Customer Reviews

Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat, Park Avenue

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We recently purchased this seat for our 5 month-old, specifically for long trips. It is installed rear-facing in the center of our '02 Jetta.

Things we like about this seat:
1. It's big. We have a tall baby and this will hopefully last him through his toddler years.
2. Continuously adjustable shoulder-strap and headrest height. Just turn the knob. This is really my favorite feature, because the straps are never too high or two low, and it's easy to fix if he has a growth spurt.
3. Our child is happy riding in it for long trips.
4. Comes with strap cushions.
5. The manual is attached to the seat.
6. Extra body cushion removes when baby is a bit bigger, but helps "fill up" the seat right now.
7. Extra safety features.... of all the places to put extra money that may not be strictly necessary, a carseat is my choice.
8. Nice-looking, neutral without being boring, and soft fabric.

Things we don't like:
1. It's big. It fits in our '02 Jetta (barely) but it was a struggle to get it there and the back seat is pretty unuseable for anyone else when it's in the middle, where it is safest. It does also fit behind the passenger seat, with some towels under it to get it level. It is taller than the front seats when installed. I'm also not sure it would really fit on a plane.
2. Difficult to get baby in and out between the seat sides, headrest, and body cushion. Adding the top tethers makes it virtually impossible.
3. Even more difficult to tighten the straps. I think this is mainly a question of angle when trying to pull them tight -- it's hard because the adjuster is so close to the seat of the car.

Neutrals:
1. I have a feeling we will never use the recline feature. For one thing there's no room in the car.
2. The top tether-straps, a nice safety concept, make it even harder to get the child in and out as they come straight across a few inches above the sides of the seat in rear-facing use. Thus the temptation is to leave them off. I call this a neutral feature because I can't see how it would be any different on any other carseat.

In summary, this is a good seat, and I can recommend it with some caveats about useability. However, after using both this and the Britax Roundabout, I wish we had bought two of those rather than splurging on this larger and more feature-laden seat.

My toddler at 25 months was 38 1/2" and 34 lbs. Her other convertible car seat went to 40 lbs & 40". I wanted to keep her in a five point harness as long as possible. Now she should be in it until she is 6 or 7. She had no problem adjusting to the TSIP (True Side Impact Protection). They make nice pillows too. It is a big seat but is designed for a bigger child than the Roundabout (65lbs & 49" vs 40 lbs & 40"). It sits up high which allows her to see out the window very well. My toddler is forward facing. FYI at 48 lbs you have to go from latch to seat belt install.

I also have one for my 5 month old. She loves it. She's been in it since 2 1/2 months no problem. The straps on her infant seat were falling off her shoulders (not quite ready for the top slots but too tall and skinny for the bottom). The insert is great. It keeps her straight, no slouching. She looks so cozy.

The fabric is sooo nice. They installed easily in our 2005 Honda Odyssey. We have the tether on the rear facing attached to the base of the front seat and it appears to be ok but can get in the way. I think we may take it off.

The only thing I don't like is the crotch strap has only one position. In the decathalon (which mother in law has 2 in her car) there are 3 positions. I agree the straps are hard to tighten. You have to get the angle right and use some force, but they don't budge and the velcro that holds them on the sides of the seat is cool!

If you are tall then just buy one seat and go for the marathon, decathalon or boulevard. Because if you are as safety paranoid as I am you will be back to get it when your child is 2, 3, or 4. I would have saved myself $180 for each of the 2 other convertible seats I bought. Granted I could have used them for my infant but then in 1 1/2 years I'd be in the same boat and in my opinion Britax is the safest!

PS We chose the Boulevard over the Husky (or whatever the new name is) because it is airline approved, a little smaller, and is ok for our infant. The husky is forward facing only and not airline approved, but goes up to maybe 80 lbs??

