Car Seats Reviews : Discount On Sale

Rear-Facing: 5 lbs. to 35 lbs.

Front-Facing: 1 year and 20 lbs. up to 65 lbs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6827 in Baby Product
• Color: Onyx
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9L5769
• Dimensions: 27.10″ h x 24.75″ w x 19.87″ l, 24.56 pounds

Features

• True Side Impact Protection
• Patented HUGS system, tangle-free 5 point harness with belly pad and one pull front harness adjustment
• Flexible buckle LATCH system
• Extra comfort padding, infant body pillow for cozy fit
• Rear facing: 5 to 35 pounds. Forward facing: At least 1 year old and 20 to 65 pounds

Customer Reviews

Well worth it
After many MANY weeks of research, gathering information from several sites, reviews etc I decided that the Britax Boulevard was definitely the safest bet available on the market. The things that sold me: All the safety gadgets that other seats don’t have like the side impact wings, the HUGS system, the LATCH system and 5 point harness and also the fact that it lasts up to 29Kg.
My toddler was using a Cosco seat which I really didn’t feel comfortable with, it moved pretty easily in the back seat, it was near impossible to remove the fabric covers if I wanted to wash them ( which is often with little hands rubbing bits of biscuits into the seat, dropping raisins and drinking juice in the car) and IF and when I decided to go ahead and wash it, it would take more than 30 mins to get it all back together again. It was time for a change.
I did most of my research on the net, picking my top 3 choices I went and had a look at them in the shops. I looked at one the Graco Comfort Sport, the Britax Boulevard and the Decathlon and Marathon seats. By far it seems that Britax have the upper hand safely wise on the market, many professional reviews and crash tests agree on this so Britax was the clear choice for us.
If you are spending money on the safety of your kids I really believe that $300 is not a high price to pay for peace of mind. Obviously I think this the THE factor which makes parents doubt if this is the right seat, but look at how long the seat will actually last, if you opted for any other seat, you’d soon have to buy a second one when the child outgrows it.
I have the seat front facing in my Camry (2007) I worried about the size of the chair from reading other reviews but that is NO problem in my car, my son has plenty of leg room and can see perfectly out the window. He is nice and high up which is a bonus and when he falls asleep the side wings serve as support for his head whereas normally it would flop about with his old seat. Installation is not a problem, I suggest reading the instructions all the way through a couple of times first though because as with all things that require instructions, the first time I tried to install it got carried away and started doing things before reading the next step so do make sure you’re not too overly confident!! I did actually put a small towel under the seat’s base and removed the back headrest from my car to stop the leather from getting damaged. The seat is quite tall, although visibility isn’t a problem, the marks on the leather could be.
I have yet to wash the covers but the onyx material is really plush and soft and the whole cover looks easy to remove. I could go on and on about how much I love this seat. We have had it for over a month now and have NO complaints and my 2 year old son is happy in it and a lot more safe. If you are worried about the size of this seat it’s really not as bad as people say it is. In fact, the base of the seat is actually smaller (narrower) than the Cosco and you can still fit 2 regular sized people in the back of the car. It’s just taller to accommodate taller children. The harness lengths are fine in my opinion and all the padding looks comfortable. Instructions are reasonable and with a couple of practice runs it’s easy enough to change from car to car. CONCLUSION: If you’re in doubt over the price, it’s well worth it.
Pro’s:
* The amount of safety features this car seat has
* It’s unbelievably secure once installed ( it doesn’t budge)
* The quality of the Onyx material is great along with the HUGS system, lips and padding
* You can adjust the height of the harness and side wings WITHOUT removing the seat and without any hassle. It has a sliding rail here which allows you to change the position of the harness and wings without pre-set holes, so it will always be just right for your child.
* The side wings move with the harness so you don’t have to worry about whether they’re at the right height or not.
* It will last you child a lot longer than any other convertible seat on the market

Con’s:
* The price is higher than any other chair on the market
* It’s really rather heavy, it’s FAA approved but I can’t imagine carrying it on a plane… although I have seen some celebrity photos of their kids in these seats and some sort of trolley you can get to wheel it around on. Have no idea where you can get them though!

I have made this as detailed as possible, I hope it helps with all your shopping decisions!

