Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Seatzilla: It's like a La-Z-Boy for your baby., April 1, 2009
We ordered the Boulevard in the Madison design last week, after looking at the Britax Marathon, we decided to go for a seat with the better side-impact protection.
The first thing I noticed when it arrived was that the thing is absolutely huge. I had an opportunity to see it in a store after buying it, and the Boulevard seriously dominated the shelf. The next thing I noticed was that the build quality is incredible.
Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant about buying in to the almost cult-like following Britax has, but the Boulevard really is the most serious safety seat I have ever seen. And after reading a few posts about Britax seats, and the (alleged) importance of manufacturing dates, I can say that the seat we received from Amazon (not a third party seller) had a manufacture date of 02/27/2009, and we received it on 03/30/2009 -- so no need to worry about buying an "older" seat.
A few tips for potential buyers:
1) Look at this seat in the store before you buy, especially if your back seat is small. Make sure you understand exactly how big this thing is.
2) The instruction manual is designed to be permanently affixed to the car seat. Fortunately, I read the manual before nearly breaking the protective foam that its cord is covered by.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't let its size fool you - it fits in a small car, May 23, 2009
When my son started outgrowing the Roundabout, I tried the Boulevard and was very surprised to see that it actually fit well in our 2004 Subaru Forester, which has a notoriously small, narrow back seat. Install was easy and rock-solid.
Although the Boulevard "looks" huge in the store, it's OK once installed rear-facing because the base is very compact. Also, this car seat has a small footprint so it doesn't hang off the edge.
Side to side, the Marathon and the Boulevard are about the same size. The Boulevard is actually smaller than the Graco Sport car seat, which has a very large base and could not be secured tightly in the Forester. Seat depth from the back to the crotch strap is 6" for the Marathon, 6.5" for the Boulevard and 7" for the Roundabout, so if you have a boy, go for the Boulevard.
Although the front passenger seat of my car is moved forward more than I'd like, I can still sit there in a pinch (I'm 5'8" and my knees are 2" from the glove compartment, with the seat very upright). In back, the car seat takes up the whole right seat (there's not much of a "center seat" anyway), so there's really only room for an adult behind the driver. I must clarify that this happens with any car seat I've tried - the problem is the size of the back seat, not the car seat.
The Boulevard car seat will not fit rearfacing behind the driver's seat in my small car. Front-facing, the size of the Boulevard is not an issue.
As with any Britax, the front passenger seat should not be moved or reclined after the car seat is installed - it could interfere with the back tether, the angle of the car seat and the clearance between the back of the front seat and the Britax (there must be about an inch or two fingers, to allow the car seat some give in case of a crash). Follow the manual's instructions to make sure the seat is level - there's a red line on the base as a guide.
The Boulevard also fits well in a Honda Accord, Nissan XTerra, Toyota Rav4 and Lexus SUVs. However, if your car is really, really small and you want that side impact protection, try the Britax Diplomat, about the size of the Roundabout but with wings and a 40 lb. maximum weight limit. If the Diplomat doesn't work, and you need a rear-facing seat, it's time for a minivan.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Protection and luxury for your little one, December 1, 2008
I purchased this car seat for my 3-year-old daughter. It was an upgrade from the Britax Roundabout, which we have had since she was 10 months. The Boulevard provides a very safe and comfortable ride for her. The HUGS system, with the ribbing under the padding feature, makes it that she can't slide around easily once harnessed. Her head is protected from the Side Impact Protection if she falls asleep. I like the colors and design of the Barrington -- they go with any car decor, are smart looking, and conceal dirt due to the dark colors.
I have a few minor issues with this car seat. One is as was mentioned in other reviews, the crotch strap is very short (the one in our Roundabout was a little longer and posed no problems). I usually have to dig for it under my daughter once she gets in the seat, which she does not particularly enjoy. Two, the deep side walls obstruct her view somewhat when looking to the extreme right or left. This is only a minor issue, as I value the protection her head gets with the Side Impact Protection. And third, as with our other Britax, when you (hand) wash the car seat cover, it can take a long time to dry. So you either have to have another car seat handy to put your child in while it dries, or are just unable to use the car seat until it is dry.
Overall, I am very happy with the Boulevard and would highly recommend it. It was worthwhile to me to spend the extra money for a more luxurious and safe car seat that my daughter would enjoy riding in. No complaints from her as far as comfort goes -- a big deal if you're in the car for a while!
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