Category: Combination Seat (Forward-Facing Harness to Booster)
Weight: 26 lbs.
Size: 19 x 21 x 28 in.
Capacity: 25 – 70 lbs. with harness, 40 – 110 lbs. as a booster.
Why We Like It: Britax has always produced some of the safest car seats, and that doesn’t change with the Harness-2-Booster seat. In addition to building the seat around a steel frame base, a tether designed to absorb crash impact offers additional protection to keep your child safe.
One of the best features of this particular car seat is that your child can remain in the harness mode up until 70 lbs. (longer than most car seats). This type of restraint offers the most safety once you switch your child to forward facing. The design also includes adjustable straps to keep up with your ever-growing child. The harness can be adjusted through eight different positions and the booster can adjust through two.
Comfort is another key feature of this car seat. Unlike other boosters that are stiff and hard, the Britax Pioneer is padded and soft. If your child falls asleep, you can even use the simple reclining adjustment on the front to keep them happy and cozy.
Convenient cup holders also promote driver safety, since your little one will be able to keep their Sippy cup close by preventing you from having to hand one back to them. Once your child is big enough to use the seat as a booster, you will not need to remove the harness straps, but can simply tuck them inside the seat. This is a nice convenience.
With the Pioneer, your child will not only be protected while using the harness, but also once he or she transitions to a ‘big kid’ seat. While other boosters use only a basic structure with limited support, this seat prevents injury from side impact by utilizing a deep shell that is lined with foam. A foam-lined headrest prevents some of the most dangerous movements that can occur during a crash.
In 2016 Britix raised the harness height of the Pioneer to 20.5 inches and increased the seated booster height from 22 to 23 inches, which means your child can use this seat a little longer. It also puts the Pioneer height limit on par with more expensive models, making it a good value.
Cons: While most customers have found this car seat to be relatively quick and easy to install, we’ve heard a few complaints from moms who found it challenging. You may want to check out this video Britax put out to help make installation easier.
The Britax Pioneer Combination Harness-2-Booster seat demonstrates a high level of comfort and safety making it a solid choice in the combination seat category.
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