Car Seats Reviews : Discount On Sale

Product Description

Britax Marathon CS Convertible Car SeatThe Marathon CS Convertible Car Seat includes all the great safety features of the Marathon with the added Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator. This is an audible aide helps determine when the harness is snugly secure. The convertible car seat features side impact protection that distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, and contains the head, neck, and body. The Marathon CS is used rear-facing from 5-35 lbs. and forward-facing from 1 year & 20, up to 65 lbs. This seat features a higher forward-facing seat capacity for safety and comfort as your toddler grows.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11378 in Baby Product
• Color: Matrix
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9L98Z2
• Released on: 2009-07-06
• Dimensions: 27.50″ h x 19.50″ w x 25.50″ l, 16.00 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
• Side Impact Protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, and contains the head and body
• Click & Safe harness adjuster “clicks” when the harness straps are snug as an audible aide to help determine when the harness is snugly secure
• Higher forward facing seat capacity allows children to remain harnessed up to 65 pounds
• Tangle-free; five-point harness with four harness heights for a snug and secure fit

Customer Reviews

Safe & Comfortable at a premium
The Britax Marathon CS is an upgraded version of the regular Marathon. The only difference is the CS, Click & Safe Harness Adjuster, which tries to notify you of the proper “snugness” of the harness with audible clicks. What most Amazon readers probably want to know is, is this car seat worth the premium and how is it different from the other Britax models? Hopefully this review will help you make the best decision for you, but I cannot provide a definitive answer to the question of whether it is worth the premium. It is to my family.

My Configuration:
2000 Jetta 4DR
Forward Facing
LATCH Install

Pro’s:
- First and foremost, highly rated crash protection (Very Good by Consumer Reports)
- Side Impact Protection
- Fantastic weight range (5-35lbs rear facing) (20-65 forward facing)
- Comfortable cover with shoulder and belly pads
- Push-button LATCH connectors
- Versa-tether allows tethering even if your vehicle does not have built-in tether anchors
- Simple install
- Fits smaller vehicles better than other Britax models
- Easy to recline
- Expires 6 years after manufacturing date
- Britax website provides manuals and video installation guides

Con’s:
- Expensive, expensive, expensive
- Harness adjustment requires rethreading
- No ball/bubble recline level indicator
- Click & Safe system marginally useful
- Serial number difficult to locate

The Marathon is one of 4 high-capacity convertible car seats that Britax currently sells. The others are the Britax Decathlon, Britax Boulevard, and Britax Advocate CS. The Marathon and Boulevard are also sold with CS (Click & Safe). From what I can tell, the Marathon and the Decathlon have smaller bases for installation in smaller vehicles. The Decathlon has an infant body pillow and multiple buckle positions, but otherwise, it is similar to the Marathon, including height and weight ratings. The Boulevard and Advocate CS are very large yet still have the same child size ratings, but incorporate what they call True Side Impact Protection. The Advocate is their most advanced, and expensive convertible, because it adds Side Impact Cushion Technology.

The Marathon CS is one of three Britax car seats that we actually own. We started with a Boulevard 2 years ago and recently got an Advocate CS and the Marathon CS. We installed the Marathon CS in our Jetta in a forward facing position for our toddler. The Marathon is smaller than the Boulevard and Advocate and it actually fit our Jetta quite well. It wasn’t so tall as to block our rear view at all and the front seat could still be far back enough to be comfortable for adult passengers to ride in. The smaller size was the main reason we decided on the Marathon for our toddler. If we had more room, we probably would have gotten the Boulevard or Advocate, which are both in our larger, Toyota 4Runner.

The LATCH installation took me 5 minutes, no lie. I have some experience installing car seats and I watched the installation video and read the manual before installing so that may have sped up my install time. I recommend that new owners do the same. The push-button LATCH connectors are so easy to hook on and tighten that it was almost too easy and I got paranoid. I took the seat to our local police station for a car seat check and they gave it their blessing.

Our toddler really likes the Marathon and sits comfortably in the seat. The shoulder and belly pads help make it more comfortable. However, the police officer recommended that we remove them because they can hinder getting the correct harness tightness. The Click & Safe system is supposed to help alert you when the correct snugness has been reached, but from my experience, it’s not really that useful.

