Britax Pavilion G4 Convertible Car Seat, Blueprint (Prior Model)

Bought one of these as they're pretty spendy, and we like it well enough that we bought a second for our second vehicle. Switching between cars is not impossible to terribly arduous, but it's nowhere near as easy as what we were used to with the interchangeable bases on a Chicco Keyfit30. Would, and did buy again.

When my grandson outgrew his infant car seat I looked around for a safe well regarded larger one. The Britax Pavillion G4 fits that bill. Easy to set up with the connectors that readily attach to my backseat and very stable. He fits very comfortable in the seat and I have no complaints. Bottom line while this is expensive, in this case you get what you paid for. Highly recommend!

We have a Chico NextFit it my truck and this in my wife's MDX. My wife went with the Britax based on the glowing reviews and not liking the force it takes to tighten the straps on the NextFit (until you get the hang of it I admit it is tough while hanging out of a full size truck). That said, after struggling for close to an hour to get this Britax installed and leveled we were about to send it back. We finally found out there is a line to use for leveling instead measuring the angle as shown in the manual. Why they don't have a level attached like others and why they would recommend using a pool noodle or towel to level it instead of having more reclining positions is a bit bewildering. For me, after messing around with the Britax, I'm sold that I made the right choice with NextFit. It went in way easier, it leveled in seconds, our son has more room to grow and stay rear facing, the excess strap had places to tuck it in, and it just feels more secure. Sure it's a little more work to get him in and out of it, but I already trust it way more than the Britax.

Let me start by saying I love Britax carseats. I always feel like my kids are safe when I have them in a Britax carseat. I have 4 kids (who have all used Britax) and I bought the Pavilion for my youngest a year and a half ago (she is 2 1/2 now). Within the first month of owning the carseat, the fabric around the bottom buckle ripped. And not just a little, it was a huge tear. About six months after that, one of the rubber sliders that holds the chest clip in place broke. Today, I pulled the cover off to wash it (also not thrilled with the quality of the fabric) and discovered that one of the styrofoam wings that protects the baby's head has completely broken off. I cannot think of any time when we have pulled on this so hard that it would break. It looks to me like it is simply a poor design and cannot withstand the normal wear and tear that a 2 year old puts a carseat through. On the bright side, Britax customer service has been amazing. Each time I had a problem, I called them and they sent me the replacement parts right away. We are leaving for vacation in two days so they are overnighting the styrofoam to me so we will have it for our trip. To sum up, I still love Britax for their safety and customer service, but I would NEVER buy this carseat again.

My one thing - at least while it is rear facing - i pretty much crack my daughter's head on the car every time i get her in or out...but we have a small old school prius, so maybe it would be less of an issue in a bigger car?

Absolutely love the Britax brand! Their quality and high safety ratings are great. My son is tall so this car seat is perfect because it grows with him. In a mid-sized car this car seat does require that the driver or passengers seat be pulled all the way up. It's not the biggest car seat on the market but its not the smallest. For the me size does not matter if it means my son will be sitting on one of the safest car seats on the market. His safety always comes first. Easy to clean, love the click tight system and ease of taking my son in and out of this car seat. I would definitely reccommend this to a family member or friend looking for a good convertible car seat. Its not an inexpensive seat so you are definitely getting what you spend on this car seat. Britax is an excellent brand and well worth the money!

We agonized over the next carseat to purchase and finally settled on this one.Installation - Fairly easy to install using the latches, although the tethering instructions were a bit confusing. Thankfully, our county has a wonderful carseat installation program (through the fire department) so they were able to do it for us.Fit - We have a Honda Fit (small, compact car) and this carseat fits very easily behind the driver's seat. The only thing I would note is that my partner and I are both short so the driver's seat isn't too far back (although I do like to recline my seat when driving). But this is an issue you're likely to run into with any rear-facing convertible seat in a small car.Safety - One reason we opted for this carseat as opposed to the model below it is that the straps have a little bit of "give" which provides better protection in an accident (supposedly). They also seem to be easier to get a good fit without causing discomfort to the baby.Portability - I know many parents take these on airplanes, and this one is probably suitable for such adventures. It is not too heavy and I could reasonably see myself schlepping it through an airport.Fabric - I really liked the fabric on this one as opposed to the other Britax carseats. Seems easier to clean. I also opted for a color slightly lighter, as people say the black ones get too hot in the summer.Overall, we are very happy with our purchase. This is our second Britax (first was infant bucket seat, which we are still using in another car). They are more reasonably priced but don't seem to sacrifice quality.

I highly recommend this car seat after much research and personal use. It is very easy to install and adjust. Highest safety ratings I've seen. Worth the price.