booster fit questions and latch questions..confused:/

twinkletoes

New member
we popped into buy buy baby and I tried my dd out in the Clek Oobre, the seat belt fitted her perfectly (lap and shoulder) however, dd was slouching in the seat (which I didn't realize) and when the sales person asked her to move her bottom back, her knees were not able to bend over the front of the booster without shuffling her bottom forward.. so I am assuming dd is still too small for this booster as it would be easy for her to slouch.. esp. since she was slouching as soon as she sat in the seat..

we didn't get to try the Graco Turbobooster as we were rushed for time and did try out the Britax Frontier 85.

They also had the Graco N but the sales person was trying to sell us on the Britax (explaining about it's shock absorbing shell which takes some of the crash force away from the child, but also because the latch system is 'better' (his words) on the Britax and said a customer had the latch clip on the Graco N brake..and then proceeded to show us how the latch was better on the Britax etc..

now, we have the Cosco Scenera with the same latch as the Graco but we use a seat belt install in dh car until we realized we needed to tether it - it's been made redundant right now..

we also have a blvd which we love for it's ease of install...and yes, the latch is lovely on that seat.


now - I was wondering if we are best off with a high back booster that can tether and latch; such as the Graco GN or Frontier 85 and I wanted to know if there is a weight limit for the latch on these seats? (I am assuming there is in harness mode, but not in booster mode?)

also, would you choose a rigid latch or a felxi latch? I don't know if dd will fit the Clek if we wait for her to outgrow her cosco seat? but if she did, then the Clek would be a nice choice -

I was a bit worried about the rigid latch and that's when the sales person told me that Britax seats take some of the impact in their bases, away from the child.. so that's why I tried dd in the Frontier in the end :/

basically, we are going to install the blvd in dh car once he gets the tether retrofitted (its on order) and have the cosco seat in my car since it doesn't install well in dh's car without having to tighten it after each journey.. the Britax fits great in both cars. (I've actually yet to try the cosco scenera in my car though)

I was wondering if you are allowed to borrow the outboard latch for center seat use in a cosco scenera? we can in our ford focus wagon and Britax blvd.. I can't find my scenera Instructions off hand.. but my car manual say's I can if the car seat manu say's it's okay to do so.

if not, then do you worry that the car seat doesn't have lock offs when using the lap and shoulder belt to install? i've also lost the 'lock off' clip that came with the seat, but wasn't ever sure what this is really for? does it act like those red clips on the side of the Britax seats?

sorry for the long post - it's all so mind boggling. ;)

TIA
 
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twinkletoes

New member
I just wanted to add - dd shoulders are a wee bit under the top harness slots on scenera seat (she has a torso height of 14 1/4") so depending if she has a growth spurt, there is no telling how long we have on the seat - it expires 2011. I am ready to buy a new seat asap - but don't want to rush into anything since we do have a bit of time..
 

twinkletoes

New member
What is your child's age and weight? And are you sure you didn't wander into a Britax employee exposition? ;)

probably lol, he wanted us to look at the Britax parkway too, even though dd is only 33lbs! he still got it off the shelf for dd to sit in it :/

dd is 6 (turned 6 in May)
 

Qarin

New member
when the sales person asked her to move her bottom back, her knees were not able to bend over the front of the booster without shuffling her bottom forward.. so I am assuming dd is still too small for this booster as it would be easy for her to slouch.. esp. since she was slouching as soon as she sat in the seat..

Yes, I agree with your assessment about that- if her legs don't bend comfortably over the seat, she will slouch, and that gives a lot of opportunity for the lap belt to ride up her belly.

By the way, we have two Graco Nautilus seats, and love them.

now, we have the Cosco Scenera with the same latch as the Graco but we use a seat belt install in dh car until we realized we needed to tether it - it's been made redundant right now..

What do you mean by "made redundant"?

The top tether can (and should) be used whether you use the lower anchors or a seatbelt for the main install.

now - I was wondering if we are best off with a high back booster that can tether and latch; such as the Graco GN or Frontier 85 and I wanted to know if there is a weight limit for the latch on these seats? (I am assuming there is in harness mode, but not in booster mode?)

We don't know if LATCH makes a safety difference for the child; my preference is for it with heavy seats, but have no preference for lighter weight seats except that I appreciate the idea of the seat being automatically secured when unoccupied.

There is no child weight limit when using LATCH for the seats in booster (non-harness) mode.

if not, then do you worry that the car seat doesn't have lock offs when using the lap and shoulder belt to install? i've also lost the 'lock off' clip that came with the seat, but wasn't ever sure what this is really for? does it act like those red clips on the side of the Britax seats?

What year/make/model is your car? if it's at all a recent model, then all seatbelts in it lock in some way for installing child safety seats. The locking clip is typically only needed if you have an older vehicle whose seatbelts can not be locked- it does serve the same purpose as the lock-offs on the Britax seats.
 

Pixels

New member
If she was slouching in the booster because her knees didn't bend, then I agree it's not a good fit.