The service life for Britax car seats are 6 years from the manufacturing date. I had to look this up on their website, which has a lot of useful information including installation videos and user guides. It would be nice to have the expiration date located right on the serial number sticker. Until recently, I wasn’t aware that car seats even had an expiration date. The serial number can be hard to find on the car seat itself so be sure to make a copy of your registration card, which has all of the information on it.

For me, there are only two drawbacks to the Marathon. The first is that in order to adjust the harness height, you have to rethread it. This means that if you have it forward facing, you have to remove the seat to do it. The second, is the price. We could have easily bought two of the Consumer Reports Best Buy recommended Evenflo models for the price of one Marathon CS. We decided on the Britax anyways because of the number of safety features available along with our previous experience with Britax. The fact that the car seat technicians at the police station and AAA both said that they chose Britax car seats for their children, only reinforced our decision.

We are very happy with the Marathon CS. We feel confident that our toddler will be safe and comfortable in the Marathon and that it will easily last the full 6 years of service life. It is not the best value out there for sure, but that wasn’t our number one priority. I can only justify the cost for ourselves and I certainly would not fault anyone for going with better value alternatives.

Versatile and (Generally) Easy to Use, but Most of All – Secure
The Britax Marathon convertible car seat is definitely pricey, but it makes good on that investment by its versatility. It can handle not only smaller kids in a rear-facing installation, but also larger kids if it’s place forward-facing – up to 49 inches and/or 65 pounds. That’s considerably longer use than most convertible seats allow. However, in order to do so, the Marathon needs to be taller than other convertible seats – this is a very large unit and may not fit well in smaller cars.

INSTALLATION

The Marathon is equipped to be tethered via either the LATCH system or else standard seat belts. LATCH installation was extremely simple, as it is with just about every other car seat. However, if your car is older and doesn’t have LATCH hooks, then seat belts are you only option and in most cars this is a dreaded exercise in pushing and tugging to get the seat sufficiently tightened down. The Marathon was a pleasant surprise – I was able to get it installed forward-facing with a lap-and-shoulder belt with much less effort and frustration than any other car seat I’ve ever used before. The anchoring points on the seat itself are visibly strong – iron bars that the seat belt easily loops through. Other seats make it difficult to see/feel if the belt is threaded correctly and not twisted, but this is easy with the Marathon.

For additional security, I also used the Versa-Tether strap that connects the top of the seat to an anchor in your car’s back deck or your SUV’s cargo area. This was also easy to install and once I’d pulled it tight, the seat was absolutely rock-solid. Installed this way, the Marathon had much less wiggle than any other car seat I’ve owned.

USAGE

The Marathon touts its “Click and Safe” system for tightening the harness once your little one it seated. However, I found this to be a detractor for a couple of reasons. First, you tighten the harness by pulling downward on a strap that dangles from the front of the seat. You must pull it straight down/forward, which can be difficult to do since you’re reaching into the car from the side, especially in a car that’s low to the ground. I prefer the design of other car seats that puts the tightening mechanism on the side via a knob. Also, it claims that the harness is sufficiently tight once you hear a click, but I wasn’t convinced – the straps always seem to have a little too much slack after the first click, so I end up fiddling around with them for a while until it passes the test. This can often lead to a fussy passenger. Loosening the harness, on the other hand, is very quick and easy.

Also, every kid will be different, but my two-year-old complains (sometimes pretty forcefully) when being buckled in to the Marathon. I think that it has a wider buckle in the crotch than our old car seat did and that must be uncomfortable. However, after he’s in for a few minutes, he never fails to tell me that he likes the new seat, especially the neck protectors that keep the harness straps from digging in.

MAINTENANCE

I really appreciate the open-back design of the Marathon, not only for the ease of installation described above, but also because it makes it easy to adjust the height of the harness and remove the cover for washing. Other car seats often conceal the back within a clamshell which then requires tools to remove anytime any such adjust or maintenance needs to be done.

