How is your Regent Tethered?

[Synchro246]

Since the regent requires tethering at 50lb and many manufacturers have tether anchor limits at 48lb I want to know how your regent is tethered.

[LuvBug03]

We will continue to use the top tether even after DS hits the 48lbs limit.
I found the links I was looking for http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm
http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P8.htm

[menfusse]

I thought I was onlyt the LATCH anchors that have that limit. Is there a weight limit on the top tether too? Either way, I can't see how, as long as it is properly installed with the seat belt, that tethering past a weight limit could be dangerous. I will keep mine top tethered, even past a weight limit.

[Synchro246]

Thanks luvbug for those links. I saved them. I would keep using the tether too, fwiw. I have a hard time being OK with disobeying the car manual, even if I know in my brain that it's the right choice.I am very curious about how people are dealing with this issue.

Here's a link I have that breaks down the manufacturers latch weight limits. It appears to be from the same people-- is it still current as far as we know?
http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCHApp_B_pg105.pdf

Menfusse- that link could help you. LATCH refers to Lower Anchors and Tethers. . .I forget what the last two words are.

[papooses]

Anytime you can tether a carseat it's good to tether -- RF as well as FF (however, most carseats do not allow RF tethering). Tethering FF beyond the listed weight limit is still considered safest practice as it will offer some measure of increased safety even if the anchor does fail in a crash.... Tethering to an unused seatbelt behind the carseat is accapteble when there isn't another anchor point & tethering at a reasonable angle is also acceptable (using the adjacent anchor point, but not from one outboard side to the opposite outboard side).
LATCH and Tether Information
Latch and Tether
LATCH primer (pdf (http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/new_page_pdf/LATCHPrimerSRN_02.pdf))
LATCH & Tether Sample Fact Sheets
Learning about LATCH (pdf (http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/Fact_sheets/LATCH_FS.pdf))
Tethers are Better(pdf (http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/Fact_sheets/Tethers_FS.pdf))
From the 2005 LATCH manual
1. Use of Tethers for Children over 40 lbs.
page 8 (http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P8.htm) (html)
page 49 (http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm) (html)
2. Vehicles;LATCH and Tether recalls: Pdf (http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCH_Tether_recalls.pdf)
3. Quick Reference List (page 105, pdf (http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCHApp_B_pg105.pdf))
Maximum Weights of Children Using CR
Installed With LATCH / Tether Anchors

[scatterbunny]

I chose "tethered to a third row seatbelt" even though we don't have a Regent...dd's carseat (Fisher Price Futura, goes to 60 pounds) is tethered to a third row seatbelt and when we get her Husky soon it will be tethered the same way. Only because I don't have tether anchors and Mazda wants over $200 to install one.

[Jeanum]

Currently tethered and will keep it tethered as long as DD fits in the Regent in any of our current or future vehicles. :)

[Kellyr2]

Aaric is 50 lbs, and i plan on keeping it tethered regardless of weight.

[RubysGirl]

Okay, I don't own one, and probably never will. My standpoint as a mother with a rearfacing 23 month old is that the regent/husky is quickly becoming an outdated seat.

Why do I say that? Well first off the seat requires a tether past 50lbs, and always when used with a lapbelt. There are other seats on the market that don't, including other britax seats, the radians, and the safeguards. That alone suggests to me that it may not perform as well for a child who still fits into one of the smaller HWH seats. The other thing is that we've seen an explosion of HWH harness seats in the last couple years, and with the leaks of info on that new recaro seat, it's not stopping anytime soon.

From what I can tell, my tethers work to 60lbs with a seat, and 80 with a vest or harness. I'm not comfortable relying on them past that. Would I tether a product past those limits? Yes, it can only help. Would I use a product that must be tethered past those limits? Nope. At this point I sincerly believe that there are better products available. Of course, if at this momment I had a van with an available belt to tether to, or a special tether installed, and a child that didnt' fit in anyother harness, I'd use a regent in a heartbeat. At this point I'm just going to sit and wait, by the time my son needs something more than his MA, I'm certain better things will be available.

The superelite/husky/regent was really a great seat when it came out, giving parents options that didn't previously exist, but at this point I don't think that it can really compete with the other hwh seats on the market untill a child no longer fits in them for whatever reason(height or weight). I truly think it's time Britax went back to the drawing board and developed a new seat to replace the regent.

Oh, and I want to clarify that I still think it's a good seat, and wonderful for children, budgets, or cars that don't fit anything else, I just really think it's time that Britax either improved it or replaced it. I really, honestly, think they can do better.

