We think parents should make their own choice on when to transition to booster mode based on the childs maturity and booster readiness. Hi Elise, new vehicles are tested in the NHTSAs NCAP 5-star crash testing system at 35 mph. The Britax Harness-2-Boosters tested by Consumer Reports are safe when used as intended and in accordance with the instructions and warnings contained in the user guides. Britax also said the company would continue to stay engaged with Consumer Reports to benefit from their perspective.. I need some more info. Hi Angela, most high back boosters have side impact protection for the head built into the head rest. These seats are so expensive and to find out that they cant perform as promised is so disappointing. The Pioneer did not exhibit any structural issues when tested with the 3-year-old ATD. So, while we cant say which models are SAFEST, we can only give suggestions on ones that are easy to use and tend to allow parents to install them correctly in many vehicles. I would have no concerns using the harness up to 50 lbs, given the limited information we have. As this post states, CRs test protocol and test setup is proprietary, and they dont release the actual data for anyone else to review. Its a serious flaw that effectively allows the harness to loosen and can significantly increase head excursion and the risk of a secondary impact or head strike. The headrest adjustment and harness support structures on the Frontier ClickTight broke when tested with the 6-year-old dummy (ATD) who weighs 52 lbs. Can you please advise? So if we planned to switch to the Britax Frontier booster seat as soon as our kids hit the weight and height requirements, these findings would not apply to the booster functionality? The Consumer Reports dynamic sled test was designed with more real-world vehicle conditions in mind. and 45 tall), consider whether or not your child may be ready to use the seat as a booster. Considering how problematic it is to test and pass regular FMVSS 213 crash testing with the 10-year-old ATD, its unlikely that we will see any other manufacturer introduce new products with harness weight limits beyond 65 lbs. Due to these issues,the Cosco Finale receives only a BASIC rating for crash protection, meaning that it meets all the required and necessary standards from NHTSA but it does not provide additional margins of safety, in their opinion, when tested with the bigger ATDs who weigh more than 50 lbs. My child usually rides in a booster, but Ive kept our Frontier in harness mode for long trips because its more comfortable for sleeping. Since the Pioneer is rated to 70 lbs. Thesupport hardware on the back of the shell (near the shoulder area) brokein 3 out of 4 tests with the 6-year-old dummy (ATD). CarseatBlog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. While fatalities certainly occur at these speeds, there is definitely an expectation that vehicles in this scenario should protect their occupants. Since your child isnt mature enough to use the seat as a booster and doesnt meet the minimum requirements for booster mode anyway, leaving her in the harness is clearly the best choice. Every parent or caregiver has to weigh the pros and cons and make decisions based on their personal circumstances. 2007-2022 Carseat Media LLC, all rights reserved, Consumer Reports Crash Test Findings: Britax Frontier and Pioneer, Cosco Finale, Graco Atlas & Harmony Defender Receive BASIC Rating. With the harness is this going to be alright or should I not use this seat anymore and but something else? and in a single test conducted with the weighted 6-year-old ATD (62 lbs.) Also, its possible that these are designed/intended failure modes as part of a performance-based design process intended to mitigate risk. Also, as we mentioned, these seats all pass federally required testing up to the maximum. When tested with the 3-year-old ATD, the Finale did show signs of stress in the tether area, but it did not break through. There is nothing to simulate interaction with a front seat and carseats arent tested with 3-point lap/shoulder belts. I own both a frontier and a pioneer seat and this new finding angers me! We have mostly Britaxs a 2015 Boulevard and a 2016 Boulevard as our main carseats, and Frontier (and a Graco) in the less driven car. We know all carseats sold in the U.S. are required to meet FMVSS 213 standards but we also know all carseats arent the same. The structure that anchors the tether strap to the shell broke in 3 out of 3 tests with the 6-year-old dummy (ATD). We just bought it, But i have problems with the seatbelt being pinched and not retracting at all in the belt guide. To their credit, CRs policy on all the products and services they evaluate is to report any issues they identify in testing as soon as they are validated, even if the full ratings arent finished yet. Consumer Reports also chose to run the tests at 35 mph because that is the speed at which vehicles are crash tested in the governments