Britax recalls over 207,000 infant car seats due to a choking risk

Manufacturer of car seats and strollers, Britax, are reportedly recalling a number of their infant car seats as the chest clip between the safety straps may be a choking hazard.

Affected models of infant car seats include the B-Safe 25, BOB B-Safe 35; and the 35 Elite.

It’s thought that the recall is limited to models manufactured between 1^st November 2015 and 31^st May 2017, and it’s thought to be a pre-emptive one as no injuries have been reported so far.

Nature of the recall

The choking hazard was likely discovered during routine testing of the models. Britax are reportedly working with regulators to bring this recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

This recall reflects the importance of routine manufacturing tests. Whilst new products need to pass health and safety regulations, routine testing needs to be continued to check for any faults that may not present themselves prior to a product’s release on the market..

Whilst categorised as a ‘recall’, product owners are not required to return the whole product. In the event of a collision, the seat should reportedly still fulfil its intended purpose by holding the infant in place. The fault lies in the clip intended to secure the straps that hold the infant in the seat. The clip can apparently come apart, and there is therefore a risk that an infant may pop the clip in their mouth and potentially choke on it.

What’s being done about the recall?

Britax has released a ‘remedy kit’ free-of-charge for owners to swap out the current clip for a much sturdier one, and the company’s website provides a step-by-step video on how to fit the replacement clip. Owners who have registered their product with the company should be sent the remedy kit automatically, and for those who haven’t, they can order it online by visiting this url: https://us.britax.com/service-support/recall-sites/b-safe-35-clip-recall/

Those waiting to receive their replacement clips are being told they can still use the seat providing the original chest clip is removed.

Britax assures us that:

“The chest clip is not a required safety device: it is added to the harness system to help position the shoulder straps.”

However, for cautious parents, removing a piece of the seat’s strap is unlikely to instil confidence in its safety…