Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat Review
Britax Car Seat Known for Style, Comfort and Safety!
The ingenious design of the Britax Advocate ClickTight Convertible Car Seat provides style, convenience, comfort and a high level of safety for your child.
As a parent or caregiver, you want the safest car seat you can find while still hoping for a small amount of convenience. The Britax Advocate has that and so much more.
I’m going to cover everything you need to know about the Britax Advocate. Design details, safety information, installation and care, customer ratings, and just why you may or may not want this car seat are all on the docket.
So, sit back, enjoy your cup of coffee (or wine, no judging!) and read on why the Britax Advocate is going to make your life change for the better.
Both your child, if they can talk, and you can thank me later.
$299.99 Note: Price subject to change without notice. Check Amazon for today’s best price!Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat Design Details
One of the best things about Britax is their flawless attention to detail. From their covers to their safety features, they really have it down to a science. Let’s take a look at the specific design details on the Britax Advocate.
- Weighs in at 30 pounds: Not too heavy that you can’t haul it from car to car if needed, but not too light where you question it’s safety capability.
- 20.5” W x 23.5” H x 23” D: It’s not a small car seat, but you are getting a lot of extra safety features to compensate for that. You cannot fit 3-across with this car seat.
- 7 Recline Positions: Ensures correct position at every age for your child
- 14 Position Easy-Adjust Harness: Grows with your child to meet safety standards
- Rear Facing 5-40 Pounds: Keep them rear facing until at least age 2
- Forward Facing 20-65 Pounds: Allows for smaller children to forward face comfortably
- 5 Color Choices: Circa, Grey, Kate, Venti, Mosaic
- 2 Different Sizes: With or without anti-rebound bar (extra safety measure)
Why is this Britax Car Seat Special?
I think the name brand in itself speaks loudly to why this Britax Car Seat is so special. They are renowned for their safety and that’s really the most important aspect of a car seat isn’t it? That’s what I look for for my kids first and foremost. The Britax Advocate car seat has 3 levels of safety; an energy-absorbing shell, foam-lined headrest, external cushions and much more.
Secondly, their design and comfort are exceptional. If you have read other car seat reviews you are going to read about belts cutting into little baby thighs and so on. It’s not only uncomfortable but unsafe. Britax doesn’t have that issue. My little boy loves his car seat and lounges comfortably in it.
Recommended Use and Size Limits
Every car seat is different as far as recommendations here. The goal is to keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. In the United States it is recommended to have your little one rear-facing until age two. In other countries, they wait even longer to turn them around.
The reasoning behind that is that it is just plain safer to have them rear facing. The impact is going to be less and they have a better chance for survival if you were in a serious accident. After all, that’s what the car seat is for. The Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat has a nice range of sizes for safety for both rear and forward facing.
Rear facing has a recommended weight of 5 to 40 pounds. It has a removable pillow for the newborn stage, which you are most definitely going to want to use. The 14 position harness is easily adjusted as your infant grows into a toddler to get the right fit every time.
Forward facing can be as low of weight as 20 pounds and lasts up to 65 pounds. That being said, you would have to have a very long-legged child to turn them around before they reach over 20 pounds. It does happen though! As far as the maximum weight goes, you aren’t going to want to put a child in the car seat that is taller than 49 inches.
Another feature I love is the Click and Safe Snug Harness Indicator which lets you know that your child’s harness is the perfect fit with the sound of a click.
We turned our son around in his Britax when he was about 2 years and 3 months. He is on the shorter side. We looked for discomfort in the legs before turning him around. I wanted to keep him as safe as possible for as long as possible. When he could tell me he was squished, I knew it was time to turn him around.
There’s also recline to keep in mind. You are going to want to recline the seat all the way back for your newborn. They can’t keep their tiny little heads up yet! On the side of your car seat is a great guide showing you what recline position is best based on weight and height. I really follow that to a T and it seems to be working well for our little guy.
