The Britax ClickTight System Reviewed – Is It a Good Thing?

September 5, 2014 By Kristian

The Britax ClickTight System?

In short, the Britax ClickTight System is a mechanism for installing child car seats using the regular seatbelt rather than the LATCH connectors.

The ClickTight system is not entirely new to the market in 2014 and 2 of Britax’s existing 5-point harness to booster car seats (the Pinnacle 90 and Frontier 90) already have it fitted.

However, Britax are now rolling this technology out to all of their new convertible car seats in September / October 2014.

In this post, I am just going to explain what this installation system is, how it works, and consider its potential safety benefits over and above standard belt-installation mechanisms.

The Britax ClickTight Promotional Video

This short video from Britax introduces the ClickTight system:

So, How Exactly Does ClickTight Work?

The ClickTight system is so easy to use that it is almost foolproof – even for tired and emotional parents trying to install their first ever car seats!

You simply:

Open the ClickTight compartment at the front of the seat
Thread both parts of the seatbelt through the retaining slots
Remove the slack
Press the ClickTight compartment back down
Check the indicator to ensure that the compartment is closed securely.

The promotional video above doesn’t actually show you how to install a car seat using the ClickTight system, but this great video from “The Car Seat Blog” does:

Why is ClickTight Such a Good Idea?

There are 2 obvious reasons why ClickTight is such a good idea, despite the fact that most modern cars come fitted with LATCH connectors:

The new LATCH Laws mean that LATCH cannot be used to install convertible car seats for the entirety of their useable lives;
Research suggests that about 75% of all belt-fitted seats are installed incorrectly.

The maximum LATCH weight limits for the Britax G4 range of convertible car seats is 40 lbs and after that point it MUST be installed using the seatbelt. For many parents that are used to installing seats using the relatively simple LATCH mechanism, this transition can be a daunting and worrying time. You can see from the video above that the ClickTight system will remove most (if not all) of the concerns since it is so easy to use and almost impossible to get wrong. Not only is the mechanism easy to operate, but there is a handy indicator to confirm that you have done it correctly too.

Also, although the number of cars without LATCH connectors will continue to decrease over time as older vehicles are replaced by newer ones, there are still many parents driving their kids around in vehicles that do not have LATCH connectors installed. For these parents, the simple-to-use ClickTight system will give some all important peace of mind when installing their kids’ convertible car seats.

One cannot underestimate the potential dangers of incorrectly fitted car seats. Although the evidence suggests that there is no theoretical safety difference between LATCH-fitted and belt-fitted car seats, the problem with belt-fitting has always been the alarming number of parents that have failed to do it properly. This has meant that, in practical terms and in the real world, LATCH has been regarded by many as being a safer system.

The new Britax ClickTight convertible car seats will level the playing field as between LATCH and belt-fitting and mean that parents no longer need to be fearful of installing car seats using the adult seat belt, whether that is from the very start or once their child has reached the LATCH weight limit.

Which ClickTight Seats Are Being Released?

There are going to be 3 seats in the Britax ClickTight Convertible Seat range:

#1 Britax Advocate ClickTight ($419.99)

#2 Britax Boulevard ClickTight ($369.99)

#3 Britax Marathon ClickTight ($329.99)

In addition to the ClickTight mechanism, there are some other notable differences between these new seats and the older Britax G4 series of seats, and I will review these differences more fully in future articles.

These new seats are significantly more expensive than the G4 range, but don’t worry. If your budget cannot stretch that far and/or you are perfectly confident that you can safely install a convertible car seat yourself without ClickTight, the previous G4 range of seats will remain on the market for some time yet.

In fact, the G4 range of seats has been reduced in price prior to the release of the ClickTight seats.

Check prices of Britax G4 seats.

When Can You Buy Britax ClickTight Convertible Car Seats?

Britax ClickTight Seats are now available to buy online.

The MRSPs are as follows:

Advocate ClickTight – $419.99
Boulevard ClickTight – $369.99
Marathon ClickTight – $329.99

If you look around, you can find these seats online at heavily discounted prices.

Check Latest Prices of Britax ClickTight Convertible Car Seats.

Read My Comparison Reviews

You can read my comparison reviews of the new Britax ClickTight Seats here:

You can read my comparison reviews of the ClickTight and G4 models here:

Canadian ClickTight Seats

Find Britax ClickTight Seats in Canada.

Safety Information

After purchasing any child car seat, you should always read the User Manual thoroughly before using it. It is also advisable to visit your local Fire Department or NHTSA Child Car Seat Inspection Centre to ensure that the seat is definitely suitable for your child’s specific requirements and that you have installed it correctly. These services are usually provided free of charge.

You can find your nearest NHTSA Centre here.

Get in Touch

If you have any comments to share or questions to ask about my Britax ClickTight System article, please leave a comment in the box below or send me an email.