I hope that makes sense.

[Synchro246]

Good point. DEFINITLY food for thought.
:( Now you have me regretting the Regent I ordered earlier today!:(

[scatterbunny]

Interesting viewpoint, Rubysgirl!

I am perfectly comfy with my dd in a Husky/Regent. There isn't anything else that can compete, that would give my dd any amount of growing room.

[RubysGirl]

I know, but you also have a van with a belt to tether to, and a budget to think about. Like I said I'm completely comfy with that arangement. It's the using the tether past vehicle limits that I'm not comfy with, especially when there are other options available.

[scatterbunny]

Have you read the SafetyBeltSafeUSA stuff on tether anchor limits?

Edited to add: even when we had the Husky before, in my 1991 Honda Accord, I felt perfectly safe with the idea of tethering that seat beyond Honda's stated limits. I understand the potential risk involved and feel it is a very small risk.

I feel that limits on tether anchors are what's outdated--not the design of the Regent.

Carseats used to only go to 40 pounds, so manufacturers put weight limits on LATCH of 40 pounds. Carseats only go to 48 pounds in Canada, so that seems like a fair weight limit, as well.

Now that carseats go to a higher weight I think more vehicle manufacturers will step up and raise the LATCH weight limits.

[RubysGirl]

Yes, well most of it. I do believe they're better than nothing in any case, but at the same time I wouldn't use a home made cover made identical in every detail simply because it conflicts with the seats instructions.

[LuvBug03]

That is an interesting viewpoint, but one thing to consider is there is a minimum allowence for head excursion in any seat. Use without a tether there is to be no more than 32" of forward movement. Use with the tether there is to be no more than 28" of forward movement. I am betting that after 50lbs, with the combined weight of the regent's shell and size, it does not pass the 32" without a tether, but it obviously passes the 28" with a tether or they would not be approved.
That is why I am comfortable using it. I know they use standard latch in their testing and take into account any failure that happens. So they would not approve it if they didnt think in real life crashes the seat would perform at the standard.

The high weight limit seats that do not require tethering at any weight do pass the 32" minimum without the tether, but Id feel much more comfortable tethering past the limit in any seat at any weight than not at all because I know with it it passes the 28" minimum.

[Synchro246]

Well, I canceled my Regent order (but kept my Decathalon on order). I will wait until ~after~ I purchace the car that would get the regent. I only ordered it now because it was easy to do both at once and I wanted to be sure to get them both in Sahara:o .
I'lllll wait. I am intending to get a car that doesn't have tether limits (an Hyundai or a Nissan) but there is a chance that we will be getting a honda- in which case I should probably wait until my son has outgrown our other options, just in case there is something better suited to our vehicle at that time.

[Dillipop]

I have my husky in our elantra right now. DS is only about 40 pounds, but hyundai does not have limits on its anchors, so i will be able to tether above the 50 pounds required.

Seats under 50 pounds in the US cannot require the use of a tether. That is why you see no other seat require it for use. Over 50 pounds a manufacturer can require the use of a tether, hence the reason the husky/regent has this requirement.

IMHO, I would like all seats to require a tether. It would make all our kids safer. If Canada has the requirement, it obviously can be done. Now to get us policymakers to do it for our kids.........

[papooses]

Hm, that is interesting, but I do not fully agree with you RubysGirl....

The Regent is a tried & true product that so very few people are not immensly pleased with that it's not going to change or leave the market any year soon -- especially since the other options are either flimsy, too expensive and/or more difficult to install.

What is outdated is that use of top tethers should be required for every carseat & the testing for anchor points should universally tested the same way as are carseats & approved beyond an 80# limit -- ex: EZOn's tether anchors are tested to withstand at least 1000 pounds more force than Ford!

[RubysGirl]

YOu know, you're right. I do think tethers and anchors should have a higher universal requirement.

I do think the regent is a good seat, and that it fills a niche. I just really, really think britax can do better.

I saw a head excursian chart a while ago, from government testing.. and it actually seemed to be in limits without a tether with the 6lb dummy, but I forget how much that one weighed.

I think sk is on to something with the radian. I'm betting that they'll come out with another another hwh seat soon, with a higher harness. Maybe if they do a forward facing only or have more than one set of loops on their harness they'll beable to have higher slots. I'm waiting though, something better is bound to come out soon.

Has anybody heard how high the harness slots go on the new recaro?

