The Britax Chaperone is an infant carrier model from Britax, replacing the popular Companion. The Chaperone carrier is sold separately and also in a travel system together with the Chaperone stroller. In fact, you can even buy the infant carrier and the matching stroller and qualify for this great rebate offer from Britax.
The Chaperone is listed for babies 4 to 30 pounds, 32 inches or less in height and a seated shoulder height of 6.9 to 10 inches tall. With a relatively low bottom harness slot and the included infant insert, it should fit many premature babies well. It also touts an anti-rebound bar on the base (also sold separately), a relatively rare feature for infant seats in the USA. The twist-free harness quickly adjusts to seven height positions with no re-threading required, while the head restraint section allows it to meet the Britax True Side Impact Protection criteria. A built-in lockoff and premium LATCH attachments with push-button releases are also included.
So, is it worthy of the available Cowmooflauge cover? Well, for that, you’ll have to wait a few weeks for the full review from a mom who can put it through its paces with a real, live baby. For this first look, a preemie sized doll will have to suffice, but I’ll also have some photos, video and will discuss how well it installs along with other initial impressions based on only a day or two of use.
A few highlights:
- Special foam padding insert for infants 4 to 11 pounds
- Easy to read “bubble” level indicators on both sides of carrier
- Handle can be left in any position while in vehicle
- Anti-rebound bar is very nice
- Generous padding and EPS foam
I really have to talk first about the low birth weight foam insert. It’s not a typical insert that fits around the harness and takes up space around the baby’s head and torso. It’s actually a dense foam wedge that goes under the cover itself. It has cutouts for the lap belt on each side and a slot for the crotch buckle strap. It’s 
thick enough that it essentially brings the baby’s bottom forward and upward. That reduces the effective height of the lowest harness height setting down to around 6 inches or so (but it’s hard to measure exactly because of the shape of the insert). That is very helpful for small newborns and preemies. Below are a couple photos to compare the fit with and without the insert on a preemie sized doll. On the left, you can see that it is a very good fit using the low birth weight foam insert. On the right, you can see that the fit is marginal, but the harness slots are above the shoulders and it isn’t nearly as nice as with the insert. You will notice that the actual harness height setting isn’t any lower, but the baby’s torso is raised upward to create a shorter effective seated torso height. This makes the buckle sit lower and tighter and seems like it may even help the head from slumping forward a bit, at least with a doll.
Installation of the preemie insert is not difficult. You must remove the lower portion of the cover and the crotch buckle strap as per the instructions in the manual. The insert fits above the comfort foam layer and is tall enough to go just above the shoulder straps in their lowest position. As you can see in the photo on the right, once installed, it fits nicely with the leg and crotch straps in the cut out slots. At 11 pounds, you may no longer use the insert and must also move the crotch strap to the outer position.
The Chaperone touts True Side Impact protection. Indeed, to the side of the head is a layer of comfort padding on the headrest cover. Underneath, a layer of EPS foam in the wings of the adjustable head section. Then the shell of the side wings. Then another layer of padding on the main cover. Then another layer of EPS foam on the sides of the main shell. Then the main shell. The EPS foam lines the side and back of the head section and the sides of the main carrier shell. Plus, with 7 height adjustments, two crotch buckle positions and a front harness adjuster, there should be no problems getting the harness to fit correctly on most babies.
Installation with LATCH and seatbelt both seem pretty straightforward. There’s a built-in lockoff section on the base that helps you cinch the lap and shoulder portions of the seatbelt together. It is also handy for holding any slack on the LATCH straps out of the way. Though there is only a single LATCH adjuster on one side, it works well. Releasing a LATCH install can be difficult with a single tilt adjuster and hook attachment. Not a problem here, since both the adjuster and attachment have push button releases. The Chaperone installed relatively easily in our minivan (I have yet to try the bench seat in our wagon). When installing with a lap/shoulder belt, be sure to follow the steps in the manual. It’s a lot easier to pull slack from the lap belt to tighten it before you put the shoulder belt under the black belt guides!
An upright vehicle seatback will also tend to brace against the anti-rebound bar, making an installation seem even more solid. In our minivan, after I brought the vehicle seat back forward, there was almost no twist or rotation at the top of the shell where the baby’s head would be. It was a very solid install. A knob is turned to adjust the foot up and down in case you need more or less recline. A bubble level is included on each side of the carrier and is easy to read. You can use a pool noodle under the foot if needed for more recline.
