The Kid is Outgrowing Boulevard; What's Next?

[lizzywednesday]

So, the kid is outgrowing her Boulevard70 harness.

The straps are at the top slots in my car; they hit below her shoulders. I could install the Marathon70 which she fits fine in, but I would prefer to have a separate seat for each car.

She's 5 yrs old, +/- 42", +/- 45lbs. In late January, her seated hip-to-shoulder height was about 14", which ought to be fine for the Boulevard70, but ... isn't working.

Anyway, are there any tweaks I ought to make or are we in the market for the next step seat?

[mikala]

I don't know of tweaks for the current seat but I've been pleased with our Frontier after DS1 outgrew our Blvd.

I'm also eyeing the Chicco for DS1 when little brother is ready for the Frontier. It might be a less expensive option if you're ready for a seatbelt instead of five point harness. http://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=C...hicco+car+seat

[lizzywednesday]

I don't know of tweaks for the current seat but I've been pleased with our Frontier after DS1 outgrew our Blvd.

I'm also eyeing the Chicco for DS1 when little brother is ready for the Frontier. It might be a less expensive option if you're ready for a seatbelt instead of five point harness. http://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=C...hicco+car+seat

We still need the harness - we live right off a major highway and she still falls asleep on long car trips. I'm not comfortable with a belt-positioning booster at this time.

[legaleagle]

The blvd 70 and marathon 70 has the same top harness slots - is something wrong with your blvd? have you made sure that the harness is all the way loosened before adjusting and uninstalled to check that it's not getting hung up on something? Do you have the safecell HUGS with the connector strap (or were those on G3s - I can never keep them straight).

Also, britax will send you longer harness straps if you email them.

[Simon]

Have you tried the Blvd in the other car? Sometimes its the contour of the car seat that makes a difference in how a seat fits.
Personally, I would not buy a Frontier for a 5.5 year old. I just wouldn't be harnessing full time long enough to make it worth the $$$. I have heard too many mixed reviews of it as a booster. I'd get a less expensive harnessed seat and then a great booster. Evenflo Maestro or a Graco Nautilus/Argos probably.
FWIW, my kiddo the same age is riding in a Radian most days, sometimes a Graco MyRide or an HBB.

[AnnieW625]

We are in the same boat with Dd2. Some days it looks like we should get her out of it now and other times it looks just fine. Dd2 is 45" tall, and 40lbs. I think I am leaning towards a Parkway SG or SGL unless I can find a Peg Perego Primo Viaggo seat on clearance through the Amazon warehouse or can figure out how to get Target gift cards using my $95 in Amazon rewards and then I will look at the Chicco Kid Fit, which is a Target exclusive. If I could find the harness for our Frontier 80 I would put her back in that (she is still harnessed in the Frontier 90 in my car and doesn't complain), but we can't so I am thinking of buying her a booster for use in DH's car.

With all that said we still have a spare Graco Highback Turbo booster that will work just fine for around town and babysitters/family cars, but Dd1 has always complained about that seat if she is in it for more than an hour and hence why we still have the Frontier 80 and use for trips longer than 2 hrs. or so.

Eta: had no idea that Britax will send you longer a harness, how do they determine that you need one? The OP probably has the BLVD 70 that was released in 2010 or 2011, mine was made in 2011. I think the G3 series started in 2012 or 2013. The seat has a Hugs harness and I don't think is the safe cell one.

[legaleagle]

I read it online probably at car-seat.org, just emailed saying they're getting tight and they sent me some. I have a 2011 marathon

[abh5e8]

Have you tried the Blvd in the other car? Sometimes its the contour of the car seat that makes a difference in how a seat fits.
Personally, I would not buy a Frontier for a 5.5 year old. I just wouldn't be harnessing full time long enough to make it worth the $$$. I have heard too many mixed reviews of it as a booster. I'd get a less expensive harnessed seat and then a great booster. Evenflo Maestro or a Graco Nautilus/Argos probably.
FWIW, my kiddo the same age is riding in a Radian most days, sometimes a Graco MyRide or an HBB.

I'm pretty sure the maestro would have lower slots, not higher. How about the

Have you tried the Blvd in the other car? Sometimes its the contour of the car seat that makes a difference in how a seat fits.
Personally, I would not buy a Frontier for a 5.5 year old. I just wouldn't be harnessing full time long enough to make it worth the $$$. I have heard too many mixed reviews of it as a booster. I'd get a less expensive harnessed seat and then a great booster. Evenflo Maestro or a Graco Nautilus/Argos probably.
FWIW, my kiddo the same age is riding in a Radian most days, sometimes a Graco MyRide or an HBB.

I'm pretty sure the maestro would have lower slots, not higher. How about the evenflow secure kids dlx?

I have my (tiny) 8 yo DD still in her radian, until it expires in Dec or until she hits a growth spurt. All of mine still ride in 5 point harnesses. But, like the op, we live right off a major interstate, drive a lot and they sleep in the car.

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

[legaleagle]

Maestro and secure kid have same top slots - 18". Secure kid goes much higher as booster. Frontier is much higher but OP DD is not particularly large I agree frontier is overkill

[lizzywednesday]

I'll have to check, but it's entirely possible that the harness is slightly twisted after the last time I washed the cover.

I also need to re-install using the seatbelt/tether rather than LATCH, so maybe the un-install/re-install advice is my first step.

I understand that the MA and BLVD ought to be at the same harness slot height; that's clear, which is why it's weird that the strap slots seem to be at their maximum height but hitting in the wrong spot at her shoulders.