Britax Boulevard--The Rolls Royce of car seats, even a Car Seat Inspector says so
Written: Aug 14 '06 (Updated Feb 02 '07)
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Pros: Virtually everything...
Cons: The seat doesn't make me coffee and blow dry my hair. What a rip off.
The Bottom Line: If you want the ultimate in comfort and safety for your little one, look no further than the Britax Boulevard... No other seat on the market even comes close.
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| gatorgirlie's Full Review: Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat - Classic |
UPDATE 2/02/07 -- Just go ahead and ignore everything I said about the Marathon seat and Consumer Reports. After their latest fiasco with car seats I have a hard time believing anything that organization claims. The Marathon is a great seat and you should feel safe with your child in it, but I still prefer the Boulevard!!! :)
UPDATE 12/02/06 -- I just wanted to let you know that my son passed the one year/20 lb requirement for forward-facing, so I wanted to update with some observations I've made in the past week. You'll find the update at the very bottom of the review, right about the Overall Recommendation heading. I also moved the comparison portion (where I compare the differences between items in the Britax line) to the very bottom. Enjoy.
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WARNING: This is filled with a lot of technical information, so some may think it is a bit dry. Fine. You write a funny, sarcastic, humorous and inventive car seat review... and if you already have... well... fine.
Those who read my review on the Britax Companion know how much I love that car seat. I tout its features to everyone I know, even those who don't have children yet. I stalk people at Babies R Us, advising them what they should and shouldn't purchase. Yes. I am crazy. Anyway, that is neither here nor there... my point is if I could use the Companion indefinitely, I would.
However, at around 20 lbs, 30 inches and 8 months... Aidan was getting a little big for the beloved Companion. Because of my love for the Britax Company, I knew I'd be staying with the Britax brand... but which one should I choose? The Roundabout? Marathon? Boulevard? Decathalon? There were so many options, so many choices -- each one had strengths and weaknesses. I literally spent DAYS researching which car seat I wanted to purchase. My job was made all the harder because of the dearth of information on the Boulevard and Decathalon. Neither were tested and there weren't really any helpful reviews on Epinions... but, from the extensive comparisons, I'm confident in my opinion that the Britax Boulevard is the strongest of the Britax brand.
Product Information (Fabric options, specs and cost)
The Britax Boulevard car seat is "convertible," meaning you can use it for both rear and forward facing. Many people opt for a convertible style seat right off the back because of the cost factor -- if you buy the traditional infant-style car seat, you WILL have to buy a convertible seat in the future. While you do save money, it is fairly inconvenient since there aren't any strollers that are compatible with this style of car seat (meaning no travel system and having to wake baby up every time you get her/him out of the car). Since cost wasn't a factor for us, we ended up getting a convertible seat only when Aidan outgrew his infant carrier. That means I'll be reviewing this from a point of view around 8 months old, NOT as a newborn.
The Britax Boulevard (hereafter known as "BB") can hold infants from 5 to 65 lbs. When in the rear position, the weight maximum is 33 lbs. Please remember that a child MUST BE at least 20 lbs AND 1 year old (the AAP recommends BOTH) before you put them in a forward facing position. It comes with four current fabric options -- Brownstone, Onyx, Park Ave and Shannon (ha! that's my hubby's name). The Park Ave, Brownstone and Onyx are suitable for both sexes, while the Shannon is more of a feminine pattern. All fabrics come with a white plastic base. The pattern I bought was the discontinued "Classic" pattern, which was a black/brown pattern. If you can find discontinued fabric options, you can get GREAT deals on this seat. The regular price is $300, but I paid $240 for mine with no sales tax and free shipping -- puts it close to the price of the Roundabout.
Whew... done with the boring crap (ha! not likely)... How is the installation? Instruction manual?
Again, I was VERY please with Britax -- their instruction manual was clear, concise and easy to follow (the NHSTA rated them an "A" for Ease of Use). The wording is extremely clear and easy to follow, and the pictures only serve to enhance the ease of installation. The other parts of the instruction manual were also extremely clear -- they concisely detail how to clean the seat, strap the child in and install the versa-tether system. Compared with other instruction manuals I've seen (even the Britax Forerunner stroller manual), these are easily the best. The child pictured in them is slightly scary, but I can get past the whole "Children of the Corn" vibe they had going on.
