Jet With Kids

I love the Britax brand of car seat; I know that extensive testing and safety measures are part of the manufacturing process at Britax. I feel confident knowing that Britax puts their seats through the most rigorous testing in the industry at five separate testing facilities worldwide. I also like that the seat is manufactured right here in the US – in Charlotte, NC with most of the parts coming from locations within a 100-mile radius of Charlotte!

Bottom line – I always purchase car seats for safety. Not cover pattern, convenience features, or price. Yeah, that’s right - not even initially looking at price first. Basically the best car seats will cost me about $4-5 per MONTH ($50 per year x 6 years). I think I can skip ONE coffee and pastry at Starbucks per month to keep my child as safe as possible in a car everyday for his developing years….

Something to think about!

Safety is a basic need. It comes above any material good or vacation. We use the car seat everyday for YEARS and it cradles my child. Having said that – once I am comfortable with the safety of the seat, I then focus on the features. And I love the new Boulevard CS for the practical features.

Like I said, we use the car seat everyday. So that means everyday, multiple times per day, I am dealing with how easily my child gets into or out of this seat. How well it secures him, how comfortable he is, and how many times I have to turn around when driving to deal with any issues he has with it. In an ideal world, kids would be secured and sit still. But let’s be realistic, every parent knows that is not the case. As kids grow, they are more verbal or physical with their comments and complaints.

The Boulevard CS is great for the older child who may complain about not liking tight harness straps. Many parents admit to loosening harness straps to compromise with a complaining child. Part of the problem with car seat harnesses, is that it’s difficult to tell when tight is tight enough. Add a squirming or complaining child, tightening a harness can easily become a safety issue. Children may feel like they are being locked in or strapped down without a say in the matter.

Enter the Boulevard CS. Harness tightening just got a whole lot simpler! And with an independent little traveler, this has made all the difference in our car.

My son is 4 and he likes to be in control. In fact, he likes to think that he is needed and a “worker”. This car seat is perfect – and has changed the dreaded task of securing my son in the car seat.

When he sits in the seat, we loosen the straps so it is easy to get in. He tells me when he is seated and “ready”. Then we all are quiet in the car and “listen” for the click-click as I pull the strap to tighten the harness. The click means that the harness is pulled tight enough for safety. He loves it because as soon as he hears the click, HE tells ME when to stop tightening. With the Boulevard CS, the level of tightness is a “third party decision” and my son actively participates in the process.

Believe it or not - he has not complained ONCE since we got the Boulevard CS. In fact, he smiles when it’s time for his “job”. Do you know how nice it is not to have to negotiate every time we get in the car? For this reason, the “CS” on the Boulevard now stands for Click and Smile in our car!

The Boulevard CS seat is a beautiful car seat. Britax is known for quality, safety, and reliability – it’s a bonus that they produce beautiful seats! The seat is cushioned nicely. My son has commented multiple times when we drive over the bumps that this seat doesn’t hurt his “bum”.

It’s obvious just by looking at the Boulevard CS to see the seat provides advanced protection in side impact collisions. According to Britax, “One in four of all motor vehicle crashes that involve children up to 12 years old is a side impact crash.”

Britax provides the highest level of side impact protection on the market. Why would I settle for less than that? Children are not replaceable and safety is of the highest priority. The True Side Impact Protection headrests are also soft and cushioned, great for when my son falls asleep.

The harnessed seat can be used for newborns as little as 5lbs. (infant inserts make this seat pretty comfie!)all the way up to older kids weighing 65lbs. A comfortable, familiar seat will make it easier to keep older kids harnessed and happier, longer.

Another thing that I love about this seat? Since my sister and I rotate child care days (her 8 month old and my 4 year old), I find myself frequently pulling the harnesses out of car seats and rethreading them to fit either my nephew or my son. This is time consuming and frankly… a pain.

With the Boulevard CS, the harness adjusts without being removed! Just turn the knob on the side of the seat until the harness is at the correct position for the child. No need to remove the harness or rethread. This easy to use knob also adjusts the headrest at the same time -all without having to uninstall the seat. Of course, in my case I need to change the seat to rear facing for the infant – but not having to rethread saves valuable time and energy. Also, at the rate my son is growing, this applies for his changing height as well. The harness can be adjusted continuously – so the fit is exactly where my child needs it to be.

Ok so how about traveling with this seat? The car seat weighs 19lbs. so best to use transport assistance! I did a test run at the airport and found the Boulevard CS works wonderfully with the GoGoKidz. Take a look at my nephew and how comfortable he was riding around the airport! Also note the other GoGoKidz/Britax in the background of this photo – another traveler who must be reading Jet With Kids!

Since we are traveling on an extended trip this month, I don’t fly with my son the month prior to big trips. However, I have flown with the Marathon in the past and the bases are similar in size. The GoGo Kidz will need to be removed on the jetway and the seat carried down the aisle. All Britax car seats are certified for use on airplanes. Just keep the sticker on because the flight attendants are required to confirm the certification sticker is on the seat and will not allow you to use the seat in flight without it. *Although this is referred to as FAA Approved – please note that nowhere does it say FAA on the sticker. FAA Approved simply means that it needs to state that the seat is certified for use on aircraft. (yes, I think this can be confusing!)

From my viewpoint, maintaining the safety and health of a child is a parent’s biggest responsibility. Safety is basic to their survival and something they are completely dependent on us to provide. A car seat is used daily, multiple times per day, for at least 6 years and is not the place to skimp or look for the bargain. Instead choose a seat that will last you through the years your child is growing and will adjust to their needs. (The Britax Boulevard CS is recommended to use for a maximum of 6 years.) One seat for newborn to 6 years old? What a savings! View the seat from the child’s perspective – would you want to sit in it strapped down? Or would you want some say in the process?

I have found that by allowing my son to buckle the chest clip (I check to make sure it is at armpit level) and now having him participate in the tightening process, the car seat is not dreaded by either of us!

Yes, this car seat has all the great features you can count on from a Britax. The added bonus is that my child and I both smile every time we use it!

Congratulations Britax! The Boulevard CS (Click ‘n Smile) has been Jet With Kids Approved! as a valuable resource for families!