Britax Boulevard 70 Review and Winter Travel Event

Britax is one of the best know car seat brands available and has been for years. The Boulevard 70 is a convertible car seat that holds babies from 5-40lbs in a rear facing position and children from 20lbs (at 1 year of age) to 70lbs or 49" tall.

I personally have one in my car, and it is the easiest of the three different convertible car seats our family owns to install. My son is tall for his age and is very comfortable in it (more so than in the other two seats, his escape attempts are far fewer and never successful in this seat). Unlike with our other seats, this car seat has never damaged the surface of the seat below it. The cover stays on well and the recline is suitable for even my tall toddler, boosting him enough to see out the window. When we replace the unmentionable second car seat, we will be getting another Boulevard. I definitely recommend a Convertible Car Seat Child Cup Holder or two, sold separately, to hold your kiddos drink and snack in the car.

This car seat has many safety features, including:
- SafeCell™ Technology - significantly lowering the center of gravity and counteracting the forward rotation of the child seat which normally propels the child toward the front seat
- Integrated Steel Bars - strengthen the connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing of the child seat during a crash.
- Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether® - staged-release tether webbing to slow the forward movement, reducing the crash forces reaching the child, and a two-point attachment to minimize forward rotation while anchoring the top of the child seat
- True Side Impact Protection - offers a head restraint creating an extra layer of energy-absorbing EPP foam, keeping the head, neck and spine “in true” or aligned, and deep side walls lined with EPP foam to distribute crash forces, shield from vehicle intrusion, and contain the head, neck and body
- Tangle-Free, Five-Point Harness - distributes crash forces across the strongest parts of the body and provides a secure fit
- Harness Ultra Guard System (HUGS™) - provides resistance to forward movement in the event of a crash


Other great features:
- High Density Comfort Foam provides an extra layer of padding to gently cushion your child
- Plush, Easy-Remove Cover with matching comfort pads and infant body pillow to provide extra comfort and easy cleaning without disassembling or uninstalling the child seat
- Two Buckle Positions for your growing child
- Infant Positioning Insert may be necessary for small infants to achieve a snug fit of the harness around your child (sold separately)
- Quick-Adjust, No-Rethread Harness repositions the harness shoulder height without disassembling the harness straps
- Premium Lower LATCH Connectors for a quick and simple installation featuring a push button for easy release
- Built-in Lock-Offs ensure a snug lap and shoulder belt installation with minimal effort
- Anti-Slip, Contoured Base grips and protects the vehicle seat while offering optimum vehicle fit
- Convenient Harness Holders keep harness straps out of the way when placing your child in the car seat
- Certified for Aircraft Travel
- Made in the USA with global components

One month only special offer!*

* This promotion is available October 15, 2011-November 15, 2011 while supplies last, CS only available in Onyx

Keep Car Seats Rear-Facing Until Age 2

Children should stay in rear-facing car seats until age 2 or until they grow too big for seat specifications, according to revised guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please watch the video below for more information.



The updated AAP recommendations are as follows:

• All infants and children should be in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they outgrow the height and weight specifications of the seat.

• Once children outgrow a rear-facing seat, they should be placed in forward-facing car seats with harnesses until they exceed the height and weight criteria.

• After forward-facing seats are no longer suitable, children should be placed in belt-positioning booster seats until the vehicle's lap-and-shoulder seat belt fits properly -- with the lap portion fitting low across the hips and pelvis and the shoulder portion fitting across the middle of the shoulder and chest -- usually when a child reaches 4 feet 9 inches or around ages 8 to 12.

• Lap-and-shoulder seat belts should be used at all times for children who have outgrown booster seats.

• All children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat at all times.

Watch for Ken Goore discussing these changes on KCRA Channel 3 News at Noon and 5:00 pm this evening.

~Jennifer Reed

5 Car Seat Safety Tips you Need to Know!

 

Discussed on Good Morning America, 5 extremely important tips that all parents should know about car seats safety by the “Car Seat Lady”, we’re featuring this video here on Goore’s Insider. Sad to say, it's said that 95% of parents misuse car seats. We know most parents want to provide the best safety for their children and parent’s intentions are good. In this video many tips are discussed, such as, what to do when you have more than one child in car seats, the benefits of rear-facing, at what age to use a booster seat, when your child is ready to not sit in a booster seat, and simple tips to fit your infant in their car seat with safety and comfort in mind.

Some wonder why children should be rear-facing for so long, especially when one has a child whose feet are touching the car’s seat, we urge parents to rear-face because it's 5 times safer than those riding forward-facing. If able, we recommend that the car seat is placed in the center of the back seat as well. The center is 43% safer than the side because you cannot take a direct hit if you are sitting in the center.
 

When is your child ready for forward facing in their car seat? The American Academy of Pediatrics says: When they are too big for rear-facing in their convertible seats. Most kids are 2 or 3 years old when they are too big. "Too Big" means either too tall or too heavy.

Too Tall: If head is within one inch of the top of the child safety seat.

Too Heavy: If child is 30 or 35 pounds--it depends on which seat you have.

NOTE: It is OK for the child’s feet to touch the vehicle seat. This is SAFE and is NOT uncomfortable.

We strongly advise you to watch the above video to get more details on car seat safety. Remember, every car seat is different so it's important to check your car seat instruction manual and/or labels to determine the weight and height requirements for your car seat.

