4Nov/09Off
Britax Advocate CS Car Seat, Onyx
- Convertible, rear facing five to 35 pounds and forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds up to 65 pounds
- Side impact cushion technology reduces side impact crash energy by 50%, by diverting crash forces away from the child
- True side impact protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and minimizes side to side head movement
- Click and Safe harness adjuster "clicks" when the harness straps are snug as an audible aide to help determine when the harness is snugly secure
- Quick adjust headrest and harness re-positions head support and harness height effortlessly without having to rethread the straps
Product Description
This safe convertible car seat exhibits superior energy management, fit and comfort, and ease-of use. With it's True Side Impact Protection and Click & Safe snug harness indicator, the Britax Advocate ranks top notch in safety. The True Side Impact Protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and "trues" the head, neck, and spine, keeping them aligned to limit injury. Click & Safe is an audible aide that provides extra ... More >>
Britax Advocate CS Car Seat, Onyx
November 5th, 2009 - 00:49
We previously used a Graco convertible seat for our baby girl. This seat is much much better.
It is sturdily built and very soft and padded. The angle of recline and side supports for the baby’s head ensure that our baby sleeps securely in the car and doesn’t slump forward which used to happen consistently with the old carseat.
In addition it is easy to install, comes assembled and fits snugly.
The only minor con otherwise it would have earned the full five stars is the lack of cupholders.
Rating: 4 / 5
November 5th, 2009 - 02:28
I’ve been fortunate enough to not be in a position to rate how this seat works in an accident. It is the flagship model fro Britax with all the bells and whistles that would be expected in such a model. Its also big, the side impact padding makes it considerably wider than my previous Britax car seat. This could be a concern in smaller cars and if weight is an issue. Overall, if you’re looking to get a full featured car seat with extra safety and don’t have space issues then this is a good choice.
Rating: 4 / 5
November 5th, 2009 - 03:40
I was super excited to get the Britax Advocate.
I had been considering the Boulevard for a while so Advocate was sweeter when got the same.
I have a Sunshine Radian XT that I thought I might just sell and use this one instead…But decided to keep both so I can use them on 2 cars.
My only experience with car seats so far has been with Maxi Cosi infant car seat and as fancy and plush as it looks…it came with its own downsides which i was determined to avoid with the convertible seat.
First and foremost..yes this car seat is not half as heavy as the sunshine radian xt which is a super heavy compact carseat in itself..heavy doesnt really matter as we dont have to lug this seat around like my maxi cosi infant seat.
Wide car seat…I think the width of this car seat will allow one to seat much larger babies in it. I wish it was for upto 80 pound babies..its only for upto 65 pound babies, That saaid ..i gues after a couple of years I may wana get a new seat.
The material colors go with my Actualy car seaat upholstery.
Plush fabric
extra padding
easy to clean
easy it install
easy put the locks on…wit the click and safe.
I had picked up the marathon earlier and found that the size between the marathon and advocate are almost similar.
I think is this the big bang for ur buck.
love it…hope it keeps my baby as secure as it promises.
Rating: 5 / 5
November 5th, 2009 - 06:16
My husband and I consider ourselves to be car seat experts since it usually looks like we could be a baby gear sale shop with all the different sized car seats we own for our four children ages, 8, 6, 2, and two weeks old. Britax is always our seat of choice and we have owned no less than 5 other Britax seats over the years. We decided to upgrade our two year old to the Britax Advocate CS Car Seat, Opus Gray because he was in a Roundabout and the Advocate has a higher weight limit and much more in the way of safety features.
I was a little concerned about the seat’s size from reading some other reviews, but I actually found that the seat really did not take up any more space in our truck than the Roundabout did. Don’t get me wrong, the seat is large, but I think the way the base is made, it actually sits a little better in our back seat and that may contribute to the fact that it does not seem to take up any more space.
Installation was really easy. I actually was so excited to receive this seat that I just took it right to the car and installed it before even going through all the directions and was actually pleasantly surprised that I was able to install it correctly the first time by myself. We like the Click and Safe Harness adjuster. You fasten the seat belt making sure the straps by the thighs are snug and then you an pull the adjuster strap firmly and when you hear the audible click, you know the straps are the correct tightness.
Some of the cons that I noticed were the crotch strap…it is a bit too far back. My son is not big at all and I am constantly fishing under his bottom trying to get at the crotch strap. The other con I could see would be trying to use this thing as a rear-facing seat. Unless you have a really large truck or you only have one child, this seat in the rear-facing position would take up a tremendous amount of space and would probably create some visual problems as well if you use your rear-view mirror. This is also probably not the seat to use with an identical seat side by side. My newborn will not be able to have this seat and sit next to his brother. When both of my boys reach the forward facing stage, I will have to definitely look at smaller brands as I need to be able to flip my 60/40 bench seat down to give my older daughters access to the third row. My husband and I are die-hard SUV owners and my husband will die a self-inflicted death before driving a minivan, so we just make it work.
All in all, I love the seat. My son is much happier in this seat as opposed to his Roundabout. He NEVER EVER slept in the car on trips…I mean like even long 2+ hour trips he would always stay up. His first ride in the Advocate, he actually took a nap! I was stunned. I take that as the biggest sign of approval from a two year old.
Other than some minor annoyances with the crotch strap, and as long as you are aware of the size issues you may encounter, this is a great seat. Well made, VERY safe and secure.
Rating: 5 / 5
November 5th, 2009 - 06:42
We bought a Marathon when our daughter needed a seat. She is now 2.5yrs and we do not regret the choice. I opted not to buy the Boulevard because she was on the large size and did not need the extra inserts.
Amazon offered me the chance to review the Advocate so here goes.
Compared to the Marathon, an already large seat, the Advocate seem enormous. Several pounds heavier, several inches wider. If you have a small car, don’t get too attached to the idea of this seat.
The #1 reason to buy this seat:
- the adjustable shoulder straps. With previous Britax seats, you had to remove the seat from the car and completely remove the straps and re-route them through a different hole to adjust the strap height. This is such a pain that most of us probably wait too long to adjust them. With this seat you simply turn a knob (which turns much easier than I expected) and the shoulder straps move up and down. I can’t stress how wonderful this is. This alone is *almost* reason to buy this seat.
Second biggest improvement
- the adjustment mechanism for the crotch strap has been improved over previous models. It is harder to get to than the previous push-button (you just have to lift a fabric flap), but it works so much better. Clearly a well-designed and well made part.
And how can you miss the side-impact bags
- ummm… whose idea was this? It feels like such a marketing ploy to me. Do they work? I have no way of knowing. They feel like they *might* help. Was it worth adding at least 6″ to the width of the seat? I don’t think so. It means it will work in even fewer “practical” size cars which is really a shame. I know so many people who felt like they had to sell their small cars and buy big vans and SUVs just to carry their child around.
My ideal seat would be a Marathon with the sliding shoulder hardness of the Advocate. Unfortunately, the new Marathon CS does not offer that – a very unfortunate decision. So, should you spend $70 more for the adjustable harness, extra padded inserts and side-impact pads?
You should if you are buying this seat for a newborn who will use it for years and who could benefit from the additional insert padding. If this is your child’s second seat they won’t likely need the extra internal padding and $70 is too much to pay for this version. In that case, I would stick with the cheaper Marathon.
Rating: 4 / 5