2019 Britax Pinnacle ClickTight Review
When I first heard about ClickTight technology from Britax in 2013, I was intrigued. It has a new way of installing a carseat using the seat belt so easy that you can do it one-handed. Right. Somebody’s been smoking something and it’s not me! Then Kecia and I went to the Lifesavers Conference and tried it out ourselves. The word “revolutionary” came out of my mouth. “Out of a job” may also have slipped out, but I know that no matter how good the technology gets there will always be a need for CPS Techs. The Pinnacle ClickTight and its sister, the Frontier ClickTight, are Britax’s combination seats that employ the new ClickTight installation system that is going to make parents jump for joy and actually want to install their carseat several times over just to say that they can!
Weight and Height Limits
- Harness: 25-90 lbs., 30-58” (and over 2 years of age), shoulders must be at or below top harness slot position, and tops of ears must be below top of head rest
- Belt-positioning booster: 40 to 120 lbs. and 45-62”, shoulders must be at or below red shoulder belt positioner, and tops of ears must be below top of head rest
Britax Pinnacle ClickTight Overview:
- ClickTight installation system for easy and secure installations using the seat belt (acts as a belt lockoff)
- Side Impact Cushion Technology (SICT)
- EZ buckle system holds belly pad out of the way when loading and unloading child
- Standing height 30″ – 58″ tall in harness mode, 45″ – 62″ tall in booster mode
- Industry-leading 20.5″ top harness height
- SafeCell technology in base
- Integrated steel bars reinforce the shell
- Quick adjust no-rethread harness
- Front adjust recline feature
- Easy remove cover available in SafeWash and Cool Flow fabrics
- 9-year lifespan
- MSRP $299.99
Darren reviewed the Frontier 90 ClickTight and this is a review for the Pinnacle 90 ClickTight. What’s the difference between the two? I’m glad you asked. The difference is that the Pinnacle has Britax’s patented Side Impact Cushion Technology. Those are the energy-absorbing cushions on the outside of the torso area that add extra protection for the child in the Pinnacle and also to any adjacent passenger sitting next to the restraint. The SICT cushions absorb some of the crash energy before they even reach the child by expelling air through strategically placed vents when the cushions are compressed under extreme crash forces. Britax claims that the SICT feature reduces side impact crash energy by 45%.
So, is it worth the extra $50 for the SICT?
That’s for you to decide ultimately. While SICT can enhance protection in side-impact, lateral and rollover crashes, it also adds considerable extra width to the product. If you have the room for it and don’t need to fit another carseat or another person next to the Pinnacle CT, then it’s probably worth the additional investment. Side impact crashes continue to be the most deadly type of crash, even to properly restrained occupants. Any and all odds that you can stack in your child’s favor are worth it as long as you have the room in the vehicle to accommodate the extra width of this seat. Also, some parents with vehicles that don’t have side curtain airbags feel it’s worth the extra expense for increased peace of mind. Just remember that the most important things you can do with any forward-facing child restraint are install it tightly, use the top tether and make sure the harness straps aren’t twisted and are snug around your child. Even the most expensive CR with the greatest technology can’t protect your child in a crash if it isn’t installed correctly and used properly.
Measurements
- 9 harness height positions measuring from 12.5” to 20.5” in 1 inch increments
- 2 crotch strap positions: about 7” and 9”
- Hip room between arm rests: 11.75”
- Head room at narrow part of head rest: 8”
- Widest point of head rest: 11”
- Seat pan depth: 13”
- Inside shoulder width with harness at highest position: 13”
- Width: 22” (at widest part of restraint)
- Width at cup holders: 18”
- Width at back of restraint: 15”
HARNESS MODE
The girls above (a model I found at a carseat checkup event and Jennie’s daughter) are 4 years old and weigh 30-35 lbs. each. You can see how well the Pinnacle fits the girls now and how much growth room there is for the future. Jennie’s 8 year old son shows what a big kid looks like in the harness. For reference, he wears a size 10 shirt and is in the 95th percentile for height.
