“This is the car seat I wish we’d had all along.”
That’s the first thing my husband said to me after installing the Britax Frontier ClickTight Harness-2-Booster car seat into our 2005 Ford Escape. The reason? One word (or maybe two): ClickTight.
Did you know that around 75% of car seats are incorrectly installed? That’s a chilling statistic. Car crashes are the leading cause of injury or death for children under six, and we depend on car seats to keep our children safe in the event of an accident. But if it’s installed or used incorrectly, it may not do its job. The easier a seat is to install, the more likely it is to be used correctly and perform its intended job.
I’m really impressed with Britax’ ClickTight installation system for that very reason. The Frontier comes standard with the Lower Universal Anchorage System (LUAS) tethers of course, but as Tee is now 6 years old and 45 pounds, she is over the maximum weight limit for the lower anchors in our car which means we must use the seat belt to secure the seat. That will be the case for most kids in the Frontier, as the seat accommodates children up to 65 pounds in the harness mode.
All I have to do is squeeze the ClickTight release levers accessible through two slits in the car seat cover.
The whole seat flips up which makes it easy to see the belt path and so simple to pull the seat belt across, even for big Daddy hands. Fasten the seat belt, pull the slack tight (but no need to yank or overtighten), then close the seat until it clicks shut. Attach the top tether (required for all forward facing seats), and that’s it. Installation in a minute!
This is truly a game changer for me. No more pulling off the cover and padding to access the belt path underneath. No more threading the belt through frustratingly narrow slots. No more jamming myself into the back seat and kneeling on the car seat trying to get the seat belt tight. No more wrestling with the lock-off arm to secure the belt and then putting the seat back together.
Compared to other car seats I’ve used with my kids, the Frontier ClickTight is hands down the easiest to install when using the seat belt. The ClickTight installation system makes it a breeze to get a solid install every time, with well under the recommended less than one inch of movement at the belt path. I bet this seat would be especially helpful for grandparents or other caregivers who might be unfamiliar with the complicated installation procedures and requirements of other car seats.
Harness Mode
The harness mode is for use with children who weigh 25-65 pounds, between 30-58 inches tall, and at least 2 years of age. We know that it’s safest to keep children rear facing until they outgrow the height or weight limit of their car seat, but since Tee has outgrown the height limit on her rear facing car seat, the Frontier ClickTight Harness-2-Booster combination car seat is the next step for keeping her safe in the car.
Children are safest in a five-point harness, and as Tee falls well within the weight limit (65 pounds in Canada), that’s where she will stay for a long time.
Booster Mode
But for the purposes of this review, we went ahead and converted the seat from harness to booster mode to try it out. I wanted to know how it would work once Tee’s bigger and ready to transition to a high back booster seat. After reading through the manual, I found it fairly straight forward the first time. You can completely remove the straps when your child outgrows the harness, but I like that there’s also the option to simply tuck away the straps for easy conversion between harness and booster mode, and back again. If more than one child is using the seat, that makes a lot of sense! Here’s how the Frontier booster adjusts the seat belt so it fits my 6-year-old properly: across the collarbone and chest, low and flat on the lap.
Shoulder Height
Standing height is only part of the picture though. Kids’ torsos differ in length, so it’s also important to consider the shoulder height while sitting. The Frontier ClickTight offers one of the tallest shoulder height limits available in harness mode, up to 20.5 inches. The high weight, height, and shoulder height limits mean that I can keep Tee harnessed for a long time to come. In booster seat mode, the shoulder height adjusts from 15-23 inches.
Premium Features
Beyond the ClickTight system, the Frontier ClickTight has a lot of other premium features that make this a great car seat in my books:
- Britax’ Quick-Adjust No-Rethread Harness lets me adjust the harness shoulder height (remember, it must be above the shoulder when forward-facing) as Tee grows with one button. I really appreciate that I can adjust the height on the go, without taking the seat out.
- The EZ-Buckle System holds the harness buckle and belly pad in a forward position so Tee doesn’t sit on the buckle when she gets in. It’s so nice not to have to search for the buckle underneath her, and it makes it a lot easier for her to do up her own buckle.
- Comes with cup holders and storage areas on both sides. This is the first car seat that Tee’s ever sat in with cup holders, and she loves them!
At 25 pounds this is a hefty seat! This wouldn’t be my first choice for a seat that will be moved frequently from vehicle to vehicle or for travel, but the integrated steel bars, true side impact protection with EPP foam, and impact-absorbing base make me feel really confident about having this in my car and keeping my child safe.
The Frontier ClickTight retails for $419.99 CAD which is on the upper end of the cost spectrum. However, with a booster mode weight limit of 120 pounds, height limit of 62 inches (that’s 5 feet, 2 inches!) and a lifespan of nine years, this is likely to be the last seat your child will need until they’re ready for an adult seat belt. I think it’s worth it.
