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How to install the Britax B-Safe Gen2

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 Gen2 (illustration)

Britax

B-Safe Gen2

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How to install the Britax B-Safe Gen2 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.

  1. With the car parked on level ground, pull up the recline adjustment lever and move the base up or down until the whole red marker shows between the two lines on the recline angle indicator.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Press down on the center of the base while pulling up on the lower connector straps to tighten them.
  5. 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 and not twisted.
  • 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 entire red marker is completely visible between the two lines on the indicator; check again after the baby is in the seat and the seat is on the base.
  • 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

  1. Make sure the base is securely installed in the car.
  2. Set the car seat into the base and press down until you hear a click.
  3. Pull up on both sides of the car seat to check it is attached.
  4. 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.

Britax manual (PDF) (archived copy)

Taking it off the base

  1. Find the release lever on the back of the car seat.
  2. Pull and hold the release lever.
  3. Lift the car seat up and out of the base.

Britax manual (PDF) (archived copy)

Key specs

Ways to install
3
Without the base
Yes
Carrier weight
10.9 lb
Child weight
4–35 lb
Expires
6 years

Which Britax bases it goes with

The B-Safe Gen2 base: SafeCenter LATCH base (lower anchors).

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

Checking a question on a phone next to a stroller (illustration)

Questions about installing the B-Safe Gen2 (9)

Can I install the Britax B-Safe Gen2 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.

Seat belt stepsBritax manual (PDF) (archived copy)

Where in the car can the Britax B-Safe Gen2 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.

Britax manual (PDF) (archived copy)

How do I know the Britax B-Safe Gen2 is installed right?

The lower connector strap is tight and not twisted. 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 entire red marker is completely visible between the two lines on the indicator; check again after the baby is in the seat and the seat is on the base. 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.

Britax manual (PDF) (archived copy)

What are the weight and height limits of the Britax B-Safe Gen2?

4–35 lb, up to 32 in tall.

Britax product page

How much does the Britax B-Safe Gen2 carrier weigh?

10.9 lb without the base.

Britax product page

Can you use the Britax B-Safe Gen2 without the base?

Yes. Britax's manual describes one way to install it with no base: with a lap belt.

Britax manual (PDF) (archived copy)

When does the Britax B-Safe Gen2 expire?

6 years after the date it was made; the date is on the seat's label.

Britax product page

What base does the Britax B-Safe Gen2 use?

SafeCenter LATCH base (lower anchors).

Britax product page

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.

Britax help article

Strollers the B-Safe Gen2 clicks into

All 5 strollers for the Britax B-Safe Gen2 →