[granolamama]

... tethering at a reasonable angle is also acceptable (using the adjacent anchor point, but not from one outboard side to the opposite outboard side).

Thanks, Tiffany. That's good to know that a center tether anchor is okay for an outboard seat if necessary.

For the poll, I have my Regents seat-belt installed and top-tethered, above the reported 40 lb. weight limit of my Honda tether anchors.

[papooses]

Has anybody heard how high the harness slots go on the new recaro?

No, but I'm dying to learn more about that seat!!! :D :p

RubysGirl, I really do think the conversation was very interesting & cheers for inspiring the thought sparks ;)
(I do wish Britax could at least make the Regent stay upright when set on the ground, LOL)

[Pawy]

How about i wish my country was lucky enough to sell a regent..! ;)
Paul

[twokidstwodogs]

. Only because I don't have tether anchors and Mazda wants over $200 to install one.

That is terrible! What is Mazda thinking? There has got to be a huge profit margin built into that. If so, I can't believe that they are putting profits ahead of child safety. I hope you've called corporate and complained.

[AdventureMom]

I am intending to get a car that doesn't have tether limits (an Hyundai or a Nissan).

This is interesting! Did they actually say that there are no tether limits, or is this assumed since they're not listed in the LATCH manual? Unless stated specifically by the manufacturer, I would assume a 40-lb LATCH limit... But we looked long and hard at the Nissan Quest and may give this a second look down the road (if we ever get a minivan) if there really is no limit to their LATCH system. Somehow, I'm kinda skeptical of that, though... :rolleyes: Anyone know about this?

Maria

[Synchro246]

This link says that the manufacturer defalts to the carseat manufacturer
http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCHApp_B_pg105.pdf

So technically I don't think it's that they have "no limits", but they are comfortable that their tether anchors can handle the seats as they are manufactured.
For me it's more that I get to use the seat and the car without violating any instructions and therefore liability isn't transferred to me if the tether fails.

[AdventureMom]

Oh, I see... Well, in some of the manuals (Britax maybe?), I think it says not to use the LATCH past 48 pounds, unless the car manufacturer says it's okay. I would take this to mean that for some car manufacturers (i.e., Ford, Subaru, etc), they have higher LATCH limits (60 lbs or 80lbs) rather than the standard 40lbs/48lbs. Using the top tether is one thing, but I'm not sure I'd want to use the lower anchors past the industry standard of 40lbs unless I knew that it had been tested/engineered to that limit. I don't care whose liability is at stake - with my child I'd want to be sure... ;)

[Synchro246]

Oh, I see... Well, in some of the manuals (Britax maybe?), I think it says not to use the LATCH past 48 pounds, unless the car manufacturer says it's okay. I would take this to mean that for some car manufacturers (i.e., Ford, Subaru, etc), they have higher LATCH limits (60 lbs or 80lbs) rather than the standard 40lbs/48lbs. Using the top tether is one thing, but I'm not sure I'd want to use the lower anchors past the industry standard of 40lbs unless I knew that it had been tested/engineered to that limit. I don't care whose liability is at stake - with my child I'd want to be sure... ;)

Yeah, I'm counting the lower latch as different for this. Upper tether is what is important to me. I wouldn't hazzard using the lower anchors just because no one said not to. I want to be able to use the upper tether when it's needed without having to "break rules"

[jen_nah]

Okay, I don't own one, and probably never will. My standpoint as a mother with a rearfacing 23 month old is that the regent/husky is quickly becoming an outdated seat.

Why do I say that? Well first off the seat requires a tether past 50lbs, and always when used with a lapbelt. There are other seats on the market that don't, including other britax seats, the radians, and the safeguards. That alone suggests to me that it may not perform as well for a child who still fits into one of the smaller HWH seats. The other thing is that we've seen an explosion of HWH harness seats in the last couple years, and with the leaks of info on that new recaro seat, it's not stopping anytime soon.

From what I can tell, my tethers work to 60lbs with a seat, and 80 with a vest or harness. I'm not comfortable relying on them past that. Would I tether a product past those limits? Yes, it can only help. Would I use a product that must be tethered past those limits? Nope. At this point I sincerly believe that there are better products available. Of course, if at this momment I had a van with an available belt to tether to, or a special tether installed, and a child that didnt' fit in anyother harness, I'd use a regent in a heartbeat. At this point I'm just going to sit and wait, by the time my son needs something more than his MA, I'm certain better things will be available.

