Britax Skyline – Introduction
The Britax Skyline model is also referred to by the description “Essentials by Britax Skyline Booster Seat”, which reflects the fact that it comes with all of the “essential” convenience and safety features without a couple of the added extras that can be found of the more expensive Britax Highpoint Booster Seat.
Despite not offering quite as many features as the Britax Highpoint seat, it is still a very solid option at under $100, especially if you are on a tight budget.
Read My Comparison Review of the Britax Highpoint and Skyline Seats.
For those of you that aren’t experienced in purchasing Booster Car Seats, please note that there a broadly 3 different types for you to consider:
- Backless Booster Seats
- Highbacked Booster Seats
- Harness-to-Booster Seats
The Britax Skyline is a Highbacked Booster Seat, which means that you child is restrained by the vehicle’s 3-point seat belt rather than a 5-point harness.
Backless Booster seats are NOT to be recommended for small children transitioning from Convertible or Infant Car Seats as they offer no support or protection to the head and torso in the event of a collision.
Harness-to-Booster Seats are another option to consider, especially if your child is still relatively small as they can be used from as little as 25 pounds, whereas a Highbacked Booster Seat generally will have a lower weight limit of 40 pounds or so.
You can find the range of Britax Harness-to-Booster Seats here.
So, what are the main features that are found on the Britax Skyline Booster Seat?
Britax Skyline – Main Features
Here are the main features that can be found on the Britax Skyline Booster Seat.
1. Child Height & Weight Limits
The Britax Skyline Seat is rated as suitable for children weighing between 40 and 120 lbs.
Although the Skyline seat can be used from a little as 40 lbs, you should consider using a harnessed seat instead until you child has outgrown its maximum weight limit (usually at least 55 lbs), unless they have outgrown the height limit before that.
The child height limit for the Skyline seats is 38 to 63 inches.
These are very generous weight/height limits when compared with other seats on the market and should provide your child with many years of use for a relatively low price.
2. LATCH Installation
The Britax Skyline can be installed within your vehicle using the vehicle LATCH anchor points with the benefit of push-on LATCH connectors.
It doesn’t matter, however, if your vehicle doesn’t have LATCH anchor points as the seats are also designed to be kept in place by the vehicle’s normal 3-point seatbelt. In fact, because a highbacked booster seat doesn’t use a 5-point harness for child restraint, you will need to use the vehicle seat belt with the seat in any event.
3. Headrest With 10 Positions
The headrest on the Britax Skyline is very versatile and can be adjusted up and down into one of 10 different positions.
This wide range of adjustment options is important because, as your child grows, you will need to raise the level of the headrest to ensure that it fits properly (see manual for details).
It goes without saying that the more headrest adjustment options that you have, the better able you are to ensure the best possible fit at all times. Your child’s head is the most vulnerable part of their body in the event of a collision, and so being able to ensure a good fit is an essential safety feature.
The headrest is very easy to adjust using the handle mechanism at the back and you can hear it click into place.
By adjusting the headrest, you are also adjusting the positioning of the seatbelt so that it continues to fit across your child’s body correctly as they grow. There is a small red seatbelt retaining clip at the shoulder area of the seat that helps to guide the shoulder part of the belt into the correct position, which needs to avoid cutting across your child’s neck area.
See images of the headrest adjustments here.
4. Seat Weight & Width
The seat is not particular wide and ought to fit comfortably within most vehicles.
The Skyline seat is just 19.25 inches wide and weighs 11.4 pounds. This means that it is a little narrower and lighter than the more expensive Britax Highpoint Seat.
The seat weight isn’t on the heavy side and this type of seat isn’t really designed to be carried around with a child inside it anyway. Apart from initial installation and perhaps when moving it between different vehicles, you won’t need to carry the seat around at all.
5. Side Impact Protection
The Britax Skyline comes with 2 layers of side impact protection, both of which are incorporated into the structure of the seat itself rather than being added onto the side.
There is side impact protection in the headrest and also in the main body of the seat itself. These act in concert to afford protection to your child’s all important head and torso areas.
You can see images of the side impact protection features here.
6. Other Features
Other features include:
- EPP Foam
- 2 Removeable Cup Holders
- Washable Easy to remove cover
- Soft breathable knit fabrics
- 10 year expiration
Britax Skyline – Video Review
Here is a useful video review of the Britax Skyline Booster Seat.
Britax Skyline – Color Options
The Britax Skyline Booster Seat comes in the following color options …
The Britax Skyline – My Verdict
The Britax Skyline is possibly the best Highback Booster Seat available for under $100. Whilst it doesn’t come with the extra layer of side impact protection or Secure Guard feature that can be found of the more expensive Britax Highpoint, it remains a very good premium booster seat.
It is lighter and narrower than the Highpoint, which might be a relevant consideration if you need to fit more than one car seat in the back row of your vehicle.
Check Best Price of the Skyline.
Read User Reviews of the Skyline.
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 Skyline Review, please leave a comment in the box below.
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