Britax Boulevard Clicktight Review

Britax, a European manufacturer, began over 70 years ago. It quickly became one of the most popular brands internationally after its inception. Britax strives to create gear for babies that improve the quality of family life. They make various strollers and car seats, including well-known jogging strollers from the BOB company.

Performance Comparison

Crash Test

The Boulevard is about average for crash test results. Given that our test is hotter than the federal standard, it isn't a shock that seats would perform differently than they might ordinarily during testing. All seats in this review are considered safe, given the federal standard.

This Britax came in with sensor results that were neither a standout in the group nor noteworthy in either direction.

The HIC (head sensor result) is below the average G forces recorded for the group (lower here is better), which is good. However, the chest sensor was above the average result (again, lower is better, like in golf). The chest sensor showing higher G forces hurt the overall score of this Britax.

Ease of Install - LATCH

While we love the ClickTight installation method for getting things tight and secure, it didn't score as well as you might think in our tests for LATCH. This seat has hook-style LATCH connectors on a flexible strap with a bead in liquid on each side and the ClickTight lock off.

This is a big and cumbersome seat, and its overall heft makes installation more frustrating, especially for petite parents. The recline adjustment is on the front near the foot portion, making it hard to adjust after installation.

The adjustment mechanism is finicky, making it hard to move smoothly and awkward. If you've never seen the ClickTight installation method, we recommend watching a video before attempting it; it is easy but not intuitive for everyone. We had trouble keeping the sides from twisting while threading, and we loathe clip-style hooks and think a seat of this price should have push connectors instead. We believe the hook-style connectors are hard to remove, so it can be a literal pain if you need to for any reason. Also, the ClickTight open mechanism is on the small side and harder to operate than it needs to be, and putting a knee in the seat made it easier to twist to open. Pushing down the seat to engage the tensioner/lock-off is easy, but threading the strap into the slot isn't. Once installed, it passed the wiggle tests with ease. Overall, it has minor hiccups that hurt its score compared to others, but we've definitely installed more brutal seats.

Forward-facing installation of this Britax also uses the bead-in-liquid indicator and the ClickTight lock-off. You once again lift the seat for the ClickTight pathway, so it is similar to rear-facing. You have to orient the webbing properly and take care while threading. You need to remove the slack before pressing the seat back in place as a tensioner/lock-off, and we remind parents to avoid needing to remove the hooks at any stage. The seat is stable when installed.

Ease of Install - Belt

Installing the Boulevard with the vehicle belt is easier for this seat than the LATCH method, earning an above-average result. This makes it our preferred method for this option.

The Boulevard has a bead inside a water-filled tunnel for a level indicator on the rear-facing configuration. The pathway is not color-coded (but there are arrow indicators), and the ClickTight system acts as a lock-off for the belt.

Reclining this seat to get the right angle is a challenge. We had trouble, and so did other reviewers. We were most successful when we rotated toward our body while pulling on the base. If you don't discover this hack, it can be challenging.

The ClickTight button is small and hard to grasp and will likely be more challenging with bigger hands. The seat raises by itself and is out of the way, so you can easily thread the belt. The pathway is not color-coded, and while there are arrow indicators, they aren't as useful as a contrasting color indication. The belt requires a little shimmying to get in place, but it is relatively straightforward. The seat bottom then pushes down and acts as a tensioner. It feels solid when installed with no wiggle. In the second test car, we struggled a bit more with getting slack out of the belt, but this was a car issue and not the Boulevard.

Uninstalling is tricky, and the handle is under tension, so when we twist it, it knocks our hand into something. The belt once again requires some finessing out of the pathway, and you need the "right" angle to get it out.

It has a bead in liquid level, a ClickTight tensioner, and a pathway with arrow indicators for forward-facing installation. The rotation handle was easier to use in this position, or perhaps it gets easier over time; it is hard to tell. Threading the belt requires some precision and attention to detail, slows the process, and you must ensure you don't twist the webbing. It isn't difficult, but it does require more concentration and effort to avoid mistakes. The seat was somewhat bulky, requiring us to get into the car to buckle the belt, as we could reach around from outside the vehicle. Once the belt is in place, it is easy to press down on the seat bottom to complete the process and hold the belt in place. It's super easy, and the seat feels stable with no wiggle.

