Britax Boulevard Car Seat Review: A Car Seat that's Rated Highly for Safety, Comfort and Style

When I first started checking out the Britax Boulevard Car Seat I must admit I didn’t know too much about it. A friend was looking at car seats and my first impression was that it was a little pricey.

However this is a very safe, nice looking seat with many great features. It’s one of the best convertible car seats that I’ve researched.

A convertible car seat is simply a seat that faces the rear until the child attains a weight of from 20-40 pounds and then the seat is turned to face the front. It’s basically two seats in one because of the convertible feature.

The Britax Boulevard car seat is rear facing from a 5 pound newborn up to 40 pounds and then front facing until 70 pounds.

Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat

When looking at the array of child carriers, you need to look at the following features and necessities. They are:

• How safe is the seat and extra safety features?

• Can the seat be installed by you and is there any manufacturer information to help with the installation process?

• Does the carrier you're looking at have the LATCH system?

• Does the seat have a strong harness strapping mechanism?

• Does the seat have a front or rear buckling method?

• Is the seat plush and seem comfortable?

• Does the pad detach and can it be cleaned easily?

The Britax Boulevard car seat isn't cheap. Like most of the better children's products, you really need to be diligent in your research. Some of the areas of concern follow with an explanation.

Features That Make This a Safe Seat

This seat has safecell technology which means the safecells are made to compress in the event of an accident. This has the effect of counteracting the forward movement of the seat by lowering the center of gravity.

The seat features what the manufacturer calls a Versa-Tether. This is a tether webbing that again slows forward movement therefore making the effect of a crash greatly reduced. The two point attachment firmly anchors the top of the seat and further minimizes forward torque.

In my opinion Britax goes the extra mile in safety features which should be priority number one.

Is This Seat Difficult to Install?

There’s no guessing when you strap your child into the right position with the LATCH connectors. It’s fast, easy and results in a solid installation. Built in lock-offs make it simple to use your car’s belts to secure the seat. It’s no problem uninstalling the connectors as this is done with a push button. The harness system features a quick-adjust for repositioning the harness height.

The vehicle seat is protected by an anti-slip base that has a strong grip and can be firmly installed in any type of vehicle. When you place your child into the seat, holders make sure that the straps are out of the way and you don’t have to fumble with the straps while holding your child.

Importance of the LATCH Strapping Mechanism

LATCH basically means lower tethers and anchors to hold your child firmly. A top tether and two lower anchor attachments secure your child and the seat. The LATCH insures ease of car seat installation and that it will be done correctly.

The Britax Boulevard car seat has premium lower LATCH connectors. This means that the lower connectors can be easily snapped with a push-button system and a click is heard after installation. This gives you peace of mind knowing that the seat is safely installed.

What Kind of a Harness System Does the Seat Have?

This carrier has advanced protection in the event of a side impact crash. The rigid seat shell has very deep side walls, a head restraint that’s adjustable and an additional layer of EPP foam which lines the head restraint.

These features team up to make sure that your child is given the best protection possible by evening the crash forces out over a larger area and helping to contain your child’s head and body in the seat while keeping side to side movement to a minimum.

Convenience of Buckling a Seat from the Front

Some seats can only be adjusted from the rear and this can be a headache, especially in smaller cars. This carrier features a front harness adjuster making it easy to loosen or tighten the harness system.

A Soft Pad and Plush Fabric

The Britax Boulevard reclines in both the rear and front facing positions. The seat contains a high density foam and combined with a plush cover and a matching belly pad is very comfortable. The harness provides 10 height settings so as to give a child a snug fit and guarantees a ride in comfort.

Does the Seat Pad Detach for Easy Cleaning?

The plush seat cover comes with matching pads and they remove easily. This makes cleaning simple and means that you don’t have to uninstall the seat to access the pads for cleaning.

Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat

So What’s the Cost?

The Britax Boulevard Car Seat is available on the company website for $309.99 I’ve searched for a better price and found the best price to be at Amazon. As I write this it's priced at under $225 and shipping is not charged. Click here to see if the price has changed.

What’s in the Package?

• One Britax Boulevard car seat and manual

What Kind of a Guarantee Does the Seat Have?

Britax provides a one year guarantee that is limited.

Check Out These Owner Comments

The reviews from users on Amazon have been top notch with an average of 4.5 stars out of 5 possible.

Highlights of Owner Reviews:

• Excellent Car Seat

• Best Seat Made

• Top of the Line Car Seat

• Fun and functional

• Best Car Seat Out There

• Worth the Money

• Survived an Accident

I’ve decided to add this testimonial since it’s so important. This is from PT of Chicago, IL. She states that the family was in a vehicle collision but their baby was uninjured. She feels that their Britax Boulevard car seat was what kept their little one from serious injury. There is no doubt that this review helps back up the claim that this is one of the best convertible seats on the market.

Owner's Negative Comments

Some reviewers said that the push button to remove the straps was small and hard to find. Others said that the deep side walls probably block a smaller childs view but this was a tradeoff for the additional safety protection given by the side walls. A couple of reviewers said that the strap used to tighten the harness was a little tight at first but did loosen up quickly.

I've heard reviewers who also said that it's hard to install. I think most car seats are very hard to install. I've done a lot of installations and didn't think this one was especially difficult. The fact is that the Boulevard is the seat that I chose for my grandson because I'm a Britax fan. My daughter loves it.

Consumer Reports and the Boulevard 70

Consumer Reports is a highly respected company which tests, reviews and recommends products. They've tested most of the car seats on the market and they rated the best convertibles. The Boulevard 70 was rated number 1. They stated that this seat was "very good" for crash protection and ease of use.

The Britax Boulevard Car Seat and the Best Price

This seat is available from Amazon. The best price I could find online along with free shipping makes Amazon’s price the best deal around.

Additional Owner Ratings and Comments for the Britax Boulevard Car Seat?

To read over 140 reviews from people who have bought and use the product, the best place is Amazon. Click here to read more.

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