Installation with the Seat belt
Installation in my 2011 Acura MDX and 2013 Tesla Model S is just as easy as I expected it to be. Sometimes when we try things at conferences on the manufacturers demo vehicles seats, it’s easier than in real vehicles. In both vehicles, it was open the ClickTight panel, route the belt across where the green stickers were, buckle it in, close the ClickTight panel. Trust me, I ended up schlepping this seat around way more than I thought I would and every time, the same, tight installation. I even dragged my husband away from his beloved chair and iPad to see if he could install it:
There is a tendency to want to place the shoulder belt over the side bolster of the seat. This would be an installation error on the Pinnacle/Frontier CT. There are green stickers marking the belt path, but perhaps if those were more pronounced it would be more obvious that the belt must go there. This is an area I feel needs more improvement. Notice in the picture below that the shoulder belt is properly tucked under and sits behind the black Side Impact Cushion. A quirk of the ClickTight panel is that it sticks sometimes when you try to open it when the restraint is installed. I’ve found that if I press down on it while squeezing the tabs, it will easily open and I can do this all with one hand.
Something interesting happened when I installed it in the center of my MDX. The seat belt here comes down from the ceiling and snaps into a separate buckle on one side to create the lap/shoulder belt. It’s a common type of belt that you’ll find in SUVs and vans now. Because the center position is a bit narrower than the side positions and because the buckle stalks are a bit longer, when I pulled the slack out of the belt and closed the ClickTight panel, the Pinnacle moved inches side to side. <jaw drop> I was not expecting that obviously. The simple solution was to put a little effort into pulling the seat belt tight before closing the ClickTight panel.
A convenience installation feature for inexperienced parents (and hey, for those of us who know what we’re doing), is that the ClickTight panel serves as a lockoff. What this means is that when you push the ClickTight panel closed over your seat belt, it locks the belt for you; there’s no need to worry about locking your retractor. Hooray! Even though on pg. 37 in the manual it talks about switching the retractor to ALR mode for a switchable retractor or using a locking clip (yikes!), there’s no need. I have verified this information with our Britax contact and there’s no need to either lock the retractor or use a dreaded locking clip.
Installation with LATCH
LATCH is restricted to a child weight of 38 lbs. with the harness. The LATCH strap and connectors are stored under the child’s bum in the seat area. Lifting the ClickTight panel will expose the connectors. Installing with LATCH is the same as installing with a seat belt; you always use the ClickTight Installation System. There was a little more guesswork involved in getting the right amount of tension on the LATCH strap. The first time I installed the restraint with LATCH, I didn’t remove quite enough slack from the strap and there was some wiggle along the belt path—perhaps an 1/8”—it was minor. When I slightly tightened the strap, I was able to get the rock solid install I got with the seat belt.
LATCH may also be used to keep the restraint secure when it’s used in booster mode as long as it doesn’t interfere with the seat belt buckle and your vehicle allows it.
Center LATCH installations with Non-Standard Spacing:
Britax only allows installation in designated LATCH positions; no lower anchor borrowing allowed anymore for ClickTight models.
Tether
The tether is required to be used once the child reaches 65 lbs.; however, it should be used at all times because it can greatly reduce head excursion. In the United States, we have a pathetic 22% rate of proper tether use, so if you have a tether anchor available, use it! Britax recommends its use at all times, including during booster mode. The tether has “rip stitching” on the ends for energy management. The ends are located underneath the foam on the torso wings. If you’re ever in a crash or hard stop, give those a look-see. If they’re torn, it’s time for a replacement seat.
Inflatable Seat Belts
Britax has updated their instructions for installing the Pinnacle with inflatable seat belts found in some Ford Explorer and Flex vehicles. Please visit their webpage for the specific steps you’ll need to take if you have these seat belts in your car.
Recline System
The Pinnacle cannot be in recline mode when used as a booster. To recline simply pull the handle under the front of the seat before installing it. Once it’s installed tightly, the Pinnacle won’t budge for recline purposes. It is not meant to be a recline-on-the-fly system. The recline system seemed a bit fussy. I found it tough to get it locked into the recline position. When it was in recline position, it didn’t provide the best fit to my vehicle seat and removed a lot of legroom for the child, which could cause injury in a crash. I would only use this feature if you need it to conform to your vehicle’s seat back for better installation.