SUMMARY

The Marathon is not perfect, but close. It’s also pricey, but a worthwhile investment given how long it can be used. I highly recommend it as a consideration when you’re shopping for a convertible car seat, especially if you have a roomy back seat and a higher-sitting vehicle.

great car seat.. comfortable, well made.
The Britax Marathon is a larger car seat that supports from a five pound infant (rear facing) up to a 65 pound child (forward facing). The seat is very comfortable for our 13 month baby–judging by the long naps she takes in it. The seat has well-labeled, heavy clamps for securing seatbelt straps. There are multiple ways of anchoring the seat, which can be confusing, but the helpful decals and attached manual (it stores under seat cover) help you figure it out. For cars with car seat anchor bars, there are easy latches with buttons that make installation very easy.

The seat is pretty large and deep. The bucket shape is apparently designed for side impact protection. Overall, this is a very nicely designed and built carseat.

Pros:

- Quality, furniture-grade fabric/upholstery.
- Accommodates from small infant to larger children.
- Plenty of anchoring options which are well-explained.
- Very comfortable.
- Energy absorbing features such as tether which gives under stress and impact foam.

Cons:

- One size fits all approach: you can use this seat for a longer amount of time, but it takes up more space in your car. The height makes it a little harder to put a child in compared to our Britax roundabout (rear facing mode).

One final comment about the new click & safe feature. We didn’t really understand it. We listened for a click when tightening straps but didn’t hear one. This doesn’t distract from what is an excellent product in our opinion.

Product Description

Britax Parkway SG Booster Car SeatThe Parkway SG Belt Positioning Booster features industry-leading side impact protection and SlideGuard anti-submarining technology to manage crash forces and minimize injury. Supportive comfort foam and soft, padded materials promote proper seat use and enhance safety. Designed to fit three across in most vehicles, the booster seat is appropriate for children 40 lbs and up. A removable backrest, dual retractable cupholders, color coded belt guides and a one hand quick-adjust head restraint make the seat convenient and easy to use each and every time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1051 in Baby Product
• Color: Onyx
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9LA869
• Released on: 2009-07-15
• Dimensions: 35.00″ h x 17.00″ w x 15.00″ l, 9.72 pounds

Features

• Booster child height and weight: 38″ – 63″, approximately 40 – 120 pounds
• Seated shoulder height with backrest: 21-inches
• True side impact protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion,keeps the head, neck and spine aligned
• Slide guard works with the vehicle safety belt to prevent the child from sliding under the lap-belt
• Higher forward-facing booster seat capacity allows older children to remain in a belt positioning booster to 120 pounds

From the Manufacturer
The Parkway SG Belt Positioning Booster features industry leading side impact protection and Slide Guard anti-submarine technology to manage crash forces and minimize injury. Supportive comfort foam and soft, padded materials promote proper seat use and enhance safety. Designed to fit three across in most vehicles, the booster seat is appropriate for children 40 pounds and up. A removable backrest, dual retractable cup holders, color coded belt guides and a one hand quick-adjust head restraint make the seat convenient and easy to use each and every time.

Customer Reviews

Nice booster, but not perfect.
I’ve been a bit of a car seat fanatic since before my first child was conceived (she’s nearly 8). In that time I have tested out lots of seats and done side by side comparisons of the features each seat offers. Britax and Graco are two of my favorite brands of car seats. Both generally offer ease of use and adequately cushioned and comfortable seats. When it comes to five point harness convertible seats, Britax has always been my brand of choice. Once you experience the superior design, impact protection, luxurious fabrics and incredible ease of use, most other seats on the market simply don’t compare.

In the past, I have not been impressed with many elements on Britax booster seats. Four and a half years ago the ease of use when compared to the Graco high back Turbo Booster was dismal, and the comfort level was lacking as well. I was hopeful when the Britax Parkway Slide Guard was offered to me for review as part of the Amazon Vine Program that things might have changed for the better. I am pleased to say that in many ways Britax has improved on their booster seats. Because I have been using Graco Turbo Booster seats for my oldest child for four and a half years, I’m going to give you the pros and cons of the Britax Parkway when compared to the Graco Turbo Booster.

