Booster Seat...need to retract belt?

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teepanz

Guest
Booster Seat...need to retract belt?

I must apologize, now that I have found this forum I may never shut up and instead will hound you guys with obscure safety seat questions....
I have an Eddie Bauer Sport High Back Booster for my 5 year old. He has been using it with the regular (adult) shoulder belt now for sometime. I have two questions about its use that I can't seem to find answers to in the owners manual, and my best friend and I (two totally neurotic moms) go back and forth on these issues...
1) When putting the the guys into their seats, we aren't sure whether we should pull the belt out until it does that clicking/locking retraction thing when tightened. Generally we tighten it (much as you would if you were using the seat with the 5 point restraint). However, our guys tend to complain that they are "locked" in and it is uncomfortable. Are we supposed to be using that locking mechanism thing, or simply putting them into the seat, putting the seatbelt through the feeding notch and having them wear it comfortably snug but not "locked" into the postion?
2) I've recently noticed that the cover of the seat (upon which the belt height notching thingie is sewn) tends to come loose on the sides. Hmm.. I am not sure if I am being clear - the cover (as most seats) has those little "clips" that hold it on to the seat and they seem to come loose/off on one side when my son wriggles around. Does that make the seat less safe? In an accident would it hold the belt in the correct position across his shoulder or would it just flail around?
and of course an add on:
3) are there any 5 point restraint boosters for kids their age - just turned 5 - approx 39-41 lbs and 43" high. If I had my way - we would all have 5 point restraints!
Thanks!
Karen
 
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C

Caviller

Guest
Please ask about any safety seat issues you like!

1) You may use the locking mechanism on your seatbelts if you like, but it is not necessary with a belt positioning booster as it would be with a harnessed carseat.

In a crash, your seatbelts will automatically lock, even if you haven't manually put them into the locking mode as you describe.

Some parents do find the locking mode to be useful with belt positioning boosters for a couple reasons. First, a child who is too immature to sit properly may require it. If they are too wiggly and always out of position, the locked mode can help keep them in place and safe. Second, some parents find that the shoulder belt guide (feeding notch) can "catch" the shoulder belt on some models and leave it slack around the child. If you find that to be the case, the locked mode may also be an answer to that problem.

In short, it's really up to you as to whether you need the locked retractor mode or not.

2) The shoulder belt guides will not hold the belt securely in a crash. They are meant for pre-crash positioning of the shoulder belt. In fact, if your child is tall enough such that the shoulder belt fits across the center of their shoulder and chest (and not on the arm or across the neck), then they may not even need to use those guides at all.

3) There are some 5-point restraint models for kids above 40 pounds. The Britax Super Elite is the only current production model. It goes to 80 pounds if a tether is used. It will soon be replaced by the Britax Husky, which will have the LATCH system. You may also be able to find the Fisher Price Futura which goes to 60 pounds. It is discontinued, but sometimes found on ebay or at retail stores like BigLots. At 43", you may find that your son will outgrow it by height much sooner than the Britax Super Elite or Husky.

Please feel to ask if you have any further questions!

Darren
 
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teepanz

Guest
thanks a zillion & an addendum

Hi Darren,
Thanks for the wonderful info - YES my safety booster seems to snag the seat belt in the threading evice - so I will continue to use the seat belt retraction method.
Something you said caused me some concern though - you stated:
2) The shoulder belt guides will not hold the belt securely in a crash. They are meant for pre-crash positioning of the shoulder belt.
Now, without the belt guides, the belt actually rests across my son's NECK. Does this mean that during an accident, the guide is expected to come loose? If so - how does it protect my son at all? It is sewn into the booster cover and several times a week I need to re-hook the cover on to the seat in order to keep it nice and properly positioned. This is a fairly new booster (< 9 months old) and it seemed like one of the better models.
I'm confused....
thanks
Karen
 
C

Caviller

Guest
Good question-

Clearly, if it doesn't hold the belt well before a crash, the guide won't work in a crash, either. Designs of guides do vary from one model to the next. If you think yours may defective, you should call the company or see a local certified technician.

I think my statement earlier was a bit misleading. In a crash, the guides really don't have much force on them anyway. In the instant of a crash, the shoulder belt will automatically lock and that is the moment when the belt needs to have been properly positioned to restrain the child correctly.

I suppose it is possible it will pop out or come loose during a crash, but I don't have details of the crash testing to say for sure how this varies from one type of guide to the next. Perhaps Robert can explain a bit better from an instructor's point of view...

Darren
 
S

safeinthecar

Guest
Re: Booster Seat...need to retract belt?

The problem with the belt hitting a childs neck(or adults) is a comfort issue not a crash issue. Here's the scenario, kid, bothered by belt, puts belt under arm, behind back, or takes seatbelt off. If the seatbelt is under the arm it can cause serious internal damage(including laceractions to the heart) if the seatbelt is behind the kid it will not work as intended and the child will be thrown to far forward. The comfort clip is intended for just that,comfort. A comfortable child is much more likely to stay in place. I am unaware of any injury caused by the belt touching the neck other than minor rugburn type marks.Hope this helps.
 

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