The superelite/husky/regent was really a great seat when it came out, giving parents options that didn't previously exist, but at this point I don't think that it can really compete with the other hwh seats on the market untill a child no longer fits in them for whatever reason(height or weight). I truly think it's time Britax went back to the drawing board and developed a new seat to replace the regent.

Oh, and I want to clarify that I still think it's a good seat, and wonderful for children, budgets, or cars that don't fit anything else, I just really think it's time that Britax either improved it or replaced it. I really, honestly, think they can do better.

I hope that makes sense.


We all hope in the future there will be even more higher weight limit seats (beyond 65lbs) but right now the reality is there isn't. I personally don't think the Regent is an outdated seat or one that will be out of date anytime soon. I think what we will see soon is our LATCH & Tether limits upping. At the time the top tether limits were set remember HWH seats were not there (except the Elite). So, They only did their testing at 40-48lbs. Now since top tether went into effect in 9/99 and we didn't start seeing HWH like the Marathon in '02. It's kinda hard to set higher weight limits on top tether when there are not HWH on the market at the time the law was put into place.

Car manufactures are not going to go up their LATCH weight limits unless NHTSA forces them too. I hope they do trust me I truly want that. But, Right now I think NHTSA biggest concern is getting LATCH more user friendly and actually getting parents to use carseat correctly heck even use them at all.

Do I think a top tether would break in an an event of a crash past it's limit. I think the chances are slim and even if it did it would have already done it's job.

You can't compare a Radian, Marathon, Boulevard, etc... to a Regent. First the Regent harnesses to 80lbs (15 more pounds then the others). Has top harness slots 2+" taller then any of them. That is 2" of torso growth or at least 2 more years in a 5pt harness. We will see what Recaro brings out but right now its just rumors until it's truly annouced and on the market.

While I do think the SafeGuard is very much comparable to the Regent but the price tag is out of reach to most families. So, It's hard to say they are in the same class when you can buy 2 Regents for the price of 1 Safe Guard seat.

My point in all of this is a Regent is not an obsolete car seat and I don't see if ever being so in the near future.

[Lena]

Saturn's tether has NO limit. Their LATCH has only been tested for up to 48#.

[lynsgirl]

Okay, I don't own one, and probably never will. My standpoint as a mother with a rearfacing 23 month old is that the regent/husky is quickly becoming an outdated seat.

Why do I say that? Well first off the seat requires a tether past 50lbs, and always when used with a lapbelt. There are other seats on the market that don't, including other britax seats, the radians, and the safeguards. That alone suggests to me that it may not perform as well for a child who still fits into one of the smaller HWH seats. The other thing is that we've seen an explosion of HWH harness seats in the last couple years, and with the leaks of info on that new recaro seat, it's not stopping anytime soon.

From what I can tell, my tethers work to 60lbs with a seat, and 80 with a vest or harness. I'm not comfortable relying on them past that. Would I tether a product past those limits? Yes, it can only help. Would I use a product that must be tethered past those limits? Nope. At this point I sincerly believe that there are better products available. Of course, if at this momment I had a van with an available belt to tether to, or a special tether installed, and a child that didnt' fit in anyother harness, I'd use a regent in a heartbeat. At this point I'm just going to sit and wait, by the time my son needs something more than his MA, I'm certain better things will be available.

The superelite/husky/regent was really a great seat when it came out, giving parents options that didn't previously exist, but at this point I don't think that it can really compete with the other hwh seats on the market untill a child no longer fits in them for whatever reason(height or weight). I truly think it's time Britax went back to the drawing board and developed a new seat to replace the regent.

Oh, and I want to clarify that I still think it's a good seat, and wonderful for children, budgets, or cars that don't fit anything else, I just really think it's time that Britax either improved it or replaced it. I really, honestly, think they can do better.

I hope that makes sense.

Interesting viewpoint and one I hadn't thought of. However, as the mom of a 10 yo and 8 yo who currently still fit (and use as their primary seats) a Husky and a Regent, respectively, I can tell you that for them, there are *not* other harnessed options I am comfortable with. Ds1 certainly hasn't fit in the MA (or clones) for several years and dd stopped fitting in the MA sometime last year. AFAIK, my van (05 Sienna) does not have tether anchor weight limits, and even if it did, I would still tether. My ds1 is 61 lbs and I have to measure him, but he has somewhere between 1/2" to 1 inch of torso growth left in the Husky. My dd is 8 and 50-51 lbs (again, have to measure her, though) and she just moved up to the top slots.

