Questions concerning Britax Expressway with Rigid LATCH

[TiggyRN]

Is the Expressway with rigid LATCH and "Pivot Link" safer than a regular LATCH seat used WITH a tether or lap/shoulder belt used with a tether?

Would the Expressway have less forward head movement and chest load if used with a tether? Neither of the pictures on the Britax news site shows the seat used with a tether.

Also, the ad blurb on the Britax site about this seat says it has different recline positions. Can you use the tether in a reclined position like you can in the RA? Is this like the RA in that you recline the seat and then tether and it stays that way until you reinstall the seat or is it recline on the fly? Hom many different reclines does the seat have?

MY DD is a skinny beanpole so I am not worried about the weight issue of only 40 lbs compared to 60 in the Marathon. I am kinda concerned about the height issue so that is why I want to know about the safety of rigid LATCH and a tether vs. regular LATCH or shoulder/lap belt with a tether.

I am comparing Expressway with rigid LATCH, another Roundabout with LATCH, Marthon, another no LATCH Roundabout or a MaxiCosiPriori (which of course has no LATCH).

We will me in the market for a new seat in the next year or so (we are trying to get pregnant) or maybe sooner (we may adopt cousin's baby if she doesn't get her act together and start caring for him).

TIA,

Sherry and Katie (2/8/01 in a FF tethered Roundabout)
Sherry and Katie (2/8/01 in a FF tethered Roundabout)

[tobymc]

From what I've read, the rigid latch IS safer than the flexible latch or the belts. The list goes like this: safest is rigid latch, then flexible latch with connectors on both sides, then flexible latch on one side, perhaps equal with a regular belt installation.

Some sources say that latch installations are equal in safety to belt installations. But a recent post from Paul Butler at Ford said that when they tested "normal" installations of both, the latch was better. Most tests use absolutely perfect installations of both. So in a perfect world, they are equal. In a less than perfect world, take the latch.

That being said, a lot depends on your situation. If you have latch connectors, but don't need the 40+ limits, the Expressway with rigid latch is a great choice. If you needed the limits of the MA, I'd steer you that way. So it kind of depends on what you are comparing, and the gory details of all of it.