New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Only one other model (the Maxi-Cosi Pria convertible) can pass 213 testing with this very large dummy. with the harness, it was tested again with the weighted 6-year-old ATD (62 lbs.). We appreciate your comments and I agree with everything you stated. There has not yet been any independent verification of these test results and no study on the results is yet published in any peer-reviewed journal. Know Your Rights! Correct. If you already own a Cosco Finale: Consumer Reports recommends switching to booster mode use at 40 pounds (as long as the child is at least 43 tall) or replacing the seat. So, considering the CR testing, is the Frontier less secure than the other two? This occurred in both tests with the 6-year-old ATD (52 lbs.) This allowed the harness to pull through the shell and loosen as the dummy moved forward. Since the Pioneer had issues in CR testing, it receives only a BASIC rating for crash protection, meaning that it meets all the required and necessary standards from NHTSA (the federal government) but it does not provide greater margins of safety, in their opinion, when tested with the bigger ATDs who weigh more than 50 lbs. Are there any test results for the Frontier in belted mode? It seems like hes only 9lbs lighter than the test where it broke I was hoping to keep both my kids in a 5 point harness as long as possible. My son is 48 inches tall with 17 inche torso height. Id just about guarantee that every CR manufacturer has already tested their car seats to the point of failure under a variety of loading conditions knowing the real performance limits is an important part of designing any product of this type, and they need to know the details of that performance envelope for legal liability reasons. However she has been in a European seat in belted mode for the last year so if the seat is safe in belted mode we can use it this way. Hi Jessica, just to clarify, the Pioneer is rated at 70 pounds in the USA. As such, given the limited sample size of testing, it cannot be used to deem a model safe or unsafe or even tell you how much safer one model may be than another. Hes definitely not mature enough for a booster. Each model was subjected to several different crash tests (using a new seat each time) depending on the weight rating of the product. I purchased the Britax Pinnacle mainly for the 90lbs limit on harness. In booster mode, the seat belt is doing the restraining, not the harness, so the belt guides in the headrest are just there for support not structure. In a direct side impact, these should all provide some protection if the childs head is back within the wings. As always, we will do our best to present the facts in a clear and concisemanner so that parents can understand the scope of the issues and CPS Technicians can help educatethe families we work with. The Pioneer did not exhibit any structural issues when tested with the 3-year-old ATD. If your child is approaching the weight where a model experienced a harness pull through failure, it may be time to consider transitioning to booster use if the child is within the necessary ratings and mature enough to be in a booster, or to find a different model with a 5-point harness. We have no additional information, so you would have to contact Consumer Reports or wait for any updates from them to be published. (Britax Pioneer) were also tested with the 6-year-old ATD who was weighted using a standard weight kit from NHTSA that adds an additional 10 lbs., making the ATD weigh a total of 62 lbs. We understand other models may have had revisions since then to improve performance and have been retested or are in the process of being retested. Scarey! The IIHS runs some new vehicle crash tests at 40mph. Keep in mind that until the crash test results and full rating of all the combination seats tested in this round are released, we are forced to focus on the limited information we have been provided with so far. These are definitely not wimpy seats! Since the Pioneer is rated to 70 lbs. Hi Ruth- I assume you mean belt-positioning booster mode? I do remember that in Sweden for instance they rear face to the max then go to boosters and I wonder if tests like this with more real world parameters is a factor in that decision! I wish there were a rating system for safety!! My 43lb 4.5yr old son sits in the 2015 Boulevard and int he Frontier. Yes, it can be a very big difference. Some will look for alternative products while others will continue to use the seats they have. The 10-yr-old ATD is a BEAST in testing because its so tall and heavy. Clearly, all these seats are still going to offer good protection in many crashes as they meet or exceed FMVSS testing. They are outdated and need an update, but they do serve an important function to help keep unsafe products off the market. I researched each seat extensively prior to purchasing so that I could ensure my children would be riding in the safest car seat, with the