[barnfield]

I guess this is more of a vent than anything else, but I'm shopping for a convertible car seat to replace my Britax Companion, for something that will fit my long, tall baby boy (5 mo) for as long as possible before being outgrown.

I would love to continue to have the side impact protection and go with the Boulevard, but it's the Decathlon that has the 3 adjustable slots for the crotch strap.

Gosh almighty why can they just stick the removable side impact protection head piece from the Boulevard onto the Decathlon and be done with it?

I checked the Britax website spare parts section and it doesn't look like you can purchase it separately...... but even if you could, they'd probably want at least $100 bucks for it and then when it's all paid for you'd have a $400 car seat!

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Britax Companion - Click for more info It was not a surprise when Britax - a company known for their commitment to safety - came out with an infant seat that raises the bar in overall child safety with side impact protection. The Britax Companion infant seat was considered a safety revolution when it came out, and has only gotten better since. Needless to say, the design of the rear-facing Companion Infant Seat is pretty flawless. Plus, the in-car base makes it really easy to transport your child from your car to your house without waking them up.

	Britax Boulevard - Click for more info It is all about the wings with the Britax Boulevard convertible car seat - head and torso safety wings help keep your child from harm in a side-impact crash. And this matters - side-impact crashes are the leading cause of death for 6 - 14 year-old children. Of course, the safety wings are only one of the many safety features that the Britax Boulevard offers: built-in lock-offs, 5-point harness with front adjuster, tangle-free webbing, a push button release LATCH system with Versa-Tether®, and a sculpted base, ensuring an easy installation with a secure fit.

	Britax Decathlon - Click for more info Like its predecessors the Britax Roundabout and the Britax Marathon, the Britax Decathlon is built around two core ideals: safety and comfort. Its easy to see that the Decathlon is comfortable: it's loaded with a 3-position crotch strap, patented HUGS harness system, plush (and washable!) seat cover, belly pad, removable toddler head pillow, and an infant positioning system for newborn babies. These features provide a comfortable, adjustable fit as your child grows - all the way from 5 to 65 pounds.