After seeing firsthand how Britax car seats perform when really needed, I am incredibly thankful that we choose Britax and their “True Side Impact Protection”. As much as am a fan of “thrifty”, with car seats, we research and look for the best.
Side Impact Protection
“According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, approximately one in four of all motor vehicle crashes that involve children occur from the side, and these crashes result in a significantly higher injury rate than front or rear crashes.”
Britax sent us two new seats, including Advocate CS, a convertible toddler car seat. The advocate is very similar to the Boulevard CS, with an additional “Side Cushion Technology”.
High Weight Ceilings
As with their other seats, Britax has done the research and pushes the ceiling upward on weight limits–allowing you to keep your child rear-facing and buckled in a five-point harness as long as possible. My toddler son is rear-facing in the Advocate CS at age 18 months’ and he can continue to be up to 35 lbs. Sitting rear-facing protects a child’s head and neck. Once we are ready to turn him forward, we can use the seat up to 65 lbs.
Ease of Installation
Britax is also very aware that convenience and ease means that a car seat will be installed properly and used correctly. My husband, our resident car seat installer, installed both the Advocate CS and the Frontier in under 20 minutes, combined. He reported that the Advocate CS is one of the easiest seats he has ever installed, along with the Boulevard CS.
Should you encounter any difficulties, Britax has installation videos linked from the product page.
Convenience Features
One of my favorite unique features on the Advocate CS (and the Boulevard CS) is the “Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator”. You tug on the belt and hear a “click” when the tension is correct. According to a Britax press release, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that found 59 percent of harness straps to be dangerously loose. This feature is an audible reminder of how snug the harness needs to be–especially useful when the adult in charge is not as familiar with current car seat safety guidelines and has a tendency to keep the straps too loose.
Older toddlers also quickly learn that the “click” keeps them safe, which minimizes resistance to being snugly buckled and also serves as a reminder to the person doing the buckling.
Another great convenience is the quick-adjust knob that adjusts the head restraint and harness height. This way you do not have to remove and reinstall the seat to get the right fit.
Choosing the Right Toddler Car Seat
The best car seat is one that meets or exceeds safety standards and your child’s needs and will fit properly in your car. So, a different size car seat may work better in your vehicle and Britax has plenty of options in a variety of sizes (check out their car seat comparison chart). For our needs, the Advocate CS is an ideal toddler convertible car seat.
Britax has done the research to ensure that its seats employ the latest safety and convenience features so I feel confident trusting them with my children’s safety.
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WANT IT: Britax Advocate CS convertible car seat at Niche Retail ($296), Amazon ($326), Babies R Us ($369). Prices subject to change.
