Just checking- harness height

christineka

New member
For a forward facing kid, it just needs to be above the shoulders, right? It can be two slots above?

I have my 7 year old in the regent. I knew it would lose height when installed, so I left the straps in the top slots. Ds' shoulders are below the second from the top slots. I need to move the seat anyway and could move the straps down. 10 year old absolutely loves the regent and chooses to sit in it when ds isn't in the van. She needs the top slots. Would you just leave the harness in the top slots so the two kids could share?
 
ADS

Mae

Well-known member
I've been informed by members here on the board that as long as it's above the shoulders, it is fine. Doesn't matter if it's one harness slot or two.

Let me find the thread.

ETA: Here.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
As long as it's not uncomfortably high, it's fine. I transport my friend's dd in Macha's Husky a few times every month, and I never bother switching the straps for her.
 

Pixels

New member
AFAIK, every manufacturer requires the straps to be in the slots at or above, that are closest to the child's shoulders. So not allowing two slots above. The seats weren't tested that way as far as we know. Maybe it makes a difference, maybe it doesn't. Without the testing, we have no way of knowing.
 

hrice

New member
I have always heard that right at is optimal but obviously that is not always possible so right at or the next slot up, not two.
 

BookMama

Senior Community Member
From the Regent manual (bolding mine):

Only use forward-facing with children:
􀁳􀀀 who are at least one year of age and
􀁳􀀀 who weigh between 22 and 80 lbs. (10 –
36.3 kg.) and
􀁳􀀀 who are 53” (134.6 cm.) or less in height
and
􀁳􀀀 when the top of the child’s ears are below
the top of the child seat shell (Fig. A) and
􀁳􀀀 when the harness straps are located in
the nearest slots at or above the child’s
shoulders.
 

jourdysmom

CPST Instructor
From Graco Nautilus manual

5. The harness straps must go into the slots even with or just above the shoulders Ð.

So I would say 2 above isn't OK. Is the harness cutting into child's neck or ears with it that high?

DD3 was on 4th slots of our MA, while DD4 was on the 3rd highest. DD4 complained about the harness when I tried her out in DD3's seat...
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
There are years of experiential evidence to tell us that there is no harm in the harness being WAY above the child's shoulders. Just a few years ago, the only slots that were reinforced for ffing on convertible seats were the top slots. These same convertibles had 20# rfing weight limits, so it was teeny kids going ffing in these seats with the harness coming out somewhere between the top of their ears and the top of their heads. This was the norm and the seats performed very well used this way.

However, many parents found it counter-intuitive to use slots so high above the shoulders and left the harness in un-reinforced slots, leading to children dying as the harnesses broke through the shell.
 

Pixels

New member
I understand that all (?) seats used to use the top slots for FFing, but the seats were actually designed to be used that way and tested that way. Current seats are not. Do I think it's the worst misuse? No. But it's still misuse. There's no good reason the OP's DD1 needs to ride in that seat (seat sharing isn't a necessity), so no good reason to even flirt with misuse. Why take the risk?
 

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