Confused by Britax Boulevard

[Unregistered]

Hello,

I am hoping someone can help me here. We are taking the seat to be inspected at the local health department by the car seat technician, but can't get an appointment until next week.

My daughter has outgrown her Graco Snugride infant seat, which we had inspected. We have now purchased the Britax Boulevard. I have read my car owner's manual and the Britax manual thoroughly and still do not understand if the tether is needed/required for rear facing. We have a 2007 Honda Odyssey. The car owner's manual only has illustrations for forward facing and says "it's the same for rear facing." Not much help from Honda there.

The Britax manual illustration shows a tether point for rear facing. (Swedish) I don't see an installed tether behind the front seats of our van. I see from other posts on this forum that some people have tethered somewhere under the tray table. (We have removed the extra middle seat and moved the passenger side 2nd row seat over.)

My confusion is this:

1. When we got her infant seat (Graco snugride with base) inspected, it was explained to me by the car seat tech that the head of the seat is designed to move up toward the back of the passenger seat in the event of a crash. (They also explained that this is why you don't want to attach mirrors/toys, etc. to the headrest...because then their face smacks into that on impact.) It seems that tethering in a rear facing position would impede that motion. ?????????

So now I don't know what to do. I want to go ahead and install the new seat as she is too long for the infant seat. But if it's not tethered...I'm going to worry that it isn't installed correctly.

While I'm on the subject of being confused by the Boulevard, I'm also confused by the adjusting knobs for the harness straps. Not a problem yet, but the illustrations in the Britax manual show that the straps should be *above* the shoulder when she turns forward facing. It seems to me like they will always be below the shoulder in the Boulevard design since you don't take the harness straps out and adjust their position.

Now I'm wondering I should just get the Decathalon. Maybe that side protection isn't really needed since she's moved over from the door anyway.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Joy
Mom to Audrey, 7 months

[mominabigtruck]

First of all, you use the knobs on the side of the seat to adjust the harness so that it is always even with your childs shoulders' regardless of whether they're rear or forward facing. The rule is at or below for rfing and at or above for ffing but since the blvd has infinite adjust they should always be at the shoulderrs. Secondly, the rear facing tether is not required, but it is nice to have. When you have a heavier baby rear facing they can rebound too much, thus the rear facing tether. It helps the seat from rebounding into the seat too much. The less movement a seat has the better, regardless of where the movement is. The tether helps to reduce the front to back movement of the seat in an accident. I'm sure someone here will tell you where to tether a seat in an ody, I've never been in one.

[Jeanum]

This illustrated article in the Safety Articles section of the forum is a great guide for top tethering a rear facing Britax convertible in the '05 and newer Odysseys:

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9902

[lovinwaves]

1. When we got her infant seat (Graco snugride with base) inspected, it was explained to me by the car seat tech that the head of the seat is designed to move up toward the back of the passenger seat in the event of a crash. (They also explained that this is why you don't want to attach mirrors/toys, etc. to the headrest...because then their face smacks into that on impact.) It seems that tethering in a rear facing position would impede that motion. ?????????

Yes this is correct. The Graco Snugride is designed to "cocoon" to the back of the seat on the rebound of a front car crash, which is perfectly safe. The Britax will do the same concept if it is not tethered, which again is perfectly safe. It is your choice to choose and tether your Britax. It is safe whether it is tethered or not.

So now I don't know what to do. I want to go ahead and install the new seat as she is too long for the infant seat. But if it's not tethered...I'm going to worry that it isn't installed correctly.

Again, even if your Britax is NOT tethered it is VERY VERY safe.

While I'm on the subject of being confused by the Boulevard, I'm also confused by the adjusting knobs for the harness straps. Not a problem yet, but the illustrations in the Britax manual show that the straps should be *above* the shoulder when she turns forward facing. It seems to me like they will always be below the shoulder in the Boulevard design since you don't take the harness straps out and adjust their position.

When she goes FF'ing(which won't be for a long time, probably 2-3 years) then you will adjust the straps so they fit her shoulders "at or above"

[papooses]

Infant seats coccoon just because of what happens during the physics of a crash: it's perfectly fine, but it's not safer.... Being able to tether a seat RF enhances ride down, reducing crash forces upon the child -- since it is soooooo important to keep kids RF until the maximum limits of the seat, it's even more preferable in that case to have a convertible that can tether RF for bigger toddlers/PreK'ers (to prevent the head from impacting the vehicle interior, which is not such a worry with small infants if the harness is used correctly)

[lynsgirl]

Infant seats coccoon just because of what happens during the physics of a crash: it's perfectly fine, but it's not safer.... Being able to tether a seat RF enhances ride down, reducing crash forces upon the child -- since it is soooooo important to keep kids RF until the maximum limits of the seat, it's even more preferable in that case to have a convertible that can tether RF for bigger toddlers/PreK'ers (to prevent the head from impacting the vehicle interior, which is not such a worry with small infants if the harness is used correctly)

:yeahthat: