I’m always impressed with the safety lengths that Britax goes to with their car seats and their newest release – the updated Frontier 85 – is no exception. The Frontier 85 is a combination forward-facing, 5-point harness car seat from 25 up to 85 lbs. as well as a belt-positioning, high-back booster seat up to 120 lbs. This new Frontier 85 car seat includes the following updates:
- 5-point harness weight limit increased from 80 to 85 lbs
- harness height increased from 18″ to 20″
- 2 additional harness height position for a total of 10
- fixed cup holders and armrests
- new fabrics
- redesigned belt paths to make installation easier
While some parents are too eager to do away with the 5-point harness and move their kids into belt-positioning booster seats, the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission recommends:
“Most toddlers and preschoolers (up to age 4) are not big enough or old enough for a belt-positioning booster seat. They need a full harness for upper body protection and to hold them in their seats. A full harness should be used as long as possible.” (http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/childps/newtips/pages/Tip2.htm)
The Frontier 85 allows the longest use of the 5-point harness on the market and at 120 lbs, also offers one of the highest booster weight limits. Once your child hits the 2 yrs/25 lbs lower limit, the Frontier 85 could be the only car seat you ever buy again – welcomed news to parents who have bought 3 and 4 car seats to find the right fit, style and size for their growing kids.
Some of my favorite features on this seat include the no-re-threading harness, the easy installation (Britax has an incredibly clear and thorough manual), the dual cup holders, the subdued color schemes (which means older kids will be less likely to balk at sitting in one) and the plethora of safety features.
Safety Features
* True Side Impact Protection – Britax’s patented design that distributes the force of the crash, and protects the head, neck and body by keeping the body aligned to reduce injury
* EPS Foam Liner – absorbs and distributes the impact from a crash
* energy-absorbing base – helps to absorb the crash force
* Versa-Tether – anchors the back of the car seat at two different points, minimizing the forward movement of the seat in a collision
* HUGS (Harness Ultra Guard System) – prevents forward head movement in a crash
* simplified and secure installation with either the LATCH connectors or the color-coded vehicle belt guides
Comfort Features
* plush yet durable material and padding provide comfort and keep passenger cool
* easily adjust between 10 harness height positions with the no-re-threading harness
* 3 seat buckle positions to ensure a snug fit
* 2 built-in cup holders easily fit sippy cups, snack containers and 20-oz. water bottles
* built-in, fixed armrests
* soft shoulder and crotch pads
At 19.5″ wide, the seat isn’t especially narrow, but if you’re planning on using it up to 120 lbs, you need room for a growing child. Available in four colors – tan, pink, red and grey all with black accents – the Frontier 85 retails for about $250. But special for MWS readers….
WIN A BRITAX FRONTIER 85! Britax is generously giving away one of their new Frontier 85 seats in the color of your choice to one lucky MWS reader! How to enter: leave a comment here telling us where you’ll be traveling with your new Britax Frontier 85 this summer. Get an extra entry by friending MWS and Britax on Facebook (leave us another comment here telling us you did and we’ll follow up and double check).
U.S. or Canadian residents only. Only two possible entries per person. Entries must be received by Friday, May 25th at 11:59pm PST. One winner will be chosen at random to receive a Frontier 85 car seat in the color of their choice.
We LOVE Britax seats and use nothing else…we’ll be going back and forth to FL this summer, and we could really put some miles on a new seat!!
Friended Britax and MWS on fb…may I please have another chance at winning an awesome seat for babies??
A weekend in the desert. Britax (and MWS) are the best!
I’d like to introduce our new arrival to Northern Vermont in this!
This summer we will be driving down to Texas from Monterey, CA to visit my parents. Yup, just me a 3 little girls in the minivan! After our summer in Texas, we will be driving up to Colorado for a PCS!
Thank goodness for DVD players and comfortable Britax carseats!
I’m a MWS facebook fan!
I need to upgrade my 3 year old from her Roundabout (which will go to the 9 month old) to a bigger seat. The Frontier would be perfect for her!
I’m a fan of Britax on Facebook!
We travel and move around so much as a military family, a comfortable and safe carseat is a must in our vehicles. Britax has been consistent on all fronts and I would love to win this Frontier!
We’re always traveling in the summer, visiting family, vacationing.. although this summer we’re taking a plane trip overseas and we can use the booster to and from the airport
We’re traveling a ton this summer, down to Delaware, Philly, NJ, and Maryland, and up to New Hampshire and Maine. We would love to be doing it all in a new carseat!
Looking forward to using the new PINK Britax Frontier when Mommy and 5 year old Lily drive from Central California to North Dakota for a reunion. Stops along the way will be Whitefish, Montana, Yellow Stone and wherever the road leads us!
I would love to win this carseat for my youngest, his seat expires this summer, and he’s ready for one like this! We have a 5th wheel camper and plan on doing alot of camping this summer!!
Ready to move up to a “big girl” seat for my 5 year old! We make regular weekend trips down to the Delaware shore, so it sure would come in handy!
Wow. Great competition. Thanks on behalf of whomever is lucky enough to win.
I’m a papa. Am I allowed here 😉
Our daughter is ready for her next carseat win or lose. We’re unable to get away for anything longer than daytrips. But we use them wisely. We’ll be taking our little girl out to the beautiful Oregon coast; inland to the falls and mountains of Oregon; and to squash-your-own-fruit-and-get-juice-all-over-your-pretty-summer-dress farms. Er… I mean.. u-pick farms lol.
Not sure why I wasn’t before but am now a fan of Britax and MWS. Thanks.
I love our Britax! We just found out we are expecting and DD is getting ready to transition to a new seat, so this giveaway could not have come at a better time:) We will be traveling to visit family this summer, from crossing FL on short trips, to a long trip up the coast to NY/NJ, this would come in so handy!
I just became a fan of Britax on FB, was already a fan of MWS 😉
This is exactly what I was looking for. My dd is still in need of a 5-point as she’s only 3 but soon will be too tall for her present carseat’s 5-point and I’m just not ready to give up that safety feature. Hey it’s what’s used by drag racers. We’ll be driving to beautiful Northern Wisconsin on weekend trips all summer.
Now I am a fan of Britax on FB, was already a fan of MWS. Oh how I hope I win.
Forgot we are also traveling to Florida..could really use this, this summer and beyond!
Heading to Hawaii this summer and to New Hampshire! I’m sure there will be other day trips/shorter trips mixed in there as well!
I’m already a fan/like MWS. I just became a fan of Britax too.
Great seat! Looking forward to traveling to the beach in NY and NJ
This carseat would be great for my baby who will turning one next month. We will use it to travel the California coastline starting in August.
I am a fan/like MWS and Britax on Facebook.
We are traveling to Lake Tahoe this summer and would be cruisin’ in style in our new Britax carseat!
I also became a friend of MWS & Britax on Facebook.
Looking forward to use a Britax Frontier when our family go on a cross-country road trip from Washington State to Florida!
We live in Boston and have a lot of family in NY and NJ. We traveled to the area the past three weekends and look forward to MANY more trips this summer!!
We’ll be taking lots of road trips up to the mountains on weekends.
I was already a fan of MWS on FB, but now I added Britax too. Thanks!
We take lots of trips during the summer since my husband is a teacher and has the summer off. The biggest trip will most likely be to Sandbridge Beach in Virginia. If we had a Britax Frontier 85, we just might go to more places — or at least feel more at ease with one.
I am now a fan of both MWS and Britax on Facebook!
We’ll be traveling to see Grandma and Grandpa!
I will be taking my son to visit his pop-pop in Florida and would love to have a new airline approved Frontier 85 to take on the flight and to use in the car for our many visits to our local park this summer. Looking forward to winning this awesome car seat!
My son already uses the Marathon by Britax and he has just grown out of it as he is now 4 yrs and 4 months old. I keep coming back to Britax and believe I have found the perfect one for him, the Frontier 85. Being a single mother it would be so wonderful to actually win it! I am going to take him with me to Vail to stay with a friend for a few days which is about a half a day’s drive.
I am now friends with mws and britax on Facebook!
Hey, i am the owner of vacationtravelmagazine.com .Thank’s for sharing this post.This is very helpful and informative material.Good post and keep it up dude.
I will definitely be going straight to facebook in a moment. If I were to win the Frontier 85, I would squeal like a child full of joy! My husband calls me a car seat Nazi, because I am so strict about the safety of our children in the car. I have been known to stop total strangers to give them tips on how to use their car seat or car seat carrier properly. lol
We love to travel to AZ a few times a year, so this seat is a must! We have a 3.5 yr old son who is ready to move up. Thank you so much for all your helpful information. Hopefully we will have one of our own sooner than later and we will be riding SAFELY and in style. (Too bad we don’t have it yet…we’re taking a trip to San Francisco tomorrow)
I just completed my friend request to MWS and I also “like” Britax on Facebook! Pray Pray Pray…now hope hope hope…Pray Pray Pray some more…I REALLY want to win this seat! LOL 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!!!
Michele…
We are taking our daughter to Disney World for her third birthday, and I’m looking for a carseat that will fit on a plane easily. I don’t want to buy a carseat just because it will fit. Safety must comes first, and my first choice is the Frontier 85, but will it fit on the plane, too. If it does, then hands down, this is the seat for us. I am searching everywhere on the Internet trying to find any answers. So far there’s just a lot of moms like me asking the question.
Not sure if this is over but i REALLY need a car seat!!!!!! and this one is amazing!
Will be traveling to South Georgia to visit family. My LO is only 2 1/2 and already outgrowing his convertible seat. Need a big seat for a big kid!
Just friended MWS on facebook and I’m already of friend of Britax.
we’ll be travelling to Wisconsin AND Kentucky to visit our families!!!
i like Britax and MWS on FB!