I am a car seat technician and have checked and installed a lot of car seats over the years. Britax has the market with regard to comfort, features and safety hands down. Really there isn't a better choice. I like this car seat and my daughter seems to enjoy being in it. A few things I don't like are:
The buckle seems very close to the child and it isn't adjustable. I have a four month old now and am using the pillow so maybe it will be better once the pillow is gone, but it seems pretty tight and I wonder if it feels ok once the straps are tightend.
I agree with other reviewers that the strap add on's do seem a little excessive and bulky at least with the 4 month old.
Not a big deal but the color wasn't as shown on Britax's website there is a lot of brown and beige, not my favorite but we will live with it since the safety benefits and features outweigh the Aesthetics.

We ended up getting Britax Boulevard after much research because it's the only seat in the market with true side impact protection, beside the Safeguard car seat ($$$).

Pros:

* Good front-crash rating, not excellent like the Roundabout (per Consumer reports).
* The only Britax 65 lb seat with true side impact protection.
* The harness is very easy to adjust and you don't need to uninstall the seat to change the shoulder height.
* Can be back-tethered to the base of the front seat with a special strap adaptor (included).
* Easy installation. It took 10-15 minutes to get it rock solid, and it took up a lot less room than expected due to it's design.
* It's approved for airline use although you can't wheel this one down the airplane aisle because of its width, like you can the Roundabout.
* The wings are not too obtrusive and provide great head support for naps.

Cons (more than I would like):

* This is a rather big seat - It needs 31" for installation in the back seat. This fit easily in a Honda Accord.
* The harness is harder to tighten that with the Roundabout - a few short tugs usually does it though.
* This seat is a little on the shallow side. The seat is 6.5" inches deep without the padded infant insert, compared to 6" in for the Marathon and 7" for the Roundabout. The Decathalon has adjustable depth - the farthest out slot is 7".
* The harness release mechanism is easy to figure out. It's simply a metal tab that lifts with a flick of a finger, just like the Marathon's. If you tuck excess strap between the Britax and the seat it makes loosening the harness by a toddler impossible.
* This car seat had a recall in 2006 (the weight limit was lowered to 50 lbs tethered for the affected seats only) but I understand that the new seats have been fixed with a redesigned tether strap, so it's back to 65 lbs - just make sure it was manufactured after August 2006 (please refer to the recall info on the Britax website).

All said, I was so happy after we installed it and didn't budge.

UPDATE: Washing and reassembling Bouevard car seat is a nightmare! My baby threw up in the car and it is hand wash only, drip dry, do not machine wash & dry or else. I washed it in Woolite in a large sink, then rolled it up in a towel to take out the excess water, and hung it up to dry. A day later, it was dry, but putting the car seat back together was like a puzzle. Unfortunately, the instructions just say "put cover back on" with no tips at all of how to do it without going nuts.

The car seat has a headrest that's independent of the shell, with EPS foam lining that you have to be careful not to break. After many failed attempts, as the cover doesn't stretch and the headrest will break if you try to bend it, I realized that if you slide the cover gently over both wings at once (sort of like putting your pants on both legs at once), and then wrap the fabric cover around the top, it's easy and you won't break the headrest. I had a few tense moments thinking that Britax has to sell replacement parts, as the EPS foam is very easy to damage if not done this way (Huge hint to Britax - clearer instructions?) You have to put the headrest contraption on before putting the harness straps back into the shoulder slots - I forgot and had to redo the whole process.

Threading the harness through the fabric cover was also nearly impossible. You're not supposed to remove the components of the harness, and you don't have to either. It's easy if you just take out the harness strap out from the top slot of the grey rubber holder (leaving it threaded through the bottom slot), enough to slide the chest clip up a little bit beyod the rubber part. Put each part individually through the fabric cover's slot (chest clip, rubber thingie folded in half lengthwise, buckle with the metal tip first). When you're done, you slide the chest clip down again on the strap and rethread the strap through the top slot of the rubber holder.

Then you rethread the shoulder staps through the back, making sure the straps are not twisted and that it's well secured to the metal yoke.

It takes about half an hour to reassemble properly. The cover came out fine without shrinking or fading. But I understand now why Britax sells replacement covers and why you shouldn't feed a baby before you put them in a car seat.

Other than this it's a great car seat though. Just make sure you have another cover on hand if this is your only car seat!

After quite a bit of research, we decided on the Boulevard for our 5 month-old who, at 20 pounds, had outgrown her infant seat (the Groca SnugRide). It is big, but I drive a 2002 Honda CRV-EX and it fits just fine in the back on the passenger side, though the front passenger seat can't be slid back all the way now (due to the recline of the Boulevard). That's not too much of an issue though, as there is still plenty of leg room for the front passenger.

As for the installation gripes, I can't comment one way or the other, as I simply went to my local fire department and had them install it for free. It took them a little while to get it in b/c they first tried to install it in the middle of the backseat but we decided not to leave it there as I have no LATCH connectors there and the seatbelt didn't get it secure enough. They then installed it on the passenger side and, to be fair, it did take one noodle (which they had on hand, luckily) to get it to sit right. However, it only took them about 5-10 minutes to get it installed and it is rock-solid!! I know not everyone has this option, but you should at least check into it...call your local fire department(s) and ask if they do installations (or at least checks)...most will be happy to do so. The two firemen that installed this seat were very nice and patient in getting it installed correctly.

It took a day or two for both myself and my daughter to get used to the new seat...I missed the convenience of buckling her into her infant seat in the apartment and just snapping it in the car, but I never felt that it was as secure as the Boulevard is now. I also miss being able to carry her in the apartment/store/etc. sleeping in her carrier, rather than waking her up when I'm getting her out of the seat. Now that I've 'got the hang' of putting her in the seat, it's wonderful. Whenever we're in the car for more than 5 minutes, she's fast asleep. She looks much more comfortable now, probably b/c she is a big baby and the Boulevard is much roomier. I like the HUGS system and the belly pad that the Boulevard has, as the pad eliminates the possibility of me accidentally pinching her thighs when buckling the belt and the HUGS system distributes the strap force (or however that it best worded) and the coordinating 'strap guards' keep the straps from digging into her neck.

Overall, I would definitely reccommend this seat to anyone looking for a good convertible car seat, especially those with larger than average babies (as it goes up to 65 pounds forward facing).

My child and I were recently in an accident, and from the combination of the automobile's safety features and this seat, the baby was not injured at all. I am definitely gettting this one again, as I have been lectured that the old one should not be re-used. The seat looks great, and although everything looks in place, I am not taking a chance on some part getting stresses that I cannot evaluate.
My husband and I even carried this seat on an airplane so our child could sit comfortably and in his own seat. This seat is large, and takes up a lot of room, but in the long run, absolutely worth every penny.

I got this car seat for my 10 month old daughter. I was concerned that it would be too large for my car (I have a Honda Civic), but it fit just fine. Rear-facing you would need to put in the center of the back seat, so if you have 2 kids, you would have to put the seats up further, but if you are short, that will likely not be an issue. I had it installed at the fire station and it fit in perfectly -- he installed it in minutes and did NOT need any foam pieces to make it fit properly! It was a perfect fit on its own.

Pros:
1. it is the best car seat you can get!
2. has side impact protection -- also makes a good headrest when baby falls asleep
3. the adjust knob for the harness is awesome to adjust especially over large coats
4. the seat is very well cushioned, soft fabric
5. fits fine a small car even rear facing (I have a Civic)
6. it's heavy so its not going anywhere!
7. works for up to 65 pounds, so we will get a lot of use out of the seat
8. she loves it!