What price do you put on your childs safty?
I did a lot of research before purchasing this car seat. I have a 20 month old and a 5 month old. We just purchased a new vehicle which has side curtain airbags. I wasn’t so worried about a side impact crash since your much more likely to hit head on or be rear-ended. My main concern was when the side air bags deployed would the Alpha Omega my toddler was in withstand that kind of blow, probably not, especially since I could never get that seat good and snug. The wings on the boulevard look like they would protect your child’s head from a side curtain airbag. (Airbags can cause a lot of facial damage) I was worried the wings would be too big that my kids couldn’t see out the window, but she can. I love this car seat, I purchased 2, one for each of my girls. [...] It took me more time to take out the Alpha Omega than it did putting the Boulevard in forward facing. I just attached all 3 latches, sat on the seat and pulled each of the lower LATCH anchors at the same time. It is so tight! It doesn’t budge. Plus it’s so easy to remove the LATCH as well. Just remember that when your child hits 48 lbs to anchor the seat with the seat belt and not LATCH. It sits up a lot higher than the alpha too, which is good if God forbid you did get hit from the side, the car seat would be higher than the on-coming cars bumper. I also like that you don’t have to take the seat out to raise the shoulder belt height, super convenient for growing infants. The wings are also nice headrests for a sleeping child. On the alpha omega my toddlers head would always flop down in an unnatural uncomfortable position. I really like the Hugs system which prevents children from pulling the chest clip down. On the Alpha Omega my toddler was able to push the chest clip down to the buckle and pull her arms out of the straps! I haven’t yet installed the other one for my infant, still using the peg infant carrier. I will review it again as rear facing. These seats are pricey but I will pay anything to make my girls as safe as possible. If you have a toddler and are thinking of this seat the Wizard is the same, it just doesn’t have the infant body pillow, plus it’s much cheaper. I would have gotten one for my toddler but it didn’t come in the onyx color, just blue or navy. I could not imagine ever purchasing a different seat and urge you to get this seat for the safety of your children.

Fantastic Seat
I just received the Britax Boulvard as a replacement for my Decathalon which was recalled. Britax has the best customer service. I called them to explain that it was nearly impossible to tighten the straps on my Decathalon (which I had for almost 3 years) and Britax offered to ship me a new seat of my choice, free of charge. I chose this seat in the Barrington Pattern and I am so glad that I did.
When the seat arrived, I noticed that it seemed a lot more sturdy than the Decathalon. The fabric was plush and looked so comfortable. I put my son in it to adjust the straps and he just loved it.
The seat was so easy to install and I love the way the latch is positioned on this seat. You can get the seat so tight in your car that it is as if the seat were a part of the car.
My son loved riding in the seat. He used to cry in the Decathalon, which seemed lower that this seat. Now, he is higher up and looks much more comfortable. I love this seat and I love Britax.
We also have the Regent for our 2 year old and we love that seat as well. I highly recommend Britax all around. If you are debating between this seat and the Decathalon or Marathon, I would say go with this seat – the Decathalon is not of the same quality as this seat and the Marathon does not have the same features. There is only a slight price difference so I would go with this one. Also, the pattern on this seat is much nicer in person!

Product Description

Britax Boulevard CS Convertible Car Seat

If you like the Boulevard Covertible Car Seat, you will fall in love with the Boulevard CS! This convertible car seat has an added feature; the click & safe harness adjuster. The adjuster actually clicks when the harness straps are snug, as an audible aide to help determine when the harness is snugly secure. The quick-adjust headrest and harness allows for repositioning of the head support and harness height effortlessly without having to rethread the straps. This convertible car seat allows for rear facing from 5-35 lbs and forward facing from 1 year up to 65 lbs. Rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and positioning. The Boulevard CS features True Side Impact Protection which distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and minimizes side-to-side head movement. The patented Harness Ultra Guard System, HUGS, reduces forward head movement and gently cushions the neck and chest. The tangle-free, five-point harness with multiple harness heights  and lift-lever front adjustment allows for a snug and secure fit. The patented Versa-Tether anchors the top of the seat to minimize movement in a crash. Premium push-button LATCH connectors allow for a quick, simple, and tight installation. High density comfort foam gently cushions the child. The Boulevard CS features energy-managing protective foam and a body pillow for a custom fit. Built-in lock-offs tightly secure the vehicle seat belt. Convenient belt holders keep the harness straps to the sides while placing your child in the car seat. The plush, washable cover comes with matching comfort and belly pads and the contoured base is a perfect fit in most vehicles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1667 in Baby Product
• Color: Davenport
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9L72N6
• Released on: 2008-10-15
• Dimensions: 27.00″ h x 19.50″ w x 25.50″ l, 19.00 pounds

Features

• Convertible, rear facing five to 35 pounds and forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds up to 65 pounds
• Click and Safe harness adjuster “clicks” when the harness straps are snug as an audible aide to help determine when the harness is snugly secure
• True Side Impact Protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and minimizes side-to-side head movement
• Quick-adjust headrest and harness re-positions head support and harness height effortlessly without having to rethread the straps
• Tangle-free, five-point harness with multiple harness heights for a snug and secure fit

From the Manufacturer
The Britax Boulevard CS car seat introduces the new Click and Safe snug harness indicator, the latest advancement in child safety, which addresses the leading misuse with safety child seats. The Click and Safe feature is an audible aide to help determine when the harness is secure by clicking when the harness straps are snug. Other features include True Side Impact Protection with deep side walls and head support to provide advanced protection in side impact collisions. The easy-turn knob quickly adjusts the headrest and harness height without having to uninstall the seat. Higher forward-facing weight capacity allows children to remain harnessed up to 65 pounds. The tangle-free, five-point harness ensures a snug and secure fit. Premium push-button latch connectors provide a quick, simple and tight installation. Unique features include the patented Versa-Tether for energy management, and rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and a body pillow for positioning. The Britax Boulevard CS fits children rear facing from five to 35 pounds and children forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds, up to 65 pounds. The Britax Boulevard CS is made in the USA with U.S. and global components.

Customer Reviews

Britax Quality and Style
We’ve had this seat about one month now though our three year old has been in his Boulevard since he was 6 months. It is our second Britax Boulevard and our fourth Britax product overall. We like the Boulevard because of its excellent safety and comfort features. The Boulevard is very big and thus very versatile as it will span a long period of our child’s early life (up to 65 lbs). That said, the “Click and Safe” model is probably worth the extra few dollars so that folks not used to using a car seat (e.g. grandparents) can safely determine when the seat belt is sufficiently tight. However, we have it installed “rear facing” right now and it pinches the belt. Thus, I’m not sure the click and safe feature is really working. However, this is not our first seat so we know how tight it needs to be. Britax has improved the belt buckle so that it snaps together more easily now. We also think Britax offers that most stylish seats with the best quality fabric. The bottom line is that this is a great seat that is as safe or safer than anything else on the market. It’s comfortable, versitile, and stylish. The lone ‘negative’ is that it’s very big. Thus, if you have a compact car, you will have trouble getting it installed as a rear facing seat without impacting the driver or passenger seat. We have a 2003 BMW 5 Series wagon and, when installed rear facing, it does touch the front passenger seat. However, there is sufficient room for a 6 foot adult male to sit in front comfortably. On the flip side, I believe that if you’re buying a small car seat, to some degree you’re sacrificing safety. When installed front facing, the size is less of an issue. I know it’s a pricey seat, but considering it should last us about five years, I think we can swing the $5/month it will cost us to keep our kids safe and happy. Last, but not least, the Mom wanted the ‘girlie’ fabric for our little girl. Her older brother has a different pattern. Even I must admit the pattern is cute for our little girl and I do think she likes it.

Installation
INSTALLATION:
I wish I had done more research (not on the car seat) but the actual installation of the car seat. When we opened the box and checked out the seat, we were VERY happy with it. Installing it was another thing. We have a Subaru Outback Station Wagon. Thinking that it was a family car, a car seat wouldn’t have been an issue. Think again. There are only tethers in the roof (near the hatch). There are no tethers in the floor. Putting this car seat rear facing was a challenge. We ended up tethering it down on the rails of the front passenger seat. When we move this seat to forward facing, it will be a breeze since we can tether it up.

LATCH system – easy to install. make sure to pull the straps TIGHT after install. Seat will wobble a bit but once you tether it down (or up) it’s very secure. If you do tether it up, make sure the seat is still within the 30-45 degree requirement. It makes it hard to keep the seat secure AND at those degrees. When we tethered it up, it looked like the seat was being pulled upright.

Recline: If installing rear facing, MAKE SURE TO RECLINE THE SEAT before installing the LATCH system. It’s very hard to reach once your seat is latched.

DO NOT throw away the styrofoam pieces in the seat. They’re part of the seat and not packing material. I’m glad I read through reviews before prying that foam out and chucking it. If you already threw it out, call Britax, they’ll replace it.

Background Info: My son is now 6 months old. Sitting up on his own. 16lbs, 25″ tall

SEAT:
Straps: REALLY SOFT!! Harness is easy to use and unclip to get our baby out. Drawback is that the rubber part of the strap is too tall (it’s longer than my son’s torso. It irritates him and doesn’t seem comfortable. Britax has a lot of extra padding to make the straps bearable, there’s a padded cushion that is useful to make sure the strap doesn’t dig into his neck. There is also another pad behind the buckle so it doesn’t push onto his bits and his belly.

