Saturday, January 7, 2012

Britax Frontier 85 Combination Booster Car Seat

Product Description


,Park & Sun MTT Mini Table Tennis Table,Stiga STS275 Table Tennis Table,Stiga Insta Play Table Tennis Table,JOOLA Inside Table Tennis Table,Joola Midsize Table Tennis Table Color: Rushmore Product Description Featuring an innovative design and industry-leading technology, the Britax Frontier 85 Combination Booster Seat (Rushmore) keeps your child safe and secure during car trips. Offering True Side Impact Protection and a patented, energy-absorbing Versa-Tether, this seat is engineered to grow with you child. The Frontier 85 accommodates children starting at 2 years old and 25 pounds up to 85 pounds when used as a forward-facing harnessed seat, and 40 to 120 pounds when used as a booster seat.

callout box topThe Frontier 85Combination Booster Car SeatAt a Glance:

  • Age/Weight/Height Requirements:In forward-facing harnessed mode, fits children 2+ years old weighing 25 - 85 pounds; In booster mode, fits children measuring 42 - 65 inches and weighing 40 - 120 pounds
  • Warranty:Limited 1-year warranty
  • Certifications:Certified for aircraft travel in harness mode only
Ideal for:
  • Who:Parents of growing children, caregivers, grandparents
  • What:Providing a secure, comfortable combination booster seat that offers innovative safety features and highest harness capacity
  • Where:Mid-sized cars, minivans, SUVs
callout box bottomFrontier 85 Combination Booster Car SeatThe high weight capacity allows your child to remain in a 5-point harness up to 85 pounds, or in booster mode to 120 pounds. View larger. Frontier 85 Combination Booster Car SeatWhen used in booster mode, the Frontier 85 is compatible with the Britax SecureGuard Clip (sold separately). View larger.Color combinations Available in these color combinations.View larger.True Side Impact Protection for Advanced SecurityThe Frontier 85 Combination Booster Seat is ideal for parents concerned with providing proper safety and posture-support for their children during car rides. Offering True Side Impact Protection, this seat delivers superior protection if you happen to face an unexpected side-impact accident.

If such an event takes place, the solid head support and deep side walls work efficiently to distribute forces, shield the child from vehicle intrusion, contain the head and body, and keep the head, neck, and spine aligned to limit injury.

Superior 360-Degree Protection FeaturesThe Frontier 85 features an advanced, industry-leading design for crash force management and absorption. The patented Versa-Tether system provides a staged-release tether webbing that securely anchors the top of the child seat to your vehicle at two points to minimize forward movement in the event of a sudden stop.

The energy-absorbing base is designed to absorb impact forces, while the foam lining provides additional support. In addition, the Harness Ultra Guard System (HUGS) reduces forward head movement and offers increased protection for your child.

The Frontier 85 is also compatible with the SecureGuard feature. The optional SecureGuard clip holds the lap portion of the safety belt in place, preventing submarining--when the child slides under the lap belt--and reducing the risk of any abdominal injury.

Adaptable to Your Growing ChildThe tangle-free, five-point harness allows for 10 harness-height positions--up to an industry-leading 20 inches in shoulder harness height--and three buckle positions for a snug, comfortable fit, even as your child grows. You can also adjust the head restraint with one hand using the quick-adjust lever and easily change the harness shoulder height without disassembling the entire harness. Plus, the convenient front harness adjuster allows you to loosen or tighten the harness system easily.

The booster seat can be used in the forward-facing harnessed position for children a minimum of two years old, weighing 25 to 85 pounds, the highest capacity in five-point harness systems. As a belt-positioning booster seat, the seat is suited for children from 40 to 120 pounds.

Easy-to-InstallThe Frontier 85 allows for quick, easy installation with lower LATCH connectors, compatible with most current vehicles. The premium, push-button system provides a tight, secure fit and makes it simple to install or remove the seat.Your child will appreciate the armrests that provide a natural place to rest his or her arms along with the dual cup holders designed to hold reusable water bottles or snack containers.

Soft, Durable Material with Comfort FoamThe plush, premium cover set with underlying comfort foam makes for a comfortable ride, even during long car trips.

Made from soft, durable materials, the booster seat's cover is easy to remove from the shell for cleaning and is available in a selection of distinctive patterns, including Rushmore, Red Rock, Canyon, and Pink Sky.

This combination booster seat is backed by a limited one-year warranty.

What's in the BoxOne Britax Frontier 85 Combination Booster Seat and manual.

Frontier 85 Combination Booster Seat
This review is from: Britax Frontier 85 Combination Booster Car Seat, Rushmore (Baby Product)
We replaced our Britax Wizard (like Boulevard) with this seat, as my 6 y.o. DD is 48.5" and the max ht for the Wizard is 49". In addition, convertible car seats tend to raise kids up high, so that her feet were dangling quite a ways up from the floor. She was also ready for some "big girl" features, like the cup holder. My only concern with the new Frontier was that the back sits up straighter and I was worried she may not be able to fall asleep like she used to in the Wizard - it's a rare occurrence these days but when needed, it's NEEDED! I was also worried I might not be able to install it myself but figured I could seek out help if not.

