Car Seat Showdown: Chicco Keyfit30 Vs Britax B-Safe 35 Comparison

Tested in real life during a rollover accident…

Everybody wants to avoid accidents as much as possible. You can’t predict them, and you can only be prepared. The typical crashes are the frontal and rear collisions. These are the bare minimum to pass the government standards.

Luckily both brands have gone beyond the minimums and offer side impact protection. One of them has been tested in the deadliest type of crash, which is a rollover accident.

I have created this Chicco Keyfit 30 vs Britax B-Safe 35 comparison article to help you see which the best fit is for you.

If you stick with me a bit and you’ll know which one was the one.

Look:

Here’s the bird’s eye view of the Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat. It’s one of the highest-rated car seats in Consumer Reports. It has all the safety features you will ever need. Plus, it’s super comfy for the baby.

Here’s the bird’s eye view of the Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat. It’s one of the few baby carriers who have a steel frame. It has been crashing tested in real life. It’s made in the USA.

Direct Comparison Chicco Keyfit 30 vs Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat

	Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat	Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat
Safety	EPS energy-absorbing foam 5-point harness	Steel Frame / SafeCell Tech 5-point harness
Size Limits	4 to 30 pounds 30”	4 to 35 pounds 32”
Installation	Super Cinch One-Pull LATCH	SafeCenter LATCH
Fabric/Material	Machine Washable	Hand Washable
Bonuses and Features
Newborn Padding Included	Yes	Yes
Stroller Compatibility	Yes	Yes
Breathable Fabric	Yes	Yes

Breaking it down

When you’re investing in the protection of your little one, these are the most important things when you’re looking at a baby carrier. The first and most important thing is safety. I mean, do you want to put your little one’s life in the brand that offers the minimum or that give you the most?

The next on the checklist is the size limits. You have to know how long you will be able to use it. There are infant carriers that are outgrown in 6 months or less.

The next point is the installation. Some car seats are notoriously hard to install. Luckily it’s not the case with these two. And I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

Last on my top list is the fabric. We know how kids are, and accidents happen. So these infant carriers are judge by that. Last but not least, I take a look at the minor features, and sometimes that affects the score as well.

Let’s get this Chicco Keyfit 30 vs Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat comparison started. Just one more thing…

I have something special for you in the end. I have compiled a quick pros/cons list. The things I’ve found are quite interesting, to say the least.

Safety

In most cases, accidents happen because of others. The only thing to do is be prepared by having the best car seat possible. This will give you peace of mind that no matter what happens, your little one is safe.

In recent years the safety parts of car seats have exploded. Almost every year, something new is added. Let’s see how these two brands fair against each other.

Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat

Chicco Keyfit 30 is the highest rated car seat on Consumer Reports. So they are doing something right. Now the Chicco offers great protection against the front, rear and side-impact as well.

The shell is covered with EPS foam. In case of an impact, this foam absorbs the energy and not you’re little one’s body. We’re driving around with a few ton vehicles, so there’s a lot of force during a crash.

Your baby is secured by the 5-point harness. This is the safest one on the market. Little by little, it’s getting to be the standard.

Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat

The Britax B-Safe 35 looks a lot similar to the Chicco. They use the same 5-point harness to keep your little one secure. And instead of foam, they are using different technology. It’s called SafeCell. In case of an impact, the cells crumple and absorb the energy.

This is what you need to know about infant carriers. Most of them use plastic as a frame. The Britax B-Safe 35 is different; it has a steel frame. This little difference offers more protection.

As I mentioned earlier, there was a rollover accident. Some friends of ours were in it. Their little one was sitting in the back. The car lost control and rolled over a few times. The car was totaled. The good news is that the parents had a few cuts and bruises. Their baby was unharmed. There wasn’t even a scratch on her.

Winner

The point goes to Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat.

Size Limits

These car seats are expensive. So if you want to save some money, all you have to do is think ahead. If you get more mileage before the next purchase, than it’s a win.

Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Seat

The Chicco Keyfit 30 is a good starter carrier. The lower limit is set to 4 pounds, and the maximum is at 30 pounds. Let’s translate these numbers, shall we?

This is the perfect carrier for taking your little one home from the hospital. It accommodates little ones at 4 pounds. Now, if your child reaches 30 pounds or 30,” you will need to upgrade. This usually happens at 9-12 months.

The Keyfit is rear-facing only. This is the safest position for your child.

Let’s talk about weight. The carrier itself is 9 pounds. It’s not the lightest. It’s easy to move from car to stroller.

Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Seat

As you have seen in the table, the range is bigger with the Britax B-Safe 35. The lower limit is set to 4 pounds. So this carrier is good for the maiden voyage home from the hospital. The upper limit is set to 35 pounds and 32”. Whichever is reached first, then it’s time to upgrade.

Let’s translate these numbers. The extra 5 pounds or 2” gives you more months to use. It’s a safe bet that you would be able to use it 6 months more than the Chicco.

As I’ve mentioned in the earlier section, this carrier comes with a steel frame. To my surprise, it’s not that heavy.  It weighs 12 pounds.

Winner

It’s a tie.

Installation

This is the hardest part of any car seat. Getting those things installed, so they are tight. Let me share a secret with you.

The infant carriers are the fastest and easiest to install. It gets harder as your child grows.

Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Seat

The Chicco Keyfit 30 makes it look easy. I mean the design is brilliant, and in a matter of seconds, you are ready to go. First of all, you drop the leveler by pressing the two buttons. You have to check the bubble to be in the middle.

After that’s done, you connect the latches and pull the strap tight. For extra safety, you can push down on the base and then pull. Done.

Easy isn’t it?

Yes, the Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Seat supports seatbelt installation. And you can install it without the base as well.

Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Seat

The Britax B-Safe 35 has a similar install procedure as the Keyfit 30. The only difference would be at the strap pulling part. While the Chicco has only one strap, the Britax has two.

It does not complicate the whole process. After you have connected the latches, you first pull on one latch than on the next one. My best guess would be that it adds 10s to your total install.

The base can be installed with seatbelt support. And of course, you can install it without the base.

Winner

It’s a tie again.

Fabric/Material

We’re talking about instant carriers so you can rest assured that accidents will happen. From blowout diapers to milk coming up, you will have to deal with all of them.

This is why you have to know how easy and fast it is to clean your carrier.

Chicco Keyfit 30 Car Seat

Chicco made it too easy. The material can be removed with ease. After that, you throw it in the washing machine and let it dry. No rocket science involved.

If you want to be on the safe side, do check some videos on how to remove and reinstall the fabric.

Britax B-Safe 35 Car Seat

The removal process is easy, just as the reinstall. But here’s the biggie. The Britax B-Safe 35 is hand wash only. Now, this isn’t a big issue in the beginning.

While your little one is on milk, then it’s easy to clean. But when they start eating solids, then things will get difficult. To increase the hardness if you have a motion sick child, then this might not be the best solution for you.

Of course, you can remove the chunks, but if a machine can do it, why bother?

Winner

Finally, the Chicco Keyfit 30 Car Seat catches up.

Bonuses and Features

In this section, I detail the small features that brands use to make them different. In most cases, there are some minor differences here well, not that much.

First of all, both Chicco Keyfit 30 and Britax B-Safe 35 infant car seats come with newborn inserts. Yes there are some expensive brands out there which don’t offer it for free.

Both of them are compatible with strollers. You can easily remove them from the car and click it on the stroller. As you have probably guessed, they mostly work within their brand. But there are adapters so you can do cross stroller fitting.

The material is breathable. This means that your little one won’t be overheated. The Britax B-Safe 35 and the Chicco Keyfit 30 infant car seats have these option. It’s good to know that they won’t get all sweaty.

The last thing I want to touch upon is the canopy. There are issues with both brands. First of all, the Chicco Keyfit 30 doesn’t cover the whole baby. With the premium version, they’ve managed to fix this issue.

With the Britax B-Safe 35, there’s also a problem. The canopy bumps into the handle every time. It would’ve been a great idea to have some clearance.

Winner

I call this a tie

Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat

Britax B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat

Final Recount

Britax B-Safe 35 got one point (1/5)

Chicco Keyfit 30 got one point (1/5)

The other four categories were a tie.

Chicco Keyfit 30 vs Britax B-Safe 35 Verdict

If it’s a tie, what then?

I had never had this problem before. So let’s break it down.

In the safety department, the Britax B-Safe 35 won because it has a steel frame, and I’ve seen the car with the rollover crash. I know the little one who had no injuries what so ever. On the other hand, the Chicco Keyfit 30 got high marks on Consumer Reports.

In the size limits, it was a tie because the Britax B-Safe 35 can be used longer, but it’s heavier by 3 pounds. If you have a heavy baby, that’s going to be a problem. The Keyfit 30 is lighter, but it has a plastic frame. Again the crash totaled the car, and I don’t know if a plastic car seat would’ve offered adequate protection.

The installation was almost the same. The Britax B-Safe 35 would lag with a few seconds. It’s close enough to call it a tie.

Then in the fabrics section, the Chicco Keyfit 30 made up the missing point. It offers machine washing while the Britax is only for handwashing.

In the features department, it was the same.

So how do you decide? All in all, it’s simple. A real-life crash made the Britax B-Safe 35, the winner in my book.

We have reached the end of the Chicco Keyfit 30 vs Britax B-Safe 35. I hope this article helped you make the right decision. Now it’s your turn to get the one that is the right fit for you until stocks last.

If you have ideas or tips, share them below.

Catch you next time!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

What is the difference between the Britax B Safe 35 and Ultra?

There’s only a small difference between the Britax B Safe 35 and Ultra. The Ultra has the European belt guide and the flip forward belly pad which is not available with the regular Britax B Safe 35.

Is Chicco or Britax better?

It’s quite though to decide between Britax and Chicco. Britax makes the safest car seats while Chicco makes the coolest looking ones. Both Chicco and Britax have award winning car seats.

Does the Chicco KeyFit 30 have a steel frame?

No the Chicco KeyFit 30 doesn’t have a steel frame.

What would be a good alternative for these infant seats?

The Graco snugride pops into mind.

Britax B-Safe 35 vs Chicco KeyFit 30 which one is the best infant car seat?

The britax b-safe 35 won the best infant car seat award.

Who has the best weight limit Britax B-Safe 35 vs Chicco KeyFit 30 comparison?

The weight limit for the Britax B-safe is 35 pounds while the KeyFit 30 has a weight limit of 30 pounds.

What kind of safety features do these car seats have?

First of all they are easy to install. They provide excellent side impact protection. As you know  side impact protection is very important nowadays. Other safety features include the infant insert. As you know you can use the infant insert up to 11 pounds. They are ready for airplane use. Just like other baby products the car seat base is removable and for leveling you can use the pool noodle. Typically only the car seat carrier is FAA approved the base is not. The last safety features would be the head pad and the level indicators. Plus it’s easy to install.

What kind of features does the Britax B safe and the Keyfit have?

They are easy to install. There’s a bubble level indicator for the right mounting. The seat cover is easily removable and washable. You can form a travel system by combining them with strollers.

Which is the lightest chicco keyfit 30 vs britax b safe 35 infant seats?

You are in luck because both infant seats are light the carrier weight is under 9 pounds. The height limit is 30 inches.

Which has the best visor type from chicco keyfit 30 vs britax b safe 35 seat?

There are multiple visor type to choose from. There’s the visor canopies. The head pad is comfortable.

Which one from the chicco keyfit 30 vs britax b safe 35 is easier to install?

Before you get started make sure you check the bubble levels (level indicators) first. Also the bubble levels don’t have to be in the midle only in the range. Without the base you can only do it with the seat belt. Either way it’s easy to install. The carry handles are included with the purchase. You will need a stroller adapter if you want to attach it to a different brand stroller.

Chicco Keyfit 30 or Chicco Fit2 car seat?

Both car seats are pretty good choices.

Chicco Keyfit 30 vs Graco Snugride 35 which one should I get?

Most people choose the Graco Snugride 35 out of the 2 choices.

Last Updated on October 27, 2023 by Brian Beasley