Shipping dates for Frontier, Diplomat and Boulevard in Canada

[hipmaman]

Britax is shipping the first load of Frontier, Diplomat and Boulevard to TRU/BRU at next week, then to specialty stores the week after next. They should be in the stores by end of June or sooner.

:woohoo: Now, who is going to get the first one? Won't be me since I don't have a rider in that weight/age range. But if TRU lets me play with one ;)

Edit to add Diplomat and Boulevard.

[Debn31]

You know I'm going to be ALL over it, baby!!!!!!

Thanks for the input, I'm really excited!!!

[tiggercat]

I don't *need* one, but I definitely plan to play!

[canadianmom2three]

Hmmmmm temptation. I was waiting on the Monterey, but DS is just such a bad bad booster rider, I am slightly tempted. Do you think it is LATCHable to 80lbs? The hyundai has no set latch limits, it defers to the seat manufacturer. I'm a bit lazy, what is the top slot height again? I just measured DS at a smidge over 17" for torso height. If it is significantly higher than the Radian, then maybe, otherwise I stand by my original decision to wait for the monterey....:whistle:

[snowbird25ca]

Hmmmmm temptation. I was waiting on the Monterey, but DS is just such a bad bad booster rider, I am slightly tempted. Do you think it is LATCHable to 80lbs? The hyundai has no set latch limits, it defers to the seat manufacturer. I'm a bit lazy, what is the top slot height again? I just measured DS at a smidge over 17" for torso height. If it is significantly higher than the Radian, then maybe, otherwise I stand by my original decision to wait for the monterey....:whistle:

From what I've heard there isn't a huge difference in growing room between the 2. It's LATCHable in booster mode to the full booster weight limit. In harness mode it can be LATCH'ed only until 40lbs unless the vehicle manufacturer states differently. (The newest MA manual says this now too.)

I wonder how long it will actually take to get to stores since it distributes to the warehouses first and then stores and I've been told from warehouse to store can take 2 to 3 weeks. I'm looking forward to the manual becoming available online. Hopefully they do that when they ship them next week. :thumbsup:

Tam, do you know if the BLVD and Diplomat are shipping at the same time? I know that was what we were originally told, but I'm wondering if they've gone ahead with just doing the Frontier now and the BLVD/Diplo will more match the time line that Sarah Tilton gave during the chat? Or maybe they were just giving a long time frame so that people didn't start to call and bug them too soon. lol.

[AllieCanada]

Ohh awesome! I was thinking it was going to be a couple of months still before it was available. I definitely want one for DS I just hope it installs in my van.

[hipmaman]

Tam, do you know if the BLVD and Diplomat are shipping at the same time? I know that was what we were originally told, but I'm wondering if they've gone ahead with just doing the Frontier now and the BLVD/Diplo will more match the time line that Sarah Tilton gave during the chat? Or maybe they were just giving a long time frame so that people didn't start to call and bug them too soon. lol.

I edited the title and my original post to add the Diplomat and Boulevard to the list. I'm told they are shipped next week but I would give it 2-3 wks in transit, clear the border, re-shipped from the warehouses, etc. before they are actually on the shelves for purchase.

[AnnD]

I am not part of the regular posting crowd, and certainly not the best to be providing commentary (you wouldn't want me to list the mistakes I have made - I really try to read the manuals)

... but I have pre-ordered two Frontiers from Dearbornbaby for my oldest pair. I was told I was the first on the list so hopefully I will get my two seats ASAP. I am the 'post-accident replace all the carseats' girl. I am excited to see them arrive as my four year old is very much closing in on the top straps of his marathon and I put his sister in a Parkway while we waited.

I will post pictures when they arrive - just in case I install these two wrong too!

Thanks to everyone's guidance here - I am loving my two new Radians and my new Parkway - can't wait for the two new Frontiers. (I have four kiddos - my eldest is six and little!)

[snowbird25ca]

I am not part of the regular posting crowd, and certainly not the best to be providing commentary (you wouldn't want me to list the mistakes I have made - I really try to read the manuals)

... but I have pre-ordered two Frontiers from Dearbornbaby for my oldest pair. I was told I was the first on the list so hopefully I will get my two seats ASAP. I am the 'post-accident replace all the carseats' girl. I am excited to see them arrive as my four year old is very much closing in on the top straps of his marathon and I put his sister in a Parkway while we waited.

I will post pictures when they arrive - just in case I install these two wrong too!

Thanks to everyone's guidance here - I am loving my two new Radians and my new Parkway - can't wait for the two new Frontiers. (I have four kiddos - my eldest is six and little!)

