Britax Pioneer vs Allegence

rgraves

New member
I'm considering purchasing either the Britax Pioneer or Allegiance for our 3yr old. I'm leaning towards the Pioneer since it has a booster mode and longer expiry date. My biggest concern is I need this seat to last a long time using the lower anchors due to other car seats and anchor/tether positions. Most only go to 40lbs using LUAS.

This is what I've gathered from my research
- Allegiance can go up to 50lbs using the LUAS (big advantage), but expires in 7yrs and no booster mode
- Pioneer can go up to 45lbs using the LUAS, expires in 9yrs and has booster mode

Pioneer has a lower weight for LUAS, but I'm hoping by then our older boy can go into a booster and we can move this seat to a spot that uses the seat belt.

Has anyone had any experience with Pioneer or Allegiance and can make some recommendations?

Also, while I plan on using them with the anchors, are they also easy to install with the seat belt if need be?

For reference: I'm in Canada and drive a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan
 
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christines1471

New member
I have the Pioneer and love it. It's very easy to install either with latch or seat belt. I love that the buckles hide away which makes switching out so easy.

When you switch to booster or can be latched into the car to avoid having to buckle up the booster when no child is in it.

I work as a nanny and have used it for a 3 & 5yr old with harness and 7&8yr olds as booster.

I have a 2017 VW tiguan
 

rgraves

New member
My main concern is my child will go over 45lbs before his older brother goes into a booster seat. He's 31lbs now and 3yrs old so we still have a fair bit of room to grow. The Allegiance gives that extra 5lbs, but since it doesn't have a booster mode, I may need to by a new booster seat for him down the road.
 

christines1471

New member
I would install with a seat belt and use it that way with harness. You'll probably want to use the harness passed 50lbs anyhow so you'd need to switch to seatbelt install anyhow.
 

rgraves

New member
For the time being I need to use the anchors. We have an 8 yr old in a booster, but the other 3 all need the top tether. Because of where they positioned the tether in third row, I can't use the tether with the seat belt there - just with the anchors. Otherwise the car seat would be too close to the one child or too far away from the tether.
 

abigaylebelle

Active member
If your goal is to use the lower anchors for as long as possible you might consider the Evenflo Sureride/titan 65. It allows a lower anchor plus top tether installation up to 55lbs forward facing, and 40lbs rear facing. Plus it is probably easier to install in a three across scenario.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
The Pioneer, like most combination seats, makes an awkward to buckle booster. Dedicated boosters are cheap. I, too, would suggest an Evenflo Sureride if you want to maximize lower anchor use, followed by a dedicated booster.
 

rgraves

New member
Thanks for the SureRide suggestion. I like the weight limit on it for LUAS. While I know they all meet the same safety requirements, my concern with the cheaper models is less padding and (because they are lighter) they feel more flimsy than the ones I'm use to. The harness is harder to adjust but that's not the end of the world.

Does the extra padding and weight of the seat on more more expensive models make any difference or is that more for comfort?
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Thanks for the SureRide suggestion. I like the weight limit on it for LUAS. While I know they all meet the same safety requirements, my concern with the cheaper models is less padding and (because they are lighter) they feel more flimsy than the ones I'm use to. The harness is harder to adjust but that's not the end of the world.

Does the extra padding and weight of the seat on more more expensive models make any difference or is that more for comfort?

While we don't have comparative ratings, I can tell you that the SureRide passes the standard meaning it's quite safe. It has EPP foam and a sturdy harness and It's been around long enough that if real life failures were happening we'd have had recalls already. They haven't. Seat padding is largely a comfort feature, but my kids have never mentioned discomfort in the SureRide.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
As for flimsiness, remember that plastic being able to bend actually helps dissipate energy away from the child in a crash. One of the reasons heavier metal-containing seats may need so many load-limiting features is that a rigid frame can't bend as easily to disperse energy. So they're just different ways of meeting the standards.
 

jjordan

Moderator
My understanding is that the tether anchor in the center of the back row can be used with a center seat belt install, not just when you're using lower anchors. Does your vehicle manual say something different?
 

rgraves

New member
My understanding is that the tether anchor in the center of the back row can be used with a center seat belt install, not just when you're using lower anchors. Does your vehicle manual say something different?

Yes it can be. Unfortunately I have a child in a booster seat on the passenger's side and it won't fit there if someone was using the center belt. Since the anchors are slightly off center in the back, I can fit a car seat using the LUAS back there with the booster.
 

jjordan

Moderator
Oh that makes sense! It's always a trick to fit lots of seats in a third row. I wish Dodge/Chrysler had put more tether anchors back there!
 

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