The Best Combination Car Seat For Your Toddler: Britax Frontier vs Pinnacle vs Pioneer

(Last Updated On: October 30, 2017)


Britax Frontier	Britax Pioneer	Britax Pinnacle
Easiest Setup	Best Value	Best Safety Features
$279.99	Check on Amazon	$299.99
Buy on Amazon	Buy on Amazon	Buy on Amazon

Ask any parent and they’ll tell you, kids grow up fast. From the time you bring them home from the hospital, you’re constantly replacing clothes, beds, toys, bottles, and just about everything else in their little lives. One of the most important things you’ll have to change as they grow is their car seat. As they grow into their toddler stages, your children will require front-facing booster seats.

Kids require booster seats from the time they reach about 40 pounds (usually around two years old). Britax is a company that makes a fantastic lineup of booster seats. Their three most popular models are the Britax Frontier, Pinnacle and Pioneer. Each of these car seats comes with plenty of good reviews and Britax has a solid history of safe products you’ll love. There are key differences, though, that will be key in deciding which car seat is right for your child.

Below, we provide key differences and give you our opinion as to which car seat is the best for value-conscious parents, as well as which car seats are the easiest to install and set up, as well as which one has the best safety features. Whichever you choose, know you’re getting a great product.

Easiest Setup: Britax Frontier Review

The Britax Frontier is easiest to set up thanks to the ClickTight Installation System. There is also no installation required, so this seat is as easy as taking it out of the box and putting in your car (after you read the manual, of course!).

There are nine different harness positions that are easy to adjust, and the no-rethread harness is also easily adjustable so you can accommodate different kids at different times. The Frontier has an EZBuckle that flips forward when it’s not being used, making it easy to find when you are ready to load up you kids and hit the road.

Features:

EZBuckle for quick in-and-out for the kids
Click Tight seat belt installation
No rethread harness easy to adjust
Recline setting
Multiple harness positions

Specs:

25 pounds
Booster Limits: 45-62”
Booster Limits: 40-120 pounds
Highest Harness Height: 20.5”

Price:

$279.99

Best Value: Britax Pioneer Review

The Britax Pioneer is the lowest priced of the three car seats we reviewed, but that doesn’t mean it is automatically the best value. While it doesn’t have the same level of safety standards as the Frontier or Pinnacle. The Pioneer is still very easy to install compared to other car seats. The only real difference between the Pioneer vs Frontier is the ClickTight System. While I am a big fan of this technology, it isn’t critical to have in a car seat.

The Pioneer is a simple change from the high back booster to simple booster seat. There is a good amount of padding, which ensures your rider will be comfortable and happy. Optional safety features can be ordered separately, making it easy to upgrade if you aren’t happy with the Pioneer.

Features:

Easy to adjust between modes
No rethread harness easy to adjust
Recline setting
LATCH useable in booster mode

Specs:

25 pounds
Booster Limits: 45-59”
Booster Limits: 40-110 pounds
Highest Harness Height: 19.5”

Price:

Check on Amazon

Best Safety Features: Britax Pinnacle Review

The gold standard when it comes to safety features is the Britax Pinnacle. This is another car seat that is ready to put into your car right out of the box, and the color coded belt paths make it super easy to strap into your car. This car seat is made using a steel frame, which not only keeps your kids’ safety at the forefront, but also makes for a smooth and comfortable ride in the car.

The headrest has some additional padding that doubles as protection during minor fender-benders, but also makes for a comfortable place for your child to rest his head. Many of the components, from the recline to the harness positions to the headrest, are all adjustable and easy to accommodate your child as he grows.