Maybe Britax can do better. I don't know. Maybe it's not worth the expense to them right now to invest in design, development, testing, marketing, etc, when they have a seat that works, kwim? They've led the market in HWH seats in the first place, and stepped up with SIP before most others. They've worked on integrating that into boosters before most other manuf., as well. I believe the PW was one of the first (if not the first) that does not have a set top weight limit. That's a lot of "new" stuff in the last few years, so while I have various issues with them on a variety of things, I can say that I am very satisfied with the Husky/Regent. It definitely serves my needs very well right now.

Yes, the future can bring new and hopefully, better, things. Will my 5yo be in something different when he outgrows his MA? I don't know. The baby? For sure, I don't know! lol I don't necessarily have brand loyalty unto death or anything, but I know all 3 of my older kids would not be harnessed right now (well, maybe the 5yo in something else, since there is more available now) and certainly the 5yo would not have RFed as long as he did w/out the MA.
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/Nikolas.aspx (too tall for his Touriva RF around 32 lbs or so). Now I've rambled and I'm sorry! I'm just saying all of this to hopefully make the point that for those with much younger children, there *are* a lot of other options that we didn't used to have, which might be why there are so many people who still praise Britax, even in the midst of various problems.

Amy :)
CPST and Mom to 4 great kids, all in seats
(Ds1 - 10 - 61 lbs - Husky; Dd - 8 - 51 lbs - Regent; Ds2 - 5.5 - 40.5 lbs - Marathon; Ds3 - 3.5mos - 17 lbs - Companion, new MA arriving TODAY!)

[Amaris]

Lena, the tether is part of the latch system. The T=tethers. If the latch system is rated to 48# then that includes the latch brackets on the seats and the tether anchors.

[scatterbunny]

Lena, the tether is part of the latch system. The T=tethers. If the latch system is rated to 48# then that includes the latch brackets on the seats and the tether anchors.

Yes, technically it does. But most who post here agree that the benefits of tethering a higher weight limit seat (and the requirement of tethering the Regent after 50 pounds) outweigh the risks of the tether anchor possibly failing in a crash. I believe it's best to keep using a top tether at any weight.

http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P8.htm
http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm

[RubysGirl]

Assuming your child fits in another hwh seat, if the tether were to fail, would you rather have them in a regent that does not pass the 32" test without a tether, or one of the other seats that does?

I'd rather have my child in another seat.

Now lets say my child does not fit and all I have is lapbelts, I'd use a regent tethered. If I had a child that could not use a booster, I'd use a regent.

I just think that the other hwh seats are potentially safer for the kids who still fit in them vs a regent that is tethered past the limits of the tether.

Does that make sense?

[scatterbunny]

The argument makes sense, but I don't agree. :)

All of the other hwh seats have a top tether, and that top tether, if you follow the rules of the LATCH limits, must be discontinued at 40 or 48 pounds. And they are outgrown much sooner. For us, it didn't make sense. For a smaller kid, sure, maybe so.

IF IF IF a tether is to fail, it will have already done so AFTER the brunt of the crash is over, AFTER it has done the job of reducing head excursion.

[mak101376]

Y'know, I really think the only reason the tether limit for most vehicles is 40 or 48 lbs is because that is the max limit for most harnessed seats in the US and Canada. I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of the things holding up increasing the weight limits in Canada, because they're required to be top tethered there, correct? The tethers can probably handle much more that that, but why bother testing above minimum requirements.:rolleyes: I'd rather have my daughter in a Regent tethered past the weight limit them in a booster using the adult seatbelt. I am confident she is safer that way. The Regent is by no means an outdated seat, is is actually ahead of it's time. It's time for the vehicle manufacturers to catch up!

[Amaris]

Yes, technically it does. But most who post here agree that the benefits of tethering a higher weight limit seat (and the requirement of tethering the Regent after 50 pounds) outweigh the risks of the tether anchor possibly failing in a crash. I believe it's best to keep using a top tether at any weight.

http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P8.htm
http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm


I absoutely agree....and my regent is tethered in my 03 odyssey and will be until we no longer use it. DH and I did a lot of research before buying the regent simply because of it's tether requirements. We also came to the conclusion that if the tether failed it would have performed it's job first. I just wanted to point out to the pp that the tether is included in the latch weight limit.

[j4m4d8]

Assuming your child fits in another hwh seat, if the tether were to fail, would you rather have them in a regent that does not pass the 32" test without a tether, or one of the other seats that does?