Ann, we all start out somewhere and have all made our own mistakes. It's not about how much you know or what mistakes you made, but about doing better which is exactly what you've done. :thumbsup:

Glad to hear that you're enjoying your Radian's and Parkway. And feel free to post whenever you have a question or something to add from your experience. You don't have to be an expert or a board regular to answer questions, and it's input from posters that have faced similar situations that really adds to the helpfulness of the board. :)

I suspect that baby boutiques may actually ship to customers faster than the seats will arrive in BRU/TRU stores simply because they'll go direct to boutiques and not go through all the distribution channels. ;)

Oh, and for those waiting for the seats to arrive in your local TRU/BRU, I'd recommend calling and asking about it. It's possible not all stores will carry it in stock, so contacting them now will allow them to get the seat in sooner. :thumbsup: (Those of you who live in my area just don't flood my store with calls tonight because I'm working tonight. :p)

[horseymom]

is this going to be all TRU stores? I wonder about Lethbrige??

[canadiangie]

Does Lethbridge still have the condensed down babies r us section and still not the actual babies r us side of the store?? (like in Calgary and Edmonton it's almost an entirely different store.. sort of attached to the rest of the building). And is Lethbridge still not carrying the Marathon? (I was there at xmas and it wasn't).

I wonder if you could order it in? It might be a special order item like Peg Perego strollers and other higher end gear... and come to think of it isn't the Marathon is a special order item in the catalogue? I'd just call and ask about having it brought into the store. You never know... :)

[TechnoGranola]

Do we happen to know if Britax addressed the 32" RF limit with the manuals for the Boulevard/Diplomat? or if the RF weight limit is going to be 35?

[snowbird25ca]

Do we happen to know if Britax addressed the 32" RF limit with the manuals for the Boulevard/Diplomat? or if the RF weight limit is going to be 35?

I am sincerely hoping that it has been addressed, but I can't say for certain and the manuals aren't online for them yet.

The Frontier isn't in the computer system for the stores yet at all, so people who do contact their local baby department may come up empty handed. (Stores and website are independent from each other.)

[hipmaman]

Do we happen to know if Britax addressed the 32" RF limit with the manuals for the Boulevard/Diplomat? or if the RF weight limit is going to be 35?

I'll ask, but I'm thinking that they might still be 32" because we have not heard of any changes nor there has been enough time for change in the manual and reprint. But that's just me being cautious. Who knows, I might be pleasantly surprised this time that things do happen quickly.

[Debn31]

Kind of makes me happy with the True Fit and the 1" inch rule, because I have above - average to very tall babies....( Serves me right for marrying a 6-footer, huh?? ;) )

[horseymom]

Does Lethbridge still have the condensed down babies r us section and still not the actual babies r us side of the store?? (like in Calgary and Edmonton it's almost an entirely different store.. sort of attached to the rest of the building). And is Lethbridge still not carrying the Marathon? (I was there at xmas and it wasn't).

I wonder if you could order it in? It might be a special order item like Peg Perego strollers and other higher end gear... and come to think of it isn't the Marathon is a special order item in the catalogue? I'd just call and ask about having it brought into the store. You never know... :)

yeah it's a "store within a store" and they do carry the marathon! I called them and she thought it would be a special order only seat for at least a little while. She also said they are in the computer but not availbal yet:thumbsup:

[Debn31]

I guess maybe ours is a store within a store too?
It's inside our TRU (the one closest to us, I'm not sure about the other one because it's WAY on the west side and traffic is usually awful there).

I also got told that the Frontier would be a special order. Actually I was a bit confused by what she said, being that she was also talking to other customers while on the phone with me (she was nice enough, I don't think she was being intentionally rude)...so I just figured we'd go in ourselves sometime this week and get the scoop.

Anyone know if you have to pay ahead for a special order?
Also, if you order it online, can you have free shipping to the store?
I looked, albeit not super carefully, and couldn't seem to see that option.

[horseymom]

I guess maybe ours is a store within a store too?
It's inside our TRU (the one closest to us, I'm not sure about the other one because it's WAY on the west side and traffic is usually awful there).

I also got told that the Frontier would be a special order. Actually I was a bit confused by what she said, being that she was also talking to other customers while on the phone with me (she was nice enough, I don't think she was being intentionally rude)...so I just figured we'd go in ourselves sometime this week and get the scoop.

Anyone know if you have to pay ahead for a special order?
Also, if you order it online, can you have free shipping to the store?
I looked, albeit not super carefully, and couldn't seem to see that option.

