Britax
| Industry | Childcare |
|---|---|
| Genre | Child safety equipment |
| Predecessor | Britax-Excelsior, BSG International |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Headquarters | 3000 Hillswood Drive, Hillswood Business Park, Chertsey, KT16 0RS |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
| Products | Child safety seats |
| Owner | Nordic Capital |
| Website | Britax Global Home Page |
Britax (/ˈbrɪtæks/) is a global manufacturer of childcare products including car seats, strollers, and high chairs.
It began making automotive safety equipment and accessories in 1938, and to import car and motorcycle accessories. During the 1970s, Britax began making childcare safety products, primarily child safety seats and strollers.
Excelsior Motor Company, a former motorcycle company, bought Britax Group for £880,000 in March 1963. It diversified into aircraft interiors and seating, car mirrors and car seating. Its main competitor in the 1960s was Irvin Air Chute, which had been Britain's main manufacturer and designer of parachutes.
In 1960, the BSI introduced a kite-mark BS 3254 for car seats, and Britax was one of the first to comply to the standard. In 1960, one of their seatbelts saved Donald Campbell when he crashed at 400 mph. Its belts were made from Terylene (now known as PET) made by ICI. Also in 1960 it bought the Cyclemaster motorcycle company in Byfleet.
In June 1963, it introduced a new type of seat belt that allowed the belt to move but locked in rapid deceleration, as all belts are now today, known as inertia reel, and which it called an 'automatic belt'. In the mid-1960s, Britax was based on Chertsey Road in Byfleet. In June 1966, the parent company, Excelsior Motor, bought Notek, a car light manufacturer.
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