I had the opportunity yesterday to see a final production model Britax Pioneer 70 and a prototype model of the new 2013 Parkway SGL. We were on the 5th floor of a Manhattan hotel so I wasn’t able to install anything in a vehicle but Darren will be receiving both of these models very soon so he’ll be able to comment on installations in the near future.
If you’ve been following along on the related threads at car-seat.org then you already know many of the details. Here’s a closer look at some features and measurements:
Britax Pioneer 70 Combination Harness-2-Booster
- Value-priced combination seat with many premium features; MSRP is $229 (compared with $329 MSRP on the Frontier 90)
- 25-70 lbs (and at least 2 years old) with 5-pt harness; 40-110 lbs. as highback booster
- SafeCell Technology; integrated steel bars; “True Side Impact Protection” designation, rip-stitch tether
- Same no-rethread harness, recline mechanism, buckle positions and armrests as the Frontier 90 & Pinnacle 90
- Includes harness strap covers (with velcro for easy on/off) and a standard belly pad
- Lacks the ClickTight system found on FR90 & Pin90 but some of the ClickTight components are still on this seat (more on this in comments section below)
- Since there is no ClickTight – there is no lockoff device on this seat for seatbelt installations. You must lock the vehicle seatbelt according to the instructions in your vehicle owners manual. For older vehicles (pre-1996) that don’t have any pre-crash locking features, you will need to use a locking clip.
- Energy absorbing EPS foam instead of EPP foam used on FR90 & Pin90
- Top harness slot measures 18-18.5″ (lower than FR90 & Pin90 by 2″)
- Belt guide for booster mode is approximately 20″ at max height which is also lower than FR90 & Pin90, but it is otherwise the same belt guide
- Lacks HUGS pads (doesn’t need them but they can be purchased separately from Britax and added on if the consumer desires to do that)
- Lacks new EZ-Buckle belly pad (again, this can be purchased separately, if desired)
- Not FAA approved at the moment but that may change in the future – just don’t expect the change to be retroactive because I doubt Britax is going to send out new labels. I could be wrong about that but it seems unlikely. Personally, I wouldn’t want to lug anything this bulky through airport security and onto the plane but if you really wanted to have that option – you might want to wait a while to see if they change their stance on this issue.
* These were the only fashions on display
First Impression Comments:
Overall, I think the Pioneer 70 is a great seat that is going to be very competitive at this price point. Honestly, for most North American parents who are looking to keep their child in a 5-pt harness until about age 5-7 and then transition to booster mode, this seat will serve them nicely. And while the 20″ max height on the belt guide in booster mode might not get your child to the point where they completely pass the 5-Step Test, it should get them to the point where they can transition to an inexpensive backless booster for the last couple of years that they need a booster.
What is going to strike most consumers, and CPS Techs as odd, at least initially, is the beltpath. Some of the components of ClickTight are still there but not functional in their originally-intended capacity because they’ve been stripped away in the price-reduction process. The beltpath seems unfinished, because… well, it is!
It’s just one of those things that leaves you kinda scratching your head. It’s not bad – it’s just not what you’d expect. I am a little concerned about the potential for misuse but we’ll just have to see how it plays out in real life. If you read and follow the directions in the instruction manual it should be clear, I just think it may be confusing to those who haven’t read the instructions.
I’m going to do my best to put it into words but Darren will probably have a video in his review that will explain it more clearly. The “mouth” of the ClickTight system is still there (with the LATCH straps stored inside) but the clamps to shut it and lock it into place are gone. The back of the plate is in the beltpath zone but because it’s not locked – it naturally sits away from the shell like a hinged door that is slightly open. When you route the seatbelt (or LATCH belt) in front of the “open door”, tighten the seatbelt and lock it that will close the gap – but probably not shut the door completely. Basically, from what I understand (keep in mind that I didn’t actually get to install the seat), there is going to be a small open gap behind the seatbelt – even when it’s properly installed. The initial thought I had is that the child might feel something in the lower back area but I was assured that they did “extensive testing” on this and concluded that it was not a problem. And I believe that because there is enough cover and padding over the beltpath that you really don’t feel anything behind it. I think it’s going to be a non-issue but again, time will tell.