*Please note that in the above first picture, I have the shoulder belt tucked under the crack in my vehicle seat to move it out of the way so you can see the gap behind the restraint. The seat belt, in every day use, should be allowed to rest normally against the vehicle seat back.
Ease of Use
An ease of use feature that Britax is generally known for but parents tend to forget about is the buckle stop. On their convertible seats, they sew a piece of Velcro to the harness so the harness can be pulled out of the way for the child to be put easily into the carseat. It also serves a dual purpose of keeping the buckle tong within reach of the parent who doesn’t have to dig under the child for the darn thing. On the Pinnacle, it’s a small piece of folded webbing sewn directly to the harness, similar to what’s done on some vehicle seat belts. Very nice!
As Darren mentioned in his review of the Frontier CT, the harness release button is set back farther than on previous models of the Frontier. This is to accommodate storage of the buckle when the restraint is converted to booster mode. Those of us with short fingers will find this daunting, but then again, our kids who love to unbuckle themselves mid-ride will find it frustrating, little buggers.
BOOSTER MODE
At age 11, my daughter barely fits height-wise in the Pinnacle when used in its booster mode though she’s still well within the weight limits since she’s only 67 lbs. Jennie’s 8 year old son is back modeling the booster mode on the Frontier. The head rest is adjusted to its highest setting on both seats. Seat belt fit on both kids is perfect.
Conversion to Booster Mode
The Pinnacle makes a comfortable booster with very good belt fit and it’s easy to covert it to booster mode; you can do it while the seat is installed! Well, you do have to lift the ClickTight panel, which will uninstall the restraint, but my point is that you don’t even have to remove the Pinnacle from your car in order to covert it from harness mode to booster mode.
Pinnacle can be installed with LATCH when used as a booster
To switch from harness to booster, you don’t even have to remove the harness—it stays right on the carseat so you don’t have to worry about any lost parts! Open the ClickTight panel and pull the seat pad all the way forward to tuck the buckle down onto the harness release button, then replace the seat pad. Close the ClickTight panel, raise the head rest all the way, and tuck the harness into the side wing covers and any remaining into the back cover. Easy peasy! Just do the reverse to use it as a harnessed seat again. Want to see more detail? I thought you would, so here’s the video:
*Please note that there’s a piece of gray comfort foam missing from the seat pad in the video. I removed it earlier while playing around with the restraint and forgot to put it back in for the video.
Instruction Manual
The manual is well-written and illustrated, but I was disappointed that I had to read through 21 italicized bulleted WARNING! points (followed by 10 bolded Important Notes) to find the lifespan of the restraint (9 years). It’s difficult reading italics, especially when there are so many, plus the “nine” was written as a word instead of as a number. I realize that’s the proper way to write out a number, but in this case, a digit would make more sense. But, as I said, the illustrations are superb and aside from my searching for the expiration date, the instructions are clear.
Cover Padding and Maintenance
The cover is well-padded and comfortable. All the fashions are top-notch fabrics with padding sewn inside and an additional gray comfort foam pad is included in the seat area. The cover slips completely off from the front in just a couple of minutes. It’s hand wash and line dry only or your cover may fall apart. Putting the cover back on is just as easy since you only have to reverse the order in which you took the parts off.
The SafeWash cover that’s now available is just that: it’s safe to machine wash on cold and dry in the dryer. The Cool Flow covers have a mesh that helps aid air flow behind your child’s back.
Jennie adds her 2 cents after using the Frontier daily for a few weeks:
Hi! Jennie here. Imma let Heather finish her review, but Britax has made one of the best seats of all time.
No, seriously, there’s very little we don’t love about the Frontier. I turned my daughter forward-facing shortly after her 4th birthday about two months ago. I didn’t really like any of our convertibles for FF, so I went to the Frontier 85. We liked it, but installation was kind of a pain, and I dreaded having to take it out and put it back in, as we sometimes need to do. Lo, the Frontier arrived just a couple weeks later, and I really couldn’t be happier now.
Installation is a breeze. Not since the much-loved-but-long-retired Safeguard Child Seat has a high-weight-harness been so easy to install. I adore being able to adjust the harness height without having to uninstall. My daughter loves the comfort, the cup holders, (the zebra print), and the fact that it’s a real “big girl seat.” She has so much room left that if I wanted it to, the Frontier could probably last her until high school.