Very few children over 50 pounds will fit in another high weight seat. Despite their maximum weight ratings, most kids will outgrow them by height long before they reach the maximum weight. There was a lot of discussion about the Boulevard recall, but I'd love to see a 50 pound child actually fit in the Boulevard. At CPSafety's photo gallery, the heaviest child in one of the Britax convertibles is 45 pounds. All the children over 50 pounds are in the Super Elite/Husky/Regent or in a SafeGuard.

Many previous posters have already made this point, I'm just repeating it. The real question we face is "Would I rather have my child harnessed in a Regent (requiring a tether) tethered over the tether limit or riding in a booster?"

Well first off the seat requires a tether past 50lbs, and always when used with a lapbelt.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this or not, but the Regent doesn't require a tether when used with a lap belt. All car seats have to pass federal testing when installed with a lap belt without the tether. The Regent does require the recline bar to be used in this situation. Of course if the child is over 50 pounds the tether is required.

Interestingly, seats only have to pass the head excursion and other specific federal testing requirements with a 48 pound dummy. (The new Hybrid III 6 year old dummy is 51.6 pounds but it doesn't have to be used for over a year yet.) The weighted dummy is used only to measure structural integrity. Thus you are taking the manufacturer's word for it that a seat will perform adequately over that 48 (or 51.6) pound weight limit.

There are still a lot of questions in my mind about the benefits of higher weight harnessing in this age group. (75% of children won't be 50 pounds until they are at least 6. Over 90% will be at least 5.) Certainly everyone agrees if a child cannot sit properly in a booster then it is safer to have them harnessed. The Regent remains the only moderately priced, dependable seat in this niche. The Apex is too variable--you never know if it will have higher slots or not, plus there are the head support issues. The SafeGuard is a great deal more expensive. So most of us appreciate Britax keeping this seat available.

Julie D.

[scatterbunny]

I am practically applauding your post, Julie! :D

[Lena]

Lena, the tether is part of the latch system. The T=tethers. If the latch system is rated to 48# then that includes the latch brackets on the seats and the tether anchors.

I wish I would have kept the letter from Saturn. I quoted directly from it.

[wondering1]

Does anyone know more about heavy duty anchor points? I remember reading something about this. I think it requires a more extensive mod to the vehicle.

I'm glad to see that Toyota defers to the limit of the seat rather.

[murphysmommy]

Not to stray too far from the subject but why is it that we can't (shouldn't?) use LATCH, seat belt, and top tether to install a carseat? Wouldn't the use of all 3 be an additional defense against low LATCH weight limits and possible seatbelt failure? Sorry for the rookie question but what gives? MM

[wondering1]

Info suggesting heavy duty tether anchors:

http://www.saferidenews.com/html/LATCH_P49.htm

http://www.saferidenews.com/html/Safetynews.html

[AdventureMom]

So when you harness to the seatbelt on the 3rd row, I assumed you would pull out the male buckle, connect the tether to the hole in that, then let it retract until it locked. Then I saw a picture of one tethered to the actual webbing of the lapbelt, with the whole seatbelt in the 3rd row buckled. So what is the right way to do it?

[scatterbunny]

Not to stray too far from the subject but why is it that we can't (shouldn't?) use LATCH, seat belt, and top tether to install a carseat? Wouldn't the use of all 3 be an additional defense against low LATCH weight limits and possible seatbelt failure? Sorry for the rookie question but what gives? MM

I answered the same question from you already in another thread. ;)

[scatterbunny]

So when you harness to the seatbelt on the 3rd row, I assumed you would pull out the male buckle, connect the tether to the hole in that, then let it retract until it locked. Then I saw a picture of one tethered to the actual webbing of the lapbelt, with the whole seatbelt in the 3rd row buckled. So what is the right way to do it?

Either way is fine. Both are covered in the LATCH maual. :)

[AdventureMom]

Either way is fine. Both are covered in the LATCH maual. :)

Thanks, Jenny... For some reason, it makes more sense to me to use the buckle itself. We don't have a Regent so it's not an issue for us (yet), but I'm helping with a seatcheck on Thursday - :p - and just wanted to know in case asked ;) I'm sure the officer holding the check - on his own time - probably already knows, but still...

[scatterbunny]

You'd be surprised at the people who DON'T know that it's okay to tether like this. I had to look it up and "prove" it to my instructors at the 1-day class.

I have had Hayley's seat tethered both ways--to the metal tongue of the male portion, unbuckled, and to the webbing of a buckled belt. I like the second method because it is more centered with our tether strap and carseat. Buckled to just the male buckle tongue, it tilted the seat over time.