Overall the Britax Parkway SG is a very nicely designed seat. In many ways it is much nicer than the Turbo Booster, but I did take issue with it on a few minor points. I ran the seat through my usual critical scrutiny and asked my daughters ages 4 and nearly 8 to give me their input on the seat. For the most part they both liked the seat. The 4 year old found nothing wrong with the seat, other than the fact that she is 1 1/2 pounds too light to be able to ride in this seat, but I didn’t let that stop me from sizing her up in it in the garage since she meets the minimum height requirement. My older child took issue with the seat on two points. She did not like the “Slide Guard” safety feature that prevents your child from “submarining” in a crash. I can’t say I blame her since she has ridden in a seat without strap between her legs for over four years now. She also was disappointed in the arm rests. They’re smaller than the arm rests that are found on the Turbo Booster, and they’re not adjustable. Because of this the arm rests are about an inch or two two low for her to be able to put her elbows on them (and this is a child who is only 49 inches tall-it would be worse for a taller child), and they are are not long enough to even make it to her wrist. Those two features left my daughter feeling disappointed.

I took issue with Britax’s claim that this was a thinner profile seat that would allow you to put three seats in the back seat. I tested this out in my van with two Graco Turbo Booster (which by the way, are about 2 inches thinner widthwise). If you’re not going to be buckling the kids into the seats, you can fit three across, but if you actually want to secure the kids in the seats (And, why wouldn’t you?) there is probably no way you are going to fit three of this seat in your car’s back seat.

I also had a problem with the slide guard. I tried it out in three different seat positions in my minivan. If you have a seatbelt that has one of those little plastic button things that keep the buckle from sliding all the way to the end of the belt, you may not be able to properly use the slide guard with the seat belt as the opening on the slide guard is too narrow to accommodate it. Because of this, I only have two possible seats in my car out of five that the seat can be used.

Assembly (putting the seat back on the seat base) was a snap. It took me no more than one minute. Assembly took merely seconds more than the Graco Turbo Booster, but unlike the Turbo Booster, it doesn’t fall apart easily. The Parkway is a seat that you can easily carry from one car to the next and not have to worry that the base is going to detach from the seat back in transit (a scenario that I have witnessed many times).

Adjusting the head rest is a snap. Much like the Turbo Booster, all you need to do is squeeze and pull or push, depending on whether you are raising or lowering the headrest and the adjustment is done. That alone is a huge improvement on past Britax booster models.

The fabric on the seat is very nice (the Turbo Booster simply can’t compete on this point). The printed fabric is a smoother material that you could easily wipe clean. The solid black fabric is a velvety plush. It’s a thicker pile that the material you find on most Britax Marathon seats. The seat pad is thick and cushiony.

The foam beneath the seat pad is nice and firm. It will comfortably support a larger child. My four year old tells me the seat is just as comfortable as her Britax Marathon. Given how soft and cushy that seat is, I think that says a lot.

The cup holders are a nice touch and they appear to be slightly roomier than the Graco Turbo Booster’s. I did find that they’re a little stiff sliding in and out. My 8 year old had difficulty getting the cup holders to slide out, and my 4 year old couldn’t get them out at all.

The high back for the booster got two thumbs up from both of my daughters. Both said it was comfortable and neither one complained of the sides obstructing their view. The high impact foam is thicker on this seat than the impact foam found on the Turbo Booster. It is the typical higher quality that I have come to expect from Britax over the years. The slide guard is easy to adjust (when the child is out of the seat) and easy to attach to the lap portion of the seat belt.

Since kids can be messy and seat covers need to be washed from time to time, I decided to see how difficult it is to take off the cover and reattach it. If you’re like me, you’ve probably found yourself in this nightmare of wrestling with a seat to get the cover off or on. Some seats are a breeze while others make you want to rip out your hair. I’m pleased to tell you that it is a pretty simple job. It only took a few minutes to take the cover off and replace it. The cover itself is hand wash and line dry.