Safety Performance
This is the big one. Safety is at the forefront in your mind when it comes to a car seat. I remember sweating the first time we put our baby in a car seat and drove down the rode. You really want to be able to trust your car seat. Britax has you covered there.
There are federal standards that every car seat has to meet. While that’s great and should make you feel secure, Britax goes way beyond that. They actually do double the testing required and are constantly trying to bring more innovation and safety features to their current and future car seats.
Key Safety Features
- Impact Absorbing Base: Designed to keep your car seat in place and not slide forward into the front seat. It also does what it says, absorbs impact. Any energy coming from the impact is taken into the base and absorbed vs. being dispelled to your child.
- Side Impact Protection: Side impact cushions, deep protective shells, and energy absorbing headrests all combine to make the ultimate side impact protection for your child.
- V-Shaped Tether: This is a very specific tether that slows any forward movement or turning of the seat. It has a two-stage system that allows for this to happen.
- SafeCell: This is a fancy technology incorporated into multiple parts of your Britax car seat. Basically it reduces impact and forces coming at your child in the event of an accident. It goes way beyond federal regulations and is an intrical part of Britax safety features.
- Steel Frame: Nothing screams durability and safety like a steel frame. Nothing is going to bend that sucker.
- Anti-Rebound Bar (optional): While the anti-rebound bar is optional, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t get it. It’s an extra safety feature that costs more, but it is worth it for your peace of mind. It’s for your rear-facing seat and minimizes forces and stabilizes your car seat.
Britax takes all of this even one step further. They heard the concerns of moms everywhere about chemically treated car seats. Federal regulations require that car seats be flame retardant in case of post-vehicle crash fires. Britax knows that breathing in harsh chemicals for children is even more detrimental than adults. So, they set to work to exceed the standards.
They are now rated the safest car seat in chemical compliance on the market. They removed bromine, chlorine, and any other halogens while still maintaining the flame retardant federal regulation. Breathe a huge (clean air) sigh of relief with me. It makes me feel so much better knowing they have taken care of practically everything. Can Britax come babysit, too?
Installing the Britax Advocate Car Seat
I don’t know about you, but this is the most dreaded part of a car seat for me. I’ve put them in and taken them out. I’ve sweated, cursed, and told my husband I’m never doing it again. I’ve turned down small adventures if I would have had to move my car seat in another vehicle. No way, no how. Enter Britax. Enter ClickTight technology.
You can just use a seatbelt with this one, friends. No LATCH system required. While LATCH isn’t too bad, it’s not that great either. If I’m really honest, I still don’t completely understand it, and I probably have installed my car seat not correctly using it. In fact, 3 out of 4 car seats are installed incorrectly. That’s a pretty staggering statistic if you ask me.
The secret to the Britax Advocate is the ClickTight technology for installation. It makes it so easy and I’m not sure what people do without it anymore. Without further ado, let’s jump into how to get this bad boy in your vehicle without breaking a sweat.
Rear-Facing
1. Turn the ClickTight key to open it.
2. Thread the vehicle seat belt through and connect it.
3. Click it closed.
4. BOOM! You are done. That’s it! Now, go enjoy a glass of wine.
Forward Facing
1. Turn the ClickTight key to open it.
2. Thread the vehicle seat belt through and connect it.
3. Click it closed.
4. BOOM! You are done. That’s it! Now, go enjoy a glass of wine. (That was worth repeating.)
You see, there aren’t 18 steps. There’s no “place your knee firmly into the seat and pull tightly on this strap” garbage. There is no wrestling an alligator while a screaming toddler begs for a snack. Thank you Britax, thank you.
Britax Car Seat: Pros and Cons
There is a good side and bad side to every product, car seats are no different. While I have been spewing facts and raving about the features of the Britax Advocate, I think you need to be able to see the whole picture to make the best decision for you and your family.