Installation of the car seat took me less than 10 minutes the first time -- which is pretty good because I checked and rechecked to make sure I was doing everything correct. After that, I have been able to install and remove the seat several times in just a few minutes. Removing the seat just requires unlocking the lockoff and removing the belt, so that shouldn't take you longer than a few seconds on even the first try. I did find that rear-facing installation is easier if you partially remove the car seat cover so you can guide the seat belt through the bottom of the seat (instead of having to do it blindly). I have heard statistics that say up to 70% of car seats are installed incorrectly... but I can't believe this can happen with the Britax Boulevard -- I feel it would really take someone special to install this seat incorrectly.
One thing that I want to bring up here is the "built-in lockoff" feature. A lockoff is what holds the seatbelt in place, locking it into one position so there's no possibility of it loosening. Most car seats have an extra clip/belt that is used for the lockoff; this means that you have the distinct possibility of losing it (perhaps even unknowingly). This happened to a friend of mine -- something jostled it loose and it fell off. Thank god nothing happened because that could have significantly endangered their child. With the lockoffs an actual part of the car seat, there is no possibility of them falling off or you misplacing them. Come to think of it, this could be why many car seats are installed incorrectly... Anyway, I love this feature -- so convenient and easy to use. Just slide the seat belt through the lockoff and close the latch.. voila! Car seat is safe and secure. There are lockoffs for both the rear and forward facing positions.
The only problem I had was picking up and carrying the BB -- it is very large and weighs 21 lbs. While I'm no weakling, this was a pain to pick up and maneuver it around. The good thing is that it fits very well in my Nissan Maxima. This means it'll fit in the vast majority of midsize cars and up. My father had absolutely no problems fitting it in his Ford Escape. I would definitely make sure there are four doors on the car you are using -- trying to get this big, bulky and heavy car seat into a two-door model is a sure way to give yourself a stroke. We took one look at our Civic and realized there ain't no way it's fitting in there, so we didn't even try. I did have to install the Boulevard in my brother's two door Monte Carlo once and it wasn't too hard. The Monte Carlo was big enough to make up for the fact that it only had two doors. The only cars I could see having problems with this seat would be smaller two door compacts like the Civic or Corolla.
We have not tried to install it in the forward-facing mode, but I will update this when I do. I can't believe that it will be difficult because of our previous experiences with the Britax brand, but you never know.
I highly doubt the other Britax products vary on this, since the instruction manuals are identical in style. Quite simply, this is just a hallmark of the Britax brand.
Safety... Safety... Safety... ie: Why we put our kids in a car seat to begin with
In the not so distant past people toted their young ones on their laps whenever they took a car ride. Apparently this is now taboo (see Britney Spears). Now car seats are being continually improved to provide not only a safer ride, but also a more comfortable one. In this chapter, we will discuss safety.
While there was no review on consumer reports, I feel that the Boulevard offers unparalleled safety and peace of mind.
Let's start with the old noggin. You do want your child's noggin to be protected, don't you? I mean, you suffer through all those darned Baby Einstein videos in the hopes that your child will become intelligent -- you don't want to see all your hard work slip away. The BB has a headrest (with side wings) is part of its "True Side Impact Protection." Basically, the wings and the EPS foam help to cushion your child's head and prevent it from being tossed from side to side. The wings also help to keep the baby's head away from objects that might injure your little one. The EPS foam absorbs energy to prevent violent head motion in the event of a front or rear crash.
The BB has a five point harness, though this isn't a selling point because what car seat DOESN'T have a 5 pt harness? This car seat also has the patented HUGS system, which helps in preventing the chest clip from being in the wrong position and also distributes the energy from a front or rear impact more efficiently than a standard chest clip alone. The polyester straps are tangle free. I don't know if I agree with the tangle-free because it all depends on the definition used. The straps became twisted and it was a bear to straighten them out, but they didn't get tangled together. So I guess they ARE "tangle free," just not "twisted free." :)
This car seat is also equipped with the Versa Tether anchor system. I haven't used this, so I can't tell you how easy it is to install, the reason being that my Maxima doesn't have the lower anchors for the rear position (it does, however, have the anchors for the forward facing position). Here's the gist of what the "versa tether" system is: it is an anchor aid that helps to reduce the front-to-back movement of a car seat during a front or rear collision. This is especially dangerous in the forward-facing position (one of the reasons you should follow the 1 yr/20 lbs guidelines). There are straps that come from the top of the carseat and hook into the anchors installed in your car.
So, how safe do I feel Aidan is while in this seat? Very. Trust me, I wouldn't put my son anywhere near a seat I didn't consider safe. When I strap him in the buckles click loudly and the straps can be pulled tightly. As long as you strap the seat in correctly, it doesn't wobble and the seat base seems custom-made for our Maxima. I feel better knowing he has the TSIP and HUGS protection that only Britax offers as well as the Versa Tether system to provide even more protection.
Two more things: Comfort and Convenience
So... is it comfy for Aidan?
HA, I dunno... you gotta ask him. As with the Companion car seat, the Boulevard has many layers of "comfort" foam in addition to the EPS foam around the head. No part of his body comes into contact with any hard plastic pieces. The fabric itself has a nice, soft, thick texture -- almost like velvet. The Boulevard includes nice touches like a belly pad and cushions around the neck (to prevent the polyester straps from rubbing and chaffing the baby's neck). There is also a body pillow that can be used until the baby can safely sit up on their own. It's easy to remove, but Aidan seems to prefer it there even though he can sit up just fine. Sometimes I get jealous just looking at this thing -- it looks so plush and soft that I would like to have my driver's seat done by Britax. However, I do acknowledge this would pose an extreme safety hazard... so I understand why Britax hasn't ventured into that field.
My son seems to enjoy it... He loves to look around and never cried when I put him in the seat -- so I tend to take that as a good sign. He doesn't try to move around or squirm out of the car seat (unless it's been a long ride). One thing that I REALLY like about the Boulevard is the fact it doesn't seem to get as hot as the Companion did. When I'd pull Aidan out of the Companion, he'd be soaking wet. Now, even though the colors of the Boulevard are black and brown, Aidan doesn't seem to get overheated. Finally!
Well, the comfort is for the baby... how about convenience for mom?
The biggest thing about this car seat is the weight and bulk. At a whopping 21 pounds, this is not something you want to remove and install on a daily basis. However, I'm sure this is something that is pretty constant through the "convertible" car seat world -- these things just aren't as convenient as an infant seat. There is no such thing as a travel system with this seat, either.
One feature that is 100% unique to the Boulevard is the infinitely adjustable head pad and harness. What does this mean? Well, on most seats you have three possible positions for the shoulder straps. In order to change them (as your child grows) you must remove the straps and reinsert them into the new holes. This can be irritating, time consuming and an all around PitA, depending on the car seat involved. You don't have to mess with all that with this seat, however. All you have to do is turn a knob on the side of the car seat and the shoulder straps and head rest adjust to whatever height you need them to be. You can even adjust it with your little one in the seat! How convenient and easy for mom! I love, LOVE this feature and it was absolutely one of the deciding factors when I purchased this seat.
This seat also has a one-hand recline located on the front of the car seat. Adjusting this car seat to the proper angle is super simple with that lever, just pull and go. It is also aircraft approved, with instructions in the manual on how to install in an airplane (how nice!).
I really am surprised at how much I truly like this carseat. If the Companion wasn't so darned convenient for newborns, I would actually consider getting rid of it and keeping my Boulevard for my next little one.
Forward-Facing UPDATE
At the end of November, my son finally hit the one year mark... so that, thankfully, meant I could switch the Britax around to face forward.
It's extremely easy to install in the forward-position. The manual is very clear to follow when it comes to placing the straps through the correct hole and the strap locks are easy to lock. The base is better molded to my seat facing forward than rear -- and honestly, I feel he's more secure in this position. It took me less than five minutes to read the manual, position the belt correctly and tighten the locks... and the seat won't budge even a little bit when I push on it.
The manual is a little less clear when it comes to installing the tether and I actually had to remove the car seat a few times before I actually got the tether hooked correctly. My recommendation is to get the tether hooked up first, then install the car seat... otherwise you'll have a hard time reaching the anchor. The tether is easy to affix to your anchor point and easy to tighten the straps.
As far as comfort, I think it's taking my son a little bit of time to get used to sitting forwards. Because he's sitting straight up, he won't go to sleep -- meaning a lot of extra crying. The main problem is that when he starts to fall asleep, his head falls forward and rests on his chest. Whether this is a result of the Boulevard being LESS comfortable facing this direction, or the simple fact that he's facing forward now I can't say... I can say that it is much easier to adjust the harness tightness because the button is in a much more open location.
