Reviews
Nice booster, but not perfect.
I've been a bit of a car seat fanatic since before my first child was conceived (she's nearly 8). In that time I have tested out lots of seats and done side by side comparisons of the features each seat offers. Britax and Graco are two of my favorite brands of car seats. Both generally offer ease of use and adequately cushioned and comfortable seats. When it comes to five point harness convertible seats, Britax has always been my brand of choice. Once you experience the superior design, impact protection, luxurious fabrics and incredible ease of use, most other seats on the market simply don't compare.
In the past, I have not been impressed with many elements on Britax booster seats. Four and a half years ago the ease of use when compared to the Graco high back Turbo Booster was dismal, and the comfort level was lacking as well. I was hopeful when the Britax Parkway Slide Guard was offered to me for review as part of the Amazon Vine Program that things might have changed for the better. I am pleased to say that in many ways Britax has improved on their booster seats. Because I have been using Graco Turbo Booster seats for my oldest child for four and a half years, I'm going to give you the pros and cons of the Britax Parkway when compared to the Graco Turbo Booster.
Overall the Britax Parkway SG is a very nicely designed seat. In many ways it is much nicer than the Turbo Booster, but I did take issue with it on a few minor points. I ran the seat through my usual critical scrutiny and asked my daughters ages 4 and nearly 8 to give me their input on the seat. For the most part they both liked the seat. The 4 year old found nothing wrong with the seat, other than the fact that she is 1 1/2 pounds too light to be able to ride in this seat, but I didn't let that stop me from sizing her up in it in the garage since she meets the minimum height requirement. My older child took issue with the seat on two points. She did not like the "Slide Guard" safety feature that prevents your child from "submarining" in a crash. I can't say I blame her since she has ridden in a seat without strap between her legs for over four years now. She also was disappointed in the arm rests. They're smaller than the arm rests that are found on the Turbo Booster, and they're not adjustable. Because of this the arm rests are about an inch or two two low for her to be able to put her elbows on them (and this is a child who is only 49 inches tall-it would be worse for a taller child), and they are are not long enough to even make it to her wrist. Those two features left my daughter feeling disappointed.
I took issue with Britax's claim that this was a thinner profile seat that would allow you to put three seats in the back seat. I tested this out in my van with two Graco Turbo Booster (which by the way, are about 2 inches thinner widthwise). If you're not going to be buckling the kids into the seats, you can fit three across, but if you actually want to secure the kids in the seats (And, why wouldn't you?) there is probably no way you are going to fit three of this seat in your car's back seat.
I also had a problem with the slide guard. I tried it out in three different seat positions in my minivan. If you have a seatbelt that has one of those little plastic button things that keep the buckle from sliding all the way to the end of the belt, you may not be able to properly use the slide guard with the seat belt as the opening on the slide guard is too narrow to accommodate it. Because of this, I only have two possible seats in my car out of five that the seat can be used.
Assembly (putting the seat back on the seat base) was a snap. It took me no more than one minute. Assembly took merely seconds more than the Graco Turbo Booster, but unlike the Turbo Booster, it doesn't fall apart easily. The Parkway is a seat that you can easily carry from one car to the next and not have to worry that the base is going to detach from the seat back in transit (a scenario that I have witnessed many times).
Adjusting the head rest is a snap. Much like the Turbo Booster, all you need to do is squeeze and pull or push, depending on whether you are raising or lowering the headrest and the adjustment is done. That alone is a huge improvement on past Britax booster models.
The fabric on the seat is very nice (the Turbo Booster simply can't compete on this point). The printed fabric is a smoother material that you could easily wipe clean. The solid black fabric is a velvety plush. It's a thicker pile that the material you find on most Britax Marathon seats. The seat pad is thick and cushiony.
The foam beneath the seat pad is nice and firm. It will comfortably support a larger child. My four year old tells me the seat is just as comfortable as her Britax Marathon. Given how soft and cushy that seat is, I think that says a lot.
The cup holders are a nice touch and they appear to be slightly roomier than the Graco Turbo Booster's. I did find that they're a little stiff sliding in and out. My 8 year old had difficulty getting the cup holders to slide out, and my 4 year old couldn't get them out at all.
The high back for the booster got two thumbs up from both of my daughters. Both said it was comfortable and neither one complained of the sides obstructing their view. The high impact foam is thicker on this seat than the impact foam found on the Turbo Booster. It is the typical higher quality that I have come to expect from Britax over the years. The slide guard is easy to adjust (when the child is out of the seat) and easy to attach to the lap portion of the seat belt.
Since kids can be messy and seat covers need to be washed from time to time, I decided to see how difficult it is to take off the cover and reattach it. If you're like me, you've probably found yourself in this nightmare of wrestling with a seat to get the cover off or on. Some seats are a breeze while others make you want to rip out your hair. I'm pleased to tell you that it is a pretty simple job. It only took a few minutes to take the cover off and replace it. The cover itself is hand wash and line dry.