[Jimaie(mom2boys)]

You'd be surprised at the people who DON'T know that it's okay to tether like this. I had to look it up and "prove" it to my instructors at the 1-day class.

I have had Hayley's seat tethered both ways--to the metal tongue of the male portion, unbuckled, and to the webbing of a buckled belt. I like the second method because it is more centered with our tether strap and carseat. Buckled to just the male buckle tongue, it tilted the seat over time.

do you have pictures available of tethering this way?? I'd love to see how its done!! :)

[scatterbunny]

do you have pictures available of tethering this way?? I'd love to see how its done!! :)

This is a single-strap tether strap, not the V-style that Britax seats have (I don't have a picture up of the Husky tethered, I need to get one!), but it still shows the basic concept.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/scatterbunny/Fisher%20Price%20Futura%202005%20to%202007/787b0489.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/scatterbunny/Fisher%20Price%20Futura%202005%20to%202007/82d8ee86.jpg

[Jimaie(mom2boys)]

This is a single-strap tether strap, not the V-style that Britax seats have (I don't have a picture up of the Husky tethered, I need to get one!), but it still shows the basic concept.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/scatterbunny/Fisher%20Price%20Futura%202005%20to%202007/787b0489.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/scatterbunny/Fisher%20Price%20Futura%202005%20to%202007/82d8ee86.jpg

Thats so great! I would have never had a clue that you could tether like that! SO good to know :)

[scatterbunny]

I didn't either until a great tech here copied/pasted the info directly from her LATCH manual. :)

If tethering to a lap/shoulderbelt the belt must be locked, either with the belt's own locking mechanism or with a locking clip.

[hipmaman]

You'd be surprised at the people who DON'T know that it's okay to tether like this. I had to look it up and "prove" it to my instructors at the 1-day class.

I have had Hayley's seat tethered both ways--to the metal tongue of the male portion, unbuckled, and to the webbing of a buckled belt. I like the second method because it is more centered with our tether strap and carseat. Buckled to just the male buckle tongue, it tilted the seat over time.


Just to agree with Jenny that this is how we tether (ff) carseats in Canada, temporarily. I say temporarily because we do it in a pinch if the child needs to leave the clinic in a ff carseat as the only way but the vehicle does not have an installed tether anchors yet.

Tether anchors are installed for a small nominal charge (about $10-15 CAD for the anchor itself but the labour to install is free). So we always tell parents to get a permanent anchor installed when leaving the clinic.

[lovemyfamily]

You can't compare a Radian, Marathon, Boulevard, etc... to a Regent. First the Regent harnesses to 80lbs (15 more pounds then the others). Has top harness slots 2+" taller then any of them. That is 2" of torso growth or at least 2 more years in a 5pt harness. We will see what Recaro brings out but right now its just rumors until it's truly annouced and on the market.


My point in all of this is a Regent is not an obsolete car seat and I don't see if ever being so in the near future.

I strongly agree with you. Until there is something out there that comes close to providing what the Regent does, it shouldn't be considered obsolete.

[lovemyfamily]

Assuming your child fits in another hwh seat, if the tether were to fail, would you rather have them in a regent that does not pass the 32" test without a tether, or one of the other seats that does?


What is the 32" test?

[scatterbunny]

All seats sold in the US must pass head excursion testing--they measure how far foward a dummy's head moves in a crash. 32" (measured from the back of the vehicle seatback) is the maximum allowable distance for an untethered seat. 28" is the maximum allowed for a tethered seat.

[twom]

I chose "tethered to a third row seatbelt" even though we don't have a Regent...dd's carseat (Fisher Price Futura, goes to 60 pounds) is tethered to a third row seatbelt and when we get her Husky soon it will be tethered the same way. Only because I don't have tether anchors and Mazda wants over $200 to install one.

Jenny -
I just wanted to let you know that you should be able to get tether anchors installed for free from Mazda. Here's the link from their webpage stating just that:
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=contactCustomer#1

I have installed tether anchors in a 1990 Mazda 626 and a 1994 Mazda 626. In one case I was able to have the anchors sent to me free and installed them myself. In the other case (a few years later) they would only give them to me for free if I had the dealership install them, and since it's a 2-hour drive to the nearest dealership, I just paid for the anchors and had them sent to me, and installed them myself again. But you should be able to go to a dealership and have them install anchors free of charge, as that is Mazda's policy (though they may have to order in the parts).

