Trina-Carseat question
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive January 2007:
Trina-Carseat question
Probably a silly question but....
Natalie has the Graco ComfortSport carseat and she's 30lbs. Since she's been wearing her winter coat, which I would NOT consider to be an overly bulky coat by any means, we have struggled with the straps in her seat. They are let out to the longest length and it's a BEAR getting that final clip snapped.
My parents took her for a while today and their carseat straps were very easy and plenty long, even needing to be tightened slightly. (Not sure what it is, but a lower end Graco of some kind.) I noticed that the shoulder straps are at the very lowest slot in theirs and Dad said that he read in the instruction booklet to do that when you need longer straps. I can't find that in my book or I'm just missing it.
Is that correct? I knew that the straps had to be at or below shoulder level. Natalie's are at the very top and slightly below her shoulders.
Probably a silly question, but we have worked on that seat trying to make the straps fit with her coat on and it doesn't seem like it should be so hard!  Of course, if the straps are in the wrong spot, then it makes perfect sense.
TIA!
I'm interested in hearing your response too, Trina. I've always thought that the straps should be at, or slightly ABOVE the shoulders. Maybe I've been doing it wrong all along.
At a carseat check once, they told us not to leave the coats on because it can affect the safety of the seat. The carseat should fit snug against the body, not the coat. (or so they told me )
Not a silly question! How old is Natalie now? Is she rear facing or forward facing? When forward facing the harness straps should be AT or ABOVE the shoulders. If her shoulders are above the top harness slots she has outgrown the seat by height. This would explain the harness difficulties. I have recommendations, if you're interested.
No, you're not missing anything. I am not aware of any instructions to lower the harness slots to increase strap length. In fact, most convertibles REQUIRE the TOP harness slots when forward facing because the lower slots are designed for rear facing only and are not reinforced to withstand forward facing crash forces. Using the lower slots when forward facing would be very dangerous in the event of a crash. There are exceptions, but not many. Please try to find out what specific car seat your parents have.
Breann, they told you correctly. Bulky/puffy coats interfere with the proper fit and function of the harness. The puffy insulation compresses during a crash, which equals a loose harness. We recommend polar fleece coats or coats with something like Thinsulate, which is warm but not bulky.
Thank you Trina!! Okay, I was wrong on the shoulder level. I guess it carried over from rear-facing because we had her that way for so long. She's 2 1/2 and forward facing. I'll put her in there right now and check for SURE where the straps are.
I will check what my parents have and THANK YOU so much for that info. I'll tell them to readjust the straps and see how she looks in their seat as well. She's only ridden in their seat a few times.
I'm also interested in suggestions if we need to get a new seat. According to the measurements in the book though, when we checked her a few weeks ago she fit well within those so we didn't imagine that she would need a new seat??? Does that happen sometimes?
Yes, if a child is long torsoed it's possible to outgrow the seat by height even if they are still technically within the height and weight limits. If a child's shoulders are above the top harness slots, they have outgrown the seat.
My new favorite seat is the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe. It's a convertible car seat made by Britax under the Fisher Price name. It harnesses up to 55 lbs. and has higher harness slots, which is good for kids who are tall, long torsoed or heavy for their age.
http://www.livingincomfort.com/fisavodecoca1.html
Okay...Her shoulders are ABOVE the top shoulder slot about 1/2" or so. She is 30lbs and at or close to 36" tall. (She wouldn't stand still to get an accurate measurement!) So, that means she's outgrown the seat then? Now that I'm looking through the booklet again, I see that her shoulders should not be above the top harness slots, but a few weeks ago I think I was just going by the height and weight measurements, which she still fits into. That's a little confusing, huh?
I'm going to check out my parents' seat with the proper slots. I'm really glad I asked you!
What are your recommendations for a new car seat in both middle and higher price ranges? Anything to stay away from completely?
My personal favorites are:
Britax Marathon - about $250 (more or less, depending on the cover) convertible, harnesses up to 65 lbs.
Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe - about $150, convertible, harnesses up to 55 lbs.
*These two seats are VERY similar. In fact, the Safe Voyage is essentially a watered down Marathon.
Since Natalie is forward facing you could consider a combination car seat. They harness up to 40 lbs. and then transition to a belt positioning booster. An example is the Graco Cargo ($100-150). There are different versions. Be sure to get one with a front harness adjuster. I recommend having her sit in the floor model to see how much growing room she'd have height/shoulder wise.
