In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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The Britax Allegiance is an impressive lower-cost option from Britax included in our best convertible car seat review. This seat has the best crash test head sensor result, is easy to use, nicer quality, and has a reasonable price. We like that the Allegiance has push-button LATCH anchors, belt lock-offs, and an easy-to-use harness height non-rethread adjustment assembly. The Allegiance has less padding than the other Britax options, and it can be somewhat more challenging to install, especially using your vehicle belt. However, given the impressive crash test results and its general ease of use, we think it is an excellent buy for the price. If you think you'd like a little more padding for comfort or potential safety, then the Britax Emblem may be a better choice for you for only $40 more. Read more about our favorite car seats in every category.
REASONS TO BUY
Price
Easy to use
Best head sensor crash test
REASONS TO AVOID
Less padding
Somewhat harder to install using vehicle belt
Name Change to 3-Stage
Britax has confirmed to us that the Allegiance 3-Stage is the same seat as the Britax Allegiance we tested. That it has only undergone a name change and no design changes.
Editor's Note: We updated this gear review for the Allegiance on January 20, 2023, with name change information to avoid confusion.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Essentials is a Britax company that consists of budget-friendly products for parents looking for safety and quality without the high price. Britax launched the Essentials line as a "value brand" to help delineate the difference between the Britax car seats and value versions that cost less. Currently, Essentials includes the Britax Allegiance and the Britax Emblem convertible car seats. Recently, Britax absorbed the Essentials line into their ordinary Britax group of products.
Performance Comparison
The Allegiance uses EPP foam for impact absorption. This foam is less brittle than the standard foam and doesn't off-gas.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Crash Test
In the review, the Allegiance earned a respectable score for crash test results and the BEST head sensor (HIC) results. All seats sold in the US must meet or exceed the FMVSS 213 Federal Safety guidelines. Therefore, all of the seats in this review are considered safe and provide at least a basic level of safety. As indicated by better-than-average test results, some seats potentially offer an additional margin of protection. The Allegiance is one of these products.
The Allegiance has the best HIC result out of all the products, with 186. The next closest is 218 for the Britax Emblem with a 218. The maximum allowed for this test is 1000, with lower results being better as it means fewer Gs exerted in the head area. The chart below shows the results of the sensor.
The Allegiance earned the best HIC score in the review with a 186, far below the average for the group.
Credit: BabyGearLab, MGA Research
The Allegiance chest clip sensor results are 43 and the best in the group is 33.4 for the Clek Foonf.
Credit: BabyGearLab, MGA Research
The chest clip sensor result (g clip) for the Allegiance is 43, where the maximum allowed is 60, and lower results are always better. The best for the group is 33.4 earned by the Clek Foonf. The Allegiance result is well below the maximum allowable result and is better than seven competitors. These results give the Allegiance one of the best-combined results for the group. Not too shabby for a value seat.
Installing the Allegiance with the LATCH anchors is easier than the vehicle belt and prevents the need to bother with the belt lock-offs.
LATCH installation is both easier and feels slightly more stable than using the vehicle belt. Especially in the rear-facing configuration.
Ease of Install - LATCH
Installation of the Allegiance is easiest using the LATCH method, which makes sense as this should theoretically be the easiest installation method for any seat. While it lacks a center strap or self-ratcheting straps, the Allegiance manages to be easy to install because it has two straps instead of one for a tighter, more secure fit. The straps require more strength to pull than those with unique features that help you, but it isn't as challenging as some competition, and most parents will find it manageable.
The Allegiance has the push button style LATCH connectors that are easier to attach and remove than the clip style anchors.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Allegiance has the push-button style of LATCH anchors that we find more comfortable to use. Pushing the anchor into place and pressing a button to release is more straightforward than the clip style.
The recline angle line on the Allegiance is not a true level but works to help parents find the correct angle for installation based on the child's age or weight.
The Allegiance has a recline feature to help parents find the right angle for correct installation.
The level on the Allegiance is located on the base side and is a line (above left) you observe in relation to the ground under the car, not the car itself. If the angle needs adjustment, you can use the angle adjustment underneath the seat (above right) to find the right angle for proper installation.
Eventually, you will need to install your Allegiance using the vehicle belt in the forward facing position. Even if your car is LATCH equipped in the location you choose, your child is likely to exceed the weight limit of the LATCH anchors during the lifetime of the seat.
Installing the Allegiance in the rear-facing configuration using the vehicle belt is the most difficult installation for this seat.
Ease of Install - Belt
Eventually, all convertible car seats need to be installed using the vehicle belt, and the Allegiance is no exception. While not as straightforward as the LATCH, it is still fairly easy to install using the vehicle belt. It isn't that installing this seat with your vehicle belt is difficult; it just isn't as easy as some of the competition.
The belt lock-off on the Allegiance can be hard to get to given the padding and cover you may need to remove to use it. While not mandatory, we found it easier than using the lock-off with the padding in place.
Getting the vehicle belt tight enough in the lock-off on the Allegiance can be challenging, and once you get it installed, the lock-off can be hard to pop open if the belt is really tight.
The belt pathway is harder to use, and threading the belt means removing the cover and padding so you can find and use the lock-off (above left). Even so, the fabric can get in the way of the lock-off, leaving you wishing you had a third hand. Is it manageable? Sure. Is it simple and easy? Not really. The lock-off can be hard to close and harder to open if you get the seat belt nice and tight (above right).
The Allegiance belt pathway for rear-facing installation is shown here with our yellow belt for clarification.
The forward-facing belt pathway is easy to use, but the lock-off makes the process more challenging. Once installed, the forward configuration is more stable than the rear facing.
Rear-facing installation with a lap/shoulder combo (above left) is the most difficult to thread and tighten. The forward-facing installation (above right) is somewhat easier and the one you are most likely to have to do at some point if your car has LATCH thanks to weight restrictions as your child grows. It is also the most stable installation when using the vehicle belt.
Adjusting the height of the harness straps is easy on the Allegiance with the non-rethread assembly that works by squeezing the lever and sliding the unit up or down.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The Allegiance earns a respectable result for ease of use, just one point below the high for the metric. Your daily interactions with this seat are unlikely to cause any frustrations, thanks to a straightforward design with features that work as expected.
The Allegiance buckle and chest clip are the same as all other Britax options and are somewhat stiff but not challenging enough to merit two hands.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Harness
This seat has the same buckle and chest clip as the other Britax options. They are stiff but manageable without additional effort or hands. The harness height adjusts by squeezing the top and sliding the assembly/headrest up and down. This process is easy to do with your baby in the seat without rethreading. It has ten shoulder strap height positions and two crotch strap positions for a personalized fit for most children.
The harness release button on the Allegiance is hidden under the cover to keep it out of the reach and thoughts of little ones.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Allegiance has a harness tightening strap at the seat's foot and a release button right above it under the cover. Both are straightforward and work without excessive force.
The LATCH connectors click into the base on the Allegiance when not in use to keep them out of the reach of children and not in the way for installation.
The user manual for the Allegiance stores in a pocket on the cover with a tab indicating its location. This is the same location as all of the other Britax options.
LATCH Storage
The LATCH anchors store on the seat base and click in place on the back of the seat (above left). The storage location keeps the straps out of the way, so they don't interfere with the installation and aren't accessible by little ones. The manual storage is behind the fabric in a pocket on the seatback. This location prevents little ones from playing with it, but it does mean damage can happen if your child gets sick or spills something.
Cover
The cover of the Allegiance is easy to remove and replace. It needs hand washing and line drying, which isn't as useful as machine washable, but we will take it over spot clean only.
The shell of the Allegiance almost covers everything but it isn't as sleek as the competition that encloses the harness assembly.
The bottom of the Allegiance is relatively smooth with less potential for indenting or damaging vehicle seats.
Comfort/Quality
The Allegiance offers less padding and fabric that feels less durable than more expensive Britax competitors. This car seat is nice looking but basic in design and the materials used. While it is well designed and the elements come together pleasingly without mistakes, it doesn't feel as sturdy or durable as the traditional Britax line. The lack of extra padding and self-containment hurt the Allegiance in this metric. Compared to the competition, it lacks significant features for comfort, and it looks sloppy with the straps and back exposed. The overall fit and finish are good, and the Allegiance's score for this metric is only two points lower than the high.
The Allegiance is a convertible car seat with better than average comfort and quality.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Weight
The Allegiance weighs 18.5 lbs and is 18.8 inches across. These measurements are part of the equation that helped the Allegiance perform better than average for weight and size.
While a weight over 18 lbs seems excessive, it isn't that heavy given that you consider that most of the competition weighs more. The same concept holds for the width measurement, where several options are wider than the Allegiance. If you need to fit more than one safety seat or a combination of seats and people in your backseat, we suggest measuring your vehicle or buying from a retailer with a generous return policy.
Should You Buy the Britax Allegiance?
We believe this budget-friendly seat is definitely a contender depending on what your goals are and it narrowly missed earning an award in this review. The Allegiance is remarkably similar to the Emblem, and it has identical metric scores in almost every metric but comfort. With similar crash test scores and one of the best HIC sensor results in the group, it is hard to ignore this budget-friendly option. While it is a pared-down Britax and lacks some of the fancier features on the ClickTight models, we think it is an impressive option that doesn't break the bank.
What Other Convertible Car Seat Should You Consider?
The Britax Emblem is a virtually identical seat to the Allegiance with a slight bump in price and padding for comfort. If your budget is uber tight, you can't beat the Allegiance between the two options, and we suspect little ones won't notice the lack of padding. However, if you can afford to spend a little more, we think the Emblem might be the better choice. Overall, it is largely based on your goals when the race is this tight, and we recommend doing a comparison side by side before buying.
