By: Ashley

You might remember a couple weeks ago, I discovered I had a car seat that was about to expire. I really had no idea what kind of car seat I wanted Atticus in, so I started doing my research. I knew he was much too small for a traditional booster seat. He is only 2 years old. That’s where the Britax website came in handy. I absolutely loved using their information and shopping tools to help pick our next car seat and ended up selecting the Britax Frontier 85. Britax sent us one to try out and it is a big hit in our family! It has 5 features that I absolutely love.

I LOVE the 5 point harness booster seat. I know that this is a seat that will grow with him for a long, long time. Now, while he’s still small, I can use the traditional 5 point harness. When he gets bigger (much bigger), I can use the seatbelt like a traditional booster seat.

This seat has Britax True Side Impact Protection. At first, I had no idea what this meant, but I soon learned that it means my child’s head and chest is protected by the design of the seat in the event of a side impact collision. The head and chest are the most vulnerable in that situation. The Frontier 85 protects the head and chest with the rigid seat shell, lined with energy-absorbing foam, along with the head restraint, also lined with energy-absorbing foam.

This seems like a comfortable seat. The super plush material and extra layer of foam seems to make this an incredibly comfortable seat. My son, like most 2 year olds, has no problem letting us know when something is scratchy or doesn’t feel good. He had no problems with this Britax car seat and fell asleep in it the first day we had it! That’s something that very rarely happens with him. I also love that we can keep this seat clean and comfortable by removing the cover and tossing it into the washer.

The quick adjust no rethread harness feature is amazing! Having the shoulder straps at the correct height is extremely important for safety. When you have children though, it seems like they are growing and changing all the time! Simply adjusting the straps with a lever as compared to unthreading and rethreading the belts is such a great time (and sanity) saver.

The cupholders are a great perk to the Frontier 85. I know this really has nothing directly to do with safety, but having a spot that my son can easily reach to put his drinks in has made traveling better for all of us. I’m not finding as many cups under the seats in No Man’s Land now that he has a place to put them. A definite plus if you’ve ever been the lucky one to discover one of “those cups” lost in the car.

I am EXTREMELY pleased with the Britax Fronteir 85. It is big enough for me to feel like my son is safe, secure, and well protected, but not so big that it takes up the whole back seat. It has great safety features and great practical everyday features. If you’re in the market for a new car seat, the Britax Frontier 85 is definitely one to check out. Not sure what you’re looking for? Let the Britax “Fit My Child” car seat guide help you out.

About Ashley (Managing Editor at MomStart): Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at Momicles and follow her @Momicles2010 .

I was provided a product for this review. All opinions are my own.