In all, the Britax Parkway SG is a very nice booster seat. I'm annoyed that the designers didn't put a little more thought into the opening on the slide guard. If they had made it a smidge bigger, it would have been able to handle the issue I mentioned about about the seat belts. The great thing about the slide guard is it ensures that the lap belt does not ride up on your child's abdomen, which could cause severe internal injuries in a car crash. I'm actually surprised that it has taken this many years for any of the car seat manufacturers to come out with something like this for the booster seats. I like the added safety feature, but I wish it had a wider opening. The arm rests and the slide guard openings are the reasons why I only gave this seat 4 stars. Adjustable arm rests that are a bit longer, and a more thoughtfully designed slide guard would have easily made this a 5 star booster seat.
A Bit Disappointed
I'm a certified child passenger safety technician so when I had the chance to try the new Britax Parkway Slide Guard, I was thrilled. I know child restraints inside and out.
Britax has been talking for over a year about this seat and how it will fit children up to 120 lbs and how it will have the slide guard mechanism. In a crash, forward facing occupants do what is called submarining. This is when the hips slide forward in a crash causing the lap belt to ride up over the lower abdomen. The slide guard mechanism is intended to eliminate that, thereby reducing internal injuries in children. Thankfully, I wasn't in a crash with the seat so I can't rate that, but knowing Britax and their extensive testing, it probably does a very good job.
One of the selling points of the Parkway Slide Guard was that it was more narrow and would make fitting three across a back seat easier. I just happen to have one of the old Parkways to compare it to, and the two seats are identical widths. So, I don't see how this seat can fit three across any better than the old Parkway.
I had my daughter try out the seat for comfort and fit. She is almost 10, but is small for her age (57 lbs 51 inches). She fit well in the seat, but her first comment was, "This is uncomfortable." The webbing that holds the slide guard mechanism comes out of the seat in an inverted "V" shape. This causes the webbing to press into the inner thighs of the child. My very thin child complained about this. I would imagine it would be worse for a heavier child who had larger thighs.
There are some good things about the seat. Once adjusted to the correct length, the slide guard mechanism was very easy to position on the seatbelt correctly. It is also a very nicely padded seat. Britax has never before had a booster that converts to a backless booster so this is a nice change there. Also, the seat is taller than the older Parkways which is a definite bonus. In the old Parkway, my daughter is four notches from the bottom. On the Parkway Slide Guard, she is two notches and would have years of growth room.
All said and done, it is an okay booster, but certainly not what I expected after all the hype over the past year. If Britax would modify the webbing on the slide guard mechanism, that would be a huge benefit.
Added 5/13/2010
Britax has now said that you can remove the slide guard from this seat and use it as a standard booster. If that had been an option when I did my original review, I would have given it a better rating so it is important to note. The slide guard is still recommended, just not required.
Innovative design
Britax Parkway Slide Guard is a recent (as of Sept 09) replacement for the old Britax Parkway Booster. While a new design it roughly about the same size as the old Parkway Booster, sitting just an inch or two taller. In most ways it is a normal booster: it elevates the child so that your car's lap and shoulder belt fit correctly. Like most high end boosters it includes energy absorbing foam and the design helps stabilize the head and spine during a collision reducing the chance of injury. Where it differs from the old Parkway and the competition is the "Slide Guard" - a clip that sits between the legs that turns your standard three-point seatbelt into a four-point seatbelt. Your regular lap belt just threads into the clip (something you or your child must do each time they buckle up). The point is to keep children from sliding under the lap belt in a crash (this happens a lot and can result in abdominal injuries). This is a feature you won't find in the top rated (by Consumer Reports) Graco Turbobooster or the Recaro Start and to me it is the main selling point (CR doesn't have a review for the Britax yet). It has a downside in that it's slightly more complicated than a normal seatbelt. Older children won't have trouble with this but younger children will need some help.
I love it: I had no trouble with installing it, or getting my son strapped in. He's not quite old enough to be trusted with getting it on correctly so it takes a little more time to get him in his seat properly. If you've got a lot of kids to get into car seats this could be a deal breaker for you. If you have a smaller child or one who slouches down in their seat, the additional harness connect could be a life saver.
Here are the basic specs:
*Weight range: 40 120-pounds
*Height range: 38"-63"
*Armrests (note that they are fixed in place and can't be adjusted)
*Headrest helps support the head and neck during a crach
*Narrow Footprint allows for 3-across seating in some cars
*Removable back converts to a backless booster
*Cup Holders on each side
*Color-Coded Vehicle Belt Guides indicate the path and positioning of the vehicle seat belt
*High Density Comfort Foam provides an extra layer of padding to gently cushion the child
*Energy-Absorbing Foam Liner (EPS) absorbs and distributes crash forces
You can get this information and see videos on the Britax web site. I'd suggest doing that before you buy since this isn't quite your typical design.
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