Someone on another board is considering moving their booster-sized dd to the center position of the car. She is in an Evenflo Big Kid Deluxe. Apparently the shoulder belt comes out of the seat there, and is pretty low. The mom says the dd fits the belt without a booster, but there's no head support, so she is asking if she can use the booster in that position for the head support. Is it ok to use it if the shoulder belt comes out below the booster belt guide?
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HBB use ok with low shoulder belt?
- Thread starter twom
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ThreeBeans
New member
Only Cosco seats have the head rest issue. The Big Kid Deluxe is fine 
Thanks! I'll let her know. And for my own education, why is this ok? Logically, it seems like having the belt guides higher than where the belt comes out, this would be adding slack in the belt in the event of a crash, in whatever amount of belt had to go up to the belt guide. Does that make sense?
Defrost
Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
As soon as the child's body adds force to the belt, it will lock. It doesn't have to travel through the belt guide to do this, as both the child and the booster will be moving forward and putting force on the belt.
Defrost
Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Only Cosco seats have the head rest issue. The Big Kid Deluxe is fine
I knew someone would know! Thanks! :thumbsup:
So....
Are booster belt guides designed to handle crash forces, like the slots in a FF harnessed seat? If not, how is it different than using a non-reinforced FF harness slot? It seems like, since the belt is locking down below the belt guide, it could just rip through the belt guide and then have the slack and improper positioning. I'm not doubting you, I'm just trying to figure it out. It doesn't make sense to me yet.
Defrost
Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Well, it's not the same as using non-reinforced slots on a harnessed seat, because that would leave the child completely unrestrained rather than having slack.
Still, it's a good point. I'm honestly not sure. I don't see the belt guides as being reinforced on most boosters. I just know that last time this question came up, we were completely unable to find any booster manual that mentioned it at all, much less one that disallowed it.
Perhaps she should call Evenflo?
Still, it's a good point. I'm honestly not sure. I don't see the belt guides as being reinforced on most boosters. I just know that last time this question came up, we were completely unable to find any booster manual that mentioned it at all, much less one that disallowed it.
Perhaps she should call Evenflo?
joolsplus3
Admin - CPS Technician
Maybe she should call Evenflo... but really it's a pre-crash positioner...it's likely to break or the belt come out of the slot no matter what, in a crash. The harness slot in a harnessed seat is more akin to the shoulderbelt anchor in the car, if you want to compare apples to apples. There are shoulderbelt positioners of all shapes and sizes for use with adult belts on adult seats, and I don't believe there's any evidence they cause the seatbelt not to work properly :twocents: (Look at a Subaru with the belt coming from the ceiling...or at one of those 80s'ish sports cars with the big plastic belt guides on the outside of the front seats, for example).
Defrost
Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Oo, that reminds me - I've seen pics of a vehicle seatbelt guide that was on top of the vehicle seat (was it Splash's car?), where the retractor was in the ceiling but the guide on the vehicle seatback pulled it down. Pretty much identical to what we're talking about the booster's belt guide doing.
Also, it just seems like something they'd have mentioned in the manuals if it was a risk - they've got warnings about using it with short vehicle seats, certain types of seat belts, etc - but not this?
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