Must turn FF but no top tether

eduller

New member

• Jul 27, 2014

• #1

My daughter is 3.5, 43 inches and just weighed in at 51 lbs. I have a Swedish seat for her in the primary car. She rides in 4 other vehicles during any given week - rf in another Swedish, FF in a headwise properly tethered, and up until today rf in two Foonfs. One of the cars she rides in the foonf in does not have a top tether and it cannot be retrofitted. My only choices are to put a ff untethered seat in that car or move one of the Swedish seats in there rf. The only problem with the second option is that she only takes very short neighborhood rides in the no-tether car and she takes longer freeway rides with more traffic and turns in the car that currently has the Swedish seat. So what's better? Get a nautilus (or is there new data on seats that perform the best ff untethered?) for the car without a tether and ff her or ff her in the car that takes more high-risk drives and put the swedish seat in the car without a tether? Does any of that make sense?

 

J

jjordan

Moderator

• Jul 27, 2014

• #2

I would get a FF seat that uses the shoulder portion of the seatbelt high on the seat, like ths Recaro Performance Sport (there are others as well). That is, assuming that the vehicle without the top tether has a lap/shoulder belt...

 

eduller

New member

• Jul 27, 2014

• #3

jjordan said:

I would get a FF seat that uses the shoulder portion of the seatbelt high on the seat, like ths Recaro Performance Sport (there are others as well). That is, assuming that the vehicle without the top tether has a lap/shoulder belt...

Click to expand...

It does have a lap/shoulder belt. Are there any other seats you can think of any cheaper than the Recaro? I somehow have installed probably dozens of rf seats at seat checks but surprisingly few ff seats.

 

eduller

New member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #4

Just realized a couple more fun facts. The vehicle in question does not have head rests in the back seat, and the lap/shoulder belts are ELR only. The middle position is a lap only belt with a locking latchplate. So does this exist: a ff harnessed seat that doesn't require vehicle head support, has lockoffs, and does well without a top tether?

The car is a 1989 Olds cutlass ciera. I do also have a True fit premier which I know has kickoffs but I don't know how it does without a top tether. I am willing to buy anything.

 

eduller

New member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #5

This keeps getting better. Flipped around one of the Foonfs this morning to discover that her giant monkey torso makes her too tall to FF in the Foonf for more than the next 5 minutes. The straps are just even with her shoulders. Crap!! How did my 3 1/2 year old just outgrow the Foonf???

 

C

CMeMeC

New member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #6

I would put the seat outboard. I prefer to have a shoulder belt when there is no top tether. You might have to use a locking clip. I have 2 nautiluses in my car right now without top tethers. Not ideal, but I don't have the option in the third row of my suv.

 

eduller

New member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #7

I think I've decided. I'm going to get a Frontier 90 for the car with a top tether and a Nautilus Elite for the other car. I think the Nautilus Elite will last a decent amount of time, it has lockoffs, and it doesn't require the top tether.

 

Pixels

New member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #8

Center without a tether is safer than outboard with a tether. Center is 40ish% safer than outboard. Tether is 15ish% safer than no tether.

 

J

jjordan

Moderator

• Jul 28, 2014

• #9

I think a Frontier 90 is a very good choice for a 3.5 year old who is outgrowing the Foonf.

 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician

• Jul 28, 2014

• #10

In an 89 vehicle I would put a ffing seat in the front seat and tether to a rear seat seatbelt.

 

Keeanh

Well-known member

• Jul 28, 2014

• #11

All these seats pass testing without the tether so I wouldn't stress about it, honestly. Actually, not tethering reduces neck loads so there's a positive trade-off. I would either do what SITC is suggesting (if tethering is important to you) or I would put the seat in the middle back. Being in the middle, there won't be a seat directly in front of her so head excursion isn't as big a risk.

 

Clek CPST

New member

• Jul 29, 2014

• #12

3.5 yrs old is pretty young for a 17"+torso - did you check that the headrest was all the way up? There is a 5th set of slots that are right at the bottom edge of the headrest when it's in the highest position. I had a tall torso'ed kiddo so I know it's possible to have a child with a torso that tall - but families often miss that top harness slot so just wanted to make sure you were seeing it there.

For the Foonf specifically, we don't allow the installation of it without the top tether in seating positions that have only a lap-belt. It is tested and passes that way - but the benefit of the top tether is so significant that we require the top tether if there's no shoulder belt present. (Speaking specifically for the US.)

 

eduller

New member

• Jul 29, 2014

• #13

@ Clek CPST - yes, I did make sure the headrest is all the way up. She's just like a chimpanzee - all torso. Thank you so much for checking in though. It would have been awful to realize I just hadn't noticed the top slots!!

 

eduller

New member

• Jul 29, 2014

• #14

Omgosh. I AM the dumbest person ever! I got to thinking - hmm I don't remember there being FIVE sets of harness slots on my Foonf. I am so dumb. I didn't realize the last one was actually HIDDEN under the very bottom of the headrest. She has NOT outgrown the Foonf!!!

So, I'm going to keep the Nautilus and Frontier because I know she will need them down the road, and I got an awesome deal on both from Amazon warehouse. But now I can keep using the Foonfs! How dumb!!

Okay so back to this problem '89 Olds. In the front seat? What? Is having the seat in the front, tethered to the back belt actually safer than having it in the back seat untethered?? And how do you go about attaching the tether to the seat belt? Do you buckle it first?

 

J

jjordan

Moderator

• Jul 29, 2014

• #15

Do you have a LATCH manual? I think there is info there about tethering to a seatbelt.

 

Pixels

New member

• Jul 31, 2014

• #16

Back seat is much, much safer than front seat.

In order to tether to the seat belt, it must be allowed by both vehicle and seat manufacturers. Oldsmobile generally disallows it, but it is allowed by certain models (it will be in the vehicle owner's manual if allowed). Graco does not allow using the seat belt. Clek does not allow using the seat belt. Tomy (True Fit manufacturer) does not list the information in the LATCH manual. Britax allows it if also allowed by the vehicle.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Jul 31, 2014

• #17

I agree that I would prefer an untethered kid in back over a tethered kid in front.