Product Description

Britax Boulevard CS Convertible Car Seat

If you like the Boulevard Covertible Car Seat, you will fall in love with the Boulevard CS! This convertible car seat has an added feature; the click & safe harness adjuster. The adjuster actually clicks when the harness straps are snug, as an audible aide to help determine when the harness is snugly secure. The quick-adjust headrest and harness allows for repositioning of the head support and harness height effortlessly without having to rethread the straps. This convertible car seat allows for rear facing from 5-35 lbs and forward facing from 1 year up to 65 lbs. Rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and positioning. The Boulevard CS features True Side Impact Protection which distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and minimizes side-to-side head movement. The patented Harness Ultra Guard System, HUGS, reduces forward head movement and gently cushions the neck and chest. The tangle-free, five-point harness with multiple harness heights  and lift-lever front adjustment allows for a snug and secure fit. The patented Versa-Tether anchors the top of the seat to minimize movement in a crash. Premium push-button LATCH connectors allow for a quick, simple, and tight installation. High density comfort foam gently cushions the child. The Boulevard CS features energy-managing protective foam and a body pillow for a custom fit. Built-in lock-offs tightly secure the vehicle seat belt. Convenient belt holders keep the harness straps to the sides while placing your child in the car seat. The plush, washable cover comes with matching comfort and belly pads and the contoured base is a perfect fit in most vehicles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1228 in Baby Product
• Color: Davenport
• Brand: Britax USA
• Model: E9L72N6
• Released on: 2008-10-15
• Dimensions: 27.00" h x 19.50" w x 25.50" l, 19.00 pounds

Features

• Convertible, rear facing five to 35 pounds and forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds up to 65 pounds
• Click and Safe harness adjuster "clicks" when the harness straps are snug as an audible aide to help determine when the harness is snugly secure
• True Side Impact Protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and minimizes side-to-side head movement
• Quick-adjust headrest and harness re-positions head support and harness height effortlessly without having to rethread the straps
• Tangle-free, five-point harness with multiple harness heights for a snug and secure fit

From the Manufacturer
The Britax Boulevard CS car seat introduces the new Click and Safe snug harness indicator, the latest advancement in child safety, which addresses the leading misuse with safety child seats. The Click and Safe feature is an audible aide to help determine when the harness is secure by clicking when the harness straps are snug. Other features include True Side Impact Protection with deep side walls and head support to provide advanced protection in side impact collisions. The easy-turn knob quickly adjusts the headrest and harness height without having to uninstall the seat. Higher forward-facing weight capacity allows children to remain harnessed up to 65 pounds. The tangle-free, five-point harness ensures a snug and secure fit. Premium push-button latch connectors provide a quick, simple and tight installation. Unique features include the patented Versa-Tether for energy management, and rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and a body pillow for positioning. The Britax Boulevard CS fits children rear facing from five to 35 pounds and children forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds, up to 65 pounds. The Britax Boulevard CS is made in the USA with U.S. and global components.

Customer Reviews

Britax Quality and Style
We've had this seat about one month now though our three year old has been in his Boulevard since he was 6 months. It is our second Britax Boulevard and our fourth Britax product overall. We like the Boulevard because of its excellent safety and comfort features. The Boulevard is very big and thus very versatile as it will span a long period of our child's early life (up to 65 lbs). That said, the "Click and Safe" model is probably worth the extra few dollars so that folks not used to using a car seat (e.g. grandparents) can safely determine when the seat belt is sufficiently tight. However, we have it installed "rear facing" right now and it pinches the belt. Thus, I'm not sure the click and safe feature is really working. However, this is not our first seat so we know how tight it needs to be. Britax has improved the belt buckle so that it snaps together more easily now. We also think Britax offers that most stylish seats with the best quality fabric. The bottom line is that this is a great seat that is as safe or safer than anything else on the market. It's comfortable, versitile, and stylish. The lone 'negative' is that it's very big. Thus, if you have a compact car, you will have trouble getting it installed as a rear facing seat without impacting the driver or passenger seat. We have a 2003 BMW 5 Series wagon and, when installed rear facing, it does touch the front passenger seat. However, there is sufficient room for a 6 foot adult male to sit in front comfortably. On the flip side, I believe that if you're buying a small car seat, to some degree you're sacrificing safety. When installed front facing, the size is less of an issue. I know it's a pricey seat, but considering it should last us about five years, I think we can swing the $5/month it will cost us to keep our kids safe and happy. Last, but not least, the Mom wanted the 'girlie' fabric for our little girl. Her older brother has a different pattern. Even I must admit the pattern is cute for our little girl and I do think she likes it.