I have had an item shipped from the Calgary store once and I just paid for it when it came. The girl i talked to today said that is an option with the Frontier but sometimes it's easier to just order from the warehouse out east. Apperently if I ordered from a Calgary store it would be shipped to the warehouse then to Leth...so stupid

[AnnD]

In harness mode it can be LATCH'ed only until 40lbs unless the vehicle manufacturer states differently. (The newest MA manual says this now too.)



So ... do you think Canada will only have the 40lb. latch limit. Isn't the MA a lot higher. I am so confused what carseats I have (or had) and the height, weight and latch limits. It is mind boggling - will have to pull the manuals again.

What is the MA limit now? I have a kiddo just short of 40lbs and latch (I love latch - it saves my knuckles and my nails from nasty dings) - am I toast on latch? I would have gandered it was 48lbs.

To be honest, I didn't even look at the weight limit on the Radians - but I have kiddos well well short of 40lbs. so no issues, but no idea what it might be.

[QuassEE]

LATCH weight limits are technically a combination of the actual vehicle limit and the restraint limit. If you have a restraint that defers limit to the vehicle manufacturer, you can use LATCH to those limits. If you have a vehicle that limits you to a weight *lower* than the restraint manufacturer, you must obey that lower limit. (Etc, etc)

eg.
Your carseat says you can use LATCH until the limits of the vehicle.
Your vehicle manual says to discontinue LATCH at 40lbs.
Result: You must discontinue LATCH at 40lbs.

Your carseat says you can use LATCH until 48lbs.
Your vehicle manual says to discontinue LATCH at 40lbs.
Result: You must discontinue LATCH at 40lbs.

Your carseat says you can use LATCH until 65lbs.
Your vehicle manual says to obey the carseat manufacturer's instructions.
Result: You *may* continue using LATCH until 65lbs; although you may want to consider discontinuing LATCH earlier or until more is known about HWH seats and LATCH limits where vehicle manufacturers do not state limits.

You default to the lowest number--be it by the vehicle manufacturer or the restraint.

Does this explanation make sense? I'm a bit tired tonight :)

-Nicole.

[hipmaman]

It's official. Came directly from Sarah Tilton that the Diplomat has 30" and Boulevard has 32" rf height limit. This is so until Britax receives a response from TC on its requesting for clarification.

[snowbird25ca]

It's official. Came directly from Sarah Tilton that the Diplomat has 30" and Boulevard has 32" rf height limit. This is so until Britax receives a response from TC on its requesting for clarification.

Boo hiss. :thumbsdown:

I had high hopes that Britax would raise the limits - at the very least give a higher value - even 36" would've been better.

With there being more options for seats that don't have 32" limits AND have high weight limits and high top slots, Britax could truly lose business. The TF and EFTA are both really nice seats, and considering the # of techs who tell parents not to rf tether anyways, I don't think that's much of a selling point in Canada. Add in the 3in1's returning with a 35lb rf'ing limit and hopefully having the 32" addressed at the same time, and Britax could get left behind in the convertible market. :twocents:

[canadiangie]

Dorel seats are coming back with the 35 rf limit?

[snowbird25ca]

Dorel seats are coming back with the 35 rf limit?

Yep, according to a post here from a reliable source the 3in1's will be returning with a 35lb rf limit soon.

[canadiangie]

Cool! Now if we could just convince a few more parents to stay rf past 22lbs and 1yr we'd really be getting somewhere. :shrug-shoulders:

I think you're right though, Britax *might* just have some work to do here if they want to stay 'on top' so to speak... ;)

I was all set on a BV (or two) for my girls, but lately there have been other seats catching my eye.. not to mention my bottom line.

[snowbird25ca]

Cool! Now if we could just convince a few more parents to stay rf past 22lbs and 1yr we'd really be getting somewhere. :shrug-shoulders:

Progress is happening in this area so I have to think it will spill over to other areas. Each person tells 5 friends and they tell 5 friends kind of deal. Hopefully. :thumbsup:

[canadiangie]

I agree. And while I haven't convinced too many parents to rf to age 2+, I have been able to get most of my friends to rf to 18mos or so. It's sort of a one small step thing. Now at our recent seat check I was able to talk to a dad about physics and human biology and how these thing relate to rf vs. ff, and lo and behold he turned out to be an engineer (actually his pinky ring tipped me off, so I sort of treaded carefully, but definetely angled my converstaion more towards the scientific side of things) and guess what?! He turned his almost 2y/o back rf and told his wife that he was "staying that way". He also wrote down the Compass TrueFit (rf to 35lbs) to replace his AOE. :thumbsup:

[snowbird25ca]

I agree. And while I haven't convinced too many parents to rf to age 2+, I have been able to get most of my friends to rf to 18mos or so. It's sort of a one small step thing. Now at our recent seat check I was able to talk to a dad about physics and human biology and how these thing relate to rf vs. ff, and lo and behold he turned out to be an engineer (actually his pinky ring tipped me off, so I sort of treaded carefully, but definetely angled my converstaion more towards the scientific side of things) and guess what?! He turned his almost 2y/o back rf and told his wife that he was "staying that way". He also wrote down the Compass TrueFit (rf to 35lbs) to replace his AOE. :thumbsup:

That is so awesome!

So should we say it all together? Come on Britax, get with the program!

[hipmaman]

So should we say it all together? Come on Britax, get with the program!

I think someone in Britax is over-thinking on this issue. I'm not saying that they should not be careful to check with TC, but it might be the case of Britax being over-careful and trying to do the right thing (but might end up hurting itself instead, sales wise anyway). It's understandable if every manufacture interpret the article of the standards the same way (as in when everyone had 32" rf limit). But when there are others already 'broke the mold', Britax needs to get on board fast or miss the boat, especially when the competition is looking mighty fine for the majority of the families out there (ie. True Fit)

[snowbird25ca]

I think someone in Britax is over-thinking on this issue. I'm not saying that they should not be careful to check with TC, but it might be the case of Britax being over-careful and trying to do the right thing (but might end up hurting itself instead, sales wise anyway). It's understandable if every manufacture interpret the article of the standards the same way (as in when everyone had 32" rf limit). But when there are others already 'broke the mold', Britax needs to get on board fast or miss the boat, especially when the competition is looking mighty fine for the majority of the families out there (ie. True Fit)

Yep, I'm in total agreement with you. Even if they wanted to keep interpreting it as having to put a numerical rf'ing height limit, why not put a more reasonable # like 38"? They can have their cake and eat it too. There's nothing limiting what height a manufacturer specifies, and the manual already uses the 1" in conjunction with the height limit. :shrug-shoulders:

[TechnoGranola]

I completely agree with both of you. They are really not being smart about this. With 2 seats now that don't have the 32" limit, they are the seats I will recommend to any friends around here that ask, because MOST people are looking for an excuse to flip their child FF and that 32" limit is excuse enough.

Didn't someone say that the SK designer worked at Britax? If so, I think this is why the 32" limit got carried over to the Radian as well. SK didn't think to look into any further as they figured they knew the rules from when working at Britax.

[snowbird25ca]

Didn't someone say that the SK designer worked at Britax? If so, I think this is why the 32" limit got carried over to the Radian as well. SK didn't think to look into any further as they figured they knew the rules from when working at Britax.

Yeah, Dave used to work at Britax, but I think it's totally unrelated. Graco, Dorel/Cosco/Safety 1st - basically everyone except for Evenflo prior to the True Fit coming on the scene has been using 32" since manufacturers decided to lower the weight limits in early 2004. It's seemingly arbitrary, and for lack of a better descriptor, somewhat political since it had nothing to do with a change in CMVSS standards.

SK is reviewing the rf'ing height limit on the Radian right now, and seeing as the updated seat is schedule for release in August, I think it's reasonable to suspect that we'll see a change in height limit on it then. Hopefully the Dorel/Cosco/Safety 1st seats show up with a higher height limit on them too when they arrive with the 35lb rf'ing limit.

And yeah, the MA has sunk from #2 to #3 on my list now when listing recommended seats.

[lemurmommies]

I really can't wait to see some more Canadian opinions on the Frontier. If it wasn't for the minimum age requirement, I'd be buying one ASAP to use for E instead of his Marathon, because it looks like it would give him better leg support now that he's FF.

[snowbird25ca]

Tam - I'm just wondering if you have confirmation that the seats started shipping last week? I'm watching for the CDN manuals to show up online and they're still not there. (yes, I'm impatient. :o )

[QuassEE]

I actually tried to order my Frontiers this weekend, and apparently the store here isn't being shipped enough to even meet their pre-order demand.. aigh!

-Nicole.

[hipmaman]

Tam - I'm just wondering if you have confirmation that the seats started shipping last week? I'm watching for the CDN manuals to show up online and they're still not there. (yes, I'm impatient. :o )

Tsk tsk tsk patience :D

I was told they were shipped last week to TRU.