Britax B-Free Travel System
If you have already made some basic research on the topic of strollers and travel systems, you might have seen the Britax brand among the top manufacturers of accessories for babies. The strollers designed by this manufacturer are especially popular in USA and Britax B-Free is one of the most frequently chosen models of strollers compatible with an infant car seat. If you wish to learn about all of the possibilities of this stroller and check whether it is worth purchasing, my review will be definitely useful for you!
| Britax B-Free Travel System | Weight and dimensions | Major advantages |
  | Weight: 22 lbs Unfolded dimensions: 44″ x 24″ x 42″ Folded dimensions: 32″ x 24″ x 15″ | Britax B-Free is a really outstanding model of a full-size stroller as it offers an extremely large capacity up to 65 lbs, a three-wheel system suitable for drives over different terrains as well as multiple storing options including a great basket. In addition to it, it is can be used with Britax infant car seats as a safe and convenient travel system for newborn babies. |
Contents
Britax B-Free dimensions and specification
First of all, you need to know Britax B-Free model is a full-size stroller that can be easily converted into a travel system. For this reason, we shouldn’t expect it to be extremely lightweight, however, when you learn about the capacity of this stroller in the next section of the review, you will be shocked how little the stroller really weights. The weight of B-Free is 22 lbs whereas its dimensions are 44″ L x 24″ W x 42″ H.
In spite of the fact B-Free is a full-size stroller, you can fold it with just one hand like any umbrella stroller. In order to fold the stroller, a special button must be pushed and the strap located in the middle of the toddler seat must be pulled. As far as you can see, it is really easy to fold B-Free. I like this feature of the stroller very much as it gives mothers special comfort.
How much do the dimensions of the fold differ from the unfolded stroller? Folding will give you a construction of the following size: 32″ L x 24″ W x 15″ H. Obviously, the fold is quite compact which means you can transport it not only in the trunk of your car but also in public transport. The loch added by the manufacturers to this model is especially useful as it blocks the fold automatically.
Britax B-Free: seating options
I personally believe it is somewhat irrational to purchase multiple strollers designed specifically for a particular age group, that is why I like such models of strollers as Britax B-Free. It is really great to have a stroller that can be used with an infant car seat, whereas its toddler seat has a really great weight capacity. The previous sections will give you all the necessary details about the seating options provided by Britax B-Free.
A toddler seat
Although the main seats in strollers are sometimes called “toddler seats”, it is not a right phrase for calling the seat of Britax B-Free. The fact is this seat has an enormous weight capacity that doesn’t limit the use of the stroller exclusively with toddlers. Actually, the manufacturer claims it is suitable for transporting newborn babies, while its maximum weight capacity is 65 lbs.
Frankly speaking, I have never seen full-size strollers with such a great capacity! Normally, you will find it exclusively in joggers, however, Britax B-Free allows caregivers to transport even pre-schoolers. In order to make it possible to travel with older children as well, the designers of Britax have added to this model a really high backrest of 20”. Additionally, the 5-point harness of the stroller is adjustable making the ride safe for children of different ages and the generous padding made of soft fabric makes the seat particularly cosy for your child.
Undeniably, I find the possibility of reclining the seat with just one hand very useful and what I like in particular is the infinite recline of B-Free. This means the technology used in this stroller allows you to fix the recline in any position you wish! Furthermore, the calf rest has six positions allowing you to adjust it specifically to the needs of your child. Yet, you should be aware of the fact there is no complete flat position. On the one hand, the almost flat position is still comfortable for napping. On the other hand, I am afraid it is not necessarily appropriate for newborn babies, despite the claims of the manufacturer.
As far as I am concerned, it is better to use the toddler seat for travelling with the smallest children only when they gain sufficient control of their neck muscles, however, I know many parents using B-Free with their babies right after their birth. If you are not sure about this solution, you can use an infant car seat during the first months. This solution is definitely secure for newborn babies!
In order to raise the backrest, you will need your both hands.
A canopy is one more advantage of the toddler seat of Britax B-Free. From my point of view, its greatest feature is its gigantic size! If you need to unfold the canopy to its full size, you can use a special zipper. The unfolded canopy will cover almost entire body of your child providing him or her with total protection not only against the sun rays, but also against winds. Extra sun protection is also provided by the fabric of the canopy which has SPF.
You shouldn’t be afraid about the fact your baby will be hidden under such a large canopy. It has a peek-a-boo window with magnetic closure that is absolutely silent. Due to this window, you will be able to check your child anytime you wish without folding an entire canopy and your kid will have an extra source of air.
