Britax Boulevard

Professional reviewers are enthusiastic about the Britax Boulevard convertible car seat, and parents give it excellent feedback as well. The standout features are the seat's safety wings, which are made with expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam padding -- the stuff used in motorcycle helmets -- and designed to provide additional protection in a side-impact collision. Some reviewers do express concern that the wings block the child's view too much, so if you're considering the Boulevard, it might be a good idea to see how your particular child reacts to it first.

The Britax Boulevard also gets good reviewer feedback for its extra-high weight limit. While most convertible car seats, including the popular Cosco Scenera (*Est. $65), are only rated for kids who weigh less than 40 pounds, the Boulevard can accommodate children weighing as much as 65 pounds in a five-point harness. The Boulevard is bulky and thus, not particularly portable, though. The Sunshine Kids Radian65 (*Est. $215), which has a steel alloy core, is much narrower and folds up for transport.  

ConsumerReports.org conducts crash tests car seats for its highly-respected reports, but additional analysis is minimal. The most detailed professional review of the Britax Boulevard convertible car seat comes from the book "Baby Bargains," written by consumer advocates Denise and Alan Fields. BobbysBest.com sizes up the Boulevard in a balanced review, and EliteCarSeats.com has an editorial review of the Boulevard along with a good number of owner-written reviews.