As you probably know, my other persona is Mrs. ParentWheels! I run a specialist blog over at www.parentwheels.co.uk where I feature and review cars and car seats. I recently got a chance to find out more about the new Trifix by Britax.
The Trifix is the latest Group 1 car seat (suitable for children from 9-18kg) by Britax. The notable thing about the Trifix is that it is the first UK car seat that I have seen to use the top-tether anchor point for ISOFIX.
You may (or may not) already know the benefits of the traditional ISOFIX mounting points at the base of a car seat. Using ISOFIX in itself doesn't make the seat much safer than any other, but it greatly reduces the likelihood of you fitting it incorrectly. An ISOFIX seat is easier to install because it clicks into place, rather than requiring you to thread a seat belt correctly and tension it appropriately. The two standard ISOFIX mounting points are now found on most new cars and help to reduce the sideways movement of a car seat in the event of impact.
In addition to this, the new Trifix features a v-shaped top-tether at the back of the seat which allows you to attach it to the rear ISOFIX anchor point in your car, if your car provides this. Your rear anchor point will ordinarily be a hook above the rear seats or on the back of the rear seats - get your car manufacturer or a qualified Britax installer to identify these points for you.
The V-tether is a sturdy strap which passes over the headrest of your car and attaches to the rear anchor point. You tighten it into place and this reduces the level of forward movement of the car seat in the event of a front or rear collision. Coupled with a 5-point harness, this greatly reduces the risk of injury to your child.
The Britax Trifix features all of the standard features you would expect of any Britax car seat. High quality, washable fabric covers, a good level of side-impact protection around the head and shoulders, audible and visible indicators to show when the seat is correctly snapped into place and the straps tightened. The base of the Trifix is quite bulky to allow for the ISOFIX fittings but it isn't as heavy as some Group 1 car seats I've seen on the market. The height of the head-restraint is easily adjustable using a single pull-ring at the top of the seat.