If you were wondering about the print on this car seat, it’s the limited edition Dylan print, available only at Brixy independent baby stores. The stylish gray and black color combination is gender neutral and doesn’t show dirt, a must with kids! Find a retailer in Canada.
About Britax
Britax manufactures and markets a full line of premium car seats, strollers, baby carriers and accessories. Since its founding in Britain in 1939, the company has established itself as a trusted juvenile products brand, known for a commitment to thoughtful, innovative engineering of safe, top-quality and intuitively designed products. Britax USA is located in Fort Mill, SC, and employs more than 200 people. For more information, visit www.britax.com.
Connect with Britax on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosure: I was provided with a sample item to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.
Love this car seat! Thank you for the review.
That installation system really is a game changer!
So very important to have a great car seat!!! Thanks for the review this looks like a super one 🙂
We have this exact seat for my daughter. I love it, and since she’ll be harnessed for awhile I haven’t even looked into switching between harness and booster. Good to know it’s simple. We are seeing some tearing in the seat cover where she gets in and out, where her feet put pressure on the seat. After only a few months. I’m wondering how she should get in and out of her seat in such a way that will avoid that tearing.
We haven’t noticed any issues like that so far, and I’ve never noticed any tearing on my other Britax seat (4 years old). I’m not sure I understand though, why would she be putting her feet on it? Either way, I’m pretty sure it shouldn’t be tearing like that. Is it still under warranty?
It’s mounted in the middle seat of my xterra. she’s too short (and there isn’t much space between the bench seat and the console/front seats anyway) for her to stand up on the floor board and then sit in her seat. So to climb in she stands on the passenger seat, steps over the armrest and onto her britax, turns around, standing in it, then sits down. Reverse to get out. I hope that makes sense. the seam on the bottom of the seat, near where you reach to loosen straps i believe (i don’t have it in front of me) is starting to give, from her feet pushing off there when standing up/sitting down. I never had a problem like that with the britax roundabout. We only bought it a few months ago, so should be under warranty.
Sounds like a great seat! It’s definitely on my radar for when my oldest has outgrown rear facing in his seat (he’s 3.5 years old).
I would absolutely recommend this seat once kids outgrow rear facing!
I love the click tight feature. We are bringing a little girl home from China soon and will be in the market for a new seat. I will definitely have to put this on our list.
Congratulations, Melanie! This is a combination seat (forward facing harness & booster), so it’s for older kids. If your little girl is younger, I know that ClickTight now comes on their convertible seats too (rear facing and forward facing).
I have not tried Britax, but I have heard good things about the brand! This seat sounds and looks fabulous!
This is our third Britax seat! I just love all their safety features.
We will be searching for our next step car seat very soon. Already enjoyed the brutal chaperone infant seat and really liking this one as well!
It’s funny to get excited about a car seat, but I really am. The ClickTight makes such a difference in the installation!
This is a timely article for us – thank you!
I’ve heard great thing about britex Carseats, this one looks amazing. I love the fact that it allows you to see the belt path. I got a new rear facing seat for my son n that’s my one issue with it. It’s so hard to get my hands in there too make sure the seat belt goes in the right path.
I’ve struggled with the same thing on other car seats. My husband used to have to call me to do it, so he was really excited by the ease of installation on this one, especially for his big hands!
I’ve been looking for a new harness to booster seat for my daughter and this one is awesome! Ease of use is so important to getting a proper install! Cheap seats might have to fall under the same safety standards but they’re nearly impossible to install correctly. This might the one!
That’s exactly why I love this seat so much! My other car seats weren’t cheap, but I still found them such a huge pain to install with the seat belt. Whereas I had to install and re-install this Frontier multiple times for the review, and every time I was so impressed with how quick and easy it was to do, and do it correctly.
Great review, I have both this booster as well as the Britax pinnacle and for both the harness weight limit is 90lbs ☺
My apologies, I see you’re in Canada, how strange that here in The U.S their weight limit is up to 90lbs! That’s a huge difference. I compared Britax Canada website to the U.S and they sure are different.
Yes, the weight limits are very different between the US and Canada. I’m not sure why that is, but I have never seen a car seat in Canada with a harnessed weight limit higher than 65 pounds. I’m assuming it must be Transport Canada regulations.
We have this seat and I love it!
I love this car seat. The way it installs and the way you can use it as the kids grow
I loooove that after rfing that this is the only seat we’ll need!! So awesome and for once…. a money saver!!
Thank you for the review! We love Britax car seat.
This is the car seat I move in and out of the car when I’m driving a child friend. Yes, it’s heavy, but weighs less than my children who still ask me to carry them around…
Installation. Unintalation. Adjusting for different users – a breeze!!!
Love your post. It’s explained as the best.