The difference in the LATCH connectors is ease of use. There is no difference in quality or strength of the LATCH, as far as we know.

The Frontier is not an option for a 33 pound child, at least not in booster mode. The minimum is 40 pounds.

The main reason to LATCH a booster is so that it's not a projectile in a crash if it's not occupied. The same thing can be accomplished by buckling the booster in when it's unoccupied.

Manufacturers haven't clarified on LATCH limits in booster mode. In my opinion, it's the seatbelt that is restraining your child, not the LATCH. Even if your child is over the weight limit, or you're looking at borrowing in a not-allowed scenario, the worst case scenario is that the LATCH fails and the seatbelt holds your child in place, just as it would if you had never LATCHed it in the first place.

In your husband's car, how are you locking the belt? You shouldn't have to retighten it after every ride. If the seatbelt is locked, it shouldn't loosen. What is the year, make, and model of the vehicle?

A locking clip does the same job that the lockoffs do. It holds the seatbelt tight if your seatbelt isn't locked. All vehicles made since 1996 have the ability to lock the belts without using the locking clip or lockoffs.
 

twinkletoes

New member
we had the cosco seat installed in dh car, but his car is a 99 Isuzu Amego and does not have Tether, we're getting the tether retrofitted and so in the meantime i've taken the Scenera out of his car - initially, I was going to buy a new seat for his car, but realized I could install the Britax in his car and use the cosco in my car until we find a suitable booster.. redudant meaning, no longer needed for now since we don't have a tether in dh car just yet.

I have a 2003 ford focas wagon and it has latch and three lap shoulder belts plus of course, 3 tether anchors. it only has latch outboard, not in the middle but I can borrow latch outboard if the car seat manual say's it's okay too :)

the Clek oobre is a heavy seat. I'd want to use latch with it too. it doesn't have a tether though.

I prefer the seats that keep as a high back booster until dd is ready to go into a regular seat; not sure if that is possible with the Graco's since they offer a backless option?

thanks again :)
 

twinkletoes

New member
Yes, if I get a harnessed booster then it would be used as such until dd fitted into it as a designated booster :) I didn't even look at what the weight on the GN would be since it did come with a five point harness.

dh's car has a lap only belt in the center.. I had lost the locking clip for the scenera, but was informed I didn't need it for the center belt? but how do I tell if my seatbelts are self locking?

is the graco turbo booster shallower than the Clek Oobre?

can a child sleep safely in a designated booster? dd still falls asleep in the car, as she did last night coming home from shopping... I believe the Graco TB would likely be the only designated booster seat that would fit dd.
 

twinkletoes

New member
I'll see if I can track down my instructions for the cosco scenera and see if I can borrow the latch for center - since i've lost the locking clip and I don't know if my seat belts lock or not.

It's good to know that if the knees don't bend over the end of the seat then it's a no go in a booster - at least I know what to look out for!

I have the graco N and TB to try out - I can't get to see a Ricaro or Maestro IRL..
 

Maedze

New member
If you have a lap-shoulder seatbelt in the middle position, it locks :). The locking belt law (1997) predates standard lap-shoulder belts in all seating positions.
 

Qarin

New member
The Isuzu probably has a lap belt in the middle, which is just pull to tighten. Is that the one which kept loosening? The other belt positions in that vehicle all lock, probably with switchable retractors (pull the shoulder belt all the way out, slowly, and when you let it go back in it ratchets- goes in but doesn't come back out- this is how you would tighten it to install a car seat).

Your Ford Focus has locking belts in all of those positions; I'm not sure if it would have switchable retractors or if they lock at the latchplate (right at the buckle- you'd just buckled it and tighten it- the shoulder belt would move freely, but the lap belt portion would be locked and that's what would keep the car seat tight; be sure to use the top tether, whether you use LATCH or seatbelt).
 

twinkletoes

New member
The Isuzu probably has a lap belt in the middle, which is just pull to tighten. Is that the one which kept loosening? The other belt positions in that vehicle all lock, probably with switchable retractors (pull the shoulder belt all the way out, slowly, and when you let it go back in it ratchets- goes in but doesn't come back out- this is how you would tighten it to install a car seat).

Your Ford Focus has locking belts in all of those positions; I'm not sure if it would have switchable retractors or if they lock at the latchplate (right at the buckle- you'd just buckled it and tighten it- the shoulder belt would move freely, but the lap belt portion would be locked and that's what would keep the car seat tight; be sure to use the top tether, whether you use LATCH or seatbelt).

Yes, the center belt is the one that kept loosening.. and yes, it's a lap only belt in the centre
 

April

Well-known member
I'll see if I can track down my instructions for the cosco scenera and see if I can borrow the latch for center - since i've lost the locking clip and I don't know if my seat belts lock or not.

It's good to know that if the knees don't bend over the end of the seat then it's a no go in a booster - at least I know what to look out for!

I have the graco N and TB to try out - I can't get to see a Ricaro or Maestro IRL..

Dorel (Cosco) allows borrowing of lower anchors as long as your vehicle doesn't prohibit it.
 

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