Brtiax has yet again added a new feature to the world of convertible car seats. They’re calling this new feature ClickTight and it has been added to the Marathon, Boulevard, and Advocate convertible car seat models.
The idea of the new ClickTight feature is designed to make car seat installation as easy as just buckling your own car seat and take the guess work out any installation questions you may have. ClickTight also takes away the confusion of the LATCH system limitation requirements, and all the pulling, shoving, and yelling at a car seat that can with that.
ClickTight is a simple push and twist of a button or key as Britax calls it that allows parents to open the car seat front and thread the seat belt through the marked path, then just click it shut for easy installation. For added protection, Britax also recommends using the top tether during installation.
What does Britax ClickTight technology mean for the convertible car seat lineup?
The Britax Click Tight technology is available in the convertible car seats; Marathon, Boulevard, and Advocate, as well as, their harness-2-boosters. The big changes are in the installation as outlined below.
- ClickTight uses the tether and your own vehicle seat belt so you don’t need to worry about two different weight limits, those of the LATCH system and those of the car seat. All you need to keep track of is one number, and that’s the weight of the car seat itself since you are using ClickTight for installation. This seriously eliminates the guess work of the LATCH system and having to wait and see and check if they’ve changed weight limits or not.
- A lot of people had issues with getting a really snug and tight fit with the LATCH installation. It required a ton of pushing, pulling, and sometimes screaming and the seat to attempt and get it installed right. Sometimes it wasn’t even possible depending on the size of the car. Because with ClickTight you literally just click it in and you are using your own vehicles belt to hold in the car seat it’s a whole lot easier to get it not just installed but installed well…really well.
Are there any other changes to the car seats?
Quite honestly no, there are no other changes to the Marathon, Boulevard, and Advocate seats other than the addition of ClickTight for installation. You’re still getting a wide range of safety components like, Base with SafeCell Technology, Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether, 7 recline positions, EZ-Buckle System, and Side Impact Protection. The differences between the models are still the same as we see reflected in price even in the ClickTight models. Let’s go over them.
- Britax Marathon ClickTight: Feature mentioned above plus this model uses standard HUGS chest pads and the harness height and overall height are about 2in shorter than the Boulevard and Advocate.
- Britax Boulevard ClickTight: The features above and of the Marathon plus upgraded HUGS chest pads with SafeCell technology, Click & Safe Indicator, and taller harness and overall height by 2in compared to the Marathon.
- Britax Advocate ClickTight: Everything mentioned above plus added side-impact cushions for more protection in the event of a crash.
How do consumers rate them?
The ClickTight’s are still new to the market having only made their grand debut in the fall of 2014 but they are getting great reviews, about 4.8 stars out of 5 from consumers. Parents are still loving the same safety features from before but are also loving the new easy installation, even people with smaller cars are reporting an easier time with installation compared to the LATCH and that the seat feels really sturdy and unmovable when clicked in.
What does it cost?
We have three price points as there are three seats with the new ClickTight feature. Like before the Marathon comes in at the lowest price point, the Boulevard in the middle, and the Advocate filled with features at the highest price point. The MSRP on the car seat is much higher then what you can find online. I found all three car seats in a wide range of colors online at Amazon with a nice discount.
- Britax Marathon ClickTight – MSRP $328.99, found online for an absolute score at $328.99! =( I know, I know…it’s the same price and that’s a bummer, but hopefully it’ll go down soon.
- Britax Boulevard ClickTight – MSRP $369.99, found online for $296!
- Britax Advocate ClickTight – MSRP $499.99, found online for $336!
The Bottom Line
I’m loving the new installation system Britax worked out, LATCH was great but wasn’t without its difficulty and the new ClickTight’s eliminate all that difficulty and confusion. Between the ClickTight models though I’d go with the Boulevard.
The price increase of $40 is well worth the extra safety features it comes with compared to the Marathon. The Advocate ClickTight at over $100 more isn’t worth it’s price tag in my book.
