Britax Cypress Infant Car Seat Review & Video

Could the Cypress be the best new infant car seat of the year? Let's find out!

---

  By: Tali Ditye, Ph.D., Co-founder

  Updated: June 18, 2024

Mommyhood101 independently tests and curates baby gear to help you make informed decisions. If you buy products through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

When it comes to safe rides, Britax knows a thing or two.

From infant car seats to convertible and booster seats, Britax is world-renowned for making some of the safest and highest quality car seats on the market.

One of the newest additions to their lineup is the Britax Cypress infant car seat. Filling the gap left by the outgoing B-Safe model, the Cypress has some big shoes to fill!

Let's see how it performs!

Britax Cypress Review & Analysis

Full disclosure, Britax donated the Cypress for testing. Thanks, Britax!

To review the Cypress, we put it through our full testing process. This includes unboxing, feature testing, specification tests (measurements), installation, and a kid test.

Is the Cypress worthy of a spot on our list of the best rear-facing car seats? Let's find out!

Overall Rating

Overall, we give the Britax Cypress infant car seat a 4.7 out of 5, which puts it far ahead of most competition.

Keep reading to see how we reached this conclusion!

Britax Cypress Car Seat

Take-home Message

Most people don't want to read this entire article to see what we found. So here is the summary of what we loved, and what we didn't.

✔️  High quality fabrics.
✔️  Soft cushioning.
✔️  No FR chemicals.
✔️  Click-tight installation.
✔️  LATCH installation.
✔️  Baseless installation.
✔️  One-hand bar adjustment.
✔️  Adjustable recline.
✔️  Large 50+ UPF canopy.
✔️  Anti-rebound bar.
✔️  Safe cell crumple zone.
✔️  Infant positioning pillows.
✔️  Large peek-a-boo window.
✔️  Side impact tested.
✔️  4 harness slots.
✔️  2 buckle slots.
✔️  Machine washable cover.
❌  Rethread harness.
❌  Bulky & expensive.
❌  Made in China.

Overall, the Britax Cypress has a lot to love, especially for parents looking for the reputation and peace of mind offered by a Britax product.

Some thoughts on the minor drawbacks:

First, the Britax Cypress doesn't have a no-rethread harness. While it's certainly easier to adjust harness height with a no-rethread harness, it would also make the seat much heavier. So while we agree this is less convenient, we don't mind having a relatively lightweight car seat. It's a trade-off we don't mind, especially given how easy it is to rethread this seat (more on that later).

Second, the Britax Cypress is a bit bulky and somewhat expensive. It is the most expensive infant car seat offered by Britax, coming in at about the same price as the coveted UPPAbaby Mesa (which, by the way, has a no-rethread harness).

Finally, like most of its competition, the Britax Cypress is made in China.

Unboxing the Britax Cypress

The car seat arrives in a large rectangular box that weighs about 25 pounds.

Under the top flap of the box is a QR code that will bring you to a website with tons of instructions and videos.

Don't worry, there is also a paper instruction manual booklet inside the box.

The car seat is very well packaged, including not only a large plastic bag but also sufficient foam padding on the brushed aluminum surfaces (handlebar, anti-rebound bar).

The first thing we realized when pulling it out of the package was it's a very high-quality car seat!

It not only looks fantastic, but the fabrics are high-performance, the padding is substantial and comfortable, and the entire car seat feels solid. As it should!

We're off to a good start!

Features of the Britax Cypress

The Britax Cypress packs a ton of excellent features. These include versatility, safety, and convenience features that we love to see in a car seat.

Starting with comfort, the Cypress includes three separate infant positioning pillows.

In the below image, the left side has all three pillows installed (the head pad, lower infant positioning pillow, and middle infant positioning pillow). The right side shows it with only two pillows installed (the head pad and lower infant positioning pillow).

Britax says all pillows are optional. However, if you choose to use them, the head pad may be used with children who weigh between 4-30 pounds, and the other two pillows (lower and middle infant positioning pillows) can be used up to 11 pounds.

Your baby will be super cozy and well-positioned with these amazing pillows!

It also includes soft comfort pads on the shoulder straps:

And a plush belly pad cushion to protect chubby thighs from the lower buckle:

The canopy is reasonably large and includes an extension flap to make it about 4-5" longer. It's also 50+ UPF against the sun. But watch those legs and feet because the canopy may not cover them.

All these features make for an extremely comfortable seating position for a baby!

There are also several safety features worth mentioning.

First, the Cypress uses the Britax SafeCell technology which serves to absorb impact (like a crumple zone) upon impact.

Second, the Cypress has an integrated anti-rebound bar in the base, to help reduce movement of the seat in the event of a crash.

Third, the sleek brushed aluminum carry handle also doubles as a rebound-reducing bar to help minimize movement in the event of an accident.