Ease of Use

The Boulevard earned a below-average result for the ease of use metric with some features that seemed less thoughtful or more challenging than they needed to be.

Harness

The harness buckle and chest clip on the Boulevard are below average compared to the group. Stitching is used on the straps to help prevent the prongs from sliding down. The padding on the crotch strap is thick and can make it harder to get everything together, but we like the comfort aspect. The chest clip is easy to use, but plastic/rubbery pads on the back of the straps can get in the way.

Tightening the harness is also below average for the test group. Pulling the Boulevard strap is smooth, but the rubbery parts around the shoulder straps pose a problem for moving the straps. The loosening button is far down on the seat and somewhat awkward, but perhaps this is to prevent little hands from finding it. You have to use your finger as the thumb is unlikely to fit all the way in the slot. A smaller opening could create problems for those with bigger fingers.

The height adjustment on the Boulevard is below average compared to others. But at least it is a non-rethread adjustment with 14 possible height positions. It also has two crotch strap positions. The padding in the crotch area makes it a tight adjustment, but you don't need to do this more than once. The harness adjustment handle is hard to pull and somewhat of a workout. It doesn't get as hung up as others, but it isn't smooth.

LATCH Storage

You need to recline the seat to access the LATCH connector storage. It is a tight space that isn't even the width of the buckle, so you have to put it in sideways.

Cover

The cover comes off in four pieces and attaches with flexible loops located in tight spaces where it is hard to attach and remove them. Larger fingers would make this process even more challenging. Not all of the loop connections are intuitive, and we had trouble remembering where they all were.

Comfort/Quality

For a seat in this price range, we would have expected it to perform better in comfort and quality than it did. The headrest and infant insert material have ridges in the fabric that are parallel lines you can feel when rubbing on your skin. It isn't the worst, but it feels like a disadvantage to the design and much to dislike, like abrasiveness and collection of gunk. The other seat parts are much softer, which is weird because bare skin is less likely to touch these areas directly. The infant insert is just a little extra padding in the seating area with nothing extra in the head area. This bigger gap in the headrest is different than most of the competition, and we aren't sure why there is nothing here.

The headrest has integrated foam for support and comfort. There isn't much padding on the lower sides of the seats, and there is exposed plastic on the insides where the legs might rest. There is minimal padding on the upper back as little ones get taller, but there is slightly more in the lower back and tushie area for a more poufy design. Adjusting the crotch buckle during our testing period caused the thin padding to start breaking apart, which implies poor durability, which is a bummer at this price on a component you'll touch frequently.

The shell is pretty solid, with fewer exposed areas than some competitors. Some panels hold the tether and LATCH straps, and the belt pathways are smaller, making it more challenging to keep clean. There are no cup holders on this seat, which isn't a deal-breaker but hardly matches the competition.

Weight/Size

While you don't usually carry a convertible seat as often as an infant carrier, the size and weight can still be important if you travel or require multiple seats in one seat row.

This is a heavier seat, weighing in at 29.8 lbs. The average option in our lineup is 24.3, with the lightest weighing closer to 9 lbs. The Boulevard measures 18 inches at its widest point, making it a potential for those who need to fit three seats or two seats and a person in the same row. The average for this group is 18.6 in.

Should You Buy the Britax Boulevard Clicktight?

The Boulevard is an average seat with no standout features compelling enough for us to say, buy this Britax. While the ClickTight feature can make tightening straps or belts more straightforward, the clip-style LATCH connectors are a huge disappointment in a seat at this price range. This is not our favorite Britax or even a high-ranking seat; we think most families will be happier looking elsewhere.

What Other Convertible Car Seat Should You Consider?

You can get a higher-ranking seat in the Graco 4Ever DLX for a lower price. This Graco has one of the best crash test analysis results in the review, and it is much easier to install using LATCH. This seat is easy to use, provides similar quality, and features cup holders the Boulevard doesn't offer. We think parents and passengers will prefer the money-saving Graco over the Britax.

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