Side impact collisions are responsible for approximately 40 percent of the auto accident deaths of children under the age of 8 sitting in the rear seat, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Both the Britax Boulevard and the Recaro Signo G2 were specially designed to help limit children's injuries due to side impact collisions. Although they are similar, these two convertible child safety seats differ in a number of ways.
Features
Both the Britax Boulevard and the Recaro Signo G2 provide side impact protection, five-point harnesses, top tethers, and no-rethread harness and head restraint adjustments. Both seats are also convertible, with the Boulevard certified for use up to 65 lb. and the Signo G2 up to 70 lb. in the forward-facing position. The Signo G2 has a latch bar to help make switching from rear- to forward-facing positions easier. The Boulevard also allows for front-harness adjustment and has an energy-absorbing base to help minimize the impact of a crash.
Benefits
Both of these seats offer the benefit of being suitable from birth until the child is large enough to use a booster seat or an adult seat belt. They are especially convenient for parents of heavier- or taller-than-average children who grow out of their infant seats before they are old enough to be forward facing, which is a minimum of 1 year of age, because they can be used rear-facing until the child weighs 35 lb. instead of 22 lb. as with most infant seats. They are also both approved for airplane use. The Recaro Signo G2 can be used slightly longer, because it is approved for 70 lb. vs. 65 lb. for the Boulevard.
Considerations
Because these seats are both usable for larger children, they also take up more space in the car than some of the seats that cannot be used for larger children. The Recaro Signo G2 is 15 inches wide and 29 inches tall and weighs 22 lb., and the Britax Boulevard is 19 1/2 inches wide and 27 inches tall and weighs 19 lb.
Warning
Although both the Britax Boulevard and the Recaro Signo G2 include numerous safety features, to provide the best protection, they need to be installed properly. Certified child passenger safety technicians are available at many fire stations and police stations as well as at child seat safety inspection locations set up by the government to help you make sure your seat is installed properly. Some seats do not fit well in certain makes and models of cars, so try to test out the model you are interested in before purchasing it.
Expert Insight
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rated both the Britax Boulevard and the Recaro Signo G2 two out of five stars for overall ease of use while rear facing and three out of five stars for ease of use while front facing. These two seats received very similar ratings for securing the child as well, with the Recaro Signo just being slightly easier to use, getting a four-star rating in this area versus the three-star rating received by the Britax Boulevard.
