Britax Booster Seat

FROM THE MANUFACTURER

The Britax Parkway SG Belt Positioning Booster features industry leading side impact protection and Slide Guard anti-submarine technology to manage crash forces and minimize injury. Supportive comfort foam and soft, padded materials promote proper seat use and enhance safety. Designed to fit three across in most vehicles, the booster seat is appropriate for children 40 pounds and up. A removable backrest, dual retractable cup holders, color coded belt guides and a one hand quick-adjust head restraint make the seat convenient and easy to use each and every time.

REVIEW

By Dave (Portland)

Britax Booster Seat is a recent (as of Sept 09) replacement for the old Britax Parkway Booster. While a new design it roughly about the same size as the old Parkway Booster, sitting just an inch or two taller. In most ways it is a normal booster: it elevates the child so that your car’s lap and shoulder belt fit correctly. Like most high end boosters it includes energy absorbing foam and the design helps stabilize the head and spine during a collision reducing the chance of injury. Where it differs from the old Parkway and the competition is the “Slide Guard” – a clip that sits between the legs that turns your standard three-point seatbelt into a four-point seatbelt. Your regular lap belt just threads into the clip (something you or your child must do each time they buckle up). The point is to keep children from sliding under the lap belt in a crash (this happens a lot and can result in abdominal injuries). This is a feature you won’t find in the top rated (by Consumer Reports) Graco Turbobooster or the Recaro Start and to me it is the main selling point (CR doesn’t have a review for the Britax yet). It has a downside in that it’s slightly more complicated than a normal seatbelt. Older children won’t have trouble with this but younger children will need some help.

I love it: I had no trouble with installing it, or getting my son strapped in. He’s not quite old enough to be trusted with getting it on correctly so it takes a little more time to get him in his seat properly. If you’ve got a lot of kids to get into car seats this could be a deal breaker for you. If you have a smaller child or one who slouches down in their seat, the additional harness connect could be a life saver.

Here are the basic specs:

• Weight range: 40 120-pounds
• Height range: 38″-63″
• Armrests (note that they are fixed in place and can’t be adjusted)
• Headrest helps support the head and neck during a crach
• Narrow Footprint allows for 3-across seating in some cars
• Removable back converts to a backless booster
• Cup Holders on each side
• Color-Coded Vehicle Belt Guides indicate the path and positioning of the vehicle seat belt
• High Density Comfort Foam provides an extra layer of padding to gently cushion the child
• Energy-Absorbing Foam Liner (EPS) absorbs and distributes crash forces

You can get this information and see videos on the Britax web site. I’d suggest doing that before you buy since this isn’t quite your typical design.