "Expressway" is the new name for the Roundabout with ISOFIX?

Also, does anyone use their Roundabout with a Grand Cherokee Laredo 2001? How is the fit for both rear facing and front facing? I did check carseatdata.org but would like more input.

Thx!

tobymc
06-14-2001, 03:47 PM
The Britax Expressway is out. It is basically the Britax Freeway, with Latch (isofix) added. It also has the new hugs system on the harness, which gives better head excursions. The Freeway and Expressway are both forward facing only, from 1 year to 40 pounds.

There is not a version of the Roundabout with Latch available yet. Apparently it is being difficult to come up with a way to do the latch rear facing. I have heard no firm information on when the Roundabout or Advantage will be out with Latch.

I guess I'd say at this point that they will likely be out by Sept. 1, 2002. All seats made after that date must come with Latch. But maybe it will be done early.

Toby, CPS tech who attended Britax's session at the ICIP conference in Indianapolis last week.