Construction? No complaints here. I wouldn’t call the locking clip rugged or heavy-duty, but it worked well in limited testing. The handle mechanism is easy enough to engage, though it requires two hands. It then rotates smoothly. The carrier pops into the base easily and securely. The release mechanism is on the back of the carrier near the top and also works smoothly. The canopy rotates easily and quietly, though also doesn’t lock firmly into a position. The adjustable height mechanism also works easily, as 
expected. As advertised, the harness doesn’t seem to twist in the buckles, though this issue usually is something that happens over time. My neighbor had no problems at all with the harness adjustment system. She had her daughter, left, correctly restrained in just a minute or two. At 13 months old, 29 inches tall and 21 pounds, she still has room to grow. The cover seems durable and the plastic tabs hold it in place very well. It’s a very soft micro fiber material around the head and torso, while the rest of the material appears to be a more durable and easy-to-clean synthetic fabric.
Overall the weight and dimensions seem pretty typical. At 10 pounds, it’s not very heavy, but not super light, either. The shape and width are also fairly average; perhaps slightly narrower than a typical infant seat. This may help for some narrow seating positions and three-across installs, but it should still be roomy enough for bigger babies. The specs published by Britax are pretty accurate. The base is over 24 inches long from one end to the rebound bar. The carrier width is about 18″ wide at the handles, closer to 15″ at the top of the carrier. The seated shoulder slot heights without the low birth weight insert range from just under 7″ up to around 11″.
The downsides of the Chaperone? Like many infant seats these days, it’s made in China. I’m more willing to pay higher prices for domestic products (like most other 
Britax models), as well as those made elsewhere in North America or Europe. Being manufactured in the Far East makes the $229 price tag harder to swallow. Even so, the quality and design seem top notch, just like other Britax products. The base does seem relatively long. This could be an issue in small cars with minimal leg room or those with very short seat cushions. The manual doesn’t indicate any issues with overhang, but there is a blurb in the Britax FAQ for anyone concerned about this issue. Without finding any other major flaws in the couple days I’ve had it, I can only nitpick the cord on the manual for being quite short. So, I spent 5 minutes detaching it from the cord so I could read it in the car while waiting for my kids to finish their music lessons. Then, of course, I had a sudden bout of TMS (Typical Man Syndrome) and I promptly lost it! It would have been nice to have a second one in the box, but probably less environmentally friendly to do that when the manual is also available online.
If the cost isn’t an issue, I don’t think you will be disappointed at all with the Chaperone. It’s a very nice infant seat overall, especially for small babies. You get a stylish infant carrier with a few relatively unique features, like the anti-rebound bar, the newborn foam insert and compatibility with the upcoming Britax Chaperone stroller (one that won’t be everywhere like all the mass market strollers)! Plus, the box says it is compatible with other major brands of strollers, too.
Details of the Britax Chaperone can be found at the official Britax USA website. The Chaperone can be found at most retailers, including Kids-N-Cribs.com and our CarseatBlog Amazon.Com store.
Does anyone know what date, roughly, Britax began putting the Click N’ Go thingies on the Chaperone? My cousin ordered a new, old stock one this week that was manufactured in October 2012, and I’m worried it won’t have the Click N’ Go to fit on the Baby Jogger stroller I bought her.
I love this seat and the cow-moo-flauge! 🙂 my sister used it with her baby and loved it!
As a first time mom I didn’t realize that just because you buy something new that it was manufactured recently. I bought this seat at babies r us and when I recently checked the manufacture date found it was 3 years old! Since car seats are only good for 6 years I will not be using it for my second child. Neither Britax or Babies r us would do anything for me. The seat is safe and sturdy but also very big and heavy. I would not buy this seat again.
Retailer inventory is generally not a responsibility of the manufacturer, but I would have hoped that Babies R Us would have let you return or exchange it if you lost 3 years due to stale stock. Most retail stores offer a 30 day return policy. I think some like Target and Walmart are 90 days.
As a side note, Britax has made minor revisions to the Chaperone in the last 3 years, including a slightly smaller and lighter base.
I have had the companion in the ford focus and the chaperone is not any bigger lengthwise then the companion so it should fit great! Also with the people having a hard time with the straps i have found what works best is to loosen the straps all the way when you take the baby out and hang them over the sides of the seat that way they are sitting there when you place the baby in and since it is so easy to loosen and tighten the straps it works great that way!
Can anyone tell me where (besides Britax.com)I can purchase the low birth-weight insert at a decent price? I purchased my Chaperone used (1 year old) and the owner cannot find the insert. I love Britax products and have had to purchase 3 new seats recently for my older girls so cost is an issue for us. I called Britax and it will be over $20 for a replacement insert.
Would anyone know if the Britax Chaperone fits in a Ford Focus? I have my heart set on buying one, but have read some complaints about it being rather long for some cars. Thank you!
Figures that they would pull out of America and start producing thier high priced seats in China.
They have not reduced the price of the product that it replaced the Companion.
It’s always about the money!
I have had the Britax Chaperone now for 3mo and have found it very good overall. My other son is in the Roundabout which has given us no problems. My only complaints with the seat are that as someone else noted, there are no velcro tabs on the sides for the harness which do make it a bit trying and tight to grab the clips from underneath an upset baby. Also, for whatever reason (maybe someone can help me out here) the harness straps are always getting twisted and i’m unable to untwist them as the straps don’t twist thru the clips. Did i make any sense there? Also, I own a truck and the bubble levels will never evel. I had it installed at the place of purchase and they said it was fine, as trucks in general are somewhat angled in the backseats. Other than the above the seat is great.
Oh, i also have the stroller which is good overall except yes, the wheel came off a couple of times unloading but it is simple to put back on. Its not great in the snow ( but i find any plastic wheeled stroller sucks this way) and for whatever reason the stroller is super squeeky! I’ve even had my husband grease the wheels to no avail and it seems to be increasingly worse. A bit annoying after a while!
Update on my frustrated review from yesterday. I wanted to let you know that a rep from Britax called us this morning and apologized for the way we were treated on the phone and that the CS Rep wasn’t following procedure for the problem we were having. We were informed that this has been an ongoing problem and they will be issuing a recall shortly. They are now sending us a chest clip that goes to a different model of car seat until the problem with the Chaperone is corrected. I’ve got to give credit where credit is due!
Just had to point out a problem with this car seat. The chest clip on our car seat has broken 2 times in the 7 1/2 months we have owned the Chaperone! We are not hard on this car seat… just normal, daily use. The problem is that the slit that the belt feeds through has a very thin plastic “frame” for lack of a better word. The first time it broke, it cut my finger right to the bone. I didn’t realize that it had broken and when I went to put my baby in it, I reached behind the clip to fasten it and suddenly I was bleeding. We contacted Britax and they responded quickly. They even had us return the seat to a local store where they replaced the whole seat. We were very happy with how they worked with us. Now this morning I went to put my baby in his seat to take his siblings to school and when I fastened the clip, I noticed that it is broken again! (I would love to attach pictures if you would like!) We contacted Britax and they have obviously had this happen several times because they now have a “scripted” response to the problem and were very rude. We didn’t expect another new car seat, but we hoped that maybe they had designed a new clip that could be overnighted to us. We were told that we had to supply them with pictures of the broken piece and they would then put a new one in the mail. Yes the same clip that had broken 2 times already! The replacement piece could take up to 10 business days! Are you kidding me? Britax is #1 in safety for what reason? When we told them that the seat is unusable because there is a sharp, thin piece of plastic aiming at my child’s heart… we were told to remove the piece and it would not compromise the safety of the seat. So they want me to drive around with my baby in a car seat that has no chest clip! Does this sound strange to anyone else? I love Britax. We have owned a Roundabout and now currently own 3 Frontiers that we have loved, but this may be the last Britax we buy! Oh and if you buy the stroller… prepare to put the wheels back on pretty often. They fall off as you get the stroller in and out of your car. When we complained about that problem they told us that they were very aware of the problem and that was the only response we received. All in all, with the exception of the chest clip… the seat is very sturdy and nice. It just bothers me that something as simple as a chest clip can’t get fixed and that they are so unconcerned about it!
Do you know if the Chaperone fits well in a VW Vento?
Thanks
Fran