Kid Safety First

Main navigation

Britax ClickTight Harness Clip Problem – A Simple Solution

By

The New Britax ClickTight Convertible Car Seats

The new Britax ClickTight convertible car seats (Advocate, Boulevard, Marathon) have only been available on the market for a month or so and they already seem to have become very popular amongst parents.

One of the main advantages of these seats over and above the previous “G4” versions is that they are much simpler to install when using the adult seatbelt. Since it is believed that 3/4 of all car seats are incorrectly installed (and potentially dangerous), the popularity of an “easy-to-install” seat is hardly surprising.

You can read more about the “ClickTight Installation System” here.

However, a number of concerns have recently been raised about the fact that some (but not all) Boulevard and Marathon models of the ClickTight seats have been supplied to consumers with the harness clips incorrectly assembled. In fairness to Britax, the instruction manual advises parents to check the correct assembly of the harness clips prior to use. But, I suspect that many parents will either fail to read these instructions or fail to fully understand what to look for and how to correct any defect.

Although there have been no reports of accidents relating to the incorrect assembly of these harness clips, the is an obvious risk of a reduced degree of child restraint in the event of an accident and it is very important that you check the assembly of this mechanism prior to using one of these seats. It is not necessarily a reason to avoid these seats for the reasons explained below.

So, the purpose of this post is to explain what the harness clip problem actually is and also demonstrate how it can easily be corrected.

What is the Britax ClickTight Harness Clip Problem?

The 5-point harness on the Britax ClickTight models is attached to clips that are found at either side of the child’s hip area. The clips can be accessed by opening the “ClickTight Compartment”. Y

The harness is supposed to be looped around the clip in a secure manner. However, some of the seats have been coming off the assembly line with the harness incorrectly installed, either because they are not attached to the anchor clip at all or because the harness is not pushed fully into the retaining slot.

Fortunately, there is a very simple solution to the Britax ClickTight Harness Clip problem. You simply need to open the “ClickTight compartment”, check to see if the harness is correctly secured around the clip and, if it is not, correct the problem by securing the harness properly. As you can appreciate, once you are aware of this problem, it is very simple and quick to remedy it.

The Simple Solution

I have already explained how to check and remedy any incorrect installation of the harness clip assembly. However, it is probably easier to fully understand what is required by watching videos and studying the Britax pictorial guides.

There are 2 sets of instructions on the Britax website that explain how to correctly install the harness onto the clips – the first is for children under 2 years of age and the second is for children aged 2 years or more. The slight difference in these videos is due to the fact that older, larger children (2 years +) can be given more space by adjustment this mechanism.

Note: Children under the age of 2 years MUST use the “short harness version” of the installation / adjustment instructions.

You can Watch the Britax Installation and Adjustment Videos here.

My Britax ClickTight Harness Clip Conclusions

It is unfortunate that some of these seats are being supplied with the harnesses incorrectly assembled and I hope that Britax act to remedy this situation, or at least place some more visible warnings on the packaging / seat / instructions to ensure that all parents are aware of the need to check the harness clip assembly prior to use.

However, provided that you know how to check for this problem and familiarise yourself with the correct installation state, there is no need to worry about this problem and it is pretty easy to solve.

Where 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

Although these seats have only just been released onto the market, you can already get some significantly discounted deals, especially if you choose one of the less popular color fabric options.

You can check the Best Prices on Britax ClickTight Convertible Car Seats here.

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:

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.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *