Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat, Onyx
by Britax USA
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List Price: Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat, Onyx
Customer Review: Easy To Install, Doesn't Budge, Like a Tank for my Toddler
Summary: 4 Stars
I have twins and, after doing extensive online research, ended up purchasing both the Britax Boulevard and the Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat Cowmooflage. I feel like they are both exceptionally safe seats - since we've not had an accident, I can't comment on their performance, but can offer my thoughts on the pros and cons.
1) Easy Installation. The Boulevard is extremely easy to install, especially if you use the latches. There are a ton of resources for ensuring that you have installed the seat correctly - I would encourage every parent to watch an online video, or take the seat by the police or fire station for inspection, just to be sure!
2) Very stable. Once properly installed, the seat doesn't move. This was a pleasant difference from our Graco Infant SafeSeat Step 1 - Gianni, which seemed to jostle side to side a little no matter how tight we pulled the straps.
3) Very comfortable for the kids. The material for the Onyx is soft, and there is a lot of cushioning around the head, waist, and the buckle connector.
Some slight downside considerations:
1) The seat is very large. If you are intending to use it rear-facing, you may have to move the driver/passenger seat W-A-Y forward, which can be a real drag. The seat does not cause the same issue once it is front facing. The Marathon doesn't take up quite as much room when rear-facing, and might be a better choice if you have a smaller vehicle.
2) The strap adjuster button is not as user-friendly as the Marathon. I find it a bit difficult, actually, to maneuver under the seat cover to raise the latch and adjust the belt length with a child in the seat.
3) The extended cushioning around the child's hips makes putting the child into the seat a little more difficult - the pillow kind of slips around and I find I have to slightly rearrange it almost every time I put the child into the seat.
None of the downsides are really big negatives - just inconveniences to be aware of. If I had to do it again, I would probably still purchase one each of the Marathon and the Boulevard. I think the real difference will be apparent once the kids are older toddlers and testing the height/weight limits of the two seats.
Customer Review: Caution in use with toddlers!!!
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased two of these seats for my twins. The seat is fantastic for use with infants, but when my twins hit 16 months of age, they figured out that they could easily reach the release button for the restraint harness, and basically get out of the seat by holding the button and leaning forward which opened the belts. It was heart stopping to see that they were not safe when I reached my destination, something that happened several times. I had to purchase another brand of seat to keep them safe and secure. It was a very expensive seat given this safety issue and I do not recommend it for use when a baby rides forward facing.Customer Review: Not right for newborns
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm sorry, this might be a great seat for toddlers, but it just isn't a good fit for newborns. My 6 lb baby did fit in it but she certainly wasn't comfortable. The straps are way too wide, too rough on her skin, and too far apart. We ended up having to purchase one of those infant car seats, which is not only better suited for our baby but also much more convenient for us parents. I'm sure we'll still use the Britax, just not now.Customer Review: Great purchase, high quality car seat!
Summary: 5 Stars
After hours of online research, we decided to go with the Britax Boulevard once my daughter outgrew her Graco Snugride (which we also liked). This seat is exceptionally large, so I do not see it fitting in a sports car. I was impressed with the true side impact protection wings, which is what eventually persuaded me to buy this, especially for when we move her from the middle position when another baby comes along. She does have to lean forward to look out the side windows, but has a great view out of the back. They also make a comfy pillow when sleeping. The fabric is very soft and I like the neutral colors. The headrest/strap height adjustment is very easy. I love the tether, it is the only brand to offer a rear-facing tether, you just have to spend a little extra time figuring it out. (I took it to a local specialist in installing car seats.) All of these things make it probably the safest on the market. It is rear-facing to 35 pounds, and forward-facing to 65, so we should get a lot of mileage out of it!
Complaints: The buckle leans towards the back of the seat and you do have to fish it out from under them each time they get in. I find the harness adjuster strap quite difficult to tighten. You cannot tighten it in one smooth motion as you can with the snugride. You have to jerk it out in several repeated motions. Besides this I am very happy with it. We bought it on sale and with a $200 gift card, otherwise I would have been hard-pressed to spend this much on it.
Customer Review: Love this carseat!
Summary: 5 Stars
We've been using this carseat for months now, and we love it. Most importantly, my son loves it. It is very comfortable, and we feel that he is very secure inside. It's not the easiest to install, but the comfort and stability of the seat more than make up for that. I've washed the cover and it did really well in the washer. It wasn't hard to put the cover back on, either. Lots of nooks and crannies for stray cheerios, but that can't be helped. Would buy another in a heartbeat, and highly recommended to anyone.