Updated 2013 Parkway SGL (this model has lower LATCH attachments)
- MSRP $159 (SG model without lower LATCH attachments MSRP $129)
- SafeCell Technology in base improves crash performance
- One-hand height adjuster is now accessed from top/front of headrest
- Deeper head wings and deeper side wings (as compared with previous generation PW SG/SGL models)
- Improved SecureGuard clip
- Slimmer armrests than previous model
First Impression Comments:
I like everything about the new Parkway SGL model! They kept the things most parents loved about the previous version – like premium push-on lower LATCH connectors, shoulder belt guides that work well in a variety of different vehicles with different belt geometries, and a very tall maximum height setting. They improved side impact protection by beefing up the headwings and torso wings, improved crash performance by adding SafeCell Technology to the inside of the base and made many other minor updates that most consumers probably won’t even notice but they all add up to a more user-friendly product. All this and yet they only increased the MSRP by $10 over the previous version Parkway SGL. For what it’s worth – I thought the armrests on the new model looked lower but when I compared my measurements in the pic above to the current Parkway SGL model that I have – I realize that they are lower but only because they are slimmer. The space underneath the armrest, which is the amount of room that the parent or child has to maneuver the seatbelt to buckle and snug it up – is unchanged. Therefore, this new model should be just as easy for older kids to buckle themselves (with proper supervision, of course) as the previous Parkway SG/SGL models.
Hi just bought the pioneer 70 for our 2nd car (got the frontier 90 for the mail car what a breeze) I was slightly confused about the seat flap trying to get it to click or lock into place and realized it won’t. Had a question does the seat belt go through and then the seat flap go down over or do you put the flap down/back and then run the seat belt as to keep the flap almost locked in by the seatbelt? On your install did the seatbelt twist a bit?
I was asking for the lastest versus the current. I don’t need it emergency like – I just like DD1 to have a highback for long car trips. Heck, I wish I had one for long trips…thanks, though – it’s hard to tell from the pix if the new wings eat up the shoulder space – at this point, your guess is better than mine!
I wish they’d offer the original, though – it was rumored to have been great for 3 across. They still sell something like it in Europe.
Thanks for the replies. I found one of the current SGL models at a store near us for the kids to try out. I was surprised at how narrow it was. Both kids were very uncomfortable in it. It barely fit them on the seat part and was too tight across their back.
The height was great though.
They are both currently in a Graco Nautilus. They have plenty of butt and back room, but it only goes to 57″. It will work for my daughter for awhile, but not my nephew.
I’m not sure what we’ll do for him. He has low muscle tone and has a difficult time sitting properly.
Thanks again!
@BIGTEAMUG – Are you asking how this new model compares with an original Parkway (without armrests) or with the current Parkway SG/SGL model? Compared with the original version (which was pretty narrow), I’d say this new one has much more shoulder room for bigger, wider kids. Compared with the current PW SG/SGL model – I’d say it’s probably just as “roomy” but with deeper side wings. But I don’t want to guarantee anything just in case I’m wrong! Lol.
I’m also looking at the new PWSGL, for my older girl, to be shared with her little sister – that front adjust would be soooo nice.
Compared to the old PW, how is the shoulder room? That is her biggest complaint with the Vivo that she is getting snug in. She’s on the top notch in it, but only has a bit more room.
DD1 is 10.5, small for her age, a bit long in torso. Perhaps an inch more in the Vivo, is she isn’t trying to make it look too small.
@JENNY – the Parkway SGL is one of the tallest dedicated boosters on the market so it’s a good choice for taller kids. My almost 9-yr-old son is about 54″ tall and still has plenty of growing room height-wise in the current Parkway SGL model. Also, it can be used without the back, once the back is outgrown. HTH!
I am considering the current SGL booster for my daughter and nephew. I’d like to keep them with a high back booster for as long as possible. It just holds them in the seat better.
Anyway, one is 52 1/2″ tall and the other is 56″ tall. Is it even worth it to purchase it? I see it goes to 63″, but that obviously depends on the length or your legs and torso.
@SPAM – I’m going to wait and see what it looks like once it’s installed and reserve my judgement until that point. I don’t think it’s going to be like the prosport where the belt is held away from the shell by the design of the beltpath. The issue here is going to be the plastic part behind the seatbelt. Not the seatbelt itself.
For the Pioneer, do you think the belt might not lie flat against the seat kind of like on the prosport when installed?
Thanks! Unless they face the side (like the FR85), then they probably won’t work. I’ll hang on to my 85s!
Athena – the guides on the new model aren’t exactly the same but they are similar to the guides on the current model and they are placed in a similar position on the headrest. The only way to know for sure is to wait until it’s available and try it out but if the current PW model doesn’t work at all with your belt geometry then I wouldn’t hold out too much hope. Belt geometry issues are such a drag. You just have to keep trying and trying until you find something that works like it was made for your vehicle. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
So, the new SGL has the same shoulder belt guides as the previous model? I’m asking because the current model does not work at all in my car and I was really hoping for something that did. 🙁