In all, the Britax Parkway SG is a very nice booster seat. I’m annoyed that the designers didn’t put a little more thought into the opening on the slide guard. If they had made it a smidge bigger, it would have been able to handle the issue I mentioned about about the seat belts. The great thing about the slide guard is it ensures that the lap belt does not ride up on your child’s abdomen, which could cause severe internal injuries in a car crash. I’m actually surprised that it has taken this many years for any of the car seat manufacturers to come out with something like this for the booster seats. I like the added safety feature, but I wish it had a wider opening. The arm rests and the slide guard openings are the reasons why I only gave this seat 4 stars. Adjustable arm rests that are a bit longer, and a more thoughtfully designed slide guard would have easily made this a 5 star booster seat.

A Bit Disappointed
I’m a certified child passenger safety technician so when I had the chance to try the new Britax Parkway Slide Guard, I was thrilled. I know child restraints inside and out.

Britax has been talking for over a year about this seat and how it will fit children up to 120 lbs and how it will have the slide guard mechanism. In a crash, forward facing occupants do what is called submarining. This is when the hips slide forward in a crash causing the lap belt to ride up over the lower abdomen. The slide guard mechanism is intended to eliminate that, thereby reducing internal injuries in children. Thankfully, I wasn’t in a crash with the seat so I can’t rate that, but knowing Britax and their extensive testing, it probably does a very good job.

One of the selling points of the Parkway Slide Guard was that it was more narrow and would make fitting three across a back seat easier. I just happen to have one of the old Parkways to compare it to, and the two seats are identical widths. So, I don’t see how this seat can fit three across any better than the old Parkway.

I had my daughter try out the seat for comfort and fit. She is almost 10, but is small for her age (57 lbs 51 inches). She fit well in the seat, but her first comment was, “This is uncomfortable.” The webbing that holds the slide guard mechanism comes out of the seat in an inverted “V” shape. This causes the webbing to press into the inner thighs of the child. My very thin child complained about this. I would imagine it would be worse for a heavier child who had larger thighs.

There are some good things about the seat. Once adjusted to the correct length, the slide guard mechanism was very easy to position on the seatbelt correctly. It is also a very nicely padded seat. Britax has never before had a booster that converts to a backless booster so this is a nice change there. Also, the seat is taller than the older Parkways which is a definite bonus. In the old Parkway, my daughter is four notches from the bottom. On the Parkway Slide Guard, she is two notches and would have years of growth room.

All said and done, it is an okay booster, but certainly not what I expected after all the hype over the past year. If Britax would modify the webbing on the slide guard mechanism, that would be a huge benefit.

Innovative design
Britax Parkway Slide Guard is a recent (as of Sept 09) replacement for the old Britax Parkway Booster. While a new design it roughly about the same size as the old Parkway Booster, sitting just an inch or two taller. In most ways it is a normal booster: it elevates the child so that your car’s lap and shoulder belt fit correctly. Like most high end boosters it includes energy absorbing foam and the design helps stabilize the head and spine during a collision reducing the chance of injury. Where it differs from the old Parkway and the competition is the “Slide Guard” – a clip that sits between the legs that turns your standard three-point seatbelt into a four-point seatbelt. Your regular lap belt just threads into the clip (something you or your child must do each time they buckle up). The point is to keep children from sliding under the lap belt in a crash (this happens a lot and can result in abdominal injuries). This is a feature you won’t find in the top rated (by Consumer Reports) Graco Turbobooster or the Recaro Start and to me it is the main selling point (CR doesn’t have a review for the Britax yet). It has a downside in that it’s slightly more complicated than a normal seatbelt. Older children won’t have trouble with this but younger children will need some help.

I love it: I had no trouble with installing it, or getting my son strapped in. He’s not quite old enough to be trusted with getting it on correctly so it take a little more time to get him in his seat properly. If you’ve got a lot of kids to get into car seats this could be a deal breaker for you. If you have a smaller child or one who slouches down in their seat, the additional harness connect could be a life saver.

