DH hates the Regent

Michi · Mar 8, 2007

Well, we've had it for less than a month, but DH says he hates it and he wants me to sell it.

He hates the straps, and says it's too big. He's worried because the side of the seat is directly up against the door (I'll admit, so am I!)

He thinks we should have gotten another MA for Annabelle, since Katie could have gotten at least another 1 1/2 years in her MA - and then once Julie is old enough to give up the Monarch, move Katie to that.....

I must admit, I'm really not crazy about the Regent either, but I do love the growth potential of the seat. I just wish the straps were better. I just can't believe that a $280 seat has twisty straps!

I'm going to try some other locations in the van and see if I can get her away from the door, and hope that Dh comes around.

If not, anybody want a Sahara Regent? (.....half-kidding!)

tchrgrrl · Mar 8, 2007

I am so sorry it isn't the seat you want it to be. How are the straps twisty? We haven't had any twisty issues with our Regent or with the Husky before that

Jimaie(mom2boys) · Mar 8, 2007

That sucks that the straps are twisty! We havent had any problems in that area so far either...

Michi · Mar 8, 2007

The straps are just super silky and they seem so thin compard to our MA, which had really firm heavy straps - like a real seat belt. The Regent's straps remind me more like the straps on a Cosco seat
(or even worse - like the straps on our old Centry Accel - Yuck!)

The straps are so thin that the buckle slides too easily
(and then it's backwards, so I have to do the 1/2 fold and slide the buckle up to get it straightened out.)

I love the idea that Katie COULD use this seat for the next 6 years - but I don't know if I could handle 6 years of those straps!

Kellyr2 · Mar 8, 2007

I'd heard that they're different from the Husky straps, but they sure look the same in pics!
Sorry you guys aren't exceptionally thrilled with it.

MySillyKids · Mar 8, 2007

Maybe its Just the sahara?

Our onyx has no issues, however i dont have any other Britax seats to comapair to.

nisi · Mar 8, 2007

Twisty how? Like they're folding over in the buckle tongues? They're creasing and roping? That's what the less expensive seats do, and that's what twisty means to me. It just isn't a problem with our Husky. dd1 has used hers every day for 4 years and yesterday, for the first time ever, she somehow got the strap to fold over a teeeeny bit in the buckle tongue. It took 4 years of use and an angry, frustrated 6yo to twist those straps at all. I think that's pretty good.

Or do you mean twisty like they just flip around when she gets out of the seat and have to be fixed when she gets back in? Because ours does that. IMO it isn't about how thick the harness is, but about how long the harness is. The Regent fits bigger kids, so the harness is going to be longer. Longer harnesses are more prone to twisting that way. I have noticed it get worse as she gets taller, and the one weekend she used a WZ, it wasn't any better. I don't think the harness thickness is to blame here.

However, it is possible they've changed the Regent's harness to a different material than on the Husky we have. I haven't noticed any difference in the Regents I've seen at checks, but I haven't compared side by side either.

And about the seat being close to the door.... what's the concern there? Is it that you're afraid the seat or the door might get damaged? I've had both the Husky and WZ actaully touching the door in our old cars and nothing was ever damaged, even in subzero temps when plastic gets so brittle. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

Or is it that you think Katie is too close to the door? Because really, she's no closer to the door in a Regent than she would be in a MA. Both seats are/would be centered on the seat belt when installed, so she'd be sitting in the exact same spot. The Regent itself is closer to the door than a MA would be because it is so much wider, but the child in the seat isn't any closer. Optical illusion. Hope I explained that ok.

I'm not trying to argue with you here. If you're not happy with it, you're not happy. I just wanted to point out that these issues won't necessarily be solved by outting her back in a MA.

Michi · Mar 8, 2007

nisi said:
Twisty how? Like they're folding over in the buckle tongues? They're creasing and roping? That's what the less expensive seats do, and that's what twisty means to me.

Or do you mean twisty like they just flip around when she gets out of the seat and have to be fixed when she gets back in?

