Buy Britax Parkway SG Booster Car Seat, Maui BlueBritax Parkway SG Booster Car Seat, Maui Blue Product Description:
- True side impact protection distributes crash forces, shields from vehicle intrusion, contains the head and body, and keeps the head, neck and spine "in true" or aligned, to limit injury, 120 pound weight capacity for safety and comfort through the toddler years, Secure guard works with the vehicle safety belt to prevent the child from sliding under the lap-belt portion of the safety belt (submarining) during impact, thus minimizing the risk of abdominal injury, Quick-adjust head restraint easily adjusts the head restraint for a more comfortable fit and enhanced safety, Removable back easily converts to a backless booster while maintaining safety of secureguard seat belt anchor
Product Description
The Parkway SG Belt Positioning Booster features industry leading side impact protection and SecureGuard anti-submarining technology to manage crash forces and minimize injury. Supportive comfort foam and soft, padded materials promote proper seat use and enhance safety. Designed to fit three across in most vehicles, the booster seat is appropriate for children 40 pounds and up. A removable backrest, dual retractable cup holders, color-coded belt guides and a one hand quick-adjust head restraint make the seat convenient and easy to use each and every time.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
476 of 480 people found the following review helpful.
Nice booster, but not perfect.
By Karen in Mommyland
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.
243 of 243 people found the following review helpful.
Britax saves lives and our severe crash proves it for me.
By Tanya
Thank God for Britax. I will try to make this short and sweet. 1 week ago yesterday, my family of 5 and another child who was with us were hit while traveling between 45-50 miles per hour by someone speeding through a stop sign. The accident was so quick we did not even have time to hit the brakes. Most of the initial impact and roll impact was the worst on the passenger side. The side where my son was...in his Britax booster. My car FLIPPED, as in up in the air and came crashing down on the roof at least once, maybe twice...then continued to roll a little less violently, but still violent none the less. All together we flipped and rolled 4 TO 5 TIMES, landing finally on the roof for the final roll, then slid down the road on the roof. Once we came to a stop, my car was 50 or more yards from the initial impact, facing the wrong direction, and in a different lane. To say my car is totaled is an under statement. It looks as though it just came out of a junk yard car crushing machine...not a window remains, not a light remains, half of the mechanical components under the hood are gone, the roof is 1/2 the height it used to be...its one of those wrecks you pass on the road and feel sick to your stomach thinking, "Oh dear God, someone died tonight."Hearing my son yelling for help I slid on my back to him (remember, the roof is now the floor and there was no getting out through a door, mine was totally crushed) I found my son hanging upside down...SECURELY STILL BUCKLED INTO HIS BRITAX. He had not budged an INCH. I unbuckled him and he and the booster fell down on my chest. Smelling smoke, I shoved him out his glassless window. Once we were all out...after an accident that most people would never walk away from...I found my son did not have even as much as a scratch on him. He had only been yelling for help because the weight of his body and booster on the buckle did not allow him to unbuckle himself and was effectively "stuck" upside down firmly attached to the seat...which means everything functioned exactly as it was supposed to function. The rest of us have some injuries...he does not even have a bruise. Thanks to my car and the Britax, we are all alive though...and even the paramedics and police were surprised about that.Most people only look at how easy boosters are to get in and out of etc. Take my experience as you will, but for our family...the proof is in the pudding and their is no convenience factor in the world that would ever make me change brands. I just ordered our new Britax yesterday.ETA: Thank you so much to all of the people who have left comments and wished my family well. I never thought my story would touch so many people. I wanted to edit to add some information. A couple of you have asked what my son's size was at the time. It has been so long now that I can't recall exactly. I can only say for certain that he was smack in the middle of the average weight and height for his age at the time. He was 6.5 years old at the time of the accident, so I hope that helps anyone who is trying to figure out if they should go 5 pt harness or booster. We had the Britax 5 pt harness too which I also loved, but I moved him out of it just a year or so before the accident because the booster did seem like it was a better fit for him. (if I happen across records from Dr visits or something with actual weight and height, I will update with stats)
197 of 205 people found the following review helpful.
A Bit Disappointed
By D. Hardaway
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 5/13/2010Britax 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.
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