Here are the basic specs:
*Weight range: 40 120-pounds
*Height range: 38″-63″
*Armrests (note that they are fixed in place and can’t be adjusted)
*Headrest helps support the head and neck during a crach
*Narrow Footprint allows for 3-across seating in some cars
*Removable back converts to a backless booster
*Cup Holders on each side
*Color-Coded Vehicle Belt Guides indicate the path and positioning of the vehicle seat belt
*High Density Comfort Foam provides an extra layer of padding to gently cushion the child
*Energy-Absorbing Foam Liner (EPS) absorbs and distributes crash forces

You can get this information and see videos on the Britax web site. I’d suggest doing that before you buy since this isn’t quite your typical design.

Product Description

Britax Advocate CS Convertible Car SeatThis convertible car seat exhibits superior energy management, fit and comfort, and ease-of use. With it’s True Side Impact Protection and Click & Safe snug harness indicator, the Britax Advocate ranks top notch in safety. The True Side Impact Protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and “trues” the head, neck, and spine, keeping them aligned to limit injury. Click & Safe is an audible aide that provides extra assurance when the harness is within range of appropriate snugness. The Advocate Car Seat features a tangle free, five-point harness, HUGS, patented versa-tether, and an energy absorbing base. Rear and forward facing recline, 65-pound weight capacity, high density comfort foam, and a plush, premium cover set provide the ultimate fit and comfort. The quick-adjust head restraint and no re-thread harness allows for easy adjustment of the harness shoulder height and head restraint without disassembling the harness. Built-in lock-offs secure the vehicle seatbelt so that the child seat does not move more than one inch side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path. It’s small contoured base ensures a tight installation in all types of vehicle seats and convenient belt holders keep the harness straps out of the way while placing child in the car seat.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2202 in Baby Product
• Color: Opus Gray
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9L73P8
• Dimensions: 27.00″ h x 21.00″ w x 25.50″ l, 21.00 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
• Side impact cushion technology reduces side impact crash energy by 50%, by diverting crash forces away from the child
• True side impact protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and minimizes side to side head movement
• 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
• Quick adjust headrest and harness re-positions head support and harness height effortlessly without having to rethread the straps

Customer Reviews

Advanced Safety, but large and at an extreme premium
The Britax Advocate CS appears similar to the Boulevard model but with the Side Impact Cushion Technology. The CS stands for Click & Safe Harness Adjuster, which tries to notify you of the proper “snugness” of the harness with audible clicks. What most Amazon readers probably want to know is, is this car seat worth the premium and how is it different from the other Britax models? Hopefully this review will help you make the best decision for you, but I cannot provide a definitive answer to the question of whether it is worth the premium. It is to my family.

My Configuration:
2002 Toyota 4Runner
Rear Facing
Shoulder Belt Install

Pro’s:
- Britax safety history
- Side Impact Protection (including Side Impact Cushion Technology)
- Fantastic weight range (5-35lbs rear facing) (20-65 forward facing)
- Comfortable and super soft cover with shoulder pads, belly pads, and infant body pillow
- Push-button LATCH connectors
- Versa-tether allows tethering even if your vehicle does not have built-in tether anchors
- Easy harness adjustment without rethreading
- Built-in Lockoffs
- Easy to recline
- Expires 6 years after manufacturing date
- Britax website provides manuals and video installation guides

Con’s:
- Expensive, expensive, expensive
- Enormous size may not fit smaller vehicles well
- No ball/bubble recline level indicator
- Click & Safe system marginally useful
- Serial number difficult to locate

The Advocate CS is one of 4 high-capacity convertible car seats that Britax currently sells. The others are the Britax Marathon, Britax Decathlon, and Britax Boulevard. The Marathon and Boulevard are also sold with CS (Click & Safe). From what I can tell, the Marathon and the Decathlon have smaller bases for installation in smaller vehicles. The Decathlon has an infant body pillow and multiple buckle positions, but otherwise, it is similar to the Marathon, including height and weight ratings. The Boulevard and Advocate CS are very large yet still have the same child size ratings, and include what they call True Side Impact Protection. The Advocate CS is their most advanced, and expensive convertible, because it adds Side Impact Cushion Technology.