And about the seat being close to the door.... what's the concern there? Is it that you're afraid the seat or the door might get damaged? I've had both the Husky and WZ actaully touching the door in our old cars and nothing was ever damaged, even in subzero temps when plastic gets so brittle. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

Or is it that you think Katie is too close to the door? Because really, she's no closer to the door in a Regent than she would be in a MA. Both seats are/would be centered on the seat belt when installed, so she'd be sitting in the exact same spot. The Regent itself is closer to the door than a MA would be because it is so much wider, but the child in the seat isn't any closer. Optical illusion. Hope I explained that ok.

I'm not trying to argue with you here. If you're not happy with it, you're not happy. I just wanted to point out that these issues won't necessarily be solved by outting her back in a MA.

Hi Nisi!

They are flipping over in the buckle tongues. No creasing or roping yet - but I'm afraid that they might start doing that because I'm constantly having to slide the tongues up and down ( and fold them over) to get them straighened out. I can handle the flipping around when she gets out - almost all of my seats have done that, but I just don't want these to turn into a major headache like our old Accel.

As far as being close to the door - I'm not worried about our car just Katie!
I'm worried about a side impact - she seemed to have more of a 'shell' around her in the MA (does that make sense?) Her old MA was about 2' away from the door. Now when I slide the door shut, her Regent is right up against the side - You are right SHE is probably the same distance away (centered in the seat) but it just looks sort of scary.

nisi · Mar 8, 2007

Sorry, I got called away mis-post and didn't see your 2nd response before I posted. So the straps are folding over in the buckles, huh? That is a bummer. Definitely not what you'd expect from Britax. They must have changed the harness material then, because like I said, it just hasn't been an issue in the 4yrs we've been using a Husky.

Have you called Britax about it? Maybe they could send you new harness and see if it's any better?

Michi · Mar 8, 2007

Yeah -
I'm really starting to wonder if we just got a 'lemon' - as far as the straps go(?)
I think I will call Britax!

lynsgirl · Mar 8, 2007

nisi said:
Twisty how? Like they're folding over in the buckle tongues? They're creasing and roping? That's what the less expensive seats do, and that's what twisty means to me. It just isn't a problem with our Husky. dd1 has used hers every day for 4 years and yesterday, for the first time ever, she somehow got the strap to fold over a teeeeny bit in the buckle tongue. It took 4 years of use and an angry, frustrated 6yo to twist those straps at all. I think that's pretty good.

Or do you mean twisty like they just flip around when she gets out of the seat and have to be fixed when she gets back in? Because ours does that. IMO it isn't about how thick the harness is, but about how long the harness is. The Regent fits bigger kids, so the harness is going to be longer. Longer harnesses are more prone to twisting that way. I have noticed it get worse as she gets taller, and the one weekend she used a WZ, it wasn't any better. I don't think the harness thickness is to blame here.

However, it is possible they've changed the Regent's harness to a different material than on the Husky we have. I haven't noticed any difference in the Regents I've seen at checks, but I haven't compared side by side either.

And about the seat being close to the door.... what's the concern there? Is it that you're afraid the seat or the door might get damaged? I've had both the Husky and WZ actaully touching the door in our old cars and nothing was ever damaged, even in subzero temps when plastic gets so brittle. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

Or is it that you think Katie is too close to the door? Because really, she's no closer to the door in a Regent than she would be in a MA. Both seats are/would be centered on the seat belt when installed, so she'd be sitting in the exact same spot. The Regent itself is closer to the door than a MA would be because it is so much wider, but the child in the seat isn't any closer. Optical illusion. Hope I explained that ok.

I'm not trying to argue with you here. If you're not happy with it, you're not happy. I just wanted to point out that these issues won't necessarily be solved by outting her back in a MA.

I do have a Husky and Regent in the third row of my van and the straps are identical. As far as the twisting goes, sometimes because of how the metal piece at the end of buckle is on the Regent, it can fall down and when you pull it up (when you're buckling up), it gets pulled back into position the wrong way and makes the buckle tongue backwards. Could this be what's happening for you? And the length of the straps does make a difference in how "twisty" it might seem, regardless of how twisty it really is. I never thought about it much regarding the MA until the baby moved into a MA and I buckle him and then help ds2 (5.5) buckle up in his MA. There's so much more harness length there!

I know that sounds obvious, but it doesn't *seem* so obvious when you're not really dealing with it, if that makes sense. The texture on the MA straps vs the Regent straps *is* different, but I don't have folding-over in the buckle tongue problems, just the occasional turned around metal "stop."

Nisi is right about the positioning of the seat vs the positioning of the child. I honestly think she's just as safe in a Regent, SIP-wise, as she is in a MA. For several months, our only vehicle was a 95 Subaru Legacy (now just dh's work car) and I had ds1 in a Super Elite (same shell as the Husky/Regent - just a pre-LATCH Husky), dd in a MA and ds2 in a Touriva, both RF and FF. This is NOT a setup I'd recommend to the average parent LOL, but I'm telling you only because rather than a booster that didn't touch the door for ds1, I felt he was *more* protected in a harnessed seat that did just ever so slightly touch the door. I know a booster isn't the same as a MA, but really, she's very safe in a Regent. I know how it feels to worry about it, though

.

Like Nisi, I'm not trying to argue with you, just stating my personal experience and hoping it helps in some way!

Michi · Mar 8, 2007

I know you ladies aren't 'arguing" and I appreciate the helpful comments very much!

I wouldn't put her in a booster yet - I was just wondering if leaving her in her MA would have been the better choice - (or maybe a Radian?) I'm pretty sure we will stick with the Regent, though.
Someone had mentioned putting stick-on velcro on the straps...I might try that. If the buckles can't slide so far, hopefully they won't get turned around as much.

Amaris · Mar 8, 2007

I've noticed that the regent straps are a bit more twisty too. We started only making them as loose as they have to be to get Michael out. The less slack they have the less they twist. That's the only thing I've found to help.

LuvBug · Mar 8, 2007

definitely call britax. I havent ever had them do that. We have both and the regent's are silker, but not flimsy or twisty. Mayeb you got some lemons, hopefully you got some lemons!! Give them a call!

shashoo · Mar 8, 2007

lynsgirl said:
I do have a Husky and Regent in the third row of my van and the straps are identical. As far as the twisting goes, sometimes because of how the metal piece at the end of buckle is on the Regent, it can fall down and when you pull it up (when you're buckling up), it gets pulled back into position the wrong way and makes the buckle tongue backwards. Could this be what's happening for you? And the length of the straps does make a difference in how "twisty" it might seem, regardless of how twisty it really is. I never thought about it much regarding the MA until the baby moved into a MA and I buckle him and then help ds2 (5.5) buckle up in his MA. There's so much more harness length there! I know that sounds obvious, but it doesn't *seem* so obvious when you're not really dealing with it, if that makes sense. The texture on the MA straps vs the Regent straps *is* different, but I don't have folding-over in the buckle tongue problems, just the occasional turned around metal "stop."

Nisi is right about the positioning of the seat vs the positioning of the child. I honestly think she's just as safe in a Regent, SIP-wise, as she is in a MA. For several months, our only vehicle was a 95 Subaru Legacy (now just dh's work car) and I had ds1 in a Super Elite (same shell as the Husky/Regent - just a pre-LATCH Husky), dd in a MA and ds2 in a Touriva, both RF and FF. This is NOT a setup I'd recommend to the average parent LOL, but I'm telling you only because rather than a booster that didn't touch the door for ds1, I felt he was *more* protected in a harnessed seat that did just ever so slightly touch the door. I know a booster isn't the same as a MA, but really, she's very safe in a Regent. I know how it feels to worry about it, though .

Like Nisi, I'm not trying to argue with you, just stating my personal experience and hoping it helps in some way!

I was impressed when i saw your three across situation as i have the same seats and a 2005 outback and didn't think it would be possible. What order did you install them? and where?

DH hates the Regent

Michi

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