Have you ever routed the seatbelt OVER the cover when installing a RF Britax Convertible?

Have you ever installed a rf Britax convertible with the seatbelt routed OVER the cover?

  • Yes, I have - my own seat

    Votes: 65 59.1%
  • Yes, I have - someone else's seat

    Votes: 6 5.5%
  • No, I haven't - but I like having this option

    Votes: 6 5.5%
  • No, I always route the seatbelt under the cover

    Votes: 29 26.4%
  • I have never installed a rf Britax convertible with seatbelt

    Votes: 4 3.6%

  • Total voters
    110

Kecia

Admin - CPST Instructor
This is linked to today's carseatblog post. It's a 2-part question. I want to know how many of you have chosen to install a rf Britax convertible with the seatbelt routed over the cover and if you care about this option or not?

I'm of the opinion that Britax should do away with the extra slots in the cover (meant for seatbelt routing) because, in my experience, no one uses them for their intended purpose but they are frequently misused when parents unintentionally route the lap straps through this larger opening after removing the cover.

Here are pictures of correct and incorrect routing of the lap straps:

View attachment 3799

View attachment 3800
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Sure. That's the only way I did it for years. And thank goodness for those slots when installing a Britax on a plane!! Holy smokes, I'd hate to have to yank the cover up to stuff a big ole plane buckle under there. And since a big Britax is such a PITA to install forward facing, I encourage anyone with a big Britax on a plane to travel with it rear facing for their under 35 pounders just for ease of install and uninstall. But in my car when Piper was rear facing I always routed it over the cover. Never occurred to me to do otherwise. It wasn't until I was a tech and I had parents complaining about the aesthetics that I started going under.

Wendy
 

Maedze

New member
Sure, but only in situations where I was in a rush. I don't think it's an important feature and I'd like to see it disappear for the same reason you mentioned.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I always did it that way, even with my old Medallion (and remember the Fisher Price Safe Embrace that had a flap to cover the belt? Best of both worlds, IMO)... but I also did put the straps through those holes by accident...I was quick enough to catch myself before leaving them that way, fortunately, but I'm sure other parents might not be. I wonder if Britax could maybe color code them with piping or a little label to prevent misroutings?
 

Mom2three

New member
I take my BLVD in and out of DHs pickup so frequently, that I almost always install this way. It is much quicker, especially when it is so cold out.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
I put under the cover for a main install but always do over the cover if it is going in another car.
 

rodentranger

New member
I always go under the cover. If I can't any more than a receiving blanket under my car seat to protect my vehicle seat because it could compress and make a bad install look acceptable...why can I put the seatbelt over the 1/2" thick foam pad on the car seat itself? I have never understood that and so I never route the belt over the cover/foam.
 

Melodiya99

New member
I have my seatbelt over the cover (it's actually a fpsvd, but the slots are the same) and it's normally installed that way...we move our car seats fairly often between our cars, so it's a lot faster and easier to do it that way.

I like the idea to color code them. Or better yet, put a little label by each slot (since people often don't look things up in the manual, and it'd be right there).
 

J-max

CPST Instructor
I always install mine over the cover, it is just easier to do. And I don't move my seats super often (that is why we have 2 sets). But the compression argument does make sense.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I always go under the cover. If I can't any more than a receiving blanket under my car seat to protect my vehicle seat because it could compress and make a bad install look acceptable...why can I put the seatbelt over the 1/2" thick foam pad on the car seat itself? I have never understood that and so I never route the belt over the cover/foam.

Because Britax has tested it over the foam and cover and has said it would pass. They've never tested with the Prince Lionheart seat cover, or 16 layers of shelf liner. Or if they have they've failed and so they don't approve them.

Wendy
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I recently taught a parent to install over the cover when using a seatbelt because the seat was going to be moved regularly between vehicles - like on a daily basis. Much much easier to go over the cover when there is regular re-installing involved.

(Of course I also taught them how to route it under the cover, but I'm sure they're going over the cover most of the time if not all the time.)
 

sirrahn

Active member
I've done it, but only a handful of times when I was installing for a short period of time such as in the grandparents' car for a ride or two.
 

Synchro246

New member
For short term installs or when I just need to do it quickly I do it over the cover and I really like this feature.
I have once accidently routed the lap portion of the harness through it on one side though and I didn't catch it for about a week!:doh:
 
I always routed mine under the cover, but I didn't move them around much and was just a bit anal about it looking better with the seatbelt routed under.

I like the color-coding idea, but suspect a lot of people would still route it the wrong way even if there were color codes.
 

Nisha

New member
Yes, all the time when we're switching vehicles and riding withother people who don't have LATCH. It's installed with LATCH in my van but so much quicker to go over the cover when installing with the seatbelt in someone elses vehicle. (or in our second vehicle.)
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
I always thread mine over the cover. I get a tighter install faster this way. I've tried it under the foam and it takes forever to get it tight enough (maybe because I don't move the cover and foam very far out of the way.) And then trying to shove the cover back over the lip to get it back on the seat is a PITA.
 

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