Question Manually Cut Off LATCH Straps?!?!

[Keeks64]

My daycare girls mom brought her Scenera from her vehicle since my Scenera is being used at the moment by a friend , and I noticed the LATCH straps were missing - I called to ask her where they had gone and she said she cut them off since they were a "pain" and she doesnt use them.....I dont use LATCH in my vehicle either with the Scenera but it seems like its kind of a big deal to cut something like that off?!? Im wondering if the seat itself is going to be affected safety wise now?

 

[Patriot201]

It won't affect the seat safety-wise. As long as she didn't somehow cut the harness and/or tether, it is fine safety-wise to not have lower LATCH straps.

 

[sunnymw]

mil had an older cosco hbb that actually had a tag where the top tether used to be stating that it should be removed if the vehicle did not have one. it was bizarre... but they had followed the directions!

 

[Patriot201]

Wow! That's amazing, Sunny!

With "storage" hooks and/or areas on contemporary seats, I don't know why anyone would cut the LATCH straps off of any seat. Just store them. Yes, they can still get in the way a bit, but they generally aren't too bad.

 

[monica-m]

When looking at used seats a missing LATCH strap could mean it is a crashed seat because firemen/EMTs will sometimes cut the LATCH strap to remove the child from the car or to try and prevent the seat from being used again.

 

[DaniChildcare]

If i wasn't going to use the latch on it, i would probably cut them too. No matter how i've stored latch straps in the past, (especially britax seats, not so much dorel since they usually have a hook of some sort) but they always get in the way. I keep them on, simply because i do use latch for most installs, but can't see any harm in cutting them off if they are not needed.

 

[urchin_grey]

I had to cut the LATCH strap off of my True Fit. The LATCH strap itself is still intact, the orange strap that held it to the seat was just cut. I had to though because the orange strap wasn't long enough to allow me to use the LATCH! Its no big deal though, I just connect the LATCH strap to the storage hooks when I'm not using it.

 

[trippsmom]

I had to cut the LATCH strap off of my True Fit. The LATCH strap itself is still intact, the orange strap that held it to the seat was just cut. I had to though because the orange strap wasn't long enough to allow me to use the LATCH! Its no big deal though, I just connect the LATCH strap to the storage hooks when I'm not using it.

I had that happen, or so I thought. Upon further investigation I found a spot where the orange strap is prone to getting caught.

If I knew I wasn't ever going to try to get rid of the seat, I would cut it I only had the ability to install w/ a seatbelt. No harm, no foul as long as none of the other straps were cut.

 

[LISmama810]

I bought a Scenera just for a vacation once and cut the LATCH strap off because I knew I wouldn't need it.

Also the Radian I bought from kidzndogs has the LATCH strap detached but I forget why. Maybe she got a replacement LATCH?

 

[singingpond]

.....I dont use LATCH in my vehicle either with the Scenera but it seems like its kind of a big deal to cut something like that off?!? Im wondering if the seat itself is going to be affected safety wise now?

What possible safety issue are you imagining?

I've removed the LATCH straps from at least half the seats I've bought over the years, since none of our vehicles had LATCH, and the straps/hooks were often just dangling around in an annoying way without good storage locations on the seats. If anything, the unused LATCH straps could be a safety issue on some seats if they were not removed -- just unnecessary clutter and dangling hardware when you're not doing LATCH installations.

I've never cut the LATCH strap itself, although I may have cut the little piece of webbing that held the strap to the seat in one case. The LATCH strap gets stored, on the remote chance that I might some day in the future need it, either to install the seat in a newer vehicle, or perhaps to sell the seat to someone who wants to use the LATCH capability.

 

[LISmama810]

LATCH is only attached to the seat because it has to be. The little button/strap that holds it there has no purpose other than to keep the LATCH strap attached. It doesn't bear weight or anything.

When LATCH first came out, some manufacturers even sold separate LATCH straps so you could retrofit a non-LATCH seat.

 

[hboo22]

Before I had a car that had LATCH, I took them off and stored them in the closet.

 

[luckyclov]

I cut the LATCH straps off DD's old Regent when we switched to seatbelt install. They were annoying and I didn't need them anymore. It didn't affect the function or safety of the seat at all. Actually, the LATCH strap was totally intact, I just cut the little strappy thing that was holding it on. When I gave the seat to a friend, I included the LATCH strap. Back in the "old days", you could just buy a LATCH strap to "convert" child seats that weren't yet manufactured that way.

I always just assumed they were *attached* to the seat with the button/peg/strappy thing so people wouldn't lose them.

 

[Keeks64]

What possible safety issue are you imagining?
I wasnt imaginaing any - simply wondering if it would/could pose some sort of safety issue , I assumed those things are there for a reason, even if they do get in the way

I've removed the LATCH straps from at least half the seats I've bought over the years, since none of our vehicles had LATCH, and the straps/hooks were often just dangling around in an annoying way without good storage locations on the seats. If anything, the unused LATCH straps could be a safety issue on some seats if they were not removed -- just unnecessary clutter and dangling hardware when you're not doing LATCH installations.
Im assuming thats why she cut them off as the seat itself has no storage for LATCH when not in use

I've never cut the LATCH strap itself, although I may have cut the little piece of webbing that held the strap to the seat in one case. The LATCH strap gets stored, on the remote chance that I might some day in the future need it, either to install the seat in a newer vehicle, or perhaps to sell the seat to someone who wants to use the LATCH capability.

I dont even know where/how she cut if but the LATCH is 100% gone , I obviously checked as soon as I noticed it was missing to make sure other straps werent affected or perhaps cut in the process , but both the harness and tether are intact and dont appear to have been damaged in any way.

 

[SusanMae]

I had to cut the LATCH strap off of my True Fit. The LATCH strap itself is still intact, the orange strap that held it to the seat was just cut. I had to though because the orange strap wasn't long enough to allow me to use the LATCH! Its no big deal though, I just connect the LATCH strap to the storage hooks when I'm not using it.

I did the same thing with my TFP. Keeping the orange strap in tact caused the LATCH strap to become bunched in the RF lock-off.

Susan