ability to use the harness past the 40lb mark now Im not sure i feel safe having them in these seatsand to add to that these seats were quite expensive! However, the shoulder belt guide on Finale is only required when its necessary to achieve proper belt fit and therefore it can be skipped for many taller kids who dont need it for proper shoulder beltpositioning. They chose to use a 2nd row captains chair (with lap/shoulder belt, of course) from a model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex. This CR report doesnt affect my confidence in keeping her harnessed in the Frontier until shes heavy enough and mature enough to switch to booster mode (especially since there were no issues when tested with the 3 yea old ATD, which is closer to her size). Thank you for the suggestion and all the comment! No major roads around me go 30 or 35 miles per hour. Or did the seat break but the child/dummy remained unharmed. We dont expect there to be any major issues with these combination seats simply because they would have been called out already if there were. For a child who meets the requirements to use a seatbelt with a booster, a dedicated booster is much less expensive and just as effective. So I just sold my chicco nextfit and am using my sons pioneer for my 3 1/2 year old who is 30 lbs. The Frontier CT was not tested with the weighted 6-year-old ATD since its harness capacity is 90 lbs. Thank you again for your work. You might consider the less expensive Nautilus models for an older child. Therefore, its possible that the Pinnacle would have experienced issues similar to what was observed with the Frontier if it had been tested. For a 5-year old child, the Graco 4Ever seems like it doesnt offer a good value unless you plan to use it again for another child. I hope that reminder offers you a little piece of mind if you are otherwise happy with your Britax seats. I will switch it over to booster mode today. Ive noticed I havent seen them on the market much any more and cant find any recall information on my particular model. but is 35 mph into a wall a survivanble crash anyways? The government has minimum requirements, but there are also additional tests including their NCAP 5-star testing (35mph frontal) and a battery of IIHS tests (at least three conducted at 40mph) that go above and beyond the basic federal safety standards. These could all lead to the head being forward of the side impact wings in a crash, limiting the protection they may offer. So, we strive to educate and let parents make their own informed decisions when there simply is no black and white answer to cover every situation. Especially since we know these models had no issues when tested with the 35-pound ATD. While CR does not give us any actual data to make decisions about exactly how much safer one model is than another overall, I do think that major failures like a harness pulling through the shell in this testing should be considered at some level and not dismissed entirely. I really like the easy installation on the Frontier, and I think my kids will be mature enough to sit properly once they finally reach 40lbs (they are 7 and 5, but very very skinny!!). (I just canceled my order for the pinnacle and need something else asap!). And I was planning to get my older child a larger combination seat so we can continue using the Diono for extended rear facing but now Im torn as to whether a new rear facing seat would be a better buy and let the older child continue using the Pacifica when harnessed and otherwise use a booster! Your daughter is at an age where she can move to a highback booster or stay in a harnessed seat. The fact that a structural element in the seat failed during a test doesnt tell us much of anything. This was the only seat in all the combination seats Consumer Reports tested that was subjected to testing with the 10-year-old dummy who weighs 78 lbs. The goal here was to determine which seats could hold up well under tougher crash test conditions that were also more real world than the 213 compliance tests. Since the Britax Frontier ClickTight is rated up to 90 lbs. (Finale & Defender) or 70 lbs. For now, all we know is that the models mentioned had partial breakage and in a couple cases, had major failures with the harness pulling through the shell for higher weight children. Combined with a more severe crash pulse, the peak forces on an occupant could even double. I know it is not much consolation, but the Frontier platform was designed before Consumer Reports first started using this protocol. Crashes at 35-40 mph are severe on occupants, but vehicles are designed to protect their passengers in these higher speed impacts. Having only a single type of frontal crash test requirement really is a bare minimum. All opinions at CarseatBlog are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. I would like to buy THE SAFEST but Ive never found a rating like that. Sign in, Can't find what you're looking for?Maybe it's on the Retired Products