Baby Booster Seat

Over the past five years, Britax has been in and out of the booster market with different offerings. First it was the Bodyguard, which was replaced by the original Parkway, which was then replaced by the Monarch. The Monarch’s reign was very short lived though and it was recently replaced by the new and updated Parkway SG and Parkway SGL Boosters.

We had purchased the original Britax Parkway for our daughter when she first came out of her convertible seat, as it was one of the few boosters with side impact protection, but have recently upgraded to the New Parkway SG model that is better in almost every way. To start, the SG in the new model name stands for Briax’s exclusive new SG (Slideguard) Belt Anchor, an anti-submarining clip that helps prevent the child from sliding under the lap belt during a collision, reducing the risk of abdominal injury. It’s very easy to use and you child will even figure out how to do it pretty quickly. The Parkway has substantial side “wings” with EPS Foam, providing side support for the torso and the head. The wings were also designed to serve as a good head/neck support for naps. Given that we were moving the booster to the outside position, this was something that was important to us.

The Britax Parkway has some other neat features including a two position recline and an easy to use handle above the headrest to adjust the height with one hand. There are also built-in cup holders for snacks and drinks.  The one difference between the Parkway SG and slightly higher priced Parkway SGL is that the Parkway SGL is also equipped with the Britax Isoflex Flexible Lower Latch System, which is a push-button that allows you to secure the booster seat to the vehicle using the Latch system.

The Parkway SG and SGL easily convert to a backless booster while maintaining the SecureGuard feature, and fits children from 40 pounds and 38 inches up to 120 pounds and 63 inches. When your child is bigger and no longer needs the belt guide or the top support, you can simply remove that portion and use the base portion on its own, so you will not have to buy another booster seat. Having read many reviews, I am confident that this is the best booster seat on the market today. It was also recently named a best pick as a “best bet” booster by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a private group funded by auto insurers whose testing is much more stringent than the government.

Having read many reviews and seen other booster seats first hand, I am confident that this is the best booster seat on the market today.

Devil's Advocate:

Although the added padding around the head increases the seat’s safety, make sure it doesn’t drive your child crazy by having them try it out in the store. If this is the case, the Graco Turbo Booster is a good option as its head support has a little more breathing room.