A few people have had trouble tightening the harness when the seat is installed. I haven’t had that problem at all. The adjustment for me is nice and smooth. I did take a look and shoved my hand behind the seat, and I suspect that vehicle seat contours might play a role in the differing experiences. The way the Frontier sits in the captain’s chair of my 2010 Odyssey, there’s a nice little gap where the harness comes out the back. In a vehicle seat with different contours, it seems like the harness might get stuck, potentially causing problems. That’s speculation on my part, though. Bottom line: Try before you buy (if possible), just in case.
There is only one thing I don’t like:
The harness release lever is situated very far back in the seat, meaning that you need to really shove your fingers in to get to it. If you tend not to tighten/untighten each time, this won’t be a problem, but I’m a chronic adjuster. Now that I know where it is and how to access it, I’ve gotten used to it and it’s not too bad, but I would prefer if it were closer to the front.
Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled review…
Pinnacle CT Advantages
- ClickTight installation system so easy to use that even a dad can install the seat correctly! Just kidding! (Have we beat a dead horse here about it being easy to install?)
- Can be installed with inflatable seat belts
- Side Impact Cushion Technology that provides extra crash energy management
- SafeCell technology in base
- Integrated steel bars reinforce the shell
- A buckle pad that holds the buckle forward, not under your child
- Tallest top harness slot height on the market!
- No-rethread harness for easy height adjustment when your child grows or if the restraint is used for multiple children
- Easy harness storage for belt-positioning booster mode
- Well-written and nicely illustrated manual
- Comfortable, well-padded seat that fits both harnessed and booster users well
- Sophisticated covers appeal to modern taste
- Easy remove cover
- 9-year lifespan
- Made in the USA!
Pinnacle CT Disadvantages
- Harness adjuster tab is set back too far for short fingers
- Harness adjuster stiff
- Instruction manual contains too many warnings
- LATCH limit is 38 lbs., which may be a disadvantage to you if you have a wonky seat belt setup in your vehicle
- Recline system is fussy
- It’s heavy at 26.5 lbs.
Conclusion
Britax comes through on the Pinnacle with such safety features as EPP foam, SafeCell technology, a steel-reinforced frame, and Side Impact Cushion Technology. With such high top harness slots and high shoulder belt slots for belt-positioning booster use, it’s a seat that may top out your vehicle before it has topped out its full potential for your child!
We’ve seen similar technology before on other child restraints, but ClickTight is so much beefier and simplified on the Pinnacle and Frontier CT. We really are seeing the wave of the future at a time when I thought we were becoming stagnant in our field. The ClickTight Installation System makes it easy for everyone—parents, grandparents, babysitters and even the kids themselves in some cases —to get a proper installation in less than a minute without needing a degree in carseat engineering. And that is truly revolutionary!
Updated June 2019
What is with the “Even a husband can install the Pinnacle 90 correctly” comment? This is offensive, sexist, and unprofessional.
@Sarah, yes, you can take off the fabric harness covers but you must leave on the rubber HUGS. Glad you like the seat!
Just recieved the car seat and love it so far. However, when adjusting it in the house, my son’s neck was being squeezed on both sides by the puffy harness covers. It seems to be much better without the covers so I took them off. Harness straps still seem so close together still, though, much more so than his old marathon. Is it still safe to remove them?
Thanks Heather, I am going to move on to the Britax, then, as I am not looking forward to the belt install with the radian! Thanks again!
@Jenna, I don’t know what Diono is talking about with their seats made before April 1. They’ve always been a bit “against the system” when it comes to their carseats and weight limits. At this point, I would err on the side of caution and only use LATCH with the RXT to 40 lbs. (see https://carseatblog.com/26600/cps-tech-talk-an-in-depth-look-at-new-latch-limits/).
The Pinnacle is really designed to *not* use LATCH for installation; Britax included it because it’s required, but the seat installs so easily with the seat belt that it’s their preferred method of installation. In some vehicles, a seat belt install of the Radian is not friendly, so you’d have to try it with your SK Radian to see how it works.