page. Welcome to parenthood! There are over 350,000 Finales in use and there have been no injuries reported. The company noted that CRs testing varies from NHTSAs standards. Since she sleeps so much, Id recommend a harnessed seat until you can get her to stop slumping over (it may never happen, but some parents have had success teaching their kids to look up when they get sleepymaybe put a sticker on the ceiling to look at). The Britax Harness-2-Booster seats are still the only combination seats on the market with harness weight limits above 65 lbs. Which of those would be the best option? This additional testing protocol was developed after these seats were first designed and marketed. The Consumer Reports testing is proprietary and not required by the government, that is why no recall is required. Yeesh! I know once someone has lost confidence in a life-saving product that its difficult or impossible to turn that around again but let me be the one to remind you that the Britax Frontier/Pinnacle/Pioneer platform does test and pass FMVSS213 with the 10-year-old ATD who weighs 78 lbs. I need to buy a combination car seat for my 5 years old son. The Frontier CT was not tested with the weighted 6-year-old ATD since its harness capacity is 90 lbs. Amanda, they havent updated it yet. The company also said that CRs testing did not take into account practical matters such as how the car seat fits or installs into vehicles, which affects overall safety greatly Harmony pointed to what it described as several discrepancies within Consumer Reports testing that differs from other testing, both independent and internal that would impact the testing results greatly. The company did note that it appreciates all comments from customers as well as independent bodies such as Consumer Reports as all such information is always used in the ongoing improvements of all our products.. These test results do not apply at all to booster mode. Do we know if the Nautilus was one of the models tested by CR? The Defender did not exhibit any structural issues when tested with the 3-year-old ATD. By signing up for emails, I accept the Privacy Policy. That, in itself, is really impressive. Beware of Fraudulent Britax Websites - Learn More. Due to these issues,the Harmony Defender receives only a BASIC rating for crash protection, meaning that it meets all the required and necessary standards from NHTSA but it does not provide additional margins of safety, in their opinion, when tested with the bigger ATDs who weigh more than 50 lbs. This occurred in one test with the 6-year-old ATD (52 lbs.) Hi Callie, our guidance is in the article. I already had the pioneer used as a booster in my husbands car. This is definitely not the news anyone wants to hear, but keep in mind that the Britax Frontier CT (and the similar Pinnacle CT model)pass all federal crash test standards when tested with these same ATDs (both the 6-yr-old and the 10-yr-old). A 90 pound dummy would pass the US test but not the CA one? All of these seats were tested with the Hybrid III 3-year-old dummy (ATD) who weighs 35 lbs. If you have a child who meets the weight and height criteria for using the Frontier or Pioneer in booster mode but the child is too immature to stay properly seated in booster mode (using just the seatbelt), or if the child has special needs which make a 5-point harness necessary, then the risks of using the seat as a booster probably outweigh the potential risks of experiencing some sort of structural failure in a severe crash. What i dont understand is if the current crash tests are done using a lap belt with nothing infront of it. In a statement to CR, Harmony stated that its seat meets all current U.S. federal standards. In October 2018,Consumer Reports published an article which detailed some of their findings during crash testing of a category of car seats better known as Combination Seats. Some models have deeper head wings than others, and some have external cushions or impact absorbers as well. Cara, we dont know which seats CR tested, but something from the Nautilus platform was surely tested. An additional 5 miles per hour may not seem like a big deal, but the difference can increase the energy in a crash by almost 40%. When this occurred, the harness loosened significantly. Flying with a Car Seat? We are visiting the USA and were going to buy one Boulevard and one Frontier for 2 and 5 year olds but may buy two Boulevards and use the Boulevard for a year for the five year old if we need to. If your child isnt developmentally ready to ride safely in a booster (most kids under age 5 are not, but there are exceptions), and you dont have another appropriate seat to put them in, then leave your child in the harness. Sometimes there are no easy answers but its our responsibility to provide accurate and unbiased information so parents and caregivers can make informed decisions. Is there a high back booster seat on the market that has a head rest that has protection and is not just for comfort ? Angie, we totally understand your frustration and there are many other Britax owners who feel the same way you do about this new information. Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) defines a child to mean a person whose weight is not less than 9 kg (20 lbs) and not more than 30 kg (65 lbs). This means that a forward facing harnessed seat cannot be rated higher than 30 kg in Canada. This breakage also resulted in pieces of sharp plastic in areas that may contact the child. Shes 65lbs and 48 in. I just swiched the frontier today to booster mode. https://carseatblog.com/safest-recommended-car-seats/#HIGHBACKBOOSTERS, Best July Car Seat Deals, Sales & Coupon Codes + Strollers & Baby Gear. In each of the tests with the 6-year-old ATD and the weighted 6-year-old ATD, the headrest adjustment and harness support structures broke but the harness did not pull through. Really, the Frontier or Pinnacle are your only options since shes 65 lbs. Hi Rhonda, the Marathon ClickTight did well in CRs testing a few years ago. Im glad i am able to use it that way at least, and to add extra safety i use the britax secure gaurd clip. Currently, these seats are the ONLY combination seats that can do that. For those of us who are CPS Technicians, this is our gospel. Let's start the journey together. Was the child/dummy injured when the seat broke. Everyone needs to make their own opinion on how to interpret these results. When this news came out, we quickly switched our 47 lb 5-year-old from our Britax Pinnacle CT to a Diono Radian that we had sitting in storage. using the harness, this seat was tested with both the 6-year-old ATD and the 10-year-old ATD. Its quite possible the Frontier will be updated at some point. Crash dynamics and biomechanics (and their interaction) are complicated, and its difficult even for experts to translate fully-instrumented test results into an assessment of risk to a child occupant in a real world crash. Similarly, it is impossible to say if there is any absolute number for a real world risk of injury that would deem a model safe or unsafe. is the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 convertible and she wont fit well in it (you may be able to find one at a BuyBuyBaby or specialty store to try it out). Ultimately, these additional tests have led to vastly improved vehicle safety in the USA where we have the most comprehensive vehicle crash testing in the world. The change of car seat was because my younger son exceeded the limits for his infant car seat so, I moved him to the Evenflo and then, I needed a harness booster for my oldest. The seats rated up to 65 lbs. Honestly, my son loves it very much. The tests by Consumer Reports do NOT apply to booster mode use. Once Consumer Reports has released their full testing, we may have more information and also have some insight on which models they believe to perform better in their more severe testing protocol that goes beyond government standard testing. with the harness. Maxi-Cosi RodiSport Booster Review: Stylish, Versatile, Comfy, Speed limiter mandate overdue for large trucks, New Hyundai EV earns Top Safety Pick+. Do you know if the Pinancle was tested as well? We would certainly hope newer models are designed to perform well in the type of testing Consumer Reports is conducting as well. The headrest adjustment and harness support structuresof the Britax Pioneerbroke when tested with the 6-year-old dummy (ATD) who weighs 52 lbs. Other times, the child could be leaning forward or have their head titled downward to look at a book or device. In this very severe test, the supporting structure around the metal retention bar on the back of the shell broke, and the retention bar and harness pulled through the back of the shell. If your child is 40 pounds or more and mature enough to use a booster seat, that is a fine option for a 5-year old as well and will save a lot of money, too. Unless youre driving around town with your kids secured in the back seat of a 73 Impala (with LATCH anchors), the current FMVSS 213 crash tests are pretty useless in determining how your carseat might actually perform in a crash in your vehicle. Hi Alisja, the federal standards really are minimum requirements. And I cant decide, ugh. I also dont know for sure about testing requirements, but I will try to get an answer for you. This is definitely not the news anyone wants to hear, but keep in mind that the Britax Frontier CT (and the similar Pinnacle CT model)pass all federal crash test standards when tested with these same ATDs (both the 6-yr-old and the 10-yr-old). Instead, it was tested with the 10-year-old ATD who weighs 78 lbs. We stay current and up-to-date in this constantly evolving field so we can educate others. I am hoping to buy just one final car seat for my kids now that their Britax Advocates are expiring. If you are under the weight where problems were observed, there is not likely any issue.
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