Installation
INSTALLATION:
I wish I had done more research (not on the car seat) but the actual installation of the car seat. When we opened the box and checked out the seat, we were VERY happy with it. Installing it was another thing. We have a Subaru Outback Station Wagon. Thinking that it was a family car, a car seat wouldn't have been an issue. Think again. There are only tethers in the roof (near the hatch). There are no tethers in the floor. Putting this car seat rear facing was a challenge. We ended up tethering it down on the rails of the front passenger seat. When we move this seat to forward facing, it will be a breeze since we can tether it up.

LATCH system - easy to install. make sure to pull the straps TIGHT after install. Seat will wobble a bit but once you tether it down (or up) it's very secure. If you do tether it up, make sure the seat is still within the 30-45 degree requirement. It makes it hard to keep the seat secure AND at those degrees. When we tethered it up, it looked like the seat was being pulled upright.

Recline: If installing rear facing, MAKE SURE TO RECLINE THE SEAT before installing the LATCH system. It's very hard to reach once your seat is latched.

DO NOT throw away the styrofoam pieces in the seat. They're part of the seat and not packing material. I'm glad I read through reviews before prying that foam out and chucking it. If you already threw it out, call Britax, they'll replace it.

Background Info: My son is now 6 months old. Sitting up on his own. 16lbs, 25" tall

SEAT:
Straps: REALLY SOFT!! Harness is easy to use and unclip to get our baby out. Drawback is that the rubber part of the strap is too tall (it's longer than my son's torso. It irritates him and doesn't seem comfortable. Britax has a lot of extra padding to make the straps bearable, there's a padded cushion that is useful to make sure the strap doesn't dig into his neck. There is also another pad behind the buckle so it doesn't push onto his bits and his belly.

Padding: Infant inserts removes easily so as my son gets bigger, we can take the cushion off. There's a way to fold the flaps/sides in so it gives a snugger fit for smaller babies. Looks like there will be plenty of room to grow.

Headrest: Easily moves up and down. Wish the side flaps weren't so stiff. Seems like it will work with his large head.

Style: Good looking. Fabric is soft and feels nice. Color combination is attractive. Looks like a "big boy" seat and blends in well with my car.

Overall: The seat is pretty light. I carried it without a problem. It looks great in my car. Took a bit of fussing but well worth it. It's great that the seat sits a little higher so my son can look out the window. He could see some stuff in his infant carrier but not really that great. I feel very confident and comfortable that my son is in a secured and well rated seat.

Wonderful for Safety
I researched and researched forward facing car seats. I debated buying this car seat for about a month. I finally decided to buy it and I am glad I did.
Positives:
Easy to install. It took us about 15 minutes to install with LATCH.
(just read the instructions a couple of times and watch the video on-line if you think you'll have trouble)
The seat fits well forward facing in our car. (Pacifica) It actually takes up less room then her infant carrier.
It is easy to adjust the positions. No loops, no straps to re-thread.
My child appears comfortable and the HUGS system ensures nothing rubs on her.
The safety rating is the best!
Negatives:
The Click and Safe feature is pointless. It doesn't get snug enough, even though it "clicks." It is actually harder to make the harness tight enough. I wish we would have bought just the Boulevard.
For the price, not a lot of features like cup holder. Not a big deal, but would have been nice.
It does not fit well into my husbands Civic. We are looking into a smaller Britax.
Overall, it is a wonderful seat. It is easy to clean and I feel comfortable knowing my child is in a super safe top rated car seat. I don't think I would use rear facing just because it doesn't have a removable base, so you would have to remove infant from seat to take in and out of home, store, ect. Summary: Great Forward facing infant seat!