Britax One4Life ClickTight 3-in-1 Carseat Review
Car seats have come a long way in the past decade, and it seems like every manufacturer has some special feature to sell you on their product. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re trying to sort through the barrage of marketing ads and videos. We get it and we’re here to help.
As CPST-Instructors with 20+ years of expertise, plus personal experiences with almost every car seat on the market, our in-depth reviews will help you understand both the pros and cons of any seat that you might be considering.
With that said, you might be wondering if Britax’s ClickTight Technology is just some marketing gimmick or if it actually lives up to the hype? I’m happy to report that Britax does NOT disappoint with the feature-rich One4Life ClickTight All-in-One. This seat actually improves upon the existing ClickTight installation system and gives us a 50-pound rear-facing weight limit and the tallest booster in the All-in-One category! This seat will last even the biggest, tallest kiddos for a long, long time.
One4Life Weight and Height Limits:
- Rear-facing: 5-50 lbs. AND child’s head is 1” below top edge of headrest
- Forward-facing: 22-65 lbs., 49” or less
- Highback booster: 40-120 lbs., 44-63”, at least 4 years old
One4Life Overview:
- Improved ClickTight installation with color-coded belt guides
- Adjustable 9-position base
- No-rethread harness with 15 position headrest
- Energy-absorbing, rip-stitch V-shaped tether
- Available anti-rebound bar
- SafeCell technology
- High strength steel reinforced frame
- Energy-absorbing EPP foam
- Deluxe push-on LATCH connectors
- Flip-forward buckle pad
- Built-in cooling channels with ventilated mesh for improved air flow
- On-board harness storage for booster mode
- Two dishwasher-safe cup holders
- Easily removable machine-washable cover
- 10 yr lifespan before seat expires
- MSRP $364.99-$469.99 depending on fashion
2023 One4Life Fashions:
An optional anti-rebound bar is available as an accessory and retails for $64.99.
One4Life Measurements:
- Harness height: 7 ½ ”-19”
- Shoulder belt guide height: 21 ½ ”
- External widest point: 19 ½ ”
- Base width: 14 3/4″
- Shell height with headrest: 30 ½ ”
- Shoulder width: 14”
- Crotch strap depth: inner slot: 1 ½ ” without infant insert (headrest in lowest position); second slot: 1 ½ “ with infant insert, 5 3/4 ” without insert; outer slot: 7 ½” without insert
- Seat depth: 13”
- Seat weight: 29.5 lbs. with padding, 28.9 lbs. without padding
One4Life ClickTight Installation:
Rear-Facing Installation
Angle: Any of 9 recline positions can be used to achieve the best recline for your vehicle and child! And, if necessary, a tightly rolled towel or pool noodles may be used to supplement the recline positions in the event of deeply scooped vehicle seats (hello Mustang and Camaro!). On either side of the base, under the red SafeCell honeycomb, is a red recline button. Push either button and slide the One4Life into the recline position you want—it’s as easy as that. The final “B” recline position is for booster mode only.
For infants and children without head control, the arrow tip must be in the solid blue in the angle indicator on the side of the seat. For kids with better head and neck control, the arrow tip can be either in the solid blue or in the striped blue-green area.
I tried the One4Life in a 2016 Tesla Model X, a 2018 Tesla Model 3, a 2011 Acura MDX, and a 2014 Town & Country, and the recline varied a bit but not much. The most I needed was recline 2 before it was too upright according to the recline indicator in the Model X and the Town & Country. I found it was very easy to get a good recline for a newborn and used 1 noodle in my Model X. The Model 3 seats are more sloped and needed a noodle to properly recline for a newborn. Fit was excellent outboard in the Model 3 with plenty of room for front passengers, though it was quite difficult installing it in the center position because the seat belt anchors are narrower than the carseat base. The tightest I could get it was right about 1” of movement. Because I’m still recovering from a broken knee, I’m unable to work very hard on getting carseats tight. Installs in the other vehicles were seriously easy, which is what makes the ClickTight system so awesome!
