Britax Frontier 90 Britax Pioneer 70
The Common Features
The Britax Frontier 90 and Pioneer 70 harness 2 booster car seats have many common features, but also some important differences. The most obvious difference is highlighted by the product numbering – whilst the Frontier 90 is suitable for use in harness mode up to 90 lbs, the Pioneer 70 is only suitable for use in harness mode up to 70 lbs.
The Frontier 90 can also be used in booster mode for 10 lbs longer than the Pioneer 70 (120 lbs v 110 lbs).
The other common features include:
- Tangle-Free, 5-Point Harness with 7 height positions
- Integrated steel bars strengthen the connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing of the child seat during a crash
- Easy-Access Belt Paths for simple installation when using the adult seat belt
- Energy Absorbing Tether anchors the top of the car seat to the vehicle
- Front-Adjust Recline
- Comfort Foam provides an extra layer of padding to cushion your child
- Quick-Adjust No Re-Thread for easy adjustments to the harness shoulder height and head restraint
- Integrated Cup Holders and Storage
- Easy Transition from Harness to Booster Mode without removing harness straps
- Easy-Remove Cover allows easy cleaning without disassembling or uninstalling the car seat
- Color-Coded Vehicle Belt Guides provide clear indication of the path and positioning of the vehicle seat belt for use in either harness or booster mode
- Armrests provide a natural and comfortable place to rest arms
- Two Buckle Positions for your growing child
- Premium Lower LATCH Connectors included
- Certified for Aircraft Travel in Harness Mode
February 2014 LATCH Guidelines
Britax now advises that the LATCH lower tethers should only be used on these models until the child weighs more than 40 lbs. You can still continue to use them until your child’s weight exceeds 120 lbs (Frontier 90) or 110 lbs (Pioneer 70), but only if you re-install the seat using the adult seat belt instead. You should still use the top tethers as they are not affected by the law change.
Read more about this law change here.
The Differences Between the Frontier 90 and Pioneer 70
Apart from the weight limits described above, there are 5 other important differences between the Frontier 90 and the Pioneer 70 car seats. In each case, the Frontier 90 seat has the extra feature and the Pioneer 70 does not. They are:
- The ClickTight Installation System
- The EZ-Buckle System and Harness Holders
- The HUGS Chest Pads
- The Height Limits
- The Price
The ClickTight Installation System is a series of components engineered to simplify the process of securing your child’s car seat into your vehicle using the vehicle seat belt instead of the lower anchors that are a part of the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren).The System simultaneously tensions and locks the vehicle seat belt.
The EZ-Buckle System and Harness Holders – theses are convenience features that keep the straps to the side of the seat to make it easier to place your child into it.
HUGS stands for “Harness Ultra-Guard System”. This feature is said to assist in reducing forward movement of your child in the event of a crash by adding friction to the harness against your child’s chest.
The Height Limits – The Frontier 90 has more generous height limits than the Pioneer 70 in both harness and booster modes. They are as follows:
- Frontier 90 Harness height limit (standing) is 30 – 58 inches, (seated shoulder) is 12.5 – 20.5 inches
- Pioneer 70 Harness height limit (standing) is 30 – 56 inches, (seated shoulder) is 12.5 – 19.5 inches
- Frontier 90 Booster height limit (standing) is 45 – 62 inches, (seated shoulder) is 15 – 23 inches
- Pioneer 70 Booster height limit (standing) is 45 – 60 inches, (seated shoulder) is 15 – 22 inches
The Price of the Frontier 90 ($272) is about $100 higher than the Pioneer 70 ($172).
Watch the Britax Frontier 90 Review Video
Britax Frontier 90 Installation Video (including ClickTight)
HUGS Chest Pads Video
Here is a Comparison Video of the Britax Boosters by “Bibs & Binkies”:
Where to Buy Britax Combination 2 Booster Seats
Check Price of the Britax Frontier 90.
Check Price of the Britax Pioneer 70.
IIHS “Best Bet” Ratings!
All 3 models of the Britax Harness Booster seats have been awarded “Best Bet” ratings by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Best Bet rating is the top award that the IIHS give to booster seats, which is reassuring for any parent purchasing one of the Britax seats.
What does the “Best Bet” rating mean?
In short, the IIHS recently test booster seats to ensure that they fit children properly when installed in various types of vehicle. A Best Fit seat is one that has been found to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit for typical 4 to 8 year olds in almost any car, minivan or SUV.
Achieving a good belt fit whilst using a booster seat an essential component of child car seat safety and these IIHS tests results ought to be high up on your list of things to think about when making a purchasing decision.
You can read more User Reviews of the Britax seats here:
Britax Booster-2-Harness Seats in Canada
Find Britax Booster-2-Harness Seats in Canada 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.
Do You Need More Help?
If you need any further advice or assistance whatsoever, please feel free to contact me and I will do my very best to help.
If you have any other questions or feedback about my Britax Frontier 90 vs Pioneer 70 post, please just leave a comment in the box below or send an email to kristian@kidsafetyfirst.com
Hi. I have three kids ages 7, 5 and 16 months. I need recommendations for harness booster seats for three in a row acura SUV. We currently have two britax marathon and one britax roundabout. Any ideas?
The Pinnacle 90 would probably NOT fit due to the SICT head cushions (22.5 inches wide).
The Frontier 90 is 19 inches wide – which is quite similar to the width of your current Marathon and Roundabout seats (18.5 inches wide).
So, if your current set up suggests that you have space for an extra 1/2 inch per seat, I would recommend the Frontier 90 seat.
If your current set up suggests that you do not have space for the extra 1/2 inch per seat, you should consider the Diono Radian RXT – at 17 inches wide, it is the narrowest harness booster car seat on the market today.
The good news is that the price of the Frontier 90 has very recently fallen to $239.99. You can buy it here for that price and also get Free Shipping & Free Returns so that you can double-check the fit within your vehicle before fully committing to the purchase.
I hope that this helps and good luck with your new seats.
Would the pioneer 70 cover fit on the frontier 90? My son desperately wants a green seat, which isn’t available in the frontier, but I want the click tight install system!
I don’t think that a Pioneer 70 cover would fit on a Frontier 90 because they have different maximum height limits. This means that the shells are different sizes. Having said that, I have never actually tried to fit a Pioneer 70 cover on a Frontier 90, so I can be 100% sure. I suggest that you contact Britax direct if you want a definitive answer. You can find their contact details here.