The Britax Romer child seat King 2 ATS is the most premium car seat in the popular King II range. The designers of the Anglo-German company have developed and implemented an innovative system that monitors the child in real time. In addition, experts note a simplified and intuitive technology for installing a car seat into a vehicle thanks to the rejectable bowl and the system of additional tensioning of the standard machine strap. This review covers the key features of this smart chair, technical updates, independent laboratory tests, and the strengths and weaknesses of the model. This will allow parents to make the right choice.
Britax Romer King 2 ATS - the smart car seat
This brainchild of the designers of the world famous brand was born in 2015 and became a kind of pinnacle of the popular "royal" series of car seats. The King II ATS combines the basic technological characteristics of the King II LS, but there are some improvements.
The main feature of the described model is the ATS technology (Activ Tension System), which is a system for automatically tightening the safety strap for the most comfortable and secure fastening of the child in the car.
Special indicators set the tension of the inner straps of the seat during the entire trip. If at some point this parameter does not correspond to the normative indicators, then the mechanism will automatically correct the situation or warn parents about it using special sensors.
By the way, this is practically the only difference between this chair and the King II LS. That is, the King II LS also has special sensors that monitor the level of belt tension, but this model is not able to automatically tighten the straps if they are loose.
The Britax Romer King 2 ATS belongs to group 1 and is specially designed for children from 9 months to 4 years of age. Thus, the restraint grows with the baby, maintaining high safety and reliability indicators.
It is impossible not to say about the high comfort rates of this restraint, which, however, are typical for all models of the British-German company. All these advantages were deservedly appreciated by the expert community.
Main settings
| A country | Germany |
| Fixation features | The child seat must be secured in the car using the standard 3-point car strap. |
| Construction weight | 10.3 kilograms |
| Latch mount | Absent |
| Group | "1" (from 9 months to 4 years, from 9 to 18 kilograms) |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 45 × 54 × 67 cm |
| Installation | The child seat is installed in the direction of travel of the vehicle. |
| Internal straps | Five-point, with soft inserts |
| Chair transformation into booster | No |
Design features
| Airborne impact protection | Present |
| Headrest adjustment | Present |
| Backrest adjustment | Present |
| Removable padding | Present |
| Anatomical pillow | Present |
Extra features
| Small pocket | Absent |
| Cup holder | Absent |
| Sun visor | Absent |
| Use as a rocking chair | Absent |
| Use as a carrier | Absent |
| Swivel mechanism | Absent |
| Wheelchair compatible | Absent |
Seat Safety King II ATS
As with all Britax Romer products, the safety performance of the King II ATS is outstanding. Operational reliability is achieved due to design solutions and electronic "filling". Let's consider these characteristics in more detail.
The body of the device is equipped with high sides and a recessed bowl, providing a high level of protection for a small passenger in side impacts. Experts point out very good shoulder pads, which dampen the impact force by more than a third.
Fastening using the Isofix platform is not provided, however, the belt installation is also capable of holding the car seat in the passenger compartment as securely as possible, and the child, respectively, in the child seat itself.
Another safety parameter that has already been mentioned is the ATS strap tensioning system. It is a light and sound indication that monitors the correct tension of the straps, as well as a mechanism that tightens them (up to 7 centimeters) during the trip.
"Intelligent" ATS mode is activated when the child gets into the car seat. If the belts are tightened correctly, an audible alert will sound, the green indicator will light up. If the belt tension ceases to correspond to the optimum (the child has relaxed the straps, the clothes have crumpled), the built-in mechanism will be able to tighten the straps on its own.
Automatic tensioning is not possible if the belts have loosened by more than 7 centimeters or if the buckle is open. In this case, the system will notify about the problem by sound or light signals. The notification will work until parents eliminate the cause - a weak strap tension.
ADAC crash test results
International independent experts tested the King II ATS model in 2015. In particular, ADAC - the largest German public organization of motorists that conducts crash tests on child seats - awarded this product a "good" rating.
It is curious that such a key parameter as safety is rated by experts only at "C". Points were lowered for insufficiently good protection of the child in frontal impact. But the environmental friendliness and ergonomics of the product did not disappoint and earned the highest marks and praise from independent experts.
| Benefits | disadvantages | |
|---|---|---|
| Safety |
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| Ease of use |
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| Ergonomics |
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| Taking care of your device |
just remove the cover. | |
| Sustainability |
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Advantages and disadvantages of a car seat
Judging by the reviews of independent experts and parents, the King II ATS car seat is distinguished by its reliability, high performance and stylish appearance. Let's consider other strengths as well as weaknesses of this model.
The advantages of this holding device include the following features:
ATS system that monitors the tension level of the internal safety straps in real time;- the position of the headrest and straps is adjusted with one hand movement;
- the seat bowl can be set in one of four positions;
- wide and comfortable seat;
- deep and high sidewalls protect the child from side impacts;
- There are special energy-absorbing shoulder pads;
- quick-release cover can be washed in a washing machine;
- you can install a child seat on a central seat, which increases the safety of the trip for the child;
- there are special ventilation holes in the back of the seat that maintain optimal temperature and air exchange and prevent sweating;
- upholstery materials of high quality and environmentally friendly: from cotton, hypoallergenic synthetics and mixed textiles.
ATS system that monitors the tension level of the internal safety straps in real time;However, this holding device has some disadvantages, which should also be mentioned. The disadvantages include:
- high cost of the product;
- the child still sweats in the device.
Many parents note the high quality and reliability of the King II ATS car seat from the world famous brand. However, at the same time, users are not happy with the too high, in their opinion, the cost of the product.
Installation features
How to properly install the holding device in the car is detailed in the official instructions. We will present the basic installation steps and focus on the most important nuances of fixing the child seat.
The Britax Romer King 2 ATS car seat is installed in the direction of the vehicle using a standard car seat belt. First, the seat back is folded back, for this you need to use the special gray buttons on the sides of the device.
Then the machine belt is taken, folded in half, passed through the red guides located at the base of the car seat, and latched onto the lock. The parent should check the tension of the standard strap.
The next step is to lower the seat back. To do this, you need to use the lever on the side. Now the top of the belt needs to be pulled through the reddish guide on top.
It remains to put the child in the seat and follow the prompts (sound and light) of the ATS system, which signals how much the degree of belt tension meets the requirements. A green indicator is a sign of the correct fixation of the baby with a belt.
Where to buy King 2 ATS?
Buying a car seat that protects your child while traveling is a big deal. So you should only make a purchase in trusted stores. Below are the best offers from trusted suppliers.
Car seat group 1 (9-18 kg) BRITAX ROMER King II ATS
Summing up
King II ATS is the most advanced model in the line of "royal" chairs from the popular manufacturer. The main feature and advantage of the child seat is the active tensioning system of the inner straps, which increases the safety of the trip.
The disadvantage of a car seat can be called a high (according to some, overpriced) price. However, domestic parents can save money if they order a restraint device from a German online store. Happy shopping!