The Advocate CS is one of three Britax car seats that we actually own. We started with a Boulevard 2 years ago and recently got a Marathon CS and the Advocate CS. We installed the Advocate CS in our Toyota 4Runner in a rear facing position for our 9 month old. The Advocate CS is HUGE but fit in our vehicle pretty well. The front seat can still be far back enough to be comfortable for adult passengers to ride in. The Advocate CS may not have fit in our VW Jetta as well. We have the Britax Boulevard installed in the adjacent seat to the Advocate CS and the Advocate CS dwarfs it. The Side Impact Cushions make the back of the seat quite a bit wider, but ultimately safer.

The shoulder strap installation took about 15-20 minutes, even after having watched the installation video and read the manual before installing. I recommend that new owners do the same. Because of the sheer size of the Advocate CS, it was difficult for one person to thread the belt through, buckle it, and tighten it. I didn’t have a lot of interior room to work with, but maybe it would be easier in a mini-van. The built-in lockoffs were a bonus and much easier than having to install a separate one. I took the seat to our local police station for a car seat check and they gave it their blessing.

Our baby seems to like the Advocate CS and sits comfortably in the seat. One mistake I made at first was putting the lap belt OVER the buckle strap, under the cover. That made the buckle considerably shorter and as a result, uncomfortably tight. So be sure if you are using a shoulder belt, to put it UNDER the buckle strap. The shoulder pads, belly pads, and infant body pillow help make it more comfortable for our baby. However, the police officer recommended that we remove any pads on the actual harness because they can hinder getting the correct harness tightness. The Click & Safe system is supposed to help alert you when the correct snugness has been reached, but from my experience, it’s not really that useful.

The service life for Britax car seats is 6 years from the manufacturing date. I had to look this up on their website, which has a lot of useful information including installation videos and user guides. It would be nice to have the expiration date located right on the serial number sticker. Until recently, I wasn’t aware that car seats even had an expiration date. The serial number can be hard to find on the car seat itself so be sure to make a copy of your registration card, which has all of the information on it.

For me, there are only two drawbacks to the Advocate CS. The first is the enormous size. It would be easier to install with two people because of the size and it may not fit smaller vehicles as easily. The second, is the price. We could have easily bought two of the Consumer Reports Best Buy recommended Evenflo models and extra toys or accessories for the price of one Advocate CS. We decided on the Britax anyways because of the number of safety features available along with our previous experience with Britax. The fact that the car seat technicians at the police station and AAA both said that they chose Britax car seats for their children, only reinforced our decision.

We are very happy with the Advocate CS. We feel confident that our child will be safe and comfortable in the Advocate CS and that it will easily last the full 6 years of service life. It is not a great value, but that wasn’t our number one priority. It probably has the most and advanced safety features of any car seat available in North America. I can only justify the cost for ourselves and I certainly would not fault anyone for going with better value alternatives.

The best safety money can buy!
My son is eight months old and was ready to move out of his starter seat into something bigger. I wanted something that we could, of course, still use rear facing until he was at least a year old, then use forward facing until we no longer needed a car seat.

I also wanted the top notch in safety that I could buy. As I researched this purchase, I learned more and more about the deadly effects of side impact collisions and how limited most children’s car seats are in terms of protection from this type of event. Fortunately, Britax has done their homework and this seat builds on the pioneering work they’ve already done with side impact protection on the Boulveard. This seat has two huge crash energy absorption pads on either side to limit damage and protect kids from smashing their face into glass in a side collision.

The seat also has a tether feature that I’ve attached to my overhead tether connectors in the back of my Infiniti FX35 and this monster is going absolutely nowhere.

Installation was a snap, took me about fifteen minutes. Just remember to put it in full recline before installing it if you’re installing it rear facing.

While the safety is clearly the key rationale for spending this money, I also feel good knowing my little guy is comfy cozy in what has to be one of the plushest car seats ever made. This thing is the kid version of a Heavenly Bed.

While the side panels certainly make it larger than the Boulevard, it is easily manageable for taking on airplane trips if you’re going on vacation. We took it with us to St. Croix and had no problems. However, I do feel it is big enough that it’s not something you’re going to want to remove from your car on a daily basis.

Feel good knowing you purchased the safest seat money can buy and your baby won’t mind the fact that he’s sleeping in a giant marshmallow!