Help, Britax Boulevard does not seem to work rear-facing...

[jesserina]

We just got our Boulevard yesterday. Our daughter is 15 months, 24 lbs and 31.5". We wanted to have the seat rear-facing for as long as possible.

When we put her in it rear-facing, her legs are against the seat because there is no leg rooom. We have a 2009 Saturn Vue.

Is there something we are missing? My husband wants to just put it forward facing but one of the reasons we bought it was to keep her rear-facing as long as possible.

Thanks!

[o_mom]

Make sure that you have it in the reclined position when you install it and that you can get it between 30 and 45 degrees reclined (upright being zero degrees), but it is OK if her legs touch the vehicle seat. Babies are very bendy. :) If you look through the album here, you can see all kinds of ways that older kids sit rear-facing:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum.aspx

Here's a picture with a couple babies about the same age as your DD: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Allison.aspx

This page, about halfway down addresses legroom - your DH might understand a bit more if he reads this: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx

[jjordan]

Most young kids find it more comfortable to have their legs bent and supported by the seat rather than hanging down (as is the case if they are forward facing). There are convertibles with more RF leg room than the boulevard, but my dd was just turned FF in her boulevard at age 3.5 and she never seemed uncomfortable in the least. She is a very average-sized girl, not a teeny-tiny with short legs. :)

[robinsmommy]

Seats like a radian do provide a lot more room for extended RF. I found our BLVD to be a squash for dd, almost 3, who is tiny, when I had her in it recently, mostly because I had the radian for comparison. I will be getting rid of our blvd soon and sticking with the radian.

I also find it hard to get kids in Britax RF seats - esp those with wings.

I will say this for the BLVD - DD loved being able to see out the window, radians sit low.

[DebbieJ]

as others have said, don't worry about the leg room. My DS was RF til he was 3 yo and he always found a way to sit comfortably. He would cross his legs or hang them over. She'll figure it out.

[AnnieW625]

Can you put the seat next to one of the doors? It might work better that way. We didn't rear face past one, but now at 3/1/2 DD keeps her legs crossed in the car all the time.

[niccig]

RF is 5 times safer as it protects the spine. Here's a post with pictures of a 1 year old's vertebrae that explains WHY RF is safer. http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=180970

Some people think legs touching the back seat when RF will mean the legs will break in an accident. There's never been a reported case of that, but there has been broken necks from Forward Facing. Here's the story from a grandfather who's grandson broke his neck in an accident http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCGA8

Kids are also very bendy. At 5yo my son still sleep with his legs tucked under him. No way I could sleep like that. He rear-faced until 3 years old in the Boulevard and never complained, and he was old enough to voice any complaints. He would sit cross legged. We think it's uncomfortable as it would be for us, but we're not as flexible as they are.

[srhs]

We have the Blvd RFing in our Explorer. PM me if you'd like to see a photo of my 20 mo in it.
Good tip on the Radian robinsmommy. I will have to look at that one when it comes time to move DS2 out of his infant seat. Maybe he'll go to the Blvd.

[GraceH]

...also check to see if you've removed any infant padding, making it roomier for her?

[AnnieW625]

...also check to see if you've removed any infant padding, making it roomier for her?

The BLVD doesn't have infant padding.

[o_mom]

The BLVD doesn't have infant padding.

Yes it does. :)

[arivecchi]

The Blvd comes with an infant pillow. The seat is a lot roomier without it.

[towerner]

My son is only 11 months, but is RF in the boulevard and makes a game of kicking the seat during trips. (We're probably going to have fun trying to break that habit when he goes FF).

For those who have replied that you do/ did use a Boulevard RF, how on earth do you get the harness straps to tighten? I don't have the clicking one, just the normal and I've been using it now for about 3-4 weeks and it's AWFUL. I've tried the tug, tug, tug method and even trying to 'feed' the straps at the top while I'm pulling. I'm using my whole body weight and can barely make it budge. (It does move fine when DS isn't in it).
I called Britax and they said I could remove the black seatbelt guard on the back, but I couldn't figure out how w/o removing my seat from its middle position seatbelt install, so I haven't tried that yet. (It's a breeze to install latch, but a pain w/seatbelt IMO).
TIA for any tips!

[jjordan]

For my RF boulevard, I pull the straps tight from the back of the seat, and then pull the harness adjuster in the front. Does that make sense? I feel like I have a better feel for when they are tight that way, somehow.