Use the seat belt! Like all other ClickTight seats, the One4Life is designed to be installed with the seat belt. Just forget the LATCH strap is there altogether because the LATCH install is more complicated (though there may be situations where you might need it and I’ll discuss those later). Here are the installation steps, which are conveniently outlined on the cover you lift to access the ClickTight panel:
- Recline the carseat so it’s in the appropriate range for your child. The label on the side of the seat helps you determine where it should be.
- Open the improved ClickTight panel.
- Thread the seat belt through the green belt path and buckle.
- Pull the slack out of the shoulder belt. The amount of slack you remove dictates how tight the installation will be, obviously. As with other carseats, you want less than 1” of movement at the belt path. However, if you remove too much slack, the CT panel won’t close.
- Push down on the panel to close it. You’ll hear it lock into place. That’s it.
To remove the carseat, it’s not quite the reverse process.
- Unbuckle the seat belt first! This removes tension from the CT panel.
- Open the CT panel.
- Remove the seat belt from the belt path.
- Close CT panel.
The video shows all!
LATCH Installation
The LATCH connectors are stored under the ClickTight panel in a pouch. When I first saw this I thought it was cheesy—this is a Britax, after all. But the fabric pouch reduces weight on an already heavy seat, which means that you don’t have to try to perfectly align hardware to get it to fit inside a hard plastic compartment in order to get the door to shut, and besides, you’re not looking at it so who cares what it looks like?
Installation with the LATCH connectors is the same as the seat belt installation, but you thread the connectors through the belt path instead of the seat belt—never use both the seat belt and LATCH at the same time as, simply, it places too much crash force on the belt path. With the LATCH connectors, you’ll have to futz more with tightening the strap to get it just right in order for the CT panel to close than with seat belt because there’s less give to it: once the strap is tight, it’s tight and it won’t loosen any in order to get the panel to close. But you may need to use LATCH if installing the One4Life in a position next to a booster rider who may accidentally unbuckle its seat belt and leave it uninstalled, or in a van where the seat belt may otherwise stretch across an opening people walk through to get to the 3rd row. Life happens and you have options (with deluxe push-on LATCH connectors)!
Anti-Rebound Bar (ARB)
The optional ARB (sold separately) snaps right into its designated spots in the front of the One4Life very easily. It is for rear-facing use ONLY and has a label on the side to remind you. When it’s seated properly, you won’t see the red plastic side casings. To remove the ARB, press the red buttons on each side inside, then wiggle it a bit until you can pull it free.
I’m going to show all the ARB pics right here. Even though it isn’t touching fully at the top of the ARB, it’s still touching at the bottom and will perform its job. Nope, the carseat isn’t touching any of the front seats.
Forward-Facing Installation
If you’re familiar with the Marathon, Boulevard, and Advocate ClickTight convertibles, the forward-facing belt path on the One4Life is oriented differently. You’ll open the CT panel, but the seat belt (or LATCH belt) is threaded behind it, behind the child’s back, like a regular FF belt path. To install the seat, follow the same steps as listed above, but use the green belt path. Don’t forget to use the top tether! It makes a huge difference in reducing head injuries! If in your vehicle, like my Tesla Model X, the V-tether slides down the sides of the vehicle seat, you can tie the tail of the tether around the tether to turn it into a Y shape or order a tether extender from Britax to make the same shape (see pic). Another consideration with the tether is that it’s long again, so be sure to use the attached elastic to roll and secure the end so you don’t accidentally drive over it. There were horror stories in the olden days about the sounds those tethers made when people would accidentally drive over them!
Booster Installation
The harness is stored on-board in the storage compartment. I think this is the best harness storage I’ve seen! Everything fits in its spot, though there isn’t a spot to keep the harness strap covers.
When used as a highback booster, the seat can be secured with LATCH up to 120 lbs., the maximum weight limit. Remember, since the seat belt is restraining the child in a crash, the lower anchors are only supporting the weight of the carseat, which is why it’s OK to use them through the full weight range of the child, unlike in harness mode. If the LATCH strap or connectors interfere with the vehicle buckle or seat belt in any way, store it in its pouch under the CT panel.
The recline position must be set to position B, which is most upright.
The base is pretty wide, so it may be difficult for some kids to buckle the seat belt. My new-to-a-booster model didn’t find it difficult at all but you can see in my pictures that the base is right up against the buckle.
