Britax Safe-n-Sound Compaq DLX

Not just for small cars – We have had this seat for over 3 years. The cover is like new. I would recommend this seat to people with large cars also (we have a 14 seater). It's compact size means that adults (or larger children) can sit more comfortably next to the seat. Larger car seats often encroach onto the seat space next to them where as this one doesn't.

Brilliant slim line car seat – I purchased a Compaq Deluxe on recommendation from a friend. It is great. Looks good, very safe and slimline. Very hard to find car seats that will fit 3 across the back. We have a subaru forester which are very narrow. Can be used from birth, facing backwards and then turn around to face forwards. Wears well, its 4 years old now and still… Read more ·  1

looks brand new. Easy to take off and wash covers. Narrow, slimline. Looks attractive. Safe. Well priced Nothing.

Love the Compaq – I bought this seat to use with my second child. When looking at what carseat to get this one ticked the boxes for me while researching. It was designed to be used in smaller cars at the time we had a hyundai excel. Was easy to use and able to be used from birth. With this carseat in the car there is still plenty of room in the backseat of our… Read more

fairmont to fit the Compaq my 11 year old and another carseat if required and no-one is squashed. Easy to use, great size

Finally!! I found a seat that is safe and fits – with 3 car seats to fit across the back seat I was left with the aweful feeling of needing a bigger car.. Thankfully I found the Safe-n-Sound Compaq DLX car seat and I can perfectly fit 3 across the back seat! I have children ranging from newborn to 3 years old in this seat and they are all comfortable and safe. My 3 year old is above average for… Read more

length and still has plenty of room to grow upward in this seat so it will definitely last him until the booster seat stage. It is gorgeous material which is nice and soft for bubs skin to touch and like most Safe-n-Sound seats it is so easy to install! Size, comfort, safety, appearance, and ease of use.

Great seat for three across the back – I bought this seat for my third child because it was the only one narrow enough to fit with a booster and a convertible booster in our Subaru - saved us having to buy a new car when our third was on the way. I've been really happy with it. It's compact but bub doesn't seem squashed. There's no unnecessary extra bits, just enough to make it safe… Read more ·  2

and comfy, so not too many places for that baby vomit to hide. Cover comes off easily and can be machione washed. In the forward position it sits high and forward so our other seats fit it beautifully. narrow, affordable, easy to clean

Love the Compaq! – I love the compaq deluxe. I spent a long time researching a good car seat and am very happy with this one. My daughter is quite tall and other car seats in her age/ weight bracket are too short. We've used this from when she was 9 months old and she is now 18 months and are very happy. Easy to clean and fits really well in our small car. Compact, comfortable, easy to clean, easy to move in and out of the car, she loves it.

Perfect, no faults or flaws – We purchased this set for my first son after moving him out of a capsule, firstly installing it as reward facing then forward facing. It is a great seat without too much extra padding, meaning more space in the car for people etc. It fits beautifully in our Mazda3 and similarly in our Subaru, as it doesn't take up too much room. Good price, doesn't have speakers or excess amounts of cushioning, easy clean!

Perfect, especially when you need 3 carseats!!!! – I am expecting my 3rd child and my son already had a Maxirider AHR, so was stuck as to what to do with 2 more car seats, I researched and bought 2 x Compaq DLX's for my youngest (19 months) and belly babe, perfect fit with the Maxirider, my youngest loves it, he looks extremely comfy in it as well, no faults :) Compact and great when you have 3 carseats in a car

Good – We have been very pleased with the Safe-n-Sound Compag DLX which was recommended to us by shop staff when other types would not fit in our small car. Once you get the hang of loosening and tightening the straps then it is a great seat that is easy to clean and comfortable for the child. While the brand is more expensive than some others, it is… Read more

worth it for the amount of use you get out of it. Our child is almost 3 and still using the seat quite comfortably. I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Great for small cars where other car seat types will not fit. Straps often get twisted easily and sometimes tighten themselves.

Excellent – Very happy with this car seat. No issues what so ever. Would possibly suggest manufacturing in a lighter colour as the dark material tends to keep the heat. Compact for our compact car. When compared to the AHR Meridian, was happy paying a little less and having a bit more space in our car. None at all.

Best car seat ever – I have twins and did a lot of research before buying. I wanted a seat that could be used from birth till 5 years and able to fit two in a car with a seat in the middle. This car seat fulfilled my needs very nicely. My children stayed in this seat from the time they were born until they were almost 6. They are slim, but not too small. I actually… Read more

think they could have stayed in longer because they still fit in there very easily right until the end. The only reason I got rid of them was because the kids wanted booster seats and wanted to use real seat belts.

They are very easy to use. A quick lift of a lever and I could shorten the straps for other smaller children (friends children) without any problem.

I'm very glad I bought these. From baby to child with no problems, slimline but roomy, easy to use and adjust straps, super comfy recliner for long trips. Quite expensive but not compared to buying a capsule and then a seat.

Good little carseat – This is a great little seat. Can sit comfortably beside it and not feel squashed. Because it is compact I found my daughter grew out of it by 19 months. If I knew this before I probably would have bought one that grew with her like the tilt and adjust. All in all a really nice seat. Although the sun shade in a waste of time. Nowhere near long enough to shade. Slimline. Sunshade useless

Excellent – Overall very happy with this car seat. The biggest thing in its favour is the size - for us the fact that we didn't have to move the seat in front forward to accommodate the newborn mode was our selling point. I would be wary if you had a particularly tall child, however no problem at all for an average child. It takes up very little space. … Read more

When it is in newborn mode, you don't have to put the seat in front forward at all, unlike other car seats. I like the fact that the material is the same as other seats in the safe n sound range so they can all match. Because the frame of the compaq deluxe is so much smaller we can fit it and two other car seats across the back of our little corolla. It didn't seem too stable in the middle seat, much better when we moved it to the side.

OK – This is a great seat for what it's designed to be - compact. It may not hold kids up to as larger size as other seats, but it can make a difference to whether you can fit a seat to your car or not. I'd probably suggest looking at the ordinary Compaq, as the padding and fabric have been improved and are very similar to what's in the deluxe version… Read more

for $50 to $100 less depending where you buy. Great for smaller cars because it's compact, and for fitting other seats or people next to it. Fabric, padding and design are quality and last well. Extra padding and plush fabric aren't necessary for safety and add extra cost. It's a little shorter and narrower than ordinary seats so for taller children it may not be the best choice as they grow out of it more quickly.

Excellent – This is a fantastic seat if you are tight for space across the back and need to fit 3 carseats or boosters. I would only buy this carseat if I needed a slimline model but there is definitely a market for this and it does provide excellent safety protection for my kids. It's very easy to install in rearward and forward facing mode and the manual… Read more

button for adjusting straps is easy to use for a great fit. So great for small cars or 3 carseats across the back. Slim design

Rearward and forward facing

Easy to install in both modes

Recline positions in forward facing Child can outgrow quicker than other wider seats

Great for small cars – I bought this as it was the only carseat that rearfaced to 12kgs that would fit into my small car without having to have the front passenger seat pushed all the way forward. My daughter is 13 months old and loves it. She tends to fall asleep within minutes of being put into the car which is why I wanted to keep her rearfacing for as long as… Read more

possible. As well as it being safer. Compaq design, Rearfaces to 12kgs. Expensive compared to other brand carseats. When installed rearfacing the seat cover that you lift to get the seat belt under is a little fiddley to get back down and the velcro done back up.

Brilliant car seat, stable and 'safe-n-sound'! – We got this seat to fit our Hyundai Getz rear seat. A few other car seats didn't quite fit correctly for rear-facing configuration, but this is nice and snug. The stability bar needed to be stuffed with extra towels to actually provide stability but once done this is nice and sturdy. The tilt for rear-facing goes a good way back, and overall I get… Read more

a good feeling from how solid the construction is. Adjustments to straps are easy, once you find the lever (it's under the foot section of the seat), and it has plenty of slots to adjust height. Suits up to 12 kg rear-facing, and 18kg front facing, so should be with us for a while. Love it, highly recommended. Fits small cars, nice and sturdy, good tilt stability bar needs to be stuffed with towels to provide support

Great seat, perfect for small cars! – This is a great seat for smaller cars. It is nicely padded and includes a messy mat and sun canopy. Both my children have used this seat and I would definitely buy it again! The narrow design means that with 2 car seats in our car we can still squeeze in another passenger if necessary. Easy to use, rearward facing to 12kg, narrow design No harness covers included

