Though we fondly remember rolling around in the back seat of our mom’s 1970’s family truckster, nowadays safety is taken more seriously. In fact, it’s the law. You’ve simply got to strap the munchkins in before you hit the open road.
Experts suggest kids be fastened in until they grow to at least 60” and 100 lbs. But matching the right model to a family’s needs can be tricky. Britax just introduced a new contender, the Boulevard CS ($329.99). This incarnation includes the “Click & Safe” harness indicator. We all know how hard it is to get a struggling tot safely belted in. Weary parents can listen for an audible “CLICK” to make sure they’ve done it right. This seat also has excellent head and neck support.
Best for: Parents who only want one car seat for the first few years.
Pros: Enhanced safety options, such as "True Side Impact Protection."
Cons: It’s incredibly heavy—you won’t want to move this from car to car.
Britax Diplomat Convertible Car Seat: Smaller frame with plenty of safety features. ($259.99)
Best for: Cars loaded up with multiple car seats.
Pros: Adjustable headrest and cushy seat.
Cons: Narrower than the Boulevard, this may be a squeeze for larger kids.
Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat: Combines form and function. ($229.99)
Best For: Smaller cars, and smaller kids (only works up to 40 inches and 40 lbs).
Pros: Fun cover choices (floral or cow print) are easy to clean.
Cons: Hard to install.
Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat: Converts with ease from rear facing to front facing. ($309.99)
Best For: Parents looking to avoid the hassles of multiple car seat purchases.
Pros: HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard) pads and protects head and neck.
Cons: Large frame takes up a lot of seat space, missing special clicking mechanism of CS version.
Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat: Workhorse designed to last. $279.99
Best for: Taller kids (accommodates up to 49 inches).
Pros: Reportedly this is an extremely comfortable seat.
Cons: Pricey and heavy.
Britax Frontier Booster Car Seat: Combination harness-to-booster seat. ($279.99)
Best For: Families who don’t want to spring for a separate booster seat.
Pros: Accommodates children from 40 to over 100 pounds.
Cons: Britax is voluntarily recalling 30,000 Frontier model seats (the harness straps can come off the yoke located on the seat's back). Britax is shipping repair kits to all registered owners.