LATCH Weight Limits:
Rear-facing LATCH weight limit: 30 lbs.
Forward-facing LATCH weight limit: 35 lbs.
Center LATCH Installations with Non-Standard Spacing:
Britax only allows center LATCH installation with the One4Life if the vehicle manufacturer designates it as a LATCH position and the lower anchors have the standard spacing of 11” apart.
Overhang: Britax allows the base of the One4Life to hang over the front edge of the vehicle seat by up to 3″ when it’s used in harness mode. Side overhang is not allowed. When it’s in booster mode, though, no overhang is allowed and the entire base of the car seat must be on the vehicle seat.
Inflatable Seat Belts:
Britax does NOT allow the use of any inflatable seat belt when installing one of their ClickTight convertible or all-in-one carseats.
Fit to Child:
The One4Life has an infant insert with a weight limit of 5-20 lbs. and harness covers. The insert is not mandatory to use but it MUST be removed when your child reaches 20 lbs. if you do choose to use it. Fortunately, you don’t need to remember these weight limits because there’s a label right there on the front of the insert to remind you. While some folks dislike the look of labels like this on their soft goods, I think anything to help you remember is a bonus. The harness covers are optional and shouldn’t interfere with chest clip placement at armpit level.
The harness frequently was longer on one side than the other. This is due to the type of splitter plate used to hold the harness ends and will happen on other seats as well. Here’s how to fix this on a seat like the One4Life that has 2 separate harness straps (each harness strap anchors at the hip and attaches at the splitter plate):
- With no child in the seat, pull the harness tight.
- Loosen the harness by sliding your hand under the chest clip and pulling out so that both straps pull evenly.
- Repeat, if necessary, until straps are even.
- To keep the harness as even as possible, pull the harness loose from the chest clip to keep it even.
We put a variety of children in the carseat to test the fit and all of them fit in the harness really well. Baby E was the smallest at 4 weeks old, around 9 lbs. and 20″. She literally fell asleep as soon as I put her in the seat!
S is 10 months old, 16 lbs., and 27″. She’s our writer, Alicia’s, daughter.
For fun and to show the true rear-facing range, the model I recruited for booster pictures decided he wanted to try the seat rear-facing. G just turned 6 years old, weighs 43 lbs., and is 45 ¼” tall.
Here’s G again (6 years old, 43 lbs., 45 ¼”), this time forward-facing in the harness. He loved the One4Life and said it was really comfy.
D is Alicia’s middle son, 6 years old, 38 lbs., and 45″ tall. This is his daily seat and he says it’s comfortable.
L is Alicia’s oldest and is 9 years old, 72 lbs., and 60″ tall (he’s not a shrimp anymore!). You can see by his stats that he’s nearing the height limit, but not the weight limit. Belt fit is good, but Alicia reports he is somewhat tight in the seat. Most kids need a booster until around ages 11-12 to fit in an adult seat belt and that may mean using an inexpensive backless booster once the One4Life is outgrown.
G is back and he’s still 6 years old, 43 lbs., and 45 ¼” tall. We did have an issue with the shoulder belt with the headrest in this position. There was enough friction between the puffiness in the fabric and the shoulder belt guide so that the shoulder belt didn’t retract when G sat forward. This wasn’t an issue when the headrest was higher.
One4Life vs. ClickTight Convertibles
There are obvious differences between the One4Life and the regular ClickTight convertibles (Marathon, Boulevard, and Advocate), such as the improved CT panel, the ability to convert to a booster, and 3 crotch strap slots. But what about practical size differences? Does the One4Life take up more room than a Britax clicktight convertible?
I installed the One4Life (black shell) to a recline suitable for a newborn and a Marathon ClickTight (white shell) to a recline suitable for a newborn as well. I set the front seats of my 2011 Acura MDX to as similar a recline and distance as I could to make this a fair test. The One4Life was the clear winner, taking up less front-to-back space than the convertible.
The One4Life is about 2″ wider than the ClickTight convertibles, but it is also designed for fit bigger, older kids.
