Question booster seat with 5 point harness for 2006 Subaru Outback

U

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I am trying to find a booster seat that has a 5 point harness that will work in the center position of a 2006 Subaru Outback Wagon. It will have to use belt installation as latch is not supported in the center position according to the car manual.

Here is what hasn't worked so far.

Britax Frontier 85 short belt path - seat belt stalk is too long even with 3 twists.
Britax Frontier 85 long belt path - seat belt is not long enough.
Graco Nautilus - crotch strap is already too short for our child.

Does anyone know of a model that has a relatively long distance between the seat and where the belt path goes horizontal so that the long seat belt stalk problem could be avoided?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
 
ADS
U

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Guest
The child is 34 pounds and 3.5 years old and has outgrown a britax roundabout.

I like center installation because there is more space between the side of the car and the seat if there is a side impact.

Thanks for your help.
 

Splash

New member
Safety 1st Complete Air fit/installed surprisingly well in the center of a 2006 Forester, which has the same seatbelt setup and likely is near identical in its limitations. I've found very few seats that worked in that setup, though.

ETA, I was able to put a RadianXT in there as well, which shocked the life out of me. A Graco Nautilus worked but that doesn't work with your kid.
 

DahliaRW

New member
The child can be sitting on the crotch strap some, that is ok, in the nautilus. It does install there (as you know).

I haven't tried it, but did you try the evenflo maestro? You'll need a dedicated booster later on, but it's so cheap that won't matter so much.
 
U

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Is the 3 twist rule absolute, or can I twist the seat belt stalk 4 times?

Thanks for your help.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
3 full twists max. Beyond that, the seatbelt's strength and crash performance is likely to be compromised based on studies performed by IMMI, a manufacturer of seatbelt and child restraint harness webbing. Up to 3 full twists of the seatbelt buckle stalk is fine, but no more.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
A couple of you have mentioned the Graco Nautilus as a possibilility.

I did not actually try installing it in the 2006 Outback because the crotch strap was just fitting my child in the store at 3.5 years. I may give it a shot if it is ok to sit on the strap slightly.

Splash said that the Nautilus works in a 2006 Forrester, but have any of you actually seen the Nautilus work in the center position ff with belt installation in a 2006 Outback?

We have been using a Britax Boulevard in the outback, but I think that I may have had 4 twists on the seat belt stalk after re-examining the installation. Have any of you seen the boulevard properly installed in the center postion ff with belt installation on a 2006 Outback?

I asked this in the previous post, but is the 3 twist rule absolute? Is it true that each twist actually lowers the strength/effectiveness of the restraint?

Thanks again for your help.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
See above for your twist answer - we cross posted. :)

Here's what a Graco rep stated about the child's fit relative to the crotch strap and buckle in the Nautilus to address numerous concerns about the fit a year or so ago: http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=797034&postcount=171

I'll defer to Outback owners or techs who've installed the Blvd. or Nautilus in one for that portion of your questions.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi Dalhlia,

Was that a Graco Nautilus or a Britax Boulevard that you installed in an 01 Outback?

Thanks for your help.
 

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