Britax Convertible Car Seat Comparison
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So, you are looking for a convertible car seat, eh? If you are currently researching convertible seats, you’ve come to the right place.
If you’ve decided on Britax for their safety features and premium fabrics but haven't yet decided WHICH second stage seat is right for you then read on. We are breaking down three popular Britax convertible car seats to compare five important features: safety, weight, features, fabrics, and price point. By the end of this article, you will be the most educated parent on the playground.
First things first, here are the contenders.
Now, may the best car seat win!
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What's the Difference?
So, if all the seats are safe, why are there so many different model options to choose from?
As you read along, keep these thoughts in mind from Sarah Tilton, Director of Consumer Advocacy at Britax and a Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor.
ClickTight Installation System
What makes these Britax seats so great is their ClickTight installation system. You can find out more about ClickTight Technology HERE.The good news? ClickTight Installation comes standard in all three of these convertibles [also known as second stage] car seats.
Advocate: ClickTight installation
Boulevard: ClickTight installation
Marathon: ClickTight installation
As an adult, when you get into the car you reach up to buckle your seat belt. Similarly, Britax aims to mimic that same ease with its ClickTight installation. Simply thread the seat belt through the locking mechanism in the base of your ClickTight car seat, listen for the “click” then fasten in your child and get ready to head out on the highway [or to your play date] with your smallest passenger safely in tow.
Britax has implemented some impressive safety features in their seats.
Top Britax Safety Features
- A SafeCell Impact Stabilizing Steel Frame
- An anti-rebound bar to limit seat rotation in a crash when installed rear-facing
- A SafeCell Impact Absorbing Base that compresses in a crash to absorb energy
- A SafeCell Impact Absorbing Tether unlike any other. It has a unique two-strap design and slows forward movement with patented rows of stitching that “give-way” one at a time in the event of a crash
What does SIP do?
It is the protective shell that absorbs crash forces and shields your child from debris in the event of an accident. SIP is mainly in the headrest allowing the seat to absorb energy keeping your child's head and neck secure.
Here's how these seats measure up in SIP.
Advocate: 3 layers of Side Impact Protection
Boulevard: 2 layers of Side Impact Protection
Marathon: “Complete” Side Impact Protection [1 layer]
Product Weight + Dimensions
| Car Seat | Car Seat Weight | Car Seat Dimensions |
| Advocate | 30.1 lbs | 20.5”W x 23.5”H x 23”D |
| Boulevard | 29.4 lbs | 18.5”W x 23.5”H x 23”D |
| Marathon | 28.5 lbs | 18.5”W x 23.5”H x 23”D |
Let's talk numbers.
The dimensions and weight of all three seats are quite similar. From the heaviest to the lightest there is a minimal 1.6 lbs. difference.
To account for that third layer of SIP protection the Advocate is 2” wider than its other convertible ClickTight competition which explains the slight difference in weight. Now, just because the Advocate is slightly wider doesn’t mean that it boasts any additional shoulder room inside the seat for your passenger. The shoulder width on all three seats is 16” across the board.
Features
When it comes to features, these seats are essentially triplets.
The Advocate, Boulevard, and Marathon offer luxury to your little one with plush foam padding in the cover, buckle pad, and shoulder pads. These comfort measures will certainly result in fewer questions like “are we there yet” on long family road trips.
So, how long can your child stay safe and comfortable in this seat?
As you can see below using our handy chart, the height and weight limitations of all three seats are the exact same. They boast a 2-Position Crotch Buckle, 7-Position Recline, and a no re-thread 14-Position Harness.
In layman's terms?
These features allow you to easily adjust the seat to your little ones growing body on the fly.
Go ahead and call us Sherlock Holmes because we did find two small differences in the harnesses that you may not have noticed in your research.
The Advocate and Boulevard have a shoulder strap height of 19.4”, which is 2” more than the Marathon. This spec is one that many parents don’t think of when making a purchase decision, but often wish they had down the road! When a child is forward-facing in a car seat, the shoulder straps must come from above their shoulders. All children are built differently and if you have a child with a longer torso, the high height increases the longevity of the seat [preventing it from being outgrown in “fit” before weight and height limits are met.]
The Advocate ClickTight also features the Britax Click N Safe Snug Harness Indicator, which gives an audible click to let you know when the harness is properly tightened on your child.
We do still recommend always using the "pinch test" to ensure your child's harness is tight enough - but this feature definitely gives parents additional peace of mind!
Note: In the US, this is a feature on all convertible seats, but in Canada it is available only on the Advocate.
| Fit Chart | Seat Shoulder Height | Weight | Height |
| Rear-Facing | 7.6 - 18.65" | 5 - 40 lbs | or up to 49" tall |
| Forward-Facing | 12 - 18.65" | 22 - 65 lbs | or up to 49" tall |
Fabrics
Now that we’ve confirmed that all these seats offer supreme comfort and safety it's on to the fun stuff —fabrics! Britax has designed something for everyone including performance fabrics like Safewash, StayClean, and Cool N’ Dry.
Here is where the decision-making process gets easier. Some fabric options are exclusive to a certain seat model.
If you are looking for something to wick away moisture from your very sweaty baby then the Boulevard in Cool N’ Dry might be for you.
It's a fact, your car will forevermore be littered with goldfish crackers, so we love that regardless of the fabric you choose all three seats have an easily removable cover.
Why is this feature so great? When your child has a blowout [not talking about a trip to the hairdresser] you'll cringe a little bit less knowing it will all come out in the wash...and that my friends is priceless.
This brings us to our final factor in the decision-making process, price.
Who Wins?
So which car seat wins?We’ve got to give it to Britax, they have an impressive line-up of products, but we are going to give this one to the Britax Boulevard ClickTight! *cue “We Are the Champions” *
We choose it for its best overall performance aka we are using the Goldilocks and the Three Bears rating system.
It's not too hot.
It’s not too cold.
The Boulevard is juuust right when it comes to price points and features.
If you are feeling confident shipping is always free over $49.
Still have a few more questions?
Head into one of our Snuggle Bugz locations for a custom Dry-Fit experience. Our Sales Advisors would be happy to pop a car seat into your car to ensure the best fit for your vehicle.
Happy shopping!