Help, I am so confused! We have a (Sunshine Kids) Radian XTSL Convertible car seat that we purchased May of 2011 so that we could keep our son rear facing as long as possible…He is now forward facing at 46.3 inches and just shy of 50 lbs. (90th percentile for a 5-1/2 year old.) He is complaining of being uncomfortable in the seat (wants to be like his big sister and not use a seat, NOT happening–she is 13 and was in a booster until she met the height requirement at 11-1/2!) and although he is still well within the specs of the seat, it is getting kinda grungy, so I began looking for a replacement and will tell him it is a ‘big boy seat….’ I assumed I would get another Radian, but in researching the available models, came across the Pinnacle 90 and really like the ease of adjusting the straps without uninstalling and the higher height limits. The thing I am confused about is the latch–I did not realize that the latch was unsafe after 48 lbs?? I called Diono and was told that according to the law, if my carseat was manufactured before April 1, then I can continue to use the latch system?? I am less concerned with the law (they are too lenient in our state, in regards to carseat safety!) and more concerned with keeping my son safe–the fact that April 1 has come and gone does not change my carseat or the car, so I am not sure what to think?? I had hoped your superlatch video might guide me, but I am still confused…does the superlatch system somehow extend the lower anchor weight limit of 48lbs. (per the car manufacturer, 2013 Chevy Traverse) and yes or no, then what does April 1 have to do with it? So, I decided to go with the Pinnacle 90, but got cold feet with the whole iihs rating….Help, I want him to be in a 5 point restraint as long as possible, but want to have it properly installed–latch or seatbelt?? Radian or Pinnacle??
Hi Brandy. I remember the harness being not as smooth as prior models and Jennie mentioned it in her discussion of the Frontier above as possibly being due to the contours of the vehicle seat. Perhaps uninstalling the seat and reinstalling it a little less tightly will remedy the harness situation. I would definitely contact Britax or post on their FB page about it so they have feedback on the issue.
As for the ClickTight panel being fussy, yup, it is. When you go to open it, press in on the panel as you squeeze the tabs together and it should pop open. I’ve done this on several seats that have come through checkup events and it works every time.
Hi Heather. I just received the Britax Frontier 90 today, and I loved installing it. it was so simple! I am having two issues with it. When my daughter is sitting in the seat, pulling the harness tight is really difficult. It hurt my hand to tighten it as much as it needed tightened. (and I’m not a small / weak woman at all).
Also, there is difficulty releasing the click tight to uninstall the car seat. I tried it a few times tonight had a problem each time with it not wanting to release.
Are there any tips you can give to make both of these issues easier? I don’t want to have return it because the installation is amazing, but I bought it for it’s supposed ease of installing and uninstalling. We’re constantly having to switch it between cars (ours and grandparents).
Thank you!
I just read back through the comments and found where you answered. Thanks!
Can you tell me where the H shaped block of foam goes? I took the seat apart in a hurry after my daughter got sick in it and didn’t focus on what went where. Everything is back where it belongs but that H shaped piece of gray foam.
Hi Heather,
Thank you so much ! You are a huge help, that is exactly what I will do. And thanks for answering so quickly !
@Tracy, your dd’s situation is tough. My very first thought is that at her age, I’d definitely move her to a booster, but looking at her size makes me think about it though. I think, still, though, I’d go with the booster. The Parkway is probably her best choice given her size since it has the SecureGuard, which is designed to help smaller kids stay in position better in crashes.
For your ds, given *his* age, I’d most definitely keep him in a harnessed seat like the Pinnacle/Frontier. He’ll be able to get a lot of use out of the harness and the booster mode as well.
Hi, I am hoping you can help me with my decision. My daughter is 8-1/2 and very petite. She is almost 45 inches and weighs 43 pounds. She currently rides in a Frontier 85. I am looking to get her another seat for our 2nd car. I can’t decide if I should keep her in a 5 point and get the pinnacle or move her to the Parkway SGL.
I am also have to make the same decision for my son, he is 5-1/2, 41 inches tall and 40 pounds, who is currently in an Advocate.
Thank you so much for any recommendations/suggestions !