Cover/Maintenance/Ease of Use:
The soft knit, well-padded SafeWash™ cover contains no added flame retardants and can be thrown in the washing machine on gentle cycle, then dried in the dryer on low, but double-check the labeling on the cover first for specific fabrics. It comes in 3 pieces: a cover for the head wings and down behind the child’s back, a cover for the torso side area, and a cover for the seat portion (nice since you won’t have to remove the whole cover just for a pee accident). Removing and replacing the covers can be considered fairly easy. Each section has a couple of elastics to secure, but it’s more a hassle than it is difficult.
Just like any other harness, spot clean with a cloth dipped in water and a drop of mild soap, then wipe with the cloth rinsed in water. If it’s really bad, you can replace the harness.
I’m not thrilled with the thickness of the harness covers; I feel they are overly padded. Harness abrasion is a true comfort issue, but overly thick harness covers can impede proper harness tightening. I often recommend that new parents take the harness strap covers off until the child is older and they get a good feel for how to properly snug up a harness. The length of these harness covers is good—refer back to the picture of baby E above—they don’t push the chest clip down or out of position in any way. I just wish they were thinner.
The harness covers also are connected to each other and this piece sits behind the cover. There’s nothing in the manual about the harness covers so I thought this was worthy of mentioning. It drove me insane as I dressed and undressed the carseat and tried to figure out which way was up, but as a daily use type of thing, I can see it being quite helpful in keeping the harness covers in place and in keeping them out of the way of the chest clip.
The cup holders are twist and lock to secure to the One4Life. One the one hand, they’re super easy for parents to remove for cleaning. On the other hand, they’re super easy for a child to remove to throw—what fun!
The manual is color-coded to go along with the color-coded labels on the carseat. I found the rear-facing section in the manual to be very muted in coloring, though. Instead of being a bright blue, the text was a purple-tinged grey.
FAA-Approval/Lifespan/Crash Guidelines:
The One4Life is FAA-approved when used with the harness. If you’re using it as a booster seat, you can’t use it on the plane because booster seats require lap/shoulder belts. There are different installation instructions depending on if you’re installing the seat rear- or forward-facing on the plane; see the manual for further guidance. Inflatable airplane seat belts are not compatible with the One4Life.
This carseat has a lifespan of 10 years from the date of manufacture. If you’re looking for this label, it’s in the same spot as on the regular ClickTight convertibles. Lift up the front corner of the ClickTight panel cover and it’s right there.
The One4Life must be replaced after a moderate to severe crash, using the NHTSA guidelines:
- The vehicle is able to be driven away from the crash site.
- The vehicle door nearest the car seat is not damaged.
- None of the passengers in the vehicle were injured in the crash.
- If the vehicle has air bags, the air bags did not deploy during the crash; and
- There is no visible damage to the car seat.
One4Life Advantages:
- No-rethread harness with 15 position headrest
- Improved ClickTight installation with easy access to both RF and FF belt paths
- Deluxe push-on LATCH connectors
- On-board harness storage for booster mode
- Energy-absorbing EPP foam
- Steel reinforced frame
- Flip-forward buckle pad
- Infant insert weight limit printed on insert
- Two removable cup holders
- Machine-washable and dryable cover
- Made in USA
- 10 yr lifespan before seat expires
Disadvantages:
- Tightening the harness when the seat is rear-facing takes effort
- Inner buckle slot length may be too short for some kids
- Manual is silent on harness covers
- Manual color-coding needs to be brightened
- Harness covers are thick
Britax took its time making their first All-in-One car seat, but the One4Life, was worth the wait. The harness slots are the tallest of any all-in-one on the market, the 50 lbs. rear-facing weight limit is fantastic, and the tall shoulder belt guides for booster mode ensure that it can be used for years. The One4Life has the look and feel of a Britax seat: deluxe fabrics with lots of padding to keep kids comfortable plus thoughtful design features like a handle for carrying and on-board storage for the harness. The improved ClickTight panel makes it even easier to install, which makes up for the wide base. The Britax One4Life will take your child where they’re going in style and comfort for years to come.
Thank you to Britax for providing the One4Life ClickTight All-in-One used for this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are those of CarseatBlog.
CarseatBlog Experts Rating
Recommended: One4Life
Hi I am wondering the measurements of this car seat in the infant position where it would hit from the back of the cars seat to the front of the car if that makes sense. I’m trying to determine if it will fit in my car, my sons infant seat is already a tight squeeze.