Since she has already outgrown her ComfortSport, I would avoid all Cosco, Safety 1st and Eddie Bauer car seats. They tend to have short harness slots, so they aren't good options for tall/long torsoed kids.
Trina, we have the Graco Cargo and my son is just about to reach 40 lbs. Do you still recommend this seat as a booster? I ask because the shoulder strap does not move freely when I use the gray shoulder strap things (I don't know what they're called). Would a high back booster be a better choice at this stage?
Trina, I really appreciate you pointing us in the right direction. We're going to check them out this weekend. It doesn't seem like the Graco Cargo would be a good choice for the long haul. We just want her to be in the safest choice possible.
Both of you bring up good points!
Jjb, personally I've yet to find a combination car seat that I like in the belt positioning booster mode. The shoulder belt adjusters don't work well in my opinion. At that point I switched my kids to a dedicated belt positioning booster (examples: Britax Parkway, Graco Turbo Booster, Evenflo BigKid,...).
BTW, we recommend kids stay in a 5 pt. harnessed car seat until at least 4 yrs. and 40 lbs.. Longer is even better! Most kids are not big enough or mature enough to sit properly in a booster before 4 yrs. and 40 lbs. They wiggle and pull the shoulder belt out of place, which would be dangerous in the event of a crash. If a child reaches 40 lbs. before 4 yrs. of age we recommend a car seat that harnesses past 40 lbs.
Reds, I agree. The Cargo probably wouldn't be a good long haul choice for Natalie.
Trina, can I keep my 4yr old in the five point harness when he is above 40 lbs.? He doesn't mind the harness. He is in the Graco Cargo right now. Also- is there a high back booster that you prefer? Thank you so much for your advice and expertise.
Jjb, you're welcome. To answer your question, no, you may not keep your 4 yr. old in the Graco Cargo harness once he hits 40 lbs.. Is he wiggly? Do you think he is mature enough to sit properly in a belt positioning booster? If not, then I recommend getting a car seat that harnesses past 40 lbs.. However, if he's capable of sitting correctly and not pulling the shoulder belt out of place you could transition him to a booster. You could remove the harness of your Cargo and try it in the booster mode to see how you like it. As I mentioned above, I don't care for the paperclip type shoulder belt adjusters, but some people don't mind them.
High back boosters - My top three choices would be the Britax Parkway, Graco Turbo Booster and Evenflo Big Kid. All three are very easily height adjustable and go up to 100 lbs..
Britax Parkway
Goes up to 60" and 100 lbs., large head wings provide true side impact protection and good sleep support
Graco Turbo Booster
Goes up to 57" and 100 lbs.. There are different versions with different covers and amounts of padding.
Evenflo Big Kid
Goes up to 57" and 100 lbs.. There are different versions with different covers and padding, etc..
Totally avoid shield boosters! They are no longer manufactured or recommended. Unfortunately, some retailers still have them stocked.
The Dangers of Shield Boosters
All belt positioning boosters (BPBs) require a vehicle seating position with both a lap and shoulder belt. NEVER use a BPB with a lap belt only.
HTH!
Another question Trina -
It looks like we will have to order either the FPrice Safe Voyage or Britax Marathon online instead of checking them out in person. We're debating between the two, getting a little bit hung up on the weight difference and $100 more. Which would you buy and why or are they pretty even for you? Is there something we'll be missing by getting the FPrice outside of the weight? How big of a difference is that extra 10lbs? We just don't want to have to buy another car seat, but want to go to a booster when this new one is through. I know you said you really like both of those. Any other thoughts about the two would be appreciated.
You are a huge help!
It seems height is more an issue for Natalie than weight. In that case the FPSVD and Marathon are identical because they have the same harness slot heights. The Marathon is an awesome seat, don't get me wrong, but for $150 the FPSVD *is* a Britax car seat, but without the frills (fancy LATCH hooks, built in lock offs,...). I don't think you can go wrong with the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe. (When ordering be sure to get the deluxe version. The regular FPSV only goes up to 40 lbs.).
Thank you! That's what I wanted to hear from someone who knows. We're ordering the FP tonight.
You're welcome! How exciting! Let me know how you like it.
I'm really glad you told me about getting the Deluxe. Babies/Toys R Us only carry the 40lb one and it's $30 more. Thanks for the Living in Comfort website...much cheaper and they have it! Can't wait to get it.
Yes, I thought it was important to point that out.
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