Are you shopping for convertible car seats? I'm sharing all about the anti-rebound bar and why you might want one on your new convertible car seat. Read on to find out what they are and why you need one to keep your child as safe as possible.
I've partnered with Britax to share this information about ARBs.
When it comes to car seats, safety is THE top priority for me. After experiencing a car accident with my kids a few months ago, I had to replace both of their car seats. Did you know that you may need to replace your car seats after an accident? I didn't want to take any chances, so I started looking for new seats immediately after the crash. It was extremely important to me to find car seats with good safety ratings and an anti-rebound bar (ARB) for my daughter. There aren't many convertible car seats that offer an anti-rebound bar in the US, but the Britax Boulevard ClickTight ARB does and it stood out for a few reasons.
What's an Anti-Rebound Bar?
Anti-rebound bars are appropriately named, as they prevent rear-facing car seats from rebounding and causing extra motion that could injure your child. The ARB is a bar at the foot of the car seat that butts up against the seat to provide more stability in rear-end or front-end collisions. Britax has found that the ARB minimizes the risk of injury to rear-facing children by reducing rebound rotation by 40 percent by stabilizing the car seat during frontal, rear-end and side-impact crashes. Britax has a great video explaining rebound forces and why the ARB is so important. I'd highly recommend viewing the video to see what could happen in the event of a crash.
Even though anti-rebound bars aren't required on car seats in the US, they are an added safety feature to help protect your little ones. They're only utilized for rear-facing car seats and you can find them on select convertible car seats, like the Britax Boulevard ClickTight ARB featured here and the Britax Advocate ClickTight ARB.
Without an ARB your child's seat could bounce back and forth which increases the potential for injury. The anti-rebound bar on our Britax Boulevard ClickTight ARB gives me peace of mind that my daughter is safer in her car seat.
When you're ready for your child to face forward, you can simply remove the ARB and you're good to go. Now, let me tell you the other reason that this convertible car seat is one of my favorites.
Reasons the Britax Boulevard ClickTight ARB
is one of the best convertible car seats
Along with the ARB, the Boulevard ClickTight ARB has an extra layer of side impact protection with a deep foam-lined shell and head protection. Britax uses SafeCell Impact Protection including a steel frame and an energy-absorbing base.
There are several other features that make the Boulevard ClickTight ARB a wonderful choice. Their patented Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator makes a clicking noise when you've reached the perfect harness position. I can't tell you how much I LOVE this feature. You never have to worry about their harness being too tight or too loose. I know that's always been one of my biggest concerns when putting my kids in their seats. It's also really helped my husband get a feeling for how tight their harness straps should be.
The car seat also has a no-rethread 14-position harness that makes height adjustments a breeze. By simply squeezing the handle on the top of the seat, you can adjust the headrest and harness height up or down. A friendly reminder, the straps should be at or BELOW shoulder height for rear-facing children and at or ABOVE shoulder height for forward-facing kids.
The Britax Boulevard ClickTight ARB with seat height at highest setting.
ClickTight Installation System
Installation is simple with the Boulevard ClickTight ARB. Britax takes out ALL of the guesswork with their ClickTight Installation System.
You just lift up the front of the car seat using the ClickTight button, thread the seat belt through the appropriate belt path, buckle the seat belt, and push the seat back down into place. You'll hear a click to indicate that your seat is secure. This technology is beyond amazing! No more straining in awkward positions to get a tight installation of your car seat. The ClickTight makes it SO incredibly easy to get a tight fit.
The Boulevard ARB convertible car seat can be used rear-facing up to 40 pounds. It can also be used forward-facing up to 65 pounds so it grows with your child. The Boulevard ClickTight ARB has seven recline positions for each stage so children will be comfortable at every size and stage.
Assessing the reclines, with ARB removed.
The recline position indicator lets me know which positions are appropriate for rear-facing or forward-facing, again taking out any guesswork and making my job that much easier.
I love everything about this car seat. It gives me peace of mind that we have the added protection of the ARB if we ever experience another accident.
