The First Years Compass Pathway B570 Adjustable Belt Path Booster, Bumble Bee Review
We recently decided we needed another pair of seats for a 3rd vehicle. We have 6 and 4 year olds.... they have lived with a pair of B505 Compass seats for a little while. They love their seats, but we decided that we would buy a nicer pair of seats for road trips.
We just got back from a road-trip where we did about 7 hours straight going and coming - the B505 seats are great for all their features, but have never been terribly comfortable on longer trips. They don't have a lot of padding, the side-bolsters and head-bolsters don't keep the kids from hunching over when they fall asleep. I also discovered (while doing research for the new seats) that the seats don't place the lap belt over the upper thighs (which is preferable) and instead route it over the torso which could cause internal injury in an accident.
I looked at all kinds of seats, but the only ones that really seemed to be an "upgrade" from their current seats were much more expensive (Clek Oobr and Sunshine Kids) and in some cases did not have some features of the current B505 seats. The B570 hits a home-run in taking the current B505 and making the right improvements to deliver a great booster chair at a very attractive price (currently ninety bucks on Amazon).
With the new chairs in place both kids were instantly smitten. They immediately noticed how much more comfortable the new seats are (more padding). The side and head bolsters are much improved - we haven't done a road trip yet but I'm sure they will be much more effective in allowing the kids to sleep upright. My wife liked the lower latch anchors - they are slack and do not tighten, but they are just there to keep the chair in place when a child is not using it.
I had some concerns with the new cupholders as they are depicted in the photos. After some limited use I'm realizing that they are also much improved. In the B505 the cup holders are somewhat shallow and drinks could tip-over if you took a hard turn. The new cupholders have the yellow inserts which "lock" to the pivoting arms and do not allow things to tip over. The new cupholders are not hidden when they are turned-in like on the B505, but they do fold tight to the chair body so they are not in the way when you fold-up the seat.
Speaking of which, the new chair folds in half the same as the B505. I didn't take dimensions, but it seems to be more or less the same size folded.
My kids are having to get used to the new lap-belt routing clips. They have to make sure the belt is routing through the belt holders on both sides when they buckle-in. It's a little more work, but they'll get used to it.
My only minor complaint is the lack of color options at this time. In reality, the black with yellow trim is really quite attractive, and when you see it in person with the quilted padding on the chair it looks even better. I'm sure there will be other color choices in the future, but these are pretty nice for now.
I really don't have anything specifically negative to report. Anybody coming up from the previous Compass seats will find the B570 very familiar in most aspects. All of the differences that you'll notice are indeed improvements, so if you love your current Compass seats you'll love the new one even more (and your kids will be much happier with the added padding).
The First Years Compass Pathway B570 Adjustable Belt Path Booster, Bumble Bee Feature
- Color coded 3 position adjustable shoulder belt path for better fit
- Color coded lap belt positioning for a better fit
- Latch attachments for secure installation when not in use
- Deeper head rest for better head containment and side impact protection
- Two removable cup holders for easy cleaning
The First Years Compass Pathway B570 Adjustable Belt Path Booster, Bumble Bee Overview
Compass Pathway 570 Adjustable Belt Path BoosterThe First Years Family of Highest-Rated Compass Booster Car Seats: Easy for You, Safer for Your Child!Ready to move to a belt-positioning booster? Our boosters will deliver many miles of happy driving and one of the most comfortable rides ever! The full line of The First Years Compass Belt Positioning Boosters has been awarded the highest ease of use rating, five stars, from the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA).The Compass Boo
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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 25, 2010 18:50:03
