Shoulder strap falling off

[mamatodrama]

My mother brought my son home yesterday and when I opened the car door to get him out one of the shoulder straps has slipped down his arm. I pulled on the harness and it was tight so I don't think it was a matter that he was not tightly secured. He is 9 months so he is RF and is in a Roundabout.

The shoulder strap does seem low but If I move the straps up one notch it seems like it is coming from the top down rather than being "at or below the shoulder" as the manual says it should be. Is the fact the strap slipping off a sign that the harness is too low?

Also, there isn't the rubber square thingy about the chest clip like my Marathon has so I am wondering if that is missing or is the Roundabout doesn't have that?

Any suggestions?

[MissKatie]

the rubber square thingies are HUGS, and no, the roundabout does not have them. Was his chest clip right at armpit level?

If the harness is tight and the chest clip is properly positioned it shouldn't be falling off, I guess you'll just have to make extra careful that it's on his shoulder when you put him in. Babies are kind of slumped-shouldered so if it's not right there to begin with it would be easier for it to slip a bit. Sometimes this does happen when the straps need to be moved up a setting but the next setting needs to be even with his shoulders before you move it up.

[joolsplus3]

I have made the parental decision to raise the straps up in this situation. The reason to have straps 'at or below' the shoulders is to keep kids from 'ramping out' of the seat in a crash, when it tips backwards towards a frontal impact. Since this seat, and most others now, have lapstraps to hold the baby in the seat, it's not quite as imperative as it is in older 3-point or overhead shield seats that have no lapstraps. If there is *any* chance that the seat will be improperly used such that the straps are slipping off the shoulder, then it's going to just be less risky to put them up a slot to prevent it from happening at all, in my humble opinion (off the shoulder= ramping out and increased movement in a side crash).
In historical perspective (and other countries' experience), it's ok to put the straps a touch above the shoulders as long as the harness is snug and there's a lot of space above the head to keep it contained in a crash...Britax used to always say 'at or above' the shoulders, RF or FF, Evenflo has known this was a problem with their seats and allowed the straps to be moved up, and seats in Sweden often say 'at or above' (because of the risk of spinal compression injury from having them below).

Anyway, long story short, I'd put it up a notch if it were my own kid... and you'll find that most of the time as soon as you put him in he's actually AT the next slots up, since he's not being squished down into those lower slots ;)

[MustangMama]

I have made the parental decision to raise the straps up in this situation

And to think I almost got my head chopped off for suggesting this:whistle: LOL

[chimpmandee]

Anyway, long story short, I'd put it up a notch if it were my own kid... and you'll find that most of the time as soon as you put him in he's actually AT the next slots up, since he's not being squished down into those lower slots ;)

This has always been my experience too - it looks like the shoulder is below and then Voila! by magic the next time I put the child in the seat, the shoulder is right at that next slot. Regardless, all logic would say that having it a titch above is safer than having it slipping off the shoulder from being too far below.

[snowbird25ca]

I have made the parental decision to raise the straps up in this situation.

Anyway, long story short, I'd put it up a notch if it were my own kid... and you'll find that most of the time as soon as you put him in he's actually AT the next slots up, since he's not being squished down into those lower slots ;)

Yep, I did this with ds in the SS - he was within 1/8" once settled, but the harness fit him so much better with it in the top position that I left it there. I have no problem with being ever so slightly below the next position up provided that the harness is being tightened properly AND there's plenty of hard shell above the child's head. Better to ramp up an extra 1/4" than have the one shoulder completely out of the harness. :thumbsup:

And to think I almost got my head chopped off for suggesting this:whistle: LOL

Not by me, but I don't recall the thread. ;) (Unless it was a significant difference... 1/2" Is too much distance IMO, but when it gets to the point of being unsure or the straps just slipping off, it's usually time to move them up.)