Britax manufactures some of the best and safest convertible car seats on the market and they've really knocked it out of the park with the Boulevard ClickTightARB. You can purchase the Britax Boulevard ClickTight ARB Convertible Car Seat from Amazon or select retailers listed on the Britax website. If you already have a newer model Boulevard ClickTight or Advocate ClickTight, you can purchase the anti-rebound bar separately for added safety.
Also be sure to check out our post about car seat installation tips featuring the Britax Advocate ClickTight. You might also like our post about car seat safety tips (no parent should miss it!) and 8 common car seat mistakes you might be making.
Disclaimer: I received the Britax Boulevard ClickTight ARB Convertible Car Seat at no cost to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.
Brandy L Buneta says
I learned the reason behind the bar & that it has a 10 year expiration date instead of the usual 6 which is awesome when you have more babies in the future.
Candy Stephenson-Otoya says
I learned it has a click sound when you tighten the harness so you know it's just right....
Peggy Hogan says
I learned about ARB I really didn't know anything about it and why it's so important. My daughter is a Preemie and a slow grower so she will be rear facing for a long time and this would give me extra piece of mind.
Vivian says
I learned the reasoning of using an ARB.
Deborah D says
It has 2 layers of side impact protection.
Alejandra Carreno says
Never knew about ARB until reading this post. Makes a ton of sense when it comes to protecting baby. Wish this was around when my kids were this age. Glad it's out now, since my SIL is expecting her first!
Ginelle nt says
I learned that the harness makes a "click" sound when you have it tightened enough. That's a great feature! I always question if my daughters harness is too tight or too loose.
Katie Ashley says
I learned about the arb and the reason for using it.
Annie says
I learned that the ARB minimized the seat rotation in a crash, minimizing the impact on the child in the seat.
Stefanie DB says
I learned what the ARB is and how important it is for safety!
Amber Ludwig says
I learned that the "Anti-Rebound Bar minimizes forces associated with crashes by stabilizing the car seat when installed rear-facing" which is AMAZING!! How genius!! Way to go Britax!!
Regina says
The seat makes a click sound when it's just right.
christina sledge says
I learned that car seats make a click sound when they are tight
Roxann says
I didn't know anything about this but I have a new grandbaby and it makes a clicking sound so you know when it is tight enough.
Peggy Gorman says
Love that it has the new ClickTight Installation System , easy to use , like using a seat belt ,nice!!
Cindy Kong says
I learned what the ARB does and it has 2 layers of side impact protection.
Somdad says
Wow, this carseat has a 10 year expiration!
Heather Eavers says
I have never heard of an ARB before. I learned that it reduces motion of the car seat if in an accident.
Elisabeth Becker says
I love the click lock feature so you have an audible clue that the seat is adjusted correctly
Ashley Kennedy says
I leaned that Britax car seats are made in the US! I had no idea.
Stacey blain-ruiz says
The ARB keeps that seat safe and where it belongs.
Brandy Wilson says
Not just one, but two layers of side impact protection.
Samantha says
I learned that it makes a "click" sound when it is in place correctly. Which is so neat! Whenever I meed to reinstall or adjust my daughters carseat I always get nervous afraid that it isn't "tight" enough or "secure" enough. This would help calm those nerves.
Julie says
I knew it had the two layers of protection but I didn't know about the Impact-stabilizing steel frame.
Tiffany M. R. says
I learned it has a no thread harness, also you know its installed correctly when you hear the click. I also really like the ARB.
DanielleD says
I learned it has multiple recline positions which is perfect as they grow !!
Dandi D says
I learned that it has the safest and easiest installation available with the ClickTight Installation System, making installation as easy as buckling a seatbelt.
Sapana V says
It is a really informative post about the convertible car seats. I glad you shared.
Jessica Fols says
i didn't know anything about ARBs! This was great info to get, and I definitely will be getting a convertible car seat with an ARB.
Staci A says
The harness indicator lets you know the perfect fit with a click.
Angela Bennett says
I love that this seat has to many features to make sure it is safe. Especially the clicktight installation!
Katherine S says
There is no seatbelt rethreading.
Charissa N. says
I learned why an ARB is so important.
polly says
I learned it has an integrated steel frame
Regina Wright says
I learned that the ABR minimizes the force of crashes
Sheri Bernal says
I learned the ABR can be removed when you no longer need it and that the car seat is so user friendly!
Mary McKeever says
I love how tight this seat gets with the seat belt. So much better then with latch!
Amanda says
I'd never heard of such a thing as this. I'm so amazed at how much is out there in terms of new safety features. I love the idea of hearing the click to know if the belt is tight enough, it's so difficult to judge whether or not I'm getting my littles at the safest point.
Beth Patterson says
It has 2 layers of side impact protection.
Phoebe Fullen says
I learned that it has 7 reclining positions and 14 height adjustment. Which i think is great because it gives more options because not every kid is the same.
Edith says
I learned about the ARB bar and that it minimizes injury. Although the bars are not mandatory I like that Britax has it since I'm in the market for a safe car seat for my soon to be 1 year old as we try to find him a car seat we can rely on. I like all of the features and after viewing the video I can see why Britax is so safe.
Amy Hall says
I was already really familiar with Britax seats and hoping I can try a ClickTight with ARB
Donna Yu says
The reclining positions and height adjustments are good for the different sized kids we have.
Stacy says
Loved learning about the safety feature of the ARB no how easy it is to install
Jennifer Michelle Ora Kreisler says
Made in the USA!!!!!!!
Jennifer McKinney says
Wow! This was seriously an awesome post! With a toddler and plans for a new baby this will be super helpful!!
Colleen P says
I learned the seat also has a one year warranty and 10 year expiration. I like the safety features in this car seat.
Gloria Roy says
10 year expiration date wow
Brittany Fn says
I learned that the bar is made to reduce the rotation if an accident happens
Eileen Burke says
I learned that the seat makes a clicking noise when it's positioned correctly.
Haley Cook says
I learned what ARB is and why its so important.
Natalie U says
Learned it has a five year limited warranty. It also has a user review rating of 4.6 as of today
janie vezina says
i just realized this was available, but learned that it makes the seat much safer
Jessica Cornett says
I love that there is a harness indicator to let you know if the harness is tight enough.
Natalie says
My favorite feature is the Clicktight installation!
Karen Lardas says
Wow! I can ensure my kids safety easily and with no additional steps compared to other seats by just listening for the click and having the bar in place. The ARB is amazing!
Stacey blain-ruiz says
Great product that is made in USA
April L says
It's nice that they have a 10 year warranty to go along with all the other safety features.
Katie H says
I love that the seat adjusts without rethreading. With my super tall kids who are ever growing, this is a wonderful feature!
gloria patterson says
it will be a car seat that is safe up to 65 lbs..... steel frame ... seat adjust
Judy Lipcsak says
I had never seen some of the features on this car seat. I didn't know about the stabilizing bar and the click feature is really helpful too. We are expecting our 5th grandchild this spring and it's time to get new car seats. Thanks for doing my research for me.
Debra S says
The feature that tells if you visited the facebook pages is not woreking. I go visit the page, but the thingy says it can't tell I did. Is it me? a cookie thing?
Lauri F says
Love the click tight installation & that it can be used up to 65 lbs! ?
Valarie Alvarez says
I learned about quite afew interesting facts . The ARB is very nice I want to keep her rear facing as long as possible and it is very nice knowing that even though its not a requirement yet in the us . That they still install it into thier carseats. I also like that it has a longer date till expiration a ten year date instead of six. And that its rear facing till 64lbs also helps in my goal of extended rear facing. Really love how this carseat sounds . Would love to have one and give it a try.
Tiffany Goglin says
I love the idea of an ARB. It's great because it lasts longer and is more safe for your babies.
Anel says
I learned that it minimizes forces associated with crashes by stabilizing the car seat when installed rear-facing!
Veronica Iris says
Clicktight sound helps you know it's in correctly.
Jessica Lodge says
I learned that the Anti-Rebound Bar stabilizes the car seat during a crash when installed rear-facing.
Jodi Jordan says
I learned about the indicator on the side of the seat that lets you know if the seat is reclined properly. It looks very easy to adjust, too.