Interested in purchasing Britax B-Free Travel System? Check how much it costs on Amazon and see if there are any discounts available.
An infant car seat – Britax B-Free Travel System
I have already mentioned the fact the manufacturer claims the toddler seat is suitable for transporting newborn babies. If you are not sure about the safety of this option, you can always use an infant car seat with the frame of Britax B-Free. Providing you have already purchased one of the Britax infant car seats, you can rest assured you will be able to use it with the B-Free frame. That is because this stroller is sold with special Click & Go receivers. These are a kind of adapters that can be used with any car seat for babies designed by Britax. Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether you have B-Safe Ultra, B-Safe 35, B-Safe Elite or Endeavours, all of these seats are compatible with the Britax B-Free stroller.
Of course, it is quite possible you haven’t purchased an infant car seat yet. Then, you may be interested in purchasing Britax B-Free Travel System. This is a set including the frame of the stroller, the toddler seat and an infant car seat. You can check the models of infant car seats you can choose from while shopping for a Britax travel system as well as the price of such a system and availability of discounts on Amazon. In this review, I am going to share a short description of a popular model of Britax infant car seats that can be purchased as a set with Britax B-Free: B-Safe 35.
B-Safe 35 is so loved by parents because of its high level of safety. It was designed in such a way as to absorb the maximum possible amount of energy in case of a collision, thus, minimising the impact on a child. This is possible due to the seat’s special shape resembling a shell. The design of the seta used two special technologies: SafeCell Impact-Absorbing Base and Side Impact Protection.
For additional security, the manufacturer added head support that can be removed. This one is useful for creating the most secure position for the head and neck of a newborn baby. Furthermore, the seat has an adjustable 5-point harness that will be suitable for children of different height. I also like the soft padding of this car seat that is really very soft and pleasant to touch.
The car seat can be installed inside your car easily. Once you take it out and fix on the frame of your stroller, you will be able to use its large canopy for sun and wind protection of your baby.
Note B-Safe 35 is one of the lightest car seats for infants available on the market. It weight is only 10 lbs which makes pushing the Britax travel system with this seating option particularly convenient. SafeCell Impact-Absorbing Base weighs only 9 lbs and you will not need to detach it once you set it inside your car.
As far as you can see, Britax B-Safe 35 is a really great model of an infant car seat, however, you can use any other Britax seat in order to create a perfect travel system with the B-Free stroller.
Britax B-Free: other essential elements
If you have already had some experience of using a stroller, you are certainly aware of the importance of the quality of its wheels. Even if all of the elements of a stroller are great, but it has inappropriate wheels, this can spoil the entire joy coming from the use of the baby carriage.
Still, you should understand there are no equal standards for the wheels of each model or type of a stroller or a travel system. That is why a particular type of wheels in one stroller might be its con whereas they will perfectly suit another stroller. For example, I suppose the greatest wheels available in strollers are present in the top jogging models. Undeniably, their features combined with ideal suspension allow you to relish the maximum comfort during a ride whereas your child will be absolutely safe. Yet, there are many types of strollers that simply can’t use the same technology for wheels as the one present in jogging models as it will make them bulky and heavyweight. For that reason, I always recommend parents to think about the major purpose of purchasing a stroller and then deciding whether the wheels of the chosen model will fulfil these requirements.
Wheels and brakes
When it comes to Britax B-Free, you should be aware of the fact this model can not be used for jogging. If you are looking for a running stroller, check this list. I know, many parents suppose it will manage with this task as it resemble jogging strollers with its three wheels. Actually, this technology adds extra convenience to the use of the stroller, yet, it is still unsafe to jog with Britax B-Free. Then, when and where can you use it?
In point of fact, B-Free has special all-terrain tyres made of rubber. In addition to them, the front wheel of the stroller has a swivelling mechanism. Thus, B-Free is an ideal model for going over uneven terrains such as sand, gravel or snow. Furthermore, it is featured with perfect manoeuvrability. Owning to this fact, B-Free gives you absolute freedom for traveling around the city and in the country. The only restriction for the use of this stroller is the fact you shouldn’t run with it.
Pay your attention to the fact the swivelling wheel can be locked when you need more stability.
There is a single-action brake in Britax B-Free that can be found near the right wheel. The brakes can be activated easily by pressing down and lifting up will deactivate the brakes without spoiling your shoes.
Handlebar
If you are a particularly petite or tall person, you might prefer models of strollers with telescopic handlebars. Undeniably, such a feature is a great advantage, albeit, rotating handlebars with several positions can also manage with the task.
Britax B-Free offers six positions for its rotating handlebar, so you will surely find a convenient one suitable for your height. Even if your height is medium, you will also be able to set the handlebar to the most ergonomic position.
Storage space
Despite the fact neither the health of your child, nor his or her comfort depends on the storage options available in a stroller, it is still better to have multiple possibilities for keeping your things. Britax B-Free is definitely one of the best strollers when it comes to its storage space.
First of all, its storage basket is simply huge offering sufficient place for a diaper bag as well as other necessary belongings of your child such as clothes, blankets and other accessories. That is also possible due to the special fabrics of the basket that is somewhat extendable. The basket can be accessed both from the back and the front. The front part is protected by the calf rest whereas the back side has a special spring-loaded bar.
Second of all, there are seven more pockets in the stroller! Let’s check all of them.
The manufacturer added a large pocket with zipper closure to the handlebar. This one can is convenient for keeping your essentials as it is really handy and can be closed so you shouldn’t worry about losing anything. Underneath this pocket, you will find two smaller ones without zippers. I find it comfortable to put there a bottle of water or a phone. The snacks and bottles of your kid can be kept in the two pockets located on the sides of the seat.
The storage basket also has an extra pocket closed with a zipper. Even the panel of the calf rest has its own zippered pocket. This one is located underneath the panel.
The color versions of Britax B-Free
Frankly speaking, the mothers adoring colorful baby accessories might be somewhat disappointed by the choice of styles available for Britax B-Free. So far, the manufacturer has created three versions all of which are actually black. The only outside part of the stroller made in different color is the edge of the canopy. The inside part of the canopy and the inner parts of the seat back sides are also of the same color. While Midnight is totally black, Pewter has grey elements and Frost has blue ones. You can find all of these models with their prices on Amazon.
As I prefer bright colors, I like Frost most of all, yet, the darker color versions are certainly practical for daily use.
What accessories can you buy for your Britax B-Free?
Supposing you have read an entire review, you certainly know you have two choices. The first one is purchasing entire Britax B-Free Travel System and the other one is getting the frame with a toddler seat. The second one is definitely a good idea not only for the parents who have already bought a Britax infant car seat separately, but also for the parents whose children are old enough to use the toddler seat safely.
In all likelihood, you will not need to get any extra cup holders or parent organiser as the storage space of Britax B-Free is really excellent. Still, you might be interested in getting a weather cover for your stroller as it is really a very useful item.
Finally, some parents also wish to have a travel bag for packing the folded stroller. This one can also be bought separately for extra price.
Unsure of picking this one? Click here and see what other parents think about this stroller.
Is buying Britax B-Free a good idea?
Now, it’s time to answer the paramount question, whether you should spend your money on this model of a full-size stroller or not. Let’s look at the brief list of its advantages and disadvantages before making the final decision.
Pros
- the stroller has a fantastically great capacity
- infant car seats sold as a part of a travel system are featured with excellent security and comfort for your baby and some of them are extremely lightweight
- the seat of the stroller has infinite recline positions and six positions for its calf rest
- the seat has an extremely large canopy made of a material with SPF
- the padding of the seat is breathable and soft
- the wheels are great for all terrains and the swivelling front wheel makes manoeuvring particularly easy
- despite its capacity is really large and the wheels are great, the stroller is not particularly heavy or bulky and its fold is quite compact
- it has multiple storage places including a parent organiser, several pockets where you can really hide some valuable things as well as an enormous basket
Cons
- the stroller is rather expensive and still doesn’t have even the most basic accessories such as a weather cover
- its handlebar is using a quite simple technology of rotation rather than a more advanced telescoping systemt
So, what will I personally recommend all the parents interested in this model of a full-size stroller? Beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is highly convenient and secure and can be used in different locations in various weather locations. As for me, these are the most essential advantages that are really worth the price of the stroller, albeit, if you are not happy about any of the features of B-Free, it might be sensible to look at other models of strollers.
All pictures belong to Britax. Source: britax.com
Welcome to my blog, dear moms! I'm Lindsey, happy mother of two, keen blogger, traveller who likes to cook and spend time reading a good book. If you have any questions or find it difficult to make a choice, feel free to message me - I'm here to help!