PROS
- Safety, Safety, Safety: We went over the safety features in depth above. When you have side impact protection, safecell technology, an impact absorbing base, an anti-rebound bar, the V-shaped tether, and integrated steel, you really don’t need to worry when you make that walk to your front door and pull out of your driveway.
- Design: We aren’t just talking the 5 color and design options here. The Britax Advocate’s design is amazing from the build all the way to those fancy covers.
- Longevity: It’s built to last multiple kids. I know we are planning on using our Britax over and over again until the expiration date. Not only is it great for multi-child families, but it’s meant to last from newborn through the toddler stage. It grows with your kid so you don’t have to buy multiple car seats.
- Comfort: The foam padding and soft textures of the cover are very comfortable. The harness hits at the right points and is adjustable if it doesn’t. I feel confident in this field because once my kiddo learned how to talk, he told me it was comfortable and that kid does NOT lie.
- Convenience: The installation is SO simple. You don’t have to feel like you are wrestling an alligator just to put in a dang car seat. I mean really, what were these other companies thinking when they put together the installation process?
- ClickTight Big, Big Plus: the easy ClickTight harness makes it a breeze to get your child in and out without too much effort. I like that you here a distinct click when it hits the right tightness for your child. No guessing games when it comes to safety and comfort.
CONS
- Price: I know this one is a tough one to swallow. I had a hard time with it myself. The Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat runs at about $350.00. That’s without the Anti-rebound bar. If you add that, you are looking more around the $375 price range. I just want to note that while the cost is high, you are getting a LOT out of this car seat. It beats buying multiple cheap car seats to get you through the ages. It also beats buying a crappy one that you are going to get frustrated with and hear a never ending stream of complaints about how uncomfortable it is.
- Size: It’s big and bulky. I get it, not everyone has a suburban to cart their kid(s) around in. If you are planning on putting a couple of these in your backseat, just know they are pretty wide so won’t leave room for a middle passenger.
- Extras: It doesn’t come with some built in accessories that other car seats have. I agree that’s a shame, but it just shows that Britax focuses in on safety and comfort above everything else.
Customer Reviews
A lot of products out there have terrible reviews. You are so much more likely to leave a negative review about a product than a positive one. Why? Because if you actually like something, you are going to forget about they buying process and just enjoy it. If you dislike something greatly, you want to complain about it and let everyone and their dog know.
The Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat has an astounding amount of positive reviews. It comes in at 4.1 stars out of 5 on Amazon after 490 reviews. From car crash survivors thanking Britax for saving their child’s life, to a mom pleased about the way the cover cleans up, you are going to have a hard time finding much negative feedback on this car seat.
The only negative reviews I found seem to be very rare or isolated cases where something in the car seat was defective. I will say that Britax has great customer support and I would rest assured they would resolve any issue that may come up.
Check Amazon for today’s best price!Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat Review, Our Verdict
Well, you probably can tell why I like this car seat so much now. Can you blame me? Britax has outdone itself in safety, design, and convenience once again.
The safety features on this car seat are so far beyond normal parental expectations it has to have you wondering if other car seat companies are just sitting back and drinking coffee all day. It looks fantastic and cleans up great while maintaining a comfort for all ages. Steel frame, SafeCell technology, anti-rebound bar, impact absorbing base, V-shaped tether, and a secure installation. What more can you ask for there?
This car seat grows with your child from newborn to 60 pounds. You don’t have to buy multiple car seats for each age. You don’t have to worry about it falling apart on you. That leaves you more money to buy other products or an extra Starbucks or 12.
The installation is a dream. I don’t think I have ever seen such an easy installation on a car seat for that matter. It’s less than 5 steps and that is just unheard of. Plus, there is no dreaded LATCH system. You have enough on your plate. Car seat installation shouldn’t be a burden.
The only downfall I can find with this car seat is the price. I’ve already said what I thought about that. Just really think what you are getting for that amount and it will not seem as tough to take. You can’t buy safety, but you can come pretty close with this car seat.