Hi Kelsey, there is not a great way to measure this, because a lot depends on your installation and the contour of the front seats in your specific vehicle. The One4Life is a tall seat with extended limits, so it’s definitely going to be similar to most all-in-one and 3-in-1 car seats in this regard. We used to test rear-facing space limits on car seats, but this is a very time consuming test and it really is only 100% valid in the vehicle we use for testing. We found the Britax ClickTight convertibles (Boulevard, Marathon) could be installed rather upright and took up less room than most other convertibles. Newer all-in-one models like One4Life were not included. Our best suggestion is to make sure you get a free returns policy like Target offers. Walmart and Amazon do as well, but make sure the car seat is sold/shipped by Amazon/Walmart and not a third party seller for the free returns policy.
Hi! I had heard the click tight doesn’t fit well into a tesla 3 while forward facing. Have you heard that experienced it? I want to get it but I’m leary it won’t fit well.
Hi Emily. The One4Life fits like a glove (quite easily) in the outboard positions and
I can get my hand between the headwings and the vehicle headrest, which is pretty remarkable![edit] the headwings sit against the vehicle headrest, but I pulled the seat forward to see if the headrest pushed the headwings forward and I feel quite confident it would be approved by Britax. The headwings really aren’t displaced by the headrest. [/edit] It also fits in the center, which is unusual given the small space between the seat belt anchors, but you’ll have to work on pulling the seat belt tight before closing the ClickTight panel (it’s still an easier install than other carseats). And when it’s in the center position, it blocks a chunk of the rear window. Lighting wasn’t great when my husband got home tonight, so I’ll take pics tomorrow and update the review with them.Emily, I am so sorry, but I realized after I studied my pics that I had the seat in the wrong recline setting! It altered how it fit on the vehicle seat, but I still feel comfortable recommending it. Pics are uploaded.
Hello I bought the one4 life and I just got it in. My baby is 4 months old 14lbs and with the infant insert in the crotch strap doesn’t come up enough to buckle it in. I literally had the straps as loose as it goes and it would barely click in. I also moved the crotch piece to the furthest slot to try and help it. I know this isn’t how it’s supposed to be any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Rebekah. Yes, this is a blessing with this seat (all the deluxe padding) and a curse (all the deluxe padding). It’s not a problem to have the crotch strap in the 3rd slot as long as there’s no space between it and your baby. All of the padding is optional; the weight limits are maximums but not requirements. So I would start removing a piece one at a time until you find your happy medium. Maybe start with the crotch strap pad first and if that doesn’t help, remove the infant insert. If you remove the infant insert, add the crotch strap back in and move the crotch strap back one slot.
Okay I will try that! Thank you very much!
Hi! We just switched from a Britax Advocate to the One4Life to extend rear face an additional 10 pounds. My 4-year-old has begun complaining his butt hurts in the One4Life. I felt beneath him and I do agree there isn’t much padding and seems to be some type of bar under his bottom. Anyone else have this problem?
I can’t quite tell but does this seat take up less room rear facing than the other Britax convertibles?
Hi Christina. Yes, without the anti-rebound bar, the One4Life gave me several more inches RF than the Marathon ClickTight (Boulevard CT has the same shell). The ARB will push it out and make that space negligible, though.
Hi!! Thank you for all the helpful information! I’m about to purchase the One4Life and was wondering if anyone had any comments on the different fabrics? I was going to get the cool flow moisture wicking fabric since I’m in MS and my poor girls are also so hot. But it looks “silky” in the pictures. Do you know if this is nice fabric or not??? Thank you!! Amanda
Hi Amanda. All the fashions have a smooth, poly fabric that the child sits on, but the cool flow fabric is behind the child’s back for ventilation. There are also larger openings in the cover behind the child’s back at the belt path, which should help too.
Just to clarify, the ARB for the One4life doesn’t need to be totally flat against the back of your vehicles seat? It can sort of angle away from it?
Hi Steffanie. Correct, there may be some space between the ARB and your vehicle seat. It should make contact low, where the bar angles up and if it doesn’t, I’d contact Britax customer service and ask them.
