Stellar Stroller, Subpar Carseat
May 3, 2021
The Britax B-Free and B-Safe Gen2 FlexFit Plus Travel System is a system that strives to be a travel system to meet all your needs from birth through preschool. However, I found that in trying to do it all, it fell short of working well. Having a newborn and 2-year-old, I tested this product as part of the Stellar Parent Panel.
The carseat: the carseat is heavy duty. It's made of durable materials which makes it very safe but also makes the carseat difficult to carry. It's much heavier than other carseats that are designed to be removed from the car. I found this to be bulky for a newborn. The weight is more in line with the type of carseat that stays in the car permanently, but is designed more for an infant. My toddler was very large in this carseat and didn't fit well. It's an odd design as it's made to do all for both ages but is shaped more for newborn but too heavy to maneuver newborn in the seat outside of the car. If you just want to pop the seat into the stroller, then no problem.
The carseat base: the base is amazing. It is very easy install and remove. Much easier than other car seats. It's also heavy, but this is no problem since it stays in the car.
The stroller: I absolutely love the stroller. I wish I could write separate reviews. The stroller glides so well and is easy to manuever. It has amazing sun coverage. When the car seat is used rear-facing, the baby can be completely covered from the sun and even has some mesh netting to keep cool and see baby. While there aren't obvious cup holder, there are several storage pockets that are deep and can be used to hold cups, keys, phones, etc. There also is ample storage underneath (we bring a backpack which fits). It easily collapses to fit in the trunk for outings and easily connects with the car seat. For toddler, the seat can be adjusted to seat a toddler in a reclined postion. It wasn't the most comfortable (I couldn't pull the straps to be completely upright) for toddlers. I also wish it would have had a cupholder and snack bar as my toddler brings a beverage on all of our outings. In terms of storage, it easily collapses but doesn't stand upright. If you are keeping it in your trunk, it will work well, otherwise you will have to carefully lean it against the wall.
The Maunuals: The manual for stroller and the installation were the best and easiest I've ever seen. Very easy to understand, and I put it together in 5 minutes. The carseat manual was not well organized, and I had some difficulty in finding what I needed in this manual.
This product review was collected by the manufacturer.