All in all, I didn't think it could get any better... but forward-facing is the best. By the way, I'll update this yet again to let you know if the safety techs certify how I put the seat in. They certified the first time (I actually did the rear-facing correctly), so we'll see if I pass inspection again.
UPDATE on Inspection
Today, December 13th I got my Boulevard inspected by a certified car seat inspector. She observed Aidan strapped in, then I had to remove the car seat so she could look it over and put it back in so I could demonstrate I knew how to do it properly. Let me tell you, I passed with flying colors. Apparently I'm the 1/5 people who actually have their car seats installed properly. The tether was correct, the straps perfect and all I did was follow the instructions. They're that clear. My instructor even said that the Boulevard was one of the best car seats she's ever seen -- how's that for a passing grade!!!
UPDATE on the rear-facing safety
I'm not sure why, but in the last few weeks of using the Boulevard.. the read-facing belt lockoffs started popping open. I hadn't done anything differently, gotten into any accidents or really touched it in months... but occasionally I would find a lockoff that had popped open. It never did then when the vehicle was in motion, but every once in a while I would find it had opened during the night. I checked and rechecked to make sure the seat was still safe -- pushing on it and such -- and it never moved... heck, the lockoffs didn't even pop open when I pushed on the seat. So your guess is as good as mine as to why they were doing that.
I will say this: I would never put my child into something I considered unsafe. It happened maybe twice that I've owned this seat, so I really don't think it's a big deal and it's not going to lower my rating. But I did feel an obligation to let you all know it was happening.
Overall Recommendation
Would I recommend the Britax Boulevard? Absolutely. The Britax brand is known for its mix of comfort and safety, and the Boulevard doesn't disappoint. It is everything I could have wanted in my second car seat and more.
I feel the Britax brand already stands heads and tails higher than the other car seat manufacturers out there and the Boulevard stands the highest in the Britax line. While I definitely appreciate the convenience the Companion offers, I wouldn't hesitate in making the Boulevard my one and only car seat purchase (especially if you're looking to save a little bit of money). Even though I've only tried it in the rear facing position, I can't imagine Aidan having any problems with it facing forward.
Bottom line: If you're in the market for a car seat and are looking for the best combination of value, comfort and safety, the Britax Boulevard is the one you want :).
Pros:
*Extra EPS and comfort foam around the head
*TSIP
*HUGS system
*Infinitely adjustable shoulder harness that adjusts with a turn of a dial
*Shoulder harness can be adjusted with infant in seat
*Belly and neck pads
*5 pt, tangle free harness
*Infant body support pillow
*One handed recline
*Versa Tether anchors
*Built-in lockoffs
*Easy to install and a breeze to remove
*Easy to understand/follow instruction manual
*Instruction manual on website at www.britaxusa.com
*Fits children up to 65 lbs
*Aircraft approved
*Exceeds federal safety standards
*Removeable, washable fabric cover
*Soft and thick fabric provides extra comfort
*Can find great deals on discontinued fabrics
*The car seat doesn't make the baby sweat/get overheated like the Companion does
*"A" Ease of Use rating by the NHSTA
Cons:
*Does have a retail price of $300
*Weighs 21 lbs, hard to pick up
*No crash test rating by Consumer Reports
*Might have a tough time fitting in compact cars, especially cars with only two doors
*Not compatible with any stroller system (though it really doesn't need to be)
So... comparison between the Britax products... why choose the Boulevard?
Ok, so in the beginning I mentioned that I researched this car seat against the other products in the Britax line... but I have yet to actually compare anything. Well here it is... let's go:
Safety first! Everyone hears about the Roundabout and the Marathon -- those seem to be the two most popular of the Britax convertibles. The Roundabout faired extremely well on the Consumer Reports Crash Testing, averaging an 81 (very good/excellent) with 4 very good ratings and 8 excellent. Not bad, but the Consumer Reports Crash Testing revealed some humoungous problems with the Marathon seat. They rated 58 points, a "good" rating, which earned LAST PLACE among the car seats tested. The ratings included one fair rating and one good rating, which (in this mom's opinion) is absolutely unacceptable. That, to me, was the major factor in discarding the Marathon carseat as an option. When I saw that everything from Evenflo to Combi was ranked higher for safety, I threw the Marathon out.