The Britax Advocate ClickTight Convertible Car Seat is one for the books. I know you can’t buy peace of mind. Boy, I wish you could. Parenting is hard work and very nerve wracking. Getting the Britax Advocate will lessen that load. You can at least rest assured you put them in an extremely safe seat for this journey through life.
Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat Review ratings, see our ratings below.
Price: HIGH | Quality: HIGH | Safety: HIGH | Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5Britax Advocate Optional Accessories
What’s a product without its accessories? While I believe Britax has more than the basics covered with just the car seat, there are a few add ons that may add to your convenience.
Vehicle Seat Protector
This is a nice barrier between your seat and your car seat. When the day comes for you to remove your car seat from your vehicle, your vehicle seat will still be intact. It just might take a couple days to get the car seat shaped dent out.
Cup Holder
Once you get past the baby stage and enter the sippy cup stage, you are probably going to want to get a cup holder. I know I’ve wrenched my back several times trying to hand my kid his water bottle he dropped for the millionth time. This is a detachable version so you have to make sure that they don’t figure out how to detach it. Other than that, it works quite nicely.
Waterproof Liner
I think this is especially important in the early stages. I had a couple times where there was a blowout and a hose was more rational than trying to wipe the car seat down. Having this would have saved me a lot of extra cleaning and also protected my car seat better for the long haul.
Anti-Rebound Bar
We’ve covered this before and it is optional. However, I would highly recommend adding this on right away. It’s an extra safety precaution that I wouldn’t want to be without in the event of an accident. It absorbs impact and makes sure your car seat doesn’t jolt forward.
Britax Car Seat Care and Maintenance Instructions
Care and maintenance in a car seat are just like a car. If you want to keep them in good condition and working properly, you have to stay on top of both. When you add a sticky handed toddler to the equation, that bit of knowledge is even more necessary.
With Britax, the care and maintenance are very simple. There aren’t any tricky steps. It’s all very straightforward. One less thing to worry about, right?
Cleaning
You can just pull the cover off the car seat without uninstalling. Hand wash in cool water. Do NOT use bleach. Then lay it out to dry on a flat surface. That’s about as easy as it gets. Just make sure you don’t put it in the washer, dryer, or use an iron.
I have found with my Britax car seat, that the cool water does the trick for everything from spit up to suckers. Who knew that LARBARS were so messy? A two-year old can make anything messy. Do yourself a favor and clean your car seat every few months. Your vehicle will thank you.
The belt buckle is another place where sneaky food goes to hide. I was shocked at the amount of crumbs that were down there! You can easily remove the belt, vacuum, and wipe it down to get rid of any mess. If it’s a really grosse mess, you can soak the belt in water then towel dry to get any debris out. That doesn’t happen often, think blowout scenario, but it’s an available option if it does. Just double check that it clicks securely after you have dried it for safety reasons.
Maintenance
Maintenance is really easy. Make sure you register your car seat when you purchase it. You will get a notification if there are any recalls. There aren’t or haven’t been a lot but if there are, Britax is on top of it. Most of the time they are easy fixes, and they send you the kit to fix it yourself. However, if it’s a full recall, you would need to send your seat in for a replacement.
We hope this Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat review has helped you choose the right car seat for your child.
Please follow and like us:
Contents
- Britax Car Seat Known for Style, Comfort and Safety!
- Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat Design Details
- Why is this Britax Car Seat Special?
- Recommended Use and Size Limits
- Safety Performance
- Key Safety Features
- Installing the Britax Advocate Car Seat
- Rear-Facing
- Forward Facing
- Britax Car Seat: Pros and Cons
- PROS
- CONS
- Customer Reviews
- Britax Advocate Clicktight Convertible Car Seat Review, Our Verdict
- Britax Advocate Optional Accessories
- Vehicle Seat Protector
- Cup Holder
- Waterproof Liner
- Anti-Rebound Bar
- Britax Car Seat Care and Maintenance Instructions
- Cleaning
- Maintenance