What convertible instead of our Blvd?

nlschr0

New member
Thanks for the tips on my recent thread about fitting two seats RF in our Subaru!

My new, sorta related question:

We've had DD in a RF Blvd in the center position. Recently our car was in an accident (DD was not in the car), and we need to replace the seat.

Assuming that Britax was "the best", we just purchased a replacement Blvd when it was on clearance at Target. It is still new in the box, and we have a receipt. We can easily return it.

Since finding this site, I've realized that there seem to be better options out there instead of the Blvd.

So, what would you suggest? Our specific situation:

-DD is 15 months, about 23 lbs, and tall for her age (95+ percentile).
-We want to RF as long as possible
-We have very little room in our backseat (Subaru Forester), and need something that has a smaller profile, both width and ability to fit behind the front seat. It also needs to be able to touch the front seat.

In the interim, we've been using the Avenue that we usually reserve as a back-up seat. Honestly, I don't like it. I miss the Blvd's "upgrades" - the way the harness doesn't twist, the cushier padding, the "bulk" of it, the ease of installation, the ease of getting the buckles to snap. It seems like the Avenue's chest clip is very difficult to fully engage and more than once has come undone even after I checked to make sure it was snug.

I also don't like the way the Avenue's harness seems to be one long belt, so that both sides pull each other. Not sure how to describe it, since I'm new to all of this, but when you loosen one side, it makes the other side pull tight, whereas on the Blvd the two sides seem to be independent of each other.

So, what would you suggest? We would also prefer something that we can see in a local store to try out for fit before we buy, and that limits our options since we are in a smaller metro area (basically Target, BRU, and a small specialty store). Obviously the Blvd is already at the pricier end of the options, so price probably isn't an issue. What seat would be the best fit for our needs, especially our top concern for safety as well as our desire for some of the higher-end features?

Thanks so much! :D
 
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armywife12

New member
I have no experience with your vehicle at all but my favorite convertibles right now are the True Fit Premier, Graco MyRide and Radians. I own all three but my True fit is the regular version and the Radian is the XTSL version. Do you happen to know her torso length? That is more important than her overall height. If she has a longer torso, a taller shell would be ideal for her, something like the TFP or the Radians. At her age, she can sit much more upright in her car seat so they all fit pretty nicely in smaller vehicles. The radian can be very tricky to get more upright because of it's RF boot though. How much it reclines depends a lot on the type of buckle you have and how sloped the back seats are. The Radians and TFP are low profile seats and the MyRide sits on a semi high base. I love how low the Radian sits in our vehicle. I know others have experience with your vehicle so they'll be able to help out more than I have
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
If you don't like the continuous harness on the Avenue, you might not like that on the True Fit.

I like the Graco My Ride in comparison to my Boulevard. It installs easily. It does not have a continuous harness like the Avenue. It has nice buckles (IMO). And I like the deep sides, it's similar to the wings on the Boulevard.

Not sure on how it would fit in your specific vehicle though.
 

Mommy2Marcus

New member
I have a tiny 2 door Subaru Impreza. I have fit an Evenflo Triumph Advance (EFTA) & a Graco My Ride 65 (MR) both back there RF while still leaving more than enough room for a passenger. I am currently using the MR there right now. Both fit really well RF in the Subaru though.
 

nlschr0

New member
Ahh - yes - continuous harness! I knew there had to be some term for it!

Thanks for the tips.

She does have a long torso, IMO. We had her in a Graco Safeseat and when she was around 6 months it became clear that she would grow too tall for the shell pretty quickly - that's when we first bought the Blvd. We naively thought it would last her until 12 months or the weight limit, but she was clearly getting too tall for it.
 

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