Padding: Infant inserts removes easily so as my son gets bigger, we can take the cushion off. There’s a way to fold the flaps/sides in so it gives a snugger fit for smaller babies. Looks like there will be plenty of room to grow.

Headrest: Easily moves up and down. Wish the side flaps weren’t so stiff. Seems like it will work with his large head.

Style: Good looking. Fabric is soft and feels nice. Color combination is attractive. Looks like a “big boy” seat and blends in well with my car.

Overall: The seat is pretty light. I carried it without a problem. It looks great in my car. Took a bit of fussing but well worth it. It’s great that the seat sits a little higher so my son can look out the window. He could see some stuff in his infant carrier but not really that great. I feel very confident and comfortable that my son is in a secured and well rated seat.

Wonderful for Safety
I researched and researched forward facing car seats. I debated buying this car seat for about a month. I finally decided to buy it and I am glad I did.
Positives:
Easy to install. It took us about 15 minutes to install with LATCH.
(just read the instructions a couple of times and watch the video on-line if you think you’ll have trouble)
The seat fits well forward facing in our car. (Pacifica) It actually takes up less room then her infant carrier.
It is easy to adjust the positions. No loops, no straps to re-thread.
My child appears comfortable and the HUGS system ensures nothing rubs on her.
The safety rating is the best!
Negatives:
The Click and Safe feature is pointless. It doesn’t get snug enough, even though it “clicks.” It is actually harder to make the harness tight enough. I wish we would have bought just the Boulevard.
For the price, not a lot of features like cup holder. Not a big deal, but would have been nice.
It does not fit well into my husbands Civic. We are looking into a smaller Britax.
Overall, it is a wonderful seat. It is easy to clean and I feel comfortable knowing my child is in a super safe top rated car seat. I don’t think I would use rear facing just because it doesn’t have a removable base, so you would have to remove infant from seat to take in and out of home, store, ect. Summary: Great Forward facing infant seat!

Product Description

Britax marathon convertible car seat keeps little ones safe and comfortable during trips with this quality car seat that can be adjusted to two positions, rear and forward-facing depending on your child’s development. This features rear-facing position holds up to 33 pounds, forward-facing holds up to 65 pounds, patented versa-tether, comfortably fits larger and older children. These are removable, washable fabric cover. Patented Harness Ultra Guard System with belly pad for comfort and protection. Also built-in lock-offs. Sculpted base for a perfect fit. Flexible buckle latch system. Comfort foam and EPS protective foam. Tangle-free polyester 5-point harness. Belt holders keep belts aside for boarding. One hand recline adjustment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1158 in Baby Product
• Color: Onyx
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9L0669
• Dimensions: 19.00″ h x 20.00″ w x 22.00″ l, 20.90 pounds

Features

• 5 point harness with patented Floating HUGS system and 4 harness heights
• Built-in lock-off clips, Versa-Tether & Safe Guard LATCH Connectors
• EPS and Comfort Foam for safety and comfort
• Rear- and forward-facing recline
• Rear facing: 5 to 35 pounds. Forward facing: At least 1 year old and 20 to 65 pounds

Amazon.com Product Description
The Marathon from Britax is a durable, convertible car seat that helps keep your child safe and secure in the car. Ideal for parents seeking premium comfort and a higher, forward-facing harnessed weight capacity, the Marathon fits children rear facing from five to 35 pounds and children forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds, up to 65 pounds. Both positions can accommodate a standing height up to 49 inches.

Customer Reviews

Great, but not perfect.
Don’t get me wrong….I would own nothing other than Britax seats at this point. We have 4 children and we’ve tried various models. We’ve donated the others to Goodwill. We currently own 5 Britax car seats for 4 children. We have 2 Regents, 1 Parkway(used as a spare), 1 Marathon, and 1 Roundabout. I feel as though I’m a walking advertisement for Britax and we’ve been accused of being uptight about car seats.

As far as I’m concerned, there are three main features that we look for in a car seat:

1. Does it fit securely in the vehicle?

Forward facing, this seat is awesome. We don’t have the latch system in our van, so we never had the opportunity to use the latch belts although I’m sure they work fine. We use the shoulder belt and we’ve never seen any other seat get as secure as our seat. When we try to move the seat side to side, the van moves instead. The beauty of the system is that after you’ve tightened the lap part of the belt down as far as you can, you then slide the shoulder part of the belt into a slot that latches down on the side of the seat. Once you’ve done this, the belt doesn’t develop any slack. Then for good measure, you attach the tether to the underside of the rear of the seat (or a tether hook in some cars). This seat doesn’t move after that.

