How to install the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite
Britax gives 3 ways to put it in the car, with the base and without it, so a taxi or a second car works without another base.
Steps retold from Britax's manual. The manual that came with your seat is the one to follow.
Britax
B-Safe 35 Elite
How to install the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite in the car
Pick how you're putting it in. Each way is from the maker's manual.
Base with LATCH
Where it can go: Rear-facing only. Use only on forward-facing vehicle seats; side-facing or rear-facing vehicle seats cannot be used. Never put it rear-facing in a front seat that has a passenger air bag; Britax says the back seat is the safest place for children 12 and under. Not compatible with motorized automatic belts, lap belts forward of the seat bight, lap-shoulder belts anchored on the door, or lap belts with a sewn-in latch plate whose retractor locks only in a sudden stop. Use the lower anchors or the vehicle belt, never both. Do not use the base on an aircraft.
- With the car parked on level ground, pull up the recline adjustment button and move the base up or down until the red marker shows between the two lines on the recline angle indicator.
- Press and hold the lower connector release button and pull both lower connectors out of their storage in the base, then lengthen the connector straps.
- Set the base on the vehicle seat and push each lower connector onto the vehicle lower anchor next to it until it clicks; pull on the connectors to make sure they are secure.
- Press down on the center of the base while pulling up on the lower connector straps to tighten them.
- Feed the extra webbing back into the base so the straps lie flush with it.
Check it before you drive
- The lower connector strap is tight.
- The base is secure when it moves less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path.
- Recline is correct when the red marker is visible between the two lines on the recline angle indicator.
- If you cannot get the right angle, try another seating position, or lower the recline foot to its lowest setting and put a rolled towel or pool noodle in the seat crease under the base.
- The base must rest flat on the vehicle seat; up to 3 in. (7.6 cm) may hang over the front edge, otherwise pick another seating position.
Retold from Britax manual (PDF) (archived copy). Your vehicle's manual also says which seats have LATCH anchors. When in doubt, a certified child passenger safety technician can check your install.
The carrier on and off the base
Clicking it onto the base
- Make sure the base is securely installed in the car.
- Set the car seat into the base and press down until you hear a click.
- Pull up on the car seat to check it is attached.
- Check the carry handle is in one of the four locked positions and the recline angle is still correct.
The maker warns: Always lift the car seat by its handle after putting it in the base to check it is secure.
Taking it off the base
- Find the release lever on the back of the car seat.
- Pull and hold the release lever.
- Lift the car seat up and out of the base.
Key specs
- Ways to install
- 3
- Without the base
- Yes
- Carrier weight
- 11.5 lb
- Child weight
- 4–35 lb
Which Britax bases it goes with
The B-Safe 35 Elite base: SafeCenter LATCH base; seat belt with integrated lock-offs.
What Britax says about its bases and carriers, for a second car or an older base.
- Willow, Willow S, Willow SC and Cypress infant seats all fit the Aspen and Alpine bases, and those two bases take only these seats. Britax help article
- The Arbor infant seat does not fit Britax ClickTight bases. It comes with its own StayTight base and can also be installed without a base. Britax help article
When it won't sit right: the maker's answers
- Press the release button on the lower connector adjuster and pull the strap to make it loose.
- Open the ClickTight panel.
- Unclip the lower connectors and pull them out of the belt path.
- Lift the base (or seat) out of the car.
- Unbuckle the car's seat belt.
- Open the ClickTight panel.
- Pull the seat belt out of the belt path.
- Lift the base (or seat) out of the car.
Questions about installing the B-Safe 35 Elite (8)
Can I install the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite base with the seat belt instead of LATCH?
Yes. Britax's manual gives steps for the base with LATCH and with the car's seat belt.
Where in the car can the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite go?
Rear-facing only. Use only on forward-facing vehicle seats; side-facing or rear-facing vehicle seats cannot be used. Never put it rear-facing in a front seat that has a passenger air bag; Britax says the back seat is the safest place for children 12 and under. Not compatible with motorized automatic belts, lap belts forward of the seat bight, lap-shoulder belts anchored on the door, or lap belts with a sewn-in latch plate whose retractor locks only in a sudden stop. Use the lower anchors or the vehicle belt, never both. Do not use the base on an aircraft.
How do I know the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite is installed right?
The lower connector strap is tight. The base is secure when it moves less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path. Recline is correct when the red marker is visible between the two lines on the recline angle indicator. If you cannot get the right angle, try another seating position, or lower the recline foot to its lowest setting and put a rolled towel or pool noodle in the seat crease under the base. The base must rest flat on the vehicle seat; up to 3 in. (7.6 cm) may hang over the front edge, otherwise pick another seating position.
How much does the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite carrier weigh?
11.5 lb without the base.
Can you use the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite without the base?
Yes. Britax's manual describes one way to install it with no base: with a lap belt.
What base does the Britax B-Safe 35 Elite use?
SafeCenter LATCH base; seat belt with integrated lock-offs.
Can I buy an extra Britax base?
Willow, Willow S, Willow SC and Cypress infant seats all fit the Aspen and Alpine bases, and those two bases take only these seats.