Cons:
1. it is large/heavy (though it is staying in my car so heavy is not a problem)
2. the strap to tighted the harness is a little tough to pull tight on a smaller child, but you need to pull straight out and not up
3. it is expensive

I highly recommend this seat (we have the Onyx fabric). It is large, heavy and expensive, but it is the best!! I had buyer's remorse for a few minutes, but I figured it is the best seat on the market right now and $300 is a small price to pay for protecting my daughter. I did a lot of research before buying and felt confident in my decision and in the seat! Very pleased with this seat! Also, please make sure you get your seat installed by a certified technician (Check with your local Children's Hospital). Improperly installed car seats and improper use of car seats is the leading cause of death among children and infants. Something very easy to prevent!

I purchased this seat for my son who is almost one year old and was outgrowing his infant seat. I want him to stay rear facing for a while longer since that is a safer alternative and this seat allows for rear facing until 33 lbs. The fabric is very soft and the colors are great. The seat is installed in the backseat behind the passenger seat and there is still room for the passenger to sit (05 Honda CRV). My son seems very comfortable in this seat, the side impact wings are like pillows for him where he can rest his head. The wings are not in his way of looking out the window or at his friend in her car seat (Evenflo Triumph) when riding with us.

This child seat is great - installs much easier on LATCH systems than the Roundabout, the shoulder harnesses are easier to adjust, TSIP and Hugs system provides my daughter a much more comfortable ride.

However, when my daughter turned 2, she figured out how to lift up the latch/ratchet system and completely loosen the straps to the point where she could remove her arms and lean forward. She's still secured by the belt buckle but she is free to move her upper body, which isn't safe at all.

I am not sure why Britax hasn't addressed this, but for long trips I have to replace the Boulevard with the Roundabout, which has a button that makes it more difficult for my daughter to loosen the straps. Otherwise, I'm constantly pulling over on the road and re-tightening the straps.

I will be calling the Britax customer service to see if they have a way to prevent this from happening...

9/17 UPDATE: I finally received an "Adjuster Training Kit" to address this flaw in the Boulevard design. The kit is basically a small plastic piece that covers the rather large, accessible hole to the adjuster strap. The plastic part snaps in place and is secured by a piece of velcro that they give you (they also give you an alcohol wipe to help clean the plastic before you secure the self-adhesive velcro strap in place). The instructions are a little hard to follow because it's a black-and-white photo copy and the pictures are a bit difficult to make out. However, the kit itself does the trick and my 2 year old can no longer loosen the straps at will. The adjuster strap is a little more difficult for adults to loosen because now you have to stick your finger in a much small hole to loosen the adjuster, but it's well worth it now.

We have used a Decathlon for our 21 month old son for the past 1 1/2 years. Yesterday, after our Stroller Strides class, we were loading up, and the harness adjustment broke as I was tightening the harness. Up until this point, we have had no problems with the Decathlon. I was surprised that such a top of the line seat would up and break on us. We drove immediately to Safe and Secure Baby, here locally, and were told that the seat was broken and it was a manufacturing problem. This morning, I called Britax and they are sending me a new car seat along with a return shipping label to return to them my broken Decathlon, even though our one year warranty expired five months ago. Now, that is good customer service! Needing a car seat immediately, we purchased a Boulevard yesterday, and am completely happy with it. Initially, I was concerned about the "crotch strap" as noted earlier, but it doesn't matter, because the maximum length of the "crotch strap" on the Boulevard is the same as the maximum on the Decathlon. So, I don't know why she was concerned about her son outgrowing the car seat. He will outgrow them at the same rate - since the crotch strap maximum is the same.

I was SOLD on the Boulevard when I was asked, "If you were in a car accident, would you rather have your son's face hit the side impact protection (on the Boulevard) or the window (on the Decathlon)". I didn't realize, when in an accident, the car seat (any car seat) can move quite a distance. Then, I was concerned that my son may fuss over the slightly more limited view when using the Boulevard with SIP. But, it hasn't affected him one bit. He didn't care at all, and it made a nice head rest for him when he napped off in the car today. Britax is replacing our broken Decathlon with a Boulevard. It's worth every penny! and comes with great customer service from Britax, too. FIVE STARS FOR THE BOULEVARD.