So let's look at the models and compare to the Boulevard:
Roundabout; This is Britax's basic convertible carseat. It has a low weight limit of 40 lbs (compared to Boulevard's 65) that could mean an extremely short life span. By basic I mean that it has EPS foam around the head (but NO TSIP), LATCH, built-in lockoffs, Versa Tether and a 5 pt harness. There is no HUGS or TSIP on the Roundabout. The Roundabout only sports a 3 position shoulder adjustment, as opposed to the Boulevard's infinite adjustor. Both are aircraft approved and both exceed federal safety standards. The Roundabout weighs in at 17 lbs, so there's only a 4 lb different between the two. There is not as much foam padding on the Roundabout as there is on the Boulevard and the Roundabout does not have the infant body support pillow. While this may seem inconsequential, look at the price. The Roundabout costs $220 (at least, more if you want to buy the Collegiate cover) -- that is only $20 less than what I paid for my Boulevard. Admittedly, the Boulevard usually retails for $300, but have seen sales on the Boulevard since May -- some as low as $240.
**NOTE: I did want to add something here. An Epinioner friend of mine emailed me with a concern over a remark about paying full price versus sale... When I received my car seat, I noted the date of manufacture on my instruction manual for easy access. I ordered the seat in June and the date of manufacture was 5/15/06 -- even though it was a clearance item. This is important because car seats do expire after 6 years. She pointed out that many companies have seats that sit around for even a year before they put them on sale -- that means you could be losing a year's worth of use (making the sale look less worthwhile). I want to state my assumption here as well: Britax is such a popular brand, I have a feeling that many don't sit around that long. In addition, if you purchase from a well-known and reputable dealer such as BestBuyBaby or BabyUniverse you should be confident your seat won't be older than a few months. However, there are many people who don't want to take that chance. My recommendation is this: if you are concerned about how old the seat it, call the company. If they can't tell you how long their stock has been sitting around (especially if it is a store unfamiliar to you), you may want to pass on the deal (unless you aren't planning on keeping it for a second child... then you probably won't need 5 years of use). I also wanted to point out that this could happen even to seats that AREN'T on sale, so you may want to call the company anyway.
Marathon: Didn't you read what I said about the testing? Well, anyway... The Marathon has the standard LATCH, Versa Tether, built-in lockoffs, 5 pt harness and EPS foam. The Marathon DOES have the HUGS system but it does not have the TSIP that is standard on the Boulevard. There is a limited number of shoulder adjustments (like the Roundabout). The Marathon can hold up to 65 lbs and is fairly well padded, though it is lacking the infant support body pillow. Also aircraft approved and exceeding safety standards set by our gov. Now, look at the price. The Marathon retails for $270, though I did find the discontinued colors for as low as $230. However, let's do a comparison... For $10 more you can get the safety and comfort of the TSIP head protection as well as an infinitely adjustable shoulder strap... To me, especially with the negative rating that Consumer Reports slapped on this seat... my Boulevard was worth it.
Decathalon: Some people have call this the pinnacle of Britax's car seats and while it does have a few things the Boulevard doesn't, I still felt the Boulevard is the better seat. It has the basics (including HUGS), but it also has a three-position crotch strap, toddler pillow, and an "infant positioning system." The shoulder harness height only has three settings, which is why the Decathalon decided to add a three position crotch strap as well -- to give you the most comfortable and secure fit possible. I still prefer the idea of my infinitely adjustable strap the Boulevard has simply because you don't have to fiddle with taking the straps apart and repositioning them when your child isn't in the car. The toddler pillow is a nice idea, but the "infant position system" seemed to be a fancier way of saying "infant support pillow." The Decathalon is definitely padded well, as well as the Boulevard... but the Decathalon DOES NOT have the TSIP protection the Boulevard does. The standard pricing for the Decathalon is $285, but I have found it for as low as $220.
So... I think I've made it fairly clear why I purchased the Britax Boulevard over the other more popular, prominent products in the Britax family. I feel the Boulevard gives you substantially more than the other seats while staying in the same price range. Currently, the cheapest prices I have found are $220 for the Roundabout, $230 for the Marathon, $230 for the Decathalon and $240 for the Boulevard. These prices are very close to each other, and for $20 more than the Roundabout... the Boulevard definitely delivers more bang for your buck.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 239.99
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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gatorgirlie
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Location: Orlando, FL
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