Thank you for this helpful review! I have the One4Life and I really like it so far – the two cup holders are such a nice additional feature. I was concerned recently reading about crash safety with this seat. Do you have any concerns? I emailed Britax to get their response.
Hi Melissa. I’m unaware of any crash safety concerns with the One4Life. Can you elaborate?
The website with the crash safety stuff is here: https://www.babygearlab.com/reviews/vehicle-safety/convertible-car-seat/britax-one4life-clicktight
I’ll preface by saying that I’m not an expert in crash testing, but they leave out some critical information. How was the carseat installed that it produced those HIC and chest deflection (the actual name of the test, not “chest clip”) scores? Different methods of installation—seat belt or LATCH—lead to different results. What size dummies did they use in the testing? How are those scores developed: rear-facing or forward-facing? How are they comparing the carseats to each other: was the O4L installed with a seat belt while the Allegiance was installed with LATCH (which has a very different LATCH installation method, btw)?
I mean, it’s great that they’re doing the testing, but IMO, they’re only reporting the shocking/newsworthy information. CPS isn’t about one score or another, it’s the whole picture, including statistical information. Take the review for what it is: a review, because I don’t think you can take the crash testing seriously without more given information.
Melissa you are welcome.xx
I have the Britax One4Life and both my kids’ heads fall forward when they’re sleeping. We have the Britax Advocate in our other car and this never happens. Is this a common complaint for this seat? Is there a way to reposition the seat lower than the furthest recline (which is where we have it now) so this doesn’t happen? Any other products or advice to keep their heads from falling forward would be appreciated too. Thanks!
Hi Corinne. I haven’t heard this complaint, but it does generally happen in seats with movable headwings. A couple of things to try are to remove the head insert and leave the body insert in if your child is under 20 lbs. If that doesn’t help, I’d give Britax a call. It gives them a chance to try and fix the problem while alerting them to it.
If you like the Advocate, I certainly won’t talk you out of another one. The Boulevard is the same seat without the side impact cushions on the sides of the seat. The Chicco Fit4 (https://carseatblog.com/49050/chicco-fit4-all-in-one-review-safety-fit-for-different-stages/) is another one to try that is an all-in-one seat if that’s what you’re looking for in a carseat.
Hi there!
Thank you for your thorough review. I have a long torso 1 year old so I appreciate the specs. We are needing to upgrade to a convertible and have it narrowed down to the Boulevard, All4One, and Chicco NextFit ZIP Max Air. We live in the humid hot south and my backseats don’t have AC Vents (Nissan Rouge) so we didn’t know if we should go for cooling features (Boulevard has one with cooling too). Out of those 3, which would you recommend?
Hi Emily. Have you heard of the Noggle? https://carseatblog.com/23574/the-noggle-keeps-your-noggin-cool (They seem to be out of stock everywhere. You can buy them direct from Noggle: https://nogglenation.com/). It’s great for diverting airflow to the back seat. I use it in my MDX when we transport our dogs in the back where there are no air vents.
No matter what fabric you choose, your child will be hot :(. The Chicco NextFits sometimes have issues with taller kids RF as they reach that max height limit—their heads are near the top of the seat while the harness straps are above their shoulders. The One4Life (I think that’s the one you’re talking about— 😀 they all have 4s in their names now) has side vents behind the child’s back and is easier to install than the Boulevard, which is easy to install in the first place.
Heather,
Thank you for your thorough reply!! THE NOGGLE IS AMAZING!!! Wow!!! I cannot believe they make such a thing!! I’m purchasing it right away!
Thank you for your feedback! I really appreciate it and am thankful to have not just an experienced mom, but a car seat pro’s input as this is our first child. You have really helped inform our decision and I cannot thank you enough!
Glad to help, Emily!
I was wondering about the comparison between Britax One4Life and Graco 4-1 (either standard or DLX) in terms of rear facing fit in the backseat for the passenger. Is there a big difference for passenger leg room? My husband is over 6ft and its a big concern for us.
Hi Jena. I don’t have a true 4Ever to compare to, but I think the One4Life would probably give more leg room. It was more compact than a ClickTight convertible front-to-back and according to our database (https://carseatblog.com/22818/the-ultimate-rear-facing-convertible-space-comparison-review-size-matters/), the ClickTights are more compact than the 4Ever (the DLX is the same shell as the regular 4Ever).
