Britax One4Life *Slim* Recall for Issue with LATCH Weight Limit Info
Britax Child Safety, Inc. (Britax) has announced a recall for their new One4Life Slim models manufactured in July 2024. They caught the issue quickly, so it’s estimated that only 1,286 One4Life Slim models are affected by this labeling issue.
Note: Only the brand new One4Life *SLIM* models are potentially recalled. If you have an original One4Life model, your car seats are not affected.
The problem: Some early production One4Life Slim models were labeled as having a rear-facing LATCH weight limit of 40 lbs., when the correct weight limit for rear-facing installation using the lower LATCH anchors should be 35 lbs. (The forward-facing LATCH weight limit is correct and doesn’t need to be updated).
The remedy: Britax will provide all owners of the One4Life Slim car seats manufactured during the recall period, a free remedy kit. The remedy kit will include a sticker label to be inserted to correct the paper user guide, replacement sticker labels to be placed over the original on-product labels, and an instruction sheet for application of the remedy labels. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 18, 2024. Owners may contact Britax customer service at 1-888-427-4829.
If you already own a Britax One4Life *Slim* model: Check the date of manufacture on the sticker label that is hiding under the cover on the corner of the ClickTight compartment. Also check the sticker label on the side of the car seat under the blue line that shows the rear-facing installation options. Look to see what weight it states next to the diagram for installing rear-facing with lower anchors. The correct info should say: Lower Anchors – Do not install by this method for a child weighing more than 35 lbs. If it states 40 lbs. for BOTH rear-facing AND forward-facing, your seat is affected by this recall. If that’s the case – just switch to a seatbelt installation if your rear-facing child weighs more than 35 lbs.
Regardless of whether your model is affected by this recall or not, make sure that you have registered your car seat so that your contact info is in the manufacturer’s system. If you own a model affected by this recall, you will be notified by letter soon after December 18, 2024.
Link to register ANY Britax product: https://us.britax.com/support/register-product
Our thoughts: While this was a preventable error, and I’m sure some lessons were learned – this really is a minor issue and nothing to worry about. LATCH weight limits on car seats are calculated using specific tables created by NHTSA that all manufacturers selling seats in the U.S. must follow. If a car seat meets the threshold for needing a lower anchor weight limit, and if that product requires a limit for both rear-facing AND forward-facing (as in this case), then the lower anchor weight limit is always less for rear-facing installations. Usually, it’s a difference of 5 lbs. (Example: RF 35 lbs., FF 40 lbs.)
Despite the unfortunate labeling error, we still love the new One4Life Slim and think it’s definitely worth your consideration if you’re in the market for a narrow car seat. We have a Britax One4Life Slim Review that compares this new slim version to the original model.
CSB Pro Tip: LATCH weight limits are annoying but you can disregard them completely if you just use the seatbelt (plus tether, if forward-facing) to install any Britax car sesat with ClightTight. ClickTight with seatbelt is a breeze!
Unless you have a compelling reason to install using lower LATCH anchors, it’s recommended to use the seatbelt (and tether, if your seat is forward-facing) to install your Britax car seat securely with the ClickTight system!
