Free Travel Tips

Nearly all parents are aware that for the very first few weeks of baby’s life that baby ought to journey totally flat where possible, particularly if they are premature. Even so, most carrycots are soft sided and not really well suited for car use. The brand new complete Britax B-Smart travel system can sometimes be brought without its soft-sided carrycot, however, if you really need it, you can also add the Baby-Safe Sleeper which is especially useful for premature babies.

What exactly are the choices with the new Britax travel systems? To begin with, you have the Britax B Smart-3 or B Smart-4 pushchairs that can be bought independently or as part of a complete travel system. The primary difference is in the amount of wheels, with the B Smart-3, not surprisingly having three wheels and the B Smart-4 with four wheels. The B-Smart may be the name offered for the UK market, however, if you’re in the US, the equivalent will be the 4 wheeled Britax B-Ready Stroller or the 3 wheeled Britax B-Scene Stroller.

The B-Smart 3 and B-Smart 4 3-in-1 Britax Travel Systems comprise of the B-Smart 3 Buggy, the Baby-safe Plus SHR II along with a soft-sided carrycot. In the event that you don’t have a newborn baby, you also have a choice of just purchasing the buggy and car seat. There’s a good variety of colours, such as venetian red and purple rain, blue as well as, the obligatory black.

The B-Smart pushchairs are lightweight and versatile with comfortable padded and removable seats. You can also use the seat forward or rear facing (great when they’re really young). The seat has the benefit of a multi-position recline facility including a lay-flat one. With the integrated Click Go adaptors, you can convert the pushchair easily into a travel system and also add the Baby-Safe sleeper should you desire. There’s a simple, compact fold with an automatic lock and quick release wheels to allow for convenient storage. You’ll find it is manoeuvrable due to the lockable front swivel wheels which have puncture resistant tyres and a press on / off brake system. A tremendous help for some will be the adjustable handle height in order to safeguard your back.

Moving on, the Baby-Safe Plus SHR II car seat. The car seat shares many of the same safety and comfort features located in the Baby-Safe Plus II which makes it a perfect first car seat for your newborn. There is outstanding side impact protection, padded side wings and a 5 point harness. The recline system enables you to put your little one in a flatter position that will be more comfortable for a really small baby to lie in. The adjustable head rest and harness makes it suitable for growing or larger babies as well. You can install the seat making use of your cars normal three point belt system, using the Baby-Safe belted base or the Baby-Safe isofix base (recommended).

The soft sided carrycot completes this unique release of the Britax travel systems. It is suitable from birth to six months and will attach securely and easily using the Click’n Go system. There is also D rings fitted beneath the mattress so that you can use different harnesses (these must conform to BS 6684) if you wish).

The Baby-Safe Sleeper is a must for those who have a premature baby because it offers a completely lay-flat system. It will slot into your car or onto the pushchair base easily, and with its hard sides and ‘roll bar’ effect when the handle is up, provides the ultimate protection. The energy absorbing interior provides 360 degree body protective zone around baby when the handle is up. The newborn protector will give additional support for really small babies while keeping them flat and secure all the time.

Finally, on the Which Magazine tests, the Britax B-Smart 3 wheeled version of the pushchair scored 4/5 for convenience, handling and comfort to push. Not perfect, but not bad either! It is advisable to do your own research and read all the reviews before buying the Britax B-Smart travel system. It’s cheaper than the Bugaboo range but with the travel system coming in around 400 and the pushchair on its own for about 240 (cheapest I was able to find), it is mid price for this kind of system and it’s obviously too soon to acquire it second-hand.