No regrets with this carseat – I'm very happy with my safe n sound compaq Deluxe carseat as i was needing a second carseat that didn't take up alot of space in the car. This was perfect size, its well padded for comfort, comes with a hood canopy, removable and washable carseat fabrics, great from birth up to 18kgs, has a rearward facing and forward facing seating option, comes… Read more

with a messy mat and has excellent side wing impact protection which is super important. Excellent product that did not dissapoint Hood canapy and messy mat was never used for my children.

Fantastic seat, would definitely buy again – I purchased this seat not for it's size but because I loved the look of it. My daughter is now 3 1/2 and very tall for her age and I only just moved her into the new Maxi AHR, even though it is compact in base it by no means lacks it height. I have now moved my 2 year old into it until she is ready to go into a Maxi or booster. Great trim, my girls fall asleep straight away in it, great safety.

Not convinced on safety – We bought this seat as it is the most compact seat on the market and we have a small car. However, the stabiliser bar which is meant to prevent the seat flipping over in an accident did not lock out properly on one side. The seat was sent back to Britax (which took 2 weeks) who advised there was nothing wrong with the stabiliser bar and that is… Read more

just the way it was designed. I don't think this feedback is good enough when it comes to safety. The bar should lock out like it does for other safe n Sound seats such as the AHR Meridian and it doesn't, therefore it would not do its job in the case of an accident. Britax ended up conceding and deeming our seat faulty. Given the other seats in the shop had the same problem we opted to upgrade to an AHR Meridian which feels a much more solid construction and the stabiliser bar works as it should. Fits into a small car nicely Stabiliser bar did not lock out, therefore we were not confident on the safety of this seat.

Beautiful car seat, i love it and so have my kids – I love this car seat, not only is small to fit into my little car, but it still spacious and comfy for babies/toddlers and kids. The cover is easy to remove and wash and still looks brand new after 5 years. narrow for small cars, lots of padding and easy to instal nothing i can think of

Good – Very good car seat really recommended for small cars and for people whereby you can forsee/ anticipate from parents that they are likely to have a petite child. I bought this as a carseat for my baby once he graduated from a capsule and hence we only got about 9 months use because me little guy is really long and tall and he out grew this by the… Read more

age of 17months. It is a good seat though. I just do not see it lasting until a child is 4! Very compact, simple and comfortable. Suitable from birth to toddler. As with all car seats, manufacturers need to redesign the harness so that kids cannot get their arms out pas the straps and worse still unbuckle the clip. It is just too easy for an adventuous bright child.

Good – Even though we have two large cars, a Mitsubishi Magna sedan and a Nissan Pathfinder 4x4, this was the only seat that we could find to safely fit our cars. We are happy enough with it. Arm straps can be clicked in to central buckle independently, don't have to click in both together as with some other models. Straps seem to get twists much easier… Read more

than other seats that we've had. Baby cannot face forward until she reaches eight kilos, however our little girl is not yet seven kilos and the seat is really too short for her to be still facing rearwards, she has to bend her legs to fit in. Even though we have two large cars the seat will only fit properly in the middle and it is difficult to get her in and out. Only one colour and no choice of fabric.

Good – I'm a mother who doesn't like excessive, and most of the time unnecessary, features on my products and for those sort of parents this seat is perfect. It is very compact, fits in nicely in my little Jazz that I use for our daily excursions around town, while still being able to sit two other adult passengers in the back (even though they may get a… Read more

little cosy).

Seat looks comfy for bub, he is now 5 mo and 7.5kg and still fits ok facing the rear, although it does look like it could get too small for him by the time he's 1 yo.

The belts do tend to twist, I have to make sure that they are neatly tucked away in the side wings before putting baby in, otherwise I'll spend and extra 2 minutes trying to find the twists.

The safety aspect I would hope never to find out! Easy to use, simple seat without the hassle of extra features. Size is perfect for a small car without being too tight for bub. Mid-priced. Belts tend to twist

Bad – A bit dissapointed and wish I was able to try before I brought. Regretting my choice in seats, there are probably better seats out there that do a better job and that are a little more secure. Small and compact. Very unsteady in the middle of the back seat so had to put it on the left side. Also stabaliser bar doesnt meet the back of the seat,… Read more

fitter suggested that we place a rolled up towel between the seat and the bar. Said its a common compaint when fitting it in most cars. Dont feel that this is good enough!!!

Excellent – Once fitted correctly for each car it is easy to install in any seat position, using any orientation. The straps don't tangle much if loosened before removing child. Lateral movment while reversed is greatly reduced in all seating positions, by using a safety stopper buckle on the seat belt, as suggested by the manufacturer(approx $5)and the… Read more

correct padding under the seat (see a registered fitter). Great safety rating for a reversible seat. Excellent seat, considering another for B2. Easy to install, swap between vehicles, and change orientation. Small and compact, fitting into our Focus easily while reversed. Fabric feels nice and is easy to clean. None really. Would have liked seat belt protectors to come with it, as do some of the other models, but these can be bought at any baby store.

Excellent – We bought this carseat when i had my first daughter in january 2006, we are now using it for our second daughter who is 3yrs old. We have had no problems with it at all. When we purchased it we had a very small compact car therefore not being able to fit regualr sized carseats without taking up all the room so this was absolutely perfect for what we needed. Made to fit into a small space. Happy with all.

Good – We have been very pleased with this seat, it is safe and easy to use. It would have just been that bit better if the things mentioned above were included. Safe, very compact, east to tighten straps, seat protector for car, baby insert was great - not too bulky, reasonably priced, like the colour. My child is now 18 months and I can see that this… Read more

seat won't last much longer as his head is nearing the top of the seat. No pocket to store toys etc. Really should come with strap covers to protect baby's neck being the DLX model.

Good – If you have a smaller car this is a great car seat. We would have had to put the front seat forward to fit a standard car seat in, meaning the front passenger wouldn't have had much leg room. If you have a standard size sedan or larger though, I would go for a "normal" car seat. Because the Compaq is smaller to fit in smaller cars, when the… Read more

carseat is rear facing it can be a bit squashy when getting an infant in and out. Compact: fits in smaller cars well and can still fit two other passengers in the back seat It can be harder to get babies in and out of than the larger seats as it is made for smaller cars

Excellent – Provided that you install the seat on one of the side seats, it works really well and is the best and safest buy on the market according to independent studies. Easy to clean, install and convert between rear and forward facing. Am very happy with it as RACQ and Choice have rated the seat to provide exceptional crash protection and well above the… Read more

AS requirements. See http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticleAsOnePage.aspx?id=105493 Doesn't sit well in the middle of the car however they recommend that the seat should be installed on the sides anyway!

Good – We bought this for our newborn and had it installed rear-facing until our daughter was about six months old. We then converted it to forward-facing, reclined and then tilted it more upright as she grew taller and stronger. We had it installed in the middle, rear seat as this was where the anchor point was fitted. There was some lateral movement… Read more

on account of the leather seats upholstery. We placed a towel under the seat to reduce this. We didn't feel this compromised the seat's safety. We've passed this seat on to another couple who for their daughter and they're very pleased with it. Converts from rear-facing to upright, has several tilt angles when upright Some lateral movement but didn't compromise safety

Good – Great seat but quite expensive. If you have a small car or need to fit three seats across the back this is a great option. To those who said the seat has 'lateral movement' - you need a locking clip/gated buckle. Lateral movement is the same in 99% of car seats and is because the seat belt is not tight enough, not because of the design of the… Read more

seat. If you can't get rid of lateral movement in the seat, consult a professional child restraint fitter. Compact design, plush fabric, simple to use, comes with seat protector, quite expensive Sunshade is inaffective, seat is smaller (to make it compact) so bigger children can be too cramped and grow out too quickly

Good – Overall, I am happy with the fit of this car seat. The great feature is being able to easily adjust the straps so that the straps are always tight, no-matter what my grandson is wearing. Compact, easy to adjust, smooth base that will not damage seat, comes with mat to further protect back seat. I drive a Honda Accord and have a slight hump in the… Read more

middle of my car, when it was placed there, there was movement and I was advised to have it installed on the passenger side of the backseat of the car (which I have done).