First of all, the packaging was a breeze to open. Always a nice feature! I took the seat out and had my DD sit in it inside the house so I could adjust the crotch-buckle and wing height before installing. Both were easy to do (although I DO prefer the dial-adjuster on our old Wizard, especially for making adjustments once the seat is installed - more on that later). I then moved the seat out to our Toyota 4Runner and installed it myself, in about 10-mins, in the back, center position. It probably would have taken me less time if our center belt was easier to tighten, but that's no fault of the seat. And it actually makes for a tighter fit - when I try, I can't budge the seat. The seat does seem to be a tad wider than our old seat, although I didn't take any measurements, but previously, I could fit 2 booster seats on either side of our seat and now I seem to only be able to fit one. Since we only have one child, this isn't much of an issue except when asked to carpool more than one child. It may also just be the way I've got it installed, or possibly the boosters I'm using (Compass, high-back boosters). Maybe something like a Graco backless would fit fine but I haven't tried yet. The rear-tether strap was also easy to adjust and tighten .

With installation out of the way, we went to comfort. DD immediately loved the seat, but I know her and the newness of something can influence her liking it so I waited until she'd ridden in it more often before making a final determination on the comfort. For one, the cup holders are nice and don't really get in the way of anything. I guess having retractable ones would be a good idea but maybe they'd then have to be moved within the seat, making them not as desirable - I don't know. But for us, they work as is and well.

As for ease, she is easily able to do and undo her buckles by herself, just as in her old Wizard. I will say, I felt the crotch-strap adjuster in the Wizard was easier to use and access than the Frontier, but it's not like it's difficult on the Frontier - just different and if I had to pick one over the other I'd pick the Wizard. But I can see that maybe the Frontier's design would prevent a child from self-adjusting. This was never an issue for us and in fact I'd often ask DD to help pull up on the lever if she was too tight so I could properly pull the straps out from the front seat. This really isn't an option anymore but not really a problem either. Possibly because it's summer and she's not wearing any layers but come fall, winter and spring where the number of layers she wears varies from car-ride to car-ride, it could become a bit more annoying. It is actually easier to use the lever now than before, but it's just a bit tougher to access as it's under the seat-cover and there's no access slot like in the old Wizard. This is minor though, really.

Another, less minor but still relatively small issue is with the wing-adjustment. Our Wizard has a dial feature that, while slower to move up and down than the Frontier, was placed on the side of the head rest, making access to it easy. On the Frontier, the adjustment is a squeeze-and-pull from the back, which is fine when the seat is out of its packaging, or when the wings are adjusted so high up that there's plenty of space for your hand, but when the seat is installed and the wings are still low enough that there's little space between the car seat and the seat of your vehicle, it makes it a tight squeeze to fit your hand in and adjust the wings. I had to actually undo the tether strap and seatbelt to loosen the car seat away from the vehicle seat to adjust the wings up. Now that I have though, it's at a height where I can better fit my hand back there to adjust when I need to. I'd say this is the only thing I really don't like about the seat but again, it may have been a necessary change, especially since this seat converts to a booster and a much higher wing-elevation. And if so, well then it's certainly a trade-off I'm willing to live with.

On to comfort. As I mentioned, DD could easily sleep in the old Wizard when she was tired. But it reclined a bit and when I saw her sit in the Frontier I thought she might be too upright to fall asleep, or that if she did that her head would flop forward. Well, so far she has fallen asleep twice in this seat and her head has stayed up just fine. I have to say, I really love side-impact protection for the safety factor but also for the comfort factor - without those wings, I can't imagine how she'd still sleep on longer rides. She also really loves that she has so much more freedom, including being able to touch the ground with her feet in the new seat with it being much lower in the car. Of course I can't see her face as easily now but I generally don't need to or can just adjust myself when I do need to. She also says the seat is comfy. The Wizard had side impact wings also so there's no adjustment for her with having any sight blocked. I have read people say they're worried about some kind of mesh cover on the back of the seat and I almost can't see what they mean. I mean, I SEE the material but I don't see that it could be a wear-and-tear issue. I also like the removal of the Velcro side patches which used to keep the straps in place when not in use to prevent twisting. I guess on the Frontier you're supposed to use the arm-rests for this purpose, but our straps aren't long enough (unless we adjust them to be every time we exit the car - not practical) to do this. But this is of no concern to me as we never used the old version anyway and things just got stuck to the Velcro, especially dance recital costumes!!! The straps are thick enough that they don't twist and we go easy on the seat.

One other small area of concern for me is the chest buckle. It tends to slide down closer to DD's stomach during a car ride, no matter how often we adjust it up. This was the case with the Wizard also. Yet I see my friend's Boulevard buckle stay in place on her daughter so I wonder if it's just us and if so, why. I've never seen DD lower it and have asked her if she ever does and she says she doesn't so no too sure what it can be. For now we just check it when we strap in and adjust as needed.

We also love the look of this seat (Rushmore). I'm not a fan of cutesy prints, especially gender-specific, as it's harder to pass down or sell if that's your plan. The non-folding arm-rests have also worked well for us, and as mentioned earlier, so do the cup holders. If DD weren't as skinny as she is, the crotch-buckle could possibly constrict her a bit early, but I don't think it will be an issue for her or even average sized kids. If your child is thicker, especially in the thigh area or mid-section, you may want to try this seat in person first to see how the fit is.

In all, it's a great seat! At age 6, DD is almost 45lbs, 48.5" and finally feels like a big girl in a 5point harness seat! Having a vehicle w/o side-impact airbags means that I'm willing to spend the extra on the car seat I feel will keep her safer, longer, and offers its own side-impact protection. She loves it and is comfortable and I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to install and adjust. IMO, another winner from Britax!



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