Hi,
Is the crotch strap on the Britax One4life the same length as the other Britax convertible Car seats? We have the Britax Marathon convertible but the crotch strap seemed to short for my boys and dug into their chubby thighs. We ended up getting the Chicco Nextfit for our other car because the strap was longer. We have the Britax Frontier booster seat the and the crotch strap on that one is longer than the one on the Marathon convertible seat. I am interested in the One4Life if the crotch strap is longer or is able to be made longer as the child grows…
Thank you!
Hi Beth. It’s hard for me to compare right now because I only have one of the original Marathon ClickTights where the crotch strap is shorter than the current ones. I think the O4L’s crotch strap is about 2″ longer.
How would you compare the Britax One4Life to the Chicco Fit4?
Sorry, Kiki, I haven’t seen the Fit4 yet so I can’t make a comparison.
Hi! I have a question. Which would you say would be the better “bang for your buck”?? The one4life or the Advocate. Also, what are the similarities and differences in the advocate and the one4life. I really like the idea of an all in one, but where the one4life is so new, I am hesitant to spend that much money on something with limited reviews. Thank you!
Hi Kaytlyn. I’ve always considered all-in-one carseats to be regular convertibles and if you by chance get to use them as booster seats, hey, it’s a bonus. I think you’ll have a better chance of using the One4Life as a booster because of the height of the shoulder belt guides, but these types of seats are more difficult to buckle for kids as boosters because of their high sides.
The Advocate has the side impact cushions, which may or may not help in a side impact crash—we don’t know due to a lack of a side impact standard. Oh, something else I just thought of: the crotch buckle is a little longer on the One4Life and that may make a difference for your child.
Hello,
Thank you for these reviews. I am between this carseat the Britax One4Life and the Rava. Besides the price difference, is there one that you could suggest over the other? I do like how the RAVA seems comfortable, yet I’m sure this one is comfortable too.
Any tips? Or anyone reading that has one or the other that can help compare the two. Thank you so much.
Hi Austin. This is a tough question because they are both very nice seats. The One4Life offers a true lockoff in its ClickTight panel, so you don’t have to worry about having to lock your seat belt. They are both well-padded and offer lots of support. The One4Life does convert to a booster later, so it’s more versatile and it has taller harness slots so it can be used for a child with a taller torso.
A specialty baby store will likely have both in stock where you can compare them side by side, if you have one in your city. I’d suggest trying to visit one and seeing if you have a preference that way and try them both out in your car. Otherwise, if you have to buy online, look for a free return policy.
Would you suggest this car seat with a vehicle with inflatable seat belts? I have a 2016 Ford Explorer with inflatable seat belts in the rear seats. Would I just use the LATCH system?
Currently have a B-safe Ultra Travel Car Seat, and love it.
Hi Haleigh. No, Britax does not allow the One4Life to be used with inflatable seat belts. Graco allows use of inflatable belts as does Clek.
I was wondering about the Britax One4life vs the Graco 4ever Dlx? My son is 3 and looking for the best, safest seat I can find for him. We have the Britax Advocate now but moving my younger daughter to it and needing something new for my son. Thanks!
Hi Cassy. They’re comparable in terms of what they do, but the Britax seat has taller top harness slots and higher belt guides for booster use so overall, the One4Life will be able to be used for much longer in both modes. I think the 4Ever DLX is less fussy in terms of use, but you need to know how to lock your seat belt (so install is more difficult). If you can, try both out in the same store so you can get a feel of the features for both at the same time.
How does the Fit4 compare to the Britax One4Life? When FF does one allow the child to sit in a more upright position and does one allow more room in the hips than the other?
Hello There,
I am looking to buy a car seat and need your expert advice on this. I’ve shortlisted 2 all-in-one convertible car seat and would appreciate if you can suggest which one i should buy.
1. Britax one4life (diamond) convertible car seat ($400 +tax).
2. Nuna Exec all-in-one car seat ($700 +tax).
i know that nuna exec is little bit expensive but remove the price constraint would you still prefer nuna exec over britax or the later one ? Thanks.
