Britax B-Lively Review

Britax launched in the US in 1996 after a successful start in Europe. The company has been creating baby products for over 70 years including their best-selling infant car seats. Britax's goal is to develop safe and useful gear whether it is convertible car seats or strollers. Britax works with governments, manufacturers, and experts on safety to bring parents products for their children.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

The B-Lively is average for ease of use in a metric where it suffers from lack of features.

Fold and Unfold

The B-Lively has an easy fold with a quick pull handle on the seat. It has two steps and needs two hands. Unfolding is also simple and can be done one-handed, though some testers felt it wasn't as easy as the fold and required some practice to do well.

Brakes

This stroller has single-action brakes that are very easy to set and release with a process that is simple and foot-friendly with a press to set and release.

Storage

The storage bin (above left) is somewhat large but it has a useful and fun access portal on the front not found on all of the competition. The bin fits our large diaper bag and has a limit of 10 lbs. The Lively also has pockets on the back of the canopy with two small pockets and a medium zippered pocket.

Sunshade

The Lively sunshade has an expansive size and a large mesh peek-a-boo window. The peek-a-boo window has no real "cover" with only additional fabric to fold over it. You cannot view little ones without letting in additional airflow which could be ill-advised in colder weather.

Harness

The 5-point harness on the Lively is only average to put on and harder to take off. Adjusting the harness is easier even though it is the less desirable rethread design. The harness has three shoulder height positions and an adjustable crotch strap.

Seat

The seat on the Lively is a sling-style seat with non-adjustable padded leg rest and narrow footrest. The seatback reclines with the use of a toggle and can be operated with one hand to drop and two to lift. The seatback has an infinite number of possible angles including almost flat for napping.

Car Seat Compatibility

This stroller comes compatible with all Britax infant car seats. With side adapters, you can attach each seat to the frame of the stroller without removing the main seat or canopy. Attachment requires lining up both sides simultaneously and applying pressure straight down.

Ease of Setup

The B-Lively is similar to other strollers in the Britax lineup with a slightly faster assembly time of just over 5 minutes.

This stroller requires snapping on the three wheels and the canopy. You don't need any tools and the manual is only so-so with instructions that start a few pages into the manual and aren't as good as some with the quick start instructions.

Maneuverability

The Britax B-Lively isn't the best mover which is likely a result of the use of plastic foam-filled tires instead of rubber.

This stroller is small which makes it good for smaller spaces but it struggles over grass and gravel with difficulty turning if the grass is thick. The dual front wheel design is one that historically struggles in testing to stay on track and we prefer single wheels per leg to help avoid pushing problems.

Weight and Folded Size

The Britax B-Lively has a relatively low weight and one of the smallest folds in the group.

This stroller weighs 18.9 lbs and measures 6,612 cubic inches. If you have limited space or worry about where you will put a larger full-size stroller this is a good option and should fit in most reasonable spaces.

Quality

The Britax B-Lively is of average quality, about what you'd expect for a buggy with this price tag.

This stroller has a similar frame to the B-Agile but with an angular look and more pieces which could translate to more flex over time. It has medium weight fabric that is no longer the nice ripstop but it does offer a padded seat and wipable footrest. The wheels are foam-filled plastic which impacts maneuverability and could deform over time, calling into question long-term durability for this stroller. They cheapened the details over previous Britax of yore by replacing magnetic closures over peek-a-boo windows with no closure for the window cover and Velcro for the leg rest hatch instead of the nicer zipper. So, while it looks very similar, the details are lacking and indicate a turn for Britax in regards to overall quality and final fit and finish. Compared to the competition, it doesn't rank high in this testing metric and other contenders, like the BOB Alterrain Pro and Thule Urban Glide 2, outshine the B-Lively and others.

Should You Buy the Britax B-Lively?

The Britax B-Lively is basic and doesn't compare to our favorite strollers; however, it is incredibly lightweight for a full-size stroller. If you'll frequently be lifting a stroller in and out of your vehicle or carrying it, every pound counts, and we think a lightweight stroller, like the B-Lively, can make those tasks more manageable. But, besides that, it's average-performing, and we believe another contender in our lineup might be more enjoyable to use and push.

What Other Full-Size Strollers Should You Consider?

If you'd like to stay within the same price range, check out the Baby Jogger City Mini 2. It's actually relatively similar to the Britax B-Lively, even in weight and fold size, yet offers better quality and maneuverability. Best of all, the City Mini 2 is compatible with more infant car seats if you are looking to create a travel system, which is why it won an award.

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