HTH!
Jody

[Synchro246]

You'd be surprised at the people who DON'T know that it's okay to tether like this. I had to look it up and "prove" it to my instructors at the 1-day class.

I have had Hayley's seat tethered both ways--to the metal tongue of the male portion, unbuckled, and to the webbing of a buckled belt. I like the second method because it is more centered with our tether strap and carseat. Buckled to just the male buckle tongue, it tilted the seat over time.
A few things. . .
I'm irritated that Britax customer service brought up tether anchor limits in cars when I called earlier today to try to get a replacement for my boulevard since this is in the Latch manual. What is the limit for tethering to a third row seatbelt as per the latch manual? Is there a reasonable assumption?

Also, I have mine tethered like this right now- to the male portion of the buckle. I was wondering if I need to do anything to make sure the buckle doesn't slide on it's seatbelt webbing. It's just a lap belt. I don't know if I'm being clear.

[NatenMaddiesMommy]

Anytime you can tether a carseat it's good to tether -- RF as well as FF (however, most carseats do not allow RF tethering). Tethering FF beyond the listed weight limit is still considered safest practice as it will offer some measure of increased safety even if the anchor does fail in a crash.... Tethering to an unused seatbelt behind the carseat is accapteble when there isn't another anchor point & tethering at a reasonable angle is also acceptable (using the adjacent anchor point, but not from one outboard side to the opposite outboard side).


So it's okay to tether an outboard seat to a center position tether? I though someone on these boards said that was a no-no?????

I have an Apex65 installed outboard in my Sienna for my 7 year old niece (50lbs). It is not tethered b/c there is no tether point for that position. Would it be beneficial to attach it to the center tether point (there is no car seat in that position)?

Sorry if this is unrelated to the topic.

[scatterbunny]

A few things. . .
I'm irritated that Britax customer service brought up tether anchor limits in cars when I called earlier today to try to get a replacement for my boulevard since this is in the Latch manual. What is the limit for tethering to a third row seatbelt as per the latch manual? Is there a reasonable assumption?

Also, I have mine tethered like this right now- to the male portion of the buckle. I was wondering if I need to do anything to make sure the buckle doesn't slide on it's seatbelt webbing. It's just a lap belt. I don't know if I'm being clear.

I think Britax is trying to cover their behinds by reminding folks of their VEHICLE tether anchor limits. This is still a gray area that techs can only educate parents on; there's no clearcut answer. Everything I know and believe says it's better to continue using a top tether anchor even after the limits have been reached, because the tether anchor is not what's holding in the carseat, the seatbelt is; the tether anchor is just a supplement, and it will do the job it's designed to do even if it fails at the height of the crash forces.

There is no "limit" mentioned when tethering to a vehicle seatbelt. My thinking is that a seatbelt is designed to restrain THOUSANDS of pounds of force, to hold back an adult. A seatbelt as a tether should have no problem supplementing the seatbelt already holding in the carseat.

Using a lapbelt is the easiest belt-tethering method, IME. Lapbelts will automatically lock (except for the rare kind that need belt shortening clips). The kind with a sliding latchplate (most common type) will lock when the sliding latchplate is held flat against the belt. That's exactly how it will be when a seat is tethered to it.

Here's my two pictures, one showing tethering to the buckle tongue (obviously unbuckled) and one tethering to the buckled webbing:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/scatterbunny/Fisher%20Price%20Futura%202005%20to%202007/787b0489.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/scatterbunny/Fisher%20Price%20Futura%202005%20to%202007/82d8ee86.jpg

[scatterbunny]

So it's okay to tether an outboard seat to a center position tether? I though someone on these boards said that was a no-no?????

I have an Apex65 installed outboard in my Sienna for my 7 year old niece (50lbs). It is not tethered b/c there is no tether point for that position. Would it be beneficial to attach it to the center tether point (there is no car seat in that position)?

Sorry if this is unrelated to the topic.

Everything I have learned says only if it's stretching to a point less than 20 degrees off center. I know Britax verbally told someone that tethering to an adjacent seating position was acceptable, but someone else recently called and was given the standard 20 degree answer.

[NatenMaddiesMommy]

Everything I have learned says only if it's stretching to a point less than 20 degrees off center. I know Britax verbally told someone that tethering to an adjacent seating position was acceptable, but someone else recently called and was given the standard 20 degree answer.

That's what I thought. It's definitely more than 20 degrees. I'll keep the seat untethered then. Thanks :D