June 16, 2016 Dana

VIDEO: The IMMI GO Hybrid Car Seat Booster vs. the Britax Clicktight Frontier

As we’ve said many times before, quality and functionality will only take you so far with any baby gear item. If it isn’t the perfect match for your lifestyle, you might spend top-dollar on an item with the best ratings, but still just absolutely hate using it. That’s why our selection includes a lot of items that have essentially the same function but are specialized to fit a variety of lifestyles: car seats, booster seats, strollers, bouncers, swaddles, and other gear that may look similar on the surface but will fit very differently into your family’s life.

For example, the IMMI GO Hybrid Car Seat Booster and the Britax Clicktight Frontier 90 Booster Seat both provide superb protection for kids from the time they’re old enough to ride forward-facing up through nearly adult weight and height. If you put the IMMI GO or the Britax Frontier in your family car, they do essentially the same thing: they secure younger kids properly with a five-point harness, and, when converted to booster seats, they place the seat belt properly on older children. But from there, they branch out in very different directions!

The IMMI GO is ultra-light (10 pounds!), comes with an attached travel bag, and installs under two minutes with LATCH. More than almost any convertible car seat or booster seat we’ve found, it’s made to switch cars, store easily, or travel abroad: it can switch between vehicles for car-pooling, ride in the babysitter’s trunk, sit in the grandparents’ closet until the grandkids come for their next visit, or ride in the overhead compartment on a plane for use in a rental car at your destination.*

On the other hand, the Britax Frontier is best suited for long-term installation in the family car that you use the most, serving as your child’s reliable everyday seat. It isn’t that it’s difficult to install – the Britax Clicktight system makes it super simple! – but that it’s quite large. You get a lot of amazing extra features with all that size, though: the integrated SafeCell Impact Protection system, an easy to use harness, and tons of comfort features to keep kids happy on long car trips. They’ll love having two cup holders and integrated storage for their snacks and toys, and you’ll love how well they nap with the plush padding and Front-Adjust Recline!

In this video review, Eli explores some of the other features on each of these convertible car seats / booster seats, and demonstrates how easy they are to install. Enjoy!

***IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE IMMI GO***
The IMMI GO has been tested and approved for forward-facing use for ages 1 and up. However, the AAP recommends keeping your child rear-facing at all times in vehicles up to age 2, and we recommend rear-facing for as long as you can manage – it’s just so much more effective at keeping kids safe! Plus, some states legally require rear-facing up to age 2. So please: keep an eye on your local laws, consult your pediatrician, and use your best judgment.