Hi Sushi. Both are excellent seats and the Exec has fine detail work, such as the extra covers. Once the ARB is available for the One4Life, it will be able to compete with the Exec as far as the legrest goes as well. I’d have to give the One4Life an edge on longevity, though, since it has much higher harness slots and much higher shoulder belt guides for booster use. It depends on how long you’ll be using the seat. Some people don’t want to use the carseat that long and choose to switch to a dedicated booster once their child reaches that stage. The One4Life’s ClickTight panel also serves as a belt lock whereas you’ll still have to lock the seat belt on the Exec, which may be an issue if you travel with the seat out of the country.
Clicktight seems to be more reliable, i am using it and i have been very satisfied with it.
We have the One4Life installed rear facing using the seat belt. I noticed a rattling sound coming from the head rest, this is happening with or without my kid in the seat. I was able to noticed how the head rest goes back and forth touching a plastic part tons of times during the ride. Now, I’m super worried if this may compromise the safety of my child on a collision.
For reference my son is 3.3 years old (42” tall and has a long torso), so the headrest is adjusted according to that. I emailed Britax and didn’t get a reply 🙁
We have a Chicco Nextfit that I love but my son almost outgrow the rear facing weight limit and is reaching the inch before the top of the headrest.
Is this normal? The seat is brand new. Could you please help us figure out what is going on?
Regards,
Hi Begona. While super annoying, this rattle is not a safety issue. All head rests flex somewhat and that doesn’t affect their ability to provide protection during a crash.
I am looking to trading in my Chicco for something compatible with Merritt Manufacturing’s kit for escape artists. Is this compatible with the kit? I definitely need the chest strap too.
Hi Vanessa. I haven’t worked with the locks, so I’d suggest contacting Merritt to see what they say. I’ll email them as well. The Britax harness is an IMMI harness, so it meets the requirements. http://www.merrittcarseat.com/contact-us/
I just purchased this Britax but I have not used & thinking if returning it. The back where you pull up to extend is EXTREMELY wobbly/loose! How in the world would this be safe? I have a Chicco next fit zip & the pull up back isn’t wobbly @ all. Does the Britax have a defect?
Hi Kelly. I can’t diagnose something like that without seeing it in person. I suggest calling Britax on Monday morning to see what they say about it. They’ll probably ask you to email a video.
Hi Kelly,
I also have a Chicco Next Fit Zip and now got the Britax One4Life. I agree with you about the “EXTREMELY wobby/loose” back. On top of that on rear facing installation, I noticed a rattling sound coming from the headrest, happening with or without my kid in the seat. I emailed them I didn’t hear anything back. Did you contact Britax regarding this issue?
If you don’t think it is normal movement of the mechanism, I would take a short video and send it to them via facebook if they don’t respond to email.
Hello, I really liked the thorough review but at the end you state “it won’t be the only seat your child will meed”. Now my baby is almost 1 and need to upgrade to a convertible. I was thinking of this one because was under the impression it’d be the last one we have to buy.
Thank you for your time.
Hi Stefano. Most all-in-ones will get you *almost* there. Seat belts are made to fit adult-sized bodies and kids won’t fit in them until close to puberty (generally ages 11-12). The One4Life has the tallest harness slots and the tallest shoulder belt guide of any all-in-one carseat, but it still won’t allow a child to go straight from using it as a booster to fitting properly in just the seat belt. Either you will want another dedicated highback booster that will be easier to buckle as an intermediate step (and most also become backless boosters for image-conscious pre-teens) or you’ll want to go from the One4Life to a backless booster then to the seat belt. This article shows why it’s important not to skip a step in carseats: https://carseatblog.com/3966/the-5-step-test/.
I have an escape artist and am trading in my Chicco for something compatible with Merritt Manufacturing’s kit. Will this work? It’s not on your list on the article on the Merritt locks but it is newer. I definitely need both the locks for my son.
How does this compare to the Maxi-Cosi Magellan/ Magellan Max? It would be nice if they had some way of holding the harness straps out of the way when putting baby into the car seat like the Maxi-Cosi. I do like that the Britax is rear facing until 50 lbs. In your opinion, is the Britax better than the Maxi-Cosi?