Rear facing, the seat could be improved. This is why the seat doesn’t get 5 stars from me. The side lock down mechanism is tightened more by the thickness of the belt. Unfortunately, it can pop open without much pressure. (As a side note, the lockdown on the side of our older Roundabout works great. It is a different design. I’m not sure if Britax thought they were improving and have changed the design or if they have a different lockdown on this seat.) The annoying thing about this is that you have to continuously check to see if it has released.

2. Condition of the straps is important. I haven’t seen one manufacturer compare to the quality of the straps. The shoulder straps are thick and wide. They don’t fold up on themselves or get tangled. They are also wide across your child’s shoulders.

3. Child’s comfort. The side guards around the head are great for when they are getting tired and the safety foam is the same as you would find in bike helmets.

Overall, the seat is great. If I could have given it 4.5 stars, I would have. The rear facing problem was minor to us because we could use our Roundabout rear facing, but for someone who needs to use it rear facing for a while, it might be more of a problem. I’m hoping Britax improves that one thing, but overall, this seat is highly recommended by me.

A Miracle!
This car seat was a life saver!

Our daughter is almost 4 months now and cried everytime we placed her in her infant seat, except on the day home from the hospital. We couldn’t drive down the road without listening to screams – the only time we went anywhere was if she was asleep and often she woke up the minute we put her in her seat. My 8 year old and I would both sit in the back seat with her, it didn’t matter. I read the reviews on this seat so we went to 2 different stores and placed her in the demo. She was fine. My mother offered to purchase it for us so we got it.

Sketptical?
I was skeptical, so I first took her for a 5 minute ride – no crying. The next day I chanced 15 minutes – still no crying. The third day we went to my mother’s – a 40 minute drive each way. Within a week we were willing to try her on a 3 hour trip. She did great!

I think the key for us was my daughter can see out and doesn’t feel confined like the infant seat. She spends most trips gazing out the window and quietly sucking her thumb.

Size
I’ve read people complain about the size, but it fits fine in our Toyota Prius and our Subaru Outback. In fact it actually allows the front passanger seat to be further back than our previous car seat with a base (Graco Snugride).

Buy Two!
We’ve had the seat now for 3 weeks and no crying! My husband asks me everyday “How was she in the car” and everyday I say “GREAT!” We bought a second one for the other car.

Installation
This is the easiest car seat I have ever installed, we use the latch system in the Prius and in my mother’s car. IT is so much easier than the latch with the Graco seat. Using latch it takes only minutes to go from one car to another. In the Subaru we use the regular shoulder/seat belt (it’s 8 years old so latch wasn’t available). Which I still like better than the Graco.

It is quite expensive, but to us well worth it. If you’re still reading this then you want this seat! (It doesn’t feed hungry babies, so they may still fuss.)

A year late…

My daughter is 15 months now and the seat is still wonderful! We now have the seat facing forward and we still love this car seat.

The Roundabout is a better seat for boys than the Marathon
This is a good car seat, with some observations.

Older children may not fit into the Marathon, as the base is too tall and they’re likely to outgrow it in height way before they reach the 65 lb weight limit. In contrast, the Roundabout has a lower weight limit (to 40 lbs) and may be a better choice if you’re transitioning from an infant seat.

The Marathon seat is shallow and the crotch strap is too short, especially for toddler boys. The Marathon measures 6 inches from the back of the seat to the base of the strap. The Roundabout is deeper, 7 inches from seat back to the base of the strap, which is perplexing. Why would Britax make the larger seat shallower, if it has to fit both infants and older children?

Second, the quick release of the Marathon is so easy to use (gently lift the metal part under the front flap) even a toddler can do it- if they fiddle with it they can loosen the harness while strapped in! Teaching the child the meaning of “no” and placing safety pins on the flap are possible solutions but not what one would expect on an expensive car seat.
It helps to tuck the excess straps between the BRitax and the car’s seat.

Please note that some models of the Marathon have a flap with velcro that’s easy to lift. The Marathon Greystone sold by Target has a slightly different flap (the metal clasp is still underneath but hidden by a flap that’s sewn on the sides – not velcroed like the picture). This looks like an improvement, as most Marathon models have the velcro version. I don’t know if the amazon model has this new flap.

The Roundabout has a different harness release system (button) and you need to press hard to release it which makes it more child proof.

Lastly, the Marathon and the Roundabout are handwash & drip dry only according to the owner’s manual and care instructions attached to the seat.

It’s a good seat for young toddlers, not so much for older ones, especially boys.