~Jennifer Reed

Graco Signature Series Smart Seat

Graco is reinventing the Car Seat from Baby to Booster. We are very excited about a seat that can do this. Using a Smart Seat means parents no longer need to purchase multiple car seats. See below the listed features on Graco's website and a video that goes over these exciting new features we can expect really soon.

The Graco® Signature Series™ Smart Seat™ All-in-One car seat is the ultimate in car seat longevity. This convertible car seat fits your child from 5-100 lbs & features a convenient stay-in-car base so you only have to install the base one time! For your child's safety, the Smart Seat™ has been side impact tested & SafeSeat Engineered. Both the car seat & the car seat base are steel-reinforced for strength and durability. For parent's ease of use, there is a one-hand height adjustable head rest with no-thread harness as well as an on-the-go recline so you can recline your child without having to re-install the seat.

Key Features

• Rear-facing in a harness from 5-40 lbs, forward facing in a harness from 20-65 lbs. then as a belt-positioning booster from 30-100 lbs.
• SafeSeat Engineering - Engineered & Crash Tested to Meet or Exceed US Standard FMVS213:
o Side Impact Tested* (*In addition to meeting or exceeding all applicable US safety standards, the SmartSeat™ car seat has been side impact tested for occupant retention with the built-in 5 point harness system and with a standard vehicle harness system when in high back booster mode. Please consult your vehicle's owner's manual for more specific information on the performance of your vehicle's safety belt system.)
o New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) – peak crash force approximately 2X Car Seat Standard
o Extreme Car Interior Temperatures
• Convenient, stay-in-car base with belt lock off for one time install (LATCH equipped)
• Steel-reinforced frame & car seat base provides strength and durability
• Locking indicators on seat & stay in car base to help ensure proper installation
• Integrated harness storage compartment holds the harness straps that are not in use while in the belt positioning booster mode
• Easy-to-read level indicator on the seat, helps eliminate installation guesswork
• No Re-thread harness for quick & easy harness adjustment
• One-hand, 6 position adjustable head rest for your growing child
• On-the go, 5-position recline so you can recline child while in use
• EPS, energy absorbing foam liner
• Flip-up armrests makes it easy for child to get in & out of car seat
• Child's cup holder keeps child's drink close by

What do you think about Graco Signature Series Smart Seat? Please share by commenting below.

~Jennifer Reed

Preview Goore's Winter Warehouse Sale

It's that time again; Goore's Winter Warehouse Sale! We love to give you a sneak preview of what to expect before driving down to our Warehouse Sale, but we don't want to ruin any suprises either.

Goore's Winter Warehouse Sale

Savings up to 75% off

Friday & Saturday only

December 10-11 9am - 4pm

Here is a little of what to expect at Goore's Winter Warehouse Sale: Stay tuned for more updates!

Click here for more information!

~J.R.~

Veteran's Day Weekend Sale is Here

Get ready for the Holiday with our Veteran's Day Weekend sale, great savings throughout the store! Save on Baby Gear, Furniture, Clothing and more from Wednesday November 10th to Sunday November 14th.

Goore's furniture sale; the more you buy the more you save. Our furniture is up to 15% off Goore's already low prices!

The Peg Perego sale has been extended. Save 15% on strollers, car seats, highchairs and more by using coupon code PP152010!

Save 20% off on Britax Next Generation Car seats by using coupon code BTX202010!

Visit Goore's for Babies to Teens and receive in-store savings up to 20% off on clothing as well! For more information visit Goores.com.

Note: Coupon Codes are case sensitive

Jennifer Reed

Exclusive Britax Event & Sale at Goore's

At Goore’s we’re proud to be a Britax dealer and offer our customers some of the safest car seats on the market. Choosing a car seat for your baby is one of the most important decisions you’ll make; after all, your child’s safety is at stake. I hope not a single one of our customers ever has to put her car seat to the test, but unfortunately, accidents happen more often than we like.

So while we’re excited about new fashions in car seats that look pretty and stand up to wear and tear, we also want to make sure that our customers remember that ultimately, a car seat is a safety purchase, and we want you to understand the ins and outs of what makes a car seat work, and how one model is different from another.

That’s why we’re holding a Britax Information and Sale event on Saturday, July 11th. & Sunday, July 12th. In addition to our own highly trained gear employees, we’ll have representatives on-hand from Britax giving demonstrations, explaining the engineering, and answering all of your questions -- because there’s no one who knows the product better than the folks who make it. We’ll have an exclusive sneak preview of some of the new Britax items such as the Parkway SG and/or the Blink Stroller. You can also get a first look at their other new products now in stock including the Advocate car seat — the ultimate in safety engineering – and the Chaperone infant car seat.

After you get all your information, take advantage of multiple special offers from Goore’s and Britax. Goore’s is offering an exclusive sale during the event on all Britax products, where you can save up to $60 off your Britax purchase. Customers purchasing both the Chaperone stroller and Chaperone infant seat in store and online, http://www.goores.com/, will receive $100 back from Britax. Additionally, to celebrate, we’ll be raffling off both a Marathon car seat and an Advocate car seat after the event to customers who sign up for the raffle in store. Winners can choose any available pattern.

So if you’re in the market for a car seat, you’ll want to stop by on Saturday, July 11th or Sunday, July 12th to take a look up close at the new Britax models, and educate yourself on one of the most important purchases you’ll make for your baby.

Richard Goore
Goore's for Babies to Teens / Goores.com