@Juliette, for your dd, a rear-facing seat would be the best second seat for her. The Pinnacle/Frontier/Pioneer all have a minimum age limit of 24 months on them. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that children rear-face for a *minimum* of 24 months and preferably until they reach the maximum weight and height limits of their convertible carseats. Please see our Recommended Carseats List for convertible carseat alternatives for her to keep her rear-facing for longer. https://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-seats/
Hello. Thank you for the great review. My daughter is 22 months, she is 28 pounds and 34,5 inches tall. Will it be a good alternative car seat for her? We have Britax Advocate G4 as our main car seat, was looking to get a back up seat. Thank you!
So sorry, Nona and Jenny! Nona, the only difference between the Frontier 90 and the Pinnacle 90 is that the Pinnacle has the side impact cushions.
Jenny, since you have a 3-across situation, I would go for a Frontier 90. You should have plenty of room in the back seat of an F150 and none of your seats are terribly wide either.
Hi, I am in the process of looking for a seat for my 5 year old, she is pretty small about 30lbs and 43 inches tall. I was looking at getting the Pinnacle but I am concerned with the width of the seat. I currently have a Marathon, a Graco baby carrier rear facing, and another Marathon for my 3 year old. I am wanting to upgrade the 5 year old to the Pinnacle 90, the baby to the Marathon still rear facing, and then most likely will also get the 3 year (38lbs, 33inches) old a Pinnacle. However, if the Pinnacles width is too wide to fit all three seats, this solution will not work. I have a brand new f150 that has a safety canopy airbag system so I’m thinking the Frontier 90s should work well in my case?
What is the difference between Frontier 90 and Pinacle 90?
@Michelle, TBH, I was a little surprised when I saw these 2 seats on the Check Fit list because the Pinnacle had provided my dd such a good belt fit. But, my dd is older and bigger, so that’s really not surprising given that larger kids tend to fit in “check fit” boosters better. IME, I always check the fit of every booster anyway because the seat belt geometry can make a huge difference in how a seat belt fits.
What are your thoughts on the iihs rating of this and the frontier 90 as check fit for booster mode?
@Lisa, as long as you attach the top tether, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the lap belt installation in the center position.
We just received our Britax Pinnacle 90! Love the seat, but I do need your opinion/advice on the placement of the seat. We have had our Marathon in the middle seat position (my SUV does allow for the 2 center latches to be used). My son is over the weight limit for the Pinnacle latches, he is within the harness height and weight limit, but my car only has a lap belt in the center position. In your opinion, is it OK to use only a lap belt with the click tight installation? I feel like he is safer in the middle, but I don’t know if I should install in with the lap-shoulder combo on the outer seat or keep in the middle with the lap belt. What do you think is the safest install?
@Angela, yes, your ds can still use the harness up to 90 lbs. or until his shoulders reach the top harness slots (more likely). After he outgrows the harness, then it tucks out of the way and he’ll use the seat as a belt-positioning booster seat. So the seat belt will be across him then, like it is on you. The Pinnacle will boost him up so the seat belt fits better on him, otherwise it would be a dangerous fit. When you switch him to the belt-positioning booster mode, you’ll want to install it with LATCH, though. That will keep the Pinnacle secure to the vehicle seat while he uses the seat belt for daily use.
Heather. I am a bit confused. I read through almost all the comments. We are in the market for a new seat. I love the broader number because my little guy is not so little. He is passed the 38 lbs limit of the LATCH system and will have to use the click tight system (seat belt). Can I still use the 5 point harness if I am using the click tight system? Also once the out grow the 5 point harness do they just use the car seat belt and the seat simply helps the seat belt fit better. I just want to be sure. Thanks.
@Tootie Frootie, yes, the LATCH limit is limited to harness use only. You can use LATCH while the seat is used as a belt-positioning booster because the seat belt is restraining the child, not the carseat. I wouldn’t buy the Pinnacle/Frontier to harness a 10/11 yr old child unless they were particularly small and had special needs. It’s really a seat designed for smaller kids who need the harness who will grow into the booster (like your 4 and 6 yr olds). For kids over 6 or 7, depending on their size and maturity level, I’d go for a belt-positioning booster only that doesn’t have a harness. If you need suggestions for a booster, we have a list on our Recommended Seats page https://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-seats/ and we also have a list of reviews https://carseatblog.com/reviews/ . Glad we can provide some help to you!