Britax recommends keeping the carry handle in the full upright position when the car seat is installed in a vehicle, for maximum safety.

Surprisingly, there is no steel-reinforced frame, but our biceps are thanking Britax for this omission!

There are many additional features, including the extra-large peek-a-boo window, the quick-push LATCH connectors, the one-handed adjustable carry handle (amazing!), the removable and washable cover, and more.

Here is a quick video showing some of our favorite features:

There's a lot to love with the Cypress!

Britax Cypress Specifications

Before we move on, we also want to point out some basic specifications.

We busted out our ruler and scale, and here's what we found.

The car seat itself (without the base) weighs 9.9 pounds:

The base itself (named the Alpine base) weighs about 9.6 pounds:

Together, the car seat and base weigh just under 20 pounds (19.5 pounds).

The Cypress expires 6 years after its manufacture date. In our case, that was 12/2029:

It has a one-year warranty.

A great sticker to find if you're a jet-setting family, the Cypress is also approved for use in aircraft:

Here are some additional specifications:

• Weight range: 4-30 pounds.
• Height limit: under 32" tall.
• Seat weight: 9.9 pounds (Britax says 9.7 pounds).
• Base weight: 9.6 pounds.
• Seat width: 17.25" (Britax says 16.9").
• Seat height: 24.1" (with handlebar upright).
• Seating area depth: 11" (Britax says 12").
• Seating area width: 9" (Britax says 9.5").
• Seating area height: 20.5" (Britax says 21").
• Shoulder width: 10"
• Head width: 8"
• Harness slot heights: 5.5", 7.5", 9.5", 11.5"
• Lower buckle depths: 2.25", 5.5"

We noticed some minor discrepancies between the claimed weight and dimensions from Britax, versus what we measured.

It could be the case that Britax weighs and measures the seat with the cover removed, which would make it lighter weight and larger dimensions. In reality, you would be using the seat with the cover installed, so we think our measurements might be more accurate for daily use.

Installing the Britax Cypress

One of the most critical features of a great car seat is the ease of installation.

Five primary features make the Cypress a breeze to install properly:

1. The amazing ClickTight system.
2. The quick-release LATCH attachments.
3. The three-position recline.
4. The recline level indicators.
5. The intuitive diagrams.

A properly installed car seat is a safe car seat.

We're happy to say that we loved the clear instructions that appear on stickers around the base and car seat. 

For versatility, there are six installation methods:

1. Using the vehicle's seat belt (lap and shoulder) and the ClickTight system.
2. Using the vehicle's seat belt (lap belt only) and the ClickTight system.
3. Using the vehicle's anchors and the included LATCH lower connectors.
4. Using the vehicle's seat belt (lap and shoulder), no base, and the European belt path.
5. Using the vehicle's seat belt (lap belt only), no base, and the baseless belt guides.
6. Using the vehicle's seat belt (lap and shoulder), no base, and the baseless belt guides.

All three methods are a breeze, and we loved how the lower connectors get easily stored away in the base when they're not being used.

Here are the instructions for the first 3 installation options listed above:

Here are the instructions for the last 3 installation options listed above:

Here is the base in our vehicle, before we used the ClickTight system to secure it. This installation is in a Toyota Land Cruiser.

We also tried it in a smaller Acura MDX and it fit similarly well.

And here is our little test baby, sitting in the installed car seat.

Snug as a bug in a rug!

Another view:

Some Minor Cons

We only encountered a few minor cons.

First, we do prefer a no-rethread harness. Not a deal breaker, and we do realize that it makes the car seat much heavier.

Second, the car seat is a bit bulky and expensive. Some of the bulk is due to the increased safety features, which we think is a worthy trade-off. For cost, it's just about the same price as the UPPAbaby Mesa, which is a strong competitor and worth considering (and it has a no-rethread harness).

Finally, the Britax is made in China, for better or worse. For better, it has a lower price point than if it were made in Europe, USA, or Canada. For worse, sometimes quality control can be questionable. We do trust, however, that Britax monitors quality control very closely with their manufacturers.

Conclusions

We can confidently say that the new Cypress car seat lives up to the Britax reputation for safety, comfort, and quality.

The Cypress excels with its advanced safety features, easy installation, and high-quality materials, making it a standout choice for parents prioritizing their child's security and comfort.

While it comes with a few minor drawbacks, such as the lack of a no-rethread harness and its higher price point, these are outweighed by its extensive features and high build quality.

In conclusion, the Britax Cypress has proven itself to be a worthy successor to the B-Safe series, offering superior protection, comfort, and convenience.

If you're in the market for a top-tier infant car seat, the Britax Cypress should be at or near the top of your list.

It's a solid investment for ensuring your child's safety and comfort on the road, and we highly recommend it.

Prices and Where to Buy

Coming in at about $330, you can purchase the new Britax